As our children grew older we found that their interest in Christmas morning waned and the sparkle in their eyes was gone. So in 1992 Nita and I introd
uced the Christmas Morning Web. When our two teen-aged children came down Christmas morning they found a Magic Wand in their socks that had for years been hung at the fireplace mantel, attached to the spool was a piece of yarn (a 100 meter piece of yarn) that wound through the house into the front and back yard and ended in a closet or cabinet which held their special gift from one of Santa’s elves, an elf who had been looking out for them for the past year and knew of their desire for this special gift.
The Christmas Web continued as each of
our children got married and as they had children. We now have seven Magic Wands of 100 mm yarn winding through our house every Christmas Morning making getting a cup of coffee an acrobatic achievement before the winding begins.
The Christmas Web has become the signature event of the Grinkmeyer’s Christmas Day Activities. While at a party at my daughters home (Christmas 2010) Shannon asked me to tell her girlfriends about our family tradition. “You ought to write a book” they said in unison, “like the Elf on the Shelf”, they added. It’s taken me some time but I did it, I’ve written a book, I’ve designed a product, I’ve hired an illustrator, and I’ve found a manufacture in China to produce it for me.
This is where I need your help. I need contacts at the big box retailers (Target, Wall-Mart, Barnes and Noble, Hallmark, The Paper Source, Costco, Toys-R-Us, The Learning Express). I’ll be showing The Christmas Web at the Atlanta Americas Mart July 13 -17, but I’d like to get in front of the big players before the show. So if you know a name that can open a door I’d be grateful.
The Product
- Christmas Web is a 36 page children’s book telling the story of how the Christmas Web came to exist. The illustrations include four elves modeled after
real children. - A set of three Magic Wands in different colors with 100 yards of string attached.
- Access to an interactive website where each child can register their magic wand with Santa then choose and meet their personal elf (a digital presentation by one of the real children) and share with their elf “what they want for Christmas”. Children will be able to come back to the website for regular updates from their elves and Santa.
Marketing:
Our target market for The Christmas Web is every Mom and Dad who wants to keep the sparkle in their children’s eyes that they saw in their childrens first few Christmases. Although the book is for children 4 to 10, the Magic Wands and yarn are for children 4 to 45, and the activity is for the ultimate target market; the moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas who want to keep Christmas Morning a special day…. forever.
Our grandchildren see the Christmas Web as the beginning of their Christmas celebration at our home while their parents, now 37 to 41, compete to see who can find their gift first, while my challenge is to see how difficult I can make the older children’s route to their gift.
The Christmas Web
A Family Tradition
T’was the dawn of Christmas morning,
and all through the land.
Children were waking to celebrate the holiday so grand.
At the North Pole Mrs. Claus and the elves had
gathered in wait.
In hopes that Santa would not be late.
If you can help me with this project in any way please get in touch with me, this is all new ground for me, but that’s not a deterrent, I’ used to blazing new trails. Look for The Christmas Web in stores this Christmas Season
Email me at kjohng@gmail.com
Thanks,
Kerry
Tags: Children's Books, Christmas Traditions, Family Christmas Tradition, The Christmas Web, The Elf on the Shelf