Toy product development services and game manufacturing
What is toy product development?
Toy product development from idea to shelf: play-pattern definition, industrial design, mechanism engineering, ASTM F963 and CPSIA-aware material choices, prototypes for licensing pitches, and tooling for production.
Toy product development is the process of turning a play idea into a safe, manufacturable, price-competitive product: defining the play pattern and age grade, designing the form and mechanism, engineering to children's-product safety standards, prototyping for buyer and licensing pitches, and tooling for volume production.
Two constraints dominate the category and both arrive early. The first is safety - children's products in the US are regulated under CPSIA and tested to ASTM F963, which governs small parts, sharp edges, mechanical hazards and material chemistry. The second is price. Toy retail price points are brutally fixed, and a design that cannot hit its landed cost never leaves the sample stage.
Recent toys & games work
Projects we designed, prototyped and took to production in this category.
- Featured at Tellus Science Museum
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Stardust and You – Concept Turned into Toy Prototype and Museum Exhibit
Due our multi-disciplinary and collaborative team, we were able to create this work-of-art toy prototype.
View project 
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Perky Paws – Automated Interactive Pet Toys
LA NPDT and Richard Carmody collaborated to create Perky Paws, innovative pet toys enhancing dog engagement. Our design included solar-powered elements, a 360-degree camera, and dynamic play features, setting new standards in pet entertainment.
View project
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Board Game Development by LA New Product Development Team
Along with the construction of the game, we also needed to add graphic designs and create the layout during board game development.
View project
Certified B Corp
Independently verified standards of social and environmental performance.
FDA-registered facility
Registered for device work, with the process discipline that comes with it.
- years developing physical products
- 20+years developing physical products
- projects taken from idea to build
- 1,000+projects taken from idea to build
- design, prototyping and short-run production
- In-housedesign, prototyping and short-run production
Prototypes that win licensing meetings, and engineering that survives tooling
Our toy and game work includes the Stardust and You toy prototype now featured at the Tellus Science Museum, board game development, tabletop and game components built for Master Flo Games, children's toy design programs and interactive pet toys. The T-Rex tape cutter we engineered went on to be licensed to ShurTech - the same path many toy inventors are trying to walk.
For an inventor, the deliverable is usually a pitch-ready prototype:: something that demonstrates the play pattern convincingly in a fifteen-minute meeting, backed by enough engineering that a licensee's team believes it can be made.
For a brand or startup, the deliverable is a production package: DFM'd CAD, material specs chosen with safety testing in mind, tooling strategy and a factory-ready BOM.
What makes toys and games hard to develop
A toy has to be cheap, safe, durable, and genuinely fun - and those four pull against each other constantly.
- Safety standards shape the geometry
ASTM F963 and CPSIA drive small-parts rules, edge and point limits, tension and torque testing, and chemical content. Age grading changes all of it, and an age grade chosen for marketing reasons can invalidate a mechanism.
- Retail price points are fixed
A $19.99 toy has a landed cost target that leaves almost no slack. Part count, material, decoration and packaging all get engineered to the penny.
- Play pattern is the product
Mechanisms, sounds and features only matter if the core loop is fun in the first thirty seconds. Prototypes exist to test that, early and cheaply.
- Durability under abuse testing
Drop, tension, torque and compression tests simulate a child who is genuinely trying to break it. Living hinges, snap fits and small protrusions are common failure points.
- Packaging is half the sell
Toys are bought off a peg or a shelf, often by a parent. Window, trial features and try-me packaging are part of the product design, not an afterthought.
- Licensing needs different evidence
A licensee wants a play demo, a claimed price point and a plausible manufacturing story. A startup going direct needs tooling, compliance testing and inventory. The paths diverge early.
Toy and game development capabilities
| Capability | What it covers | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
| Play-pattern and concept design | Core loop, age grade, feature set, character and form | Concept sketches and play mockups |
| Mechanism engineering | Snap fits, linkages, sound, motion, electronics where needed | Working mechanism prototypes |
| Safety-aware material selection | CPSIA and ASTM F963 informed material and finish choices | Material specs and test plan |
| Soft goods and plush | Pattern, fill, stitching, safety of attached features | Sewn samples and factory tech pack |
| Pitch prototypes | Appearance and functional models for licensing meetings | Presentation-quality demo units |
| Tooling and production | DFM, tool layout, factory sourcing, first-article review | Production package and pilot units |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
How a toy program runs
Play first, cost second, tooling last.
01 · Play definition+
Age grade, play pattern and price point agreed before design starts.
- Age grade and safety scope
- Play pattern definition
- Target retail and landed cost
- Competitive shelf audit
02 · Concept and quick mockups+
Rough, fast models to prove the toy is actually fun.
- Multiple concept directions
- Low-fidelity play mockups
- Play testing with target age
- Direction selected
03 · Prototype development+
A convincing unit for pitching, testing or funding.
- Appearance and functional prototypes
- Mechanism validation
- Decoration and color studies
- Pitch or crowdfunding assets
04 · Engineering for safety and cost+
The design is made both compliant and affordable.
- DFM CAD and part consolidation
- ASTM F963 hazard review
- Material and finish specification
- Landed cost model
05 · Tooling and launch+
Factory selection, tooling and first-article approval.
