Gamewright Makes a Splash with Kid-Invented Game

12 year-old creator inspired by the ocean with her game, Mermaid Beach

Newton, MA – Gamewright, a leading manufacturer of family games based in Newton, Massachusetts, is making a splash with its new 2011 game release, Mermaid Beach. The ocean-themed card game Mermaid Beach is invented by Emily Ehlers, who was eight years old when she created the game. Now twelve, she is the second kid to invent a Gamewright game. Sleeping Queens is Gamewright’s first kid-invented game, and has been a top-seller since its 2005 introduction. Mermaid Beach, along with seven other new Gamewright releases, will be unveiled at NY Toy Fair in February 2011.

Ehlers is a Portland, Oregon native and lives with her parents and two brothers. She was inspired to create Mermaid Beach in 2007 when she and her family spent an entire year living aboard a 42-foot sailboat. “We spent several weeks sailing around Cape Cod at the start of our trip. That is where I got the idea.  Because we were always on the water or in the water, I started thinking about what if mermaids were real?” says Ehlers. “We had a lot of time being on a boat, and I liked the idea of using some of it to make a new game instead of just playing the ones we already had. It was my idea to make the game about mermaids and shell collecting, but everyone in my family helped with ideas for how the game would work.  My brothers Jake and Drew helped me make cards so we could play and test out the game.  My mom and dad played lots of rounds with us and helped us work out the kinks.”

Mermaid Beach is a very splashy card game that features a colorful cast of undersea characters such as Swirly Shirley, Betsy Bubbles and Rip Ryder. Try to collect the most seashell cards but watch out for sneaky waves and icky seaweed along the way. Most of all - don’t get caught holding the sea monster at the end of the game!

“Because we are a family game company, it’s always very special and exciting when we can produce a game that was invented by a kid,” says Jason Schneider, product development and marketing manager for Gamewright. “From the first time we tested Emily’s prototype for Mermaid Beach, we knew there was something unique about the game play and we fell in love with the silly characters. A lot of imagination went into creating this game.”

About Gamewright

Gamewright, a leading manufacturer of family games, is best known for such household hits as Slamwich®, Rat-a-Tat Cat®, In a Pickle™, and the Scrambled States of America™ Game.  Gamewright prides itself on making games that foster laughter, learning, friendship and fun. Kids, parents, grandparents, and educators all agree that Gamewright makes some of the best games on the planet.  For more information, please visit www.gamewright.com.

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