Refreshed January 16, 2025

It’s always important to think of your Toy Fair PR launch and pitching strategies early. This time of year also sets the stage for coverage tied to big seasonal moments throughout the year – from Valentine’s Day to back-to-school season and of course the ever-important Q4 holiday season! All year long, there are opportunities to fit your brand into the conversation.

Toy reviewers and parenting reporters are constantly looking for intel on the hottest toys and games to share with their readers. Whether it’s the latest toy trend, a product that’s going viral on TikTok, or a tried-and-true classic, they want stories that capture parents’ attention, spark children’s imagination and development, or even help adults feel like a kid again.

So, while you develop your PR plan and strategy for the year, or ahead of Toy Fair, here’s a quick list of five of our go-to reporters for toys, games, and tech that should be on your radar.

5 Toy Reviewers and Parenting Reporters to Know

Marisa LaScala

Marisa LaScala is the Senior Parenting and Relationships Editor at the highly trusted lifestyle publication Good Housekeeping. Since 2018, Marisa has provided the 411 on the coolest toys, games, and parenting must-haves to GH readers. She’s very responsive (even if she doesn’t always include the product) and has an early lead time for her stories. Plus, Good Housekeeping articles often get picked up by other aggregators, so more eyeballs on your product!

Check out her round-up of holiday toy recommendations, which featured two Carve clients — Abacus and PLAYMOBIL!

Cat Bowen

Cat Bowen has covered parenting trends for over a decade, with her work appearing in publications like Best Products and Romper. She’s currently a Senior Editor of Commerce, Reviews at the world’s largest lifestyle publisher, Hearst, and heads up the Best Products’ Toy of the Year Awards. Cat writes about everything from strollers to pop-culture/kidult (“kid adult”) fandom products, like “25 Lord of the Rings gifts the Tolkienite in your life needs."

PRO TIP: Find a show or movie to bond with her about! Remember: PR pro's should develop relationships, not just sell stories. Personalized pitches help you stand out in a crowded inbox and demonstrate you’re making an effort to get to know the reporter on a deeper level.

Check out her article which featured our client, PLAYMOBIL!

Maya Polton

Maya Polton is a freelance writer, focusing primarily on kids and baby gear. She’s a very busy mom of three so she has lots of built-in toy reviewers –along with nearly 20 years of parenting news experience. Her work appears in Forbes, Parents, VeryWell Family, Better Homes & Gardens, among others. Maya is very receptive to pitches on trends in the toy industry, especially with what her kids are playing with at the moment, and is also tuned in to innovation.

PRO TIP: It’s important not to assume that every parenting reporter is a parent themselves. Make sure you do your research to ensure you’re positioning your products the right way.

Check out her article which featured not one, not two, but three Carve clients!!

Bridget Carey

Bridget Carey has over 18 years in the consumer tech industry and is an award-winning reporter at CNET. While Bridget mostly covers tech, she also stays on top of trends in the toy industry and loves looking for products that meet at the intersection of playtime and tech. Bridget’s content ranges from articles to video reviews and roundups; she is always “hands-on” and really takes the time to immerse herself and review the products!

PRO TIP: Checking in with reporters on what they’re working on regularly not only strengthens the relationship; if they ever need anything down the line – they’ll know who to get in touch with! Even if the product you’re pitching at the moment isn’t a direct fit – maybe someone on their team is!

John Mihaly

John Mihaly is a father of two and, while he is currently on staff at PC Mag, he also regularly contributes to BuzzFeed, writing about kids’ toys and gifts! A lot of John’s BuzzFeed articles are roundups that also frequently pull real customer reviews from Amazon and retailer-specific stories. John’s into pop culture and loves to “employ” his kids as his on-site toy reviewers.

Fun Fact: John was an early advocate of parenting listicles at BuzzFeed as he leaned into his experiences of fatherhood to create content!

Check out his round-up, which featured three clients!!

PRO TIP: Besides traditional email pitching, virtual one-on-one “desksides” or even in-person appointments (if you’re so lucky) are also great ways to preview products and demo them IRL! After all, toys and games are meant to be played with!

We’ve spent years getting to know these toy reviewers and parenting reporters, learning their likes (and dislikes), and building relationships with them. It’s a 365-day effort.

Sometimes there are more obvious opportunities than others, but that’s where your creativity comes into play. Take the time to get to know who you’re emailing and establish a relationship with them.

Toy Reviewers and Parenting Reporters To Know