- Tool layout and sourcing
- First-article inspection
- Third-party safety testing coordination
- Packaging and pilot production
Why the prototype decides everything in this category
Toy licensing meetings are short and unsentimental. The inventors who get deals are the ones who can put a working demonstration on the table, name a price point, and answer "can it be made for that?" without flinching.
The same prototype does double duty if you go direct: it is the crowdfunding video, the trade-show sample and the engineering baseline. Money spent making it convincing is rarely wasted.
Nobody licenses a rendering. They license the thirty seconds where the toy does the thing.
Frequently asked questions about toy product development
How much does it cost to develop a toy?+
A pitch-ready prototype for a licensing meeting often runs in the single-digit thousands to low tens of thousands depending on mechanism complexity. A full program through tooling and compliance testing is substantially more, driven mostly by tool count.
Do you help with toy safety testing?+
We design to CPSIA and ASTM F963 requirements and prepare the test plan and materials documentation, then coordinate with an accredited third-party lab that performs the certification testing.
Can you help me license my toy idea to a company?+
We build the prototype and supporting materials that licensing meetings require. We are not an agent, but we routinely prepare inventors for those meetings and have had client products licensed to major brands.
Can you develop plush and soft goods?+
Yes. Pattern development, materials, safety of attached parts and factory tech packs for sewn products are all in scope.
How long does toy development take?+
A pitch prototype is commonly four to ten weeks. A full program to production usually runs six to twelve months including tooling and safety testing.
Can you hit a specific retail price?+
We work backward from it. Tell us the shelf price and we will tell you what part count, materials and decoration that budget actually allows before we design.
Let's find out if your toy is fun and affordable
Describe the play pattern and the shelf price you have in mind. We will tell you what is buildable inside that number.
Selected toys & games work
Projects we designed, prototyped and took to production in this category.
- Featured at Tellus Science Museum
![]()
![]()
Stardust and You – Concept Turned into Toy Prototype and Museum Exhibit
Due our multi-disciplinary and collaborative team, we were able to create this work-of-art toy prototype.
View project ![]()
![]()
Perky Paws – Automated Interactive Pet Toys
LA NPDT and Richard Carmody collaborated to create Perky Paws, innovative pet toys enhancing dog engagement. Our design included solar-powered elements, a 360-degree camera, and dynamic play features, setting new standards in pet entertainment.
View project![]()
Board Game Development by LA New Product Development Team
Along with the construction of the game, we also needed to add graphic designs and create the layout during board game development.
View project
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Game Development Company for Master Flo Games for OTC 2019
We created interactive video games that served as an engaging means of educating a booth’s visitors.
View projectToys Design by LA New Product Development Team
Thomas Walker is a toy creator and inventor who has worked for a long time on his vision. He conceived a product design for toys, known as the ChaBlalker toy, that helps develop hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
View project
Standards and regulations we work to
Other industries we build for
Personal Care
Beauty, grooming and personal hygiene products, from formula-adjacent hardware to packaging.
Pet Products
Pet care, feeding, comfort and interactive toy products developed end to end.
Sports & Fitness
Training aids, outdoor gear, wearables and equipment built for real use in the field.
Product Packaging
Retail-ready structural and graphic packaging that protects the product and sells it.
IoT & Consumer
Connected consumer devices: electronics, enclosures, firmware and the app that drives them.
Medical Devices
Class I and Class II devices, diagnostics and patient-safety hardware developed to the pathway.
Industrial Equipment
Custom machines, automation and commercial equipment engineered and built in-house.
Food & Beverage
Containers, closures, kitchen tools and food-contact equipment for CPG brands.
Home & Housewares
Cleaning tools, storage, organization and home hardware engineered to a shelf price.
Baby & Juvenile
Feeding, sleep, travel and nursery products designed around juvenile safety standards.
Outdoor & Hunting
Hunting, camping, marine and recreation gear built for weather, abuse and field use.
Funded Startups & SBIR
SBIR Phase I and II prototypes and investor-ready hardware for funded teams.
What founders say after working with us
“This company is awesome. I run a medical device company and we required a number of accessories to be designed and built for our medical device. They delivered a polished design and printed the accessories on time using high-quality materials. I continue to work with them for all of our material needs.”
Matteo ZiffFounder, Virtual Vision“I highly recommend the LA New Product Development Team for any of your new product development needs. From the development of my concept to the actual prototype, the process was seamless. I especially loved the quick responsiveness, and I received regular updates during every stage, so I was never left wondering how things were going. The steps were clearly outlined, along with estimated costs.”
Dr. Sharada DamarajuFounder, Dignity & Empowerment“Partnering with LA NPDT to bring LEIA to life was a game-changer. Their blend of market analysis, design expertise, prototyping, and manufacturing streamlined my vision into a tangible solution. For medical professionals with a product idea, there's no team I'd recommend more.”
Dr. Elena DolganFounder, LEIA CupThree reasons why our clients love working with us:
- 1
We solve problems. Coming up with creative solutions focused on achieving your goals is our everyday routine.
- 2
Get it all done at one place. We are a "one-stop shop" for developing, prototyping, manufacturing, and marketing new products.
- 3
You always know what to expect. No hourly charges. We are paid for the results.
If you ever thought of developing a new product, don’t wait any longer. Talk with one of our experts today.
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