February 2012 New Specialty Toys — All

As Batman heads toward the bank in his Batmobile, he spots Two-Face and his evil henchmen zooming off with a huge safe in tow. Help Batman put a stop to Two-Face's antics and return the safe to where it belongs. Includes 5 minifigures: Batman, Two-Face, 2 henchmen and a guard. Batmobile features dual flick missiles; TwoFace's car features dual flick missiles, shooting function and lifting crane.

The third Perplexus family member is a hot favorite with all ages, including teens and adults. Epic’s track is over 30 ft. long, and has 125 barriers. It is so challenging that it even has a mid-way restart point. Once kids pick it up, they won’t want to put Epic down.
— As of 01/12/2012 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 114 reviews on Amazon.com.
— In an April 2012 survey about best selling travel toys, Kai Rady, owner of Shenanigans Inc in Charlottesville, Va., told TDmonthly that her best seller is "Perplexus, especially the Epic version."
Awards: 2012 The National Parenting Centre - Seal of Approval, 2012 Learning Express Toys - Best Toy Award, Games Category, 2012 Canadian Toy Testing Council- Best Bet 2012, 2011 The National Parenting Centre - Gold Seal of Approval, 2011 Parent Tested Parent Approved - Seal of Approval, 2011 Neighbourhood Educational Toy Stores - Gold Star, 2011 Fat Brain Toy ‘Award - Brainteasers, 2011 Family Fun - Toy of the Year, 2011 Disney Top 10 Family Fun - Toy of the Year, 2011 Creative Child Magazine - Game of the Year

This game can be played with the whole family and lots of players, either with full trivia or just the colored dice and cup color for very young children. Watch the Tower grow and grow while answering questions correctly - but players will need a steady hand. Selecting the wrong cup when the tower is growing after answering the question could bring the Tower Tumbling down. All the trivia questions are built within the body of the game on round tower plates. Includes 300 question and answers.

Raising a master builder who never seems to have enough CitiBlocs? Then you need this CitiBlocs folding storage bin. Lightweight, made of safe, phthalate free non-woven poly fabric, and decorated with a vibrant CitiBlocs city theme. Safety tested and designed exclusively for Citiblocs. Bin is available on its own ($19.99), or with 500 CitiBlocs in assorted colors. Price of bin with 500 blocks is $129.99.

These colorful cars are the perfect accessory for CitiBlocs constructions. Each car features a unique and playful design, including a taxi, police car, fire truck and more (8 cars total). Cars range in size from 2" - 4" long and are the same width/height as the standard blocks (approx 3/4"), making them perfect for kids 3+.

100 piece NEON colors building block set- with 5 different vibrant colors to add a little pizzazz to building fun. Colors include: green, pink, blue, orange and natural-colored blocks (20 blocks of each color). Build way-cool towers, towns, castles and more. Each fun set comes in a sturdy, paint can-style container for storage with a handle.

By creating a path from Start to Finish, 2 to 4 players try to beat the Ogre to the treasure. Along the way they need to collect 3 keys to open the treasure’s lock before the Ogre gets there. Players strategize, cooperate and build the path as a team. If they make it down the path before you-know-who, they all win! By playing this game, children master math grid concepts, emotional development, shared decision making, strategy techniques and of course, have fun! Board game includes a pair of wooden dice, 37 game cards, 4 key tokens and an Ogre snack. Launch date: 2012.

Chirp, chirp! The baby birds are hungry. Players help Mama Bird by turning over cards one at a time and gathering seeds. But watch out. The squirrel with the bushy tail might take the seeds for his own supper. Gather more seeds for the birds than the squirrel and everyone wins! This game works for 2 to 4 players and includes a game board, 16 game cards and 15 seeds. When play is done, children will have learned shared decision-making, cooperation, counting, adding, number sets, taking turns and following directions.

Spin the spinner and find a matching bug. Then slip it under the rug. It’s okay, Moms, because it’s just a game! Everyone works together to get all the colorful bugs under the rug before the three stinkbugs release their smelliness around the room. Watch closely and make those matches. Each of the three levels of play adds a new challenge. The board game includes 24 bright bugs, three stink bugs, a die, instructions for three game levels and a game board with a built-in spinner. Once preschoolers complete the game they will have mastered visual discrimination, taking turns, rolling a die, recognizing colors and shapes, distinguishing big and little, and counting. The focus in Level 1 is with a roll of the die that determines which 1 bug attribute will be matched for the entire game—color, number or shape. Players try to find matches to that attribute. In Level 2, both a roll of the die and a spin on the spinner complicate players’ abilities to find a match. Level 3 requires players to match two attributes in matches. Launch date: 2012.

Child-safe scissors allow 2 to 4 players to cut all the little bugs free before Willy the Spider falls from the top of the web. But watch out because the web is well, wiggly. To get started, kids pick a card, follow the instructions to cut the web and pass the scissors either left or right. Work cooperatively to free all the bugs and everyone wins. Preschoolers master recognizing left from right, cutting with scissors, taking turns, counting, hand-eye coordination and working cooperatively. Game includes stand-up web posts and platform, 50 paper webs, child-safe scissors, 10 bugs, 1 Willy spider, 30 cards, and instructions for 3 levels of game play. Level 1 introduces cutting with scissors with the players passing the scissors in one direction only. Level 2 adds Left and Right passing and Level 3 challenges the players to get up and switch seats, moving themselves left and right accordingly. Launch date: 2012.

This unicorn features two-toned purple plush and a reflective jewel that sparkles in its embroidered eyes. 11" tall.

