Roseville-based brainy toys and games maker MindWare announced Tuesday it would make its first-ever acquisition, buying a fellow children’s game maker, Peaceable Kingdom, for an undisclosed amount.
 
Jonathan Staruck, vice president and general manager of MindWare, said the company was looking to buy a business such as Peaceable Kingdom “for some time.”
 
“The Peaceable Kingdom product line will be a great addition to the MindWare collection, allowing us to offer even more to our consumers and educators, as well as our wholesale partners domestically and internationally alike,” he said.
 
Peaceable Kingdom, headquartered in Berkeley, California, primarily makes educational board and card games for kids. However, some of the company’s products, such as diaries, Valentine’s Day cards and temporary tattoos, go beyond what MindWare currently offers.
 
Those unique products are a continuation of what Peaceable Kingdom sold in its early days. When it was founded in 1983, Peaceable Kingdom sold posters and stationary based on classic children’s book illustrations. (Notably, the family of Clement Hurd, who illustrated the popular children’s book “Good Night Moon”, established the company.)
 
“I’ve been a big fan of MindWare for a long time,” Donna Jaffe, owner of Peaceable Kingdom, said in a statement. “Peaceable Kingdom has truly been a cooperative effort of many talented and committed people for many years. All of us wish the best for its future with MindWare.”
 
MindWare, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway business Oriental Trading Company, is one of the biggest makers of educational games in the state. Since its start as a small retail store in Minneapolis in 1990, MindWare has since evolved into an e-commerce and wholesale business. Its products are now sold in some of the country’s largest retailers, including Target and Walmart.
 
“I’m excited to strengthen the business further by expanding into cooperative games with Peaceable Kingdom’s outstanding assortment,” Oriental Trading acting CEO Steve Mendlik said.