1000 x 90

Incredible Toy Company Hosts Joinks Inventor Richard Elaver Saturday for National Neighborhood Toy Store Day

By Madison Fisler Lewis

Nov. 10, 2014. On Saturday, Nov. 8, The Incredible Toy Company in Blowing Rock hosted Richard Elaver and his new invention, Joinks, for a demonstration to celebrate National Neighborhood Toy Store Day. Starting at 10 a.m., Elaver demonstrated how the innovative construction toy works, allowed kids to build their own creations and spoke to parents and grandparents about the educational nature of Joinks.

“I think that the event was a success because I was able to interact with the people who are going to be playing with this at home,” said Richard Elaver, an Appalachian State University professor who invented the construction toy.

“I got to see kids interacting with it and got to geek out with the parents about the math and education side. It is really funny for me to see parents realize the education potential. At first they just see a toy, but then we start talking about the math and science that goes into it and they see it on a whole other level.”

The project was launched as a Kickstarter campaign started by Elaver in March. Since then, it has been licensed to Fat Brain Toys, which is now responsible for the production and distribution of Joinks. The first shipments of the toy started to come into the United States last week, and Joinks are now available in stores, including at the Incredible Toy Company in Blowing Rock.

Joinks is an innovative construction toy that allows brings to the table flexibility and ease of construction that many modern construction sets do not.

With many families attending the event, plenty of Joinks sets went home with new owners after the demonstration.

“Really, the only disappointment I have for this event is that many of these sets were purchased as Christmas gifts,” Elaver said. “That means the kids will have to wait to play with them, when I know that they would want to play with it right now if they could!”

For more information about Joinks, click here or visit www.FatBrainToys.com.

Photos by Ken Ketchie

FIXE_0712
Maggie Cheves plays with Joinks! during the Saturday event.
FIXE_0717
Joinks! are a recently-released, innovative building toy.
FIXE_0734
Maggie Cheves builds a creation with Joinks!
FIXE_0736
Inventor Richard Elaver demonstrates Joinks!
FIXE_0744
Joinks! inventor Richard Elaver is also a professor at Appalachian State University.
FIXE_0750
Joinks! creator Richard Elaver and Incredible Toy Company owner Kathleen Rowell.
FIXE_0761
Kids build creations with Joinks!
FIXE_0770
Kids let their imaginations run wild.
FIXE_0775
Joinks! inventor Richard Elaver speaks to a parent about the educational value of the toy while kids have fun.