No wheels on this little horsey, but safe rocking motions take baby on a delightful journey! This enchanting toy has been designed specifically for the very small. The rocking horse is designed with Moover’s special “brake curve” ensuring that the horse doesn't rock too high. This brake works automatically and unnoticed by reducing the speed when the horse reaches its highest point. The smart design ensures youngsters sit securely in a protected seat resulting in a safe position during the rocking and prevents a child from touching the floor. The seat is intentionally made in such a way that it takes some time for the child to climb onto and out of the seat. Choose from red horse with natural bar or natural horse with red bar.

This sturdy helper is designed for baby's own pace. Safety is key with Moover products and this walker resists tilting thanks to an adjustable brake. Parents adjust the brakes according to the child’s walking ability so the walker can move slowly forward or backward while supporting baby with a sturdy wood frame and firm easy-to-hold handle. Best of all for grownups, the rubber wheels work like "bumpers" protecting door frames and walls. After toddlers become veteran walkers the toy can be used as a cart for dolls or favorite items to move smoothly point A to point B. Choose red with yellow wheels or natural with red wheels.

This first toy on wheels is designed for children as young as 12 months, remaining friendly through the preschool years. It appeals to both boys and girls –an obvious choice as the child's first “ride-on” toy. Kids love to practice simple assembling and construction skills as both the truck body and the crane can be removed. In the driver's cab there is room for a teddy bear or a doll and other toys can be placed in the “trunk.” Choose red with yellow wheels or natural with red wheels.

Build and expand groups of beautiful color sequences. Players mix and match their own and other players’ cards into strategic groups to be the first to play their entire hand. It’s not as easy as it seems. Complete and collapse a spectrum into “white light” to increase their chances of winning.

Visual illusion leads to confusion as players try to follow number and color sequences. Players must watch out for the action cards that could completely disrupt their turn. The player to get to 100 points before the rest wins the CUBU challenge. Players can also play Speed CUBU to really test their visual perception.

Players connect the cards to build a beautiful array of colors. Add a little splice and slice to make the array explode. Array can be played on a table – but for even more fun play it on the floor and see how big the array can grow. The last person in the game is the player who builds the largest array of color.

What a blast kids will have when they can shoot aliens (or next-door buddies) with a 30-foot blast of water? This space pack holds a liter of water and can shoot water in two directions at once, or choose the more traditional single straight-on stream. Strap on the space pack – on top of other space gear or while still wearing pajamas -- and have a blast indoors or out. Like all Aeromax products, attention to detail is paramount with pretend pressure and instrument panels along with adjustable black straps. The modestly priced shooter can be played with or without water for priceless galactic role-playing. Watch more videos: Toy Fair 2012.

Junior explorers can hop on this inflatable space shuttle and blast off for both indoor or outdoor adventures. Ideal as a floating ride-on, this handsome shuttle boasts genuine looking instrument panels, gauges, a built-in portal view of Earth and the red & white stars & stripes of the U. S. of A. Kids will enjoy incorporating into play the clear window view of Earth and the international space station as seen from outer space. After touring the stars and the moon, move the furniture and make way for a shuttle landing that boasts a 45” wingspan and spreads 43” in length. Designed for a weight limit of 90 pounds.

It’s the ultimate set for water battles – a colorful Splash Sword, bright Splash Shield and of course, a Splash Bomb.

Kits include two Shains matching bracelets packaged with 100 multi-colored elements comprised of 75 letters, ten numbers and 15 icons. Matching bracelet colors can be specified, or can be mixed using any two of Shains’ 25 colors.

Brass wind instruments have played an important role in the music of New Orleans since the Spanish-American War, and were vital tools for the development of jazz during the first half of the 20th century. Putumayo's New Orleans Brass collection taps the contemporary scene for a characteristically pleasurable range of rhythms and moods. The lineup includes the Dirty Dozen Brass Band with Dr. John, Kermit Ruffins, James and Troy Andrews, the Yockamo All-Stars, Leroy Jones, and John Boutté. Artists performing in perhaps slightly more old-fashioned styles are Glen Andrews & the Lazy Six, the Preservation Hall Hot 4, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Bob French's Original Tuxedo Band with Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown, and the Dukes of Dixieland, a much hipper-sounding ensemble than the mainstream Dixie pop group of the same name that made million-selling LPs during the 1950s and '60s. Once again, Putumayo offers substantial, accessible music to groove and move to, this time in the form of a good healthy shot of soulful sounds right up off of the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana.
— Jen Fairclough, assistant manager of Magic Box LTD in New Orleans, La., told TDmonthly in a January 2012 survey that they sell six of this CD, which plays in the store, each month.

This award-winning set includes a mini rainbow shaker, baby maraca, baby rattle and cage bell. Includes a vinyl carrying case.
Awards: 2007 Creative Child Magazine Top Toy of the Year Award
— As of 01/09/2012 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 24 reviews on Amazon.com.
— In a January 2012 survey, Dean Smith, co-owner of JaZams in Princeton, N.J., told TDmonthly that their best selling musical item was, "Baby Band from Hohner — we had them for just a few months, and sold 15/month. It's a popular item."

This keyboard encourages interactive play with lots of buttons to press and plenty of musical choices for singing, playing, and recording. The Meowsic Keyboard comes with a book of lyrics and a small book of favorite kid quotes posted on the B Quote Gallery. Has a record button with instant play back, five instrument sounds and five beat choices, as well as a 20-song playlist that includes seven cat-themed songs.
— As of 1/6/2012 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 60 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of songs to choose from; Includes black keys as well as white keys. Cons: Some parents very strongly believed that the pre-recorded songs sounded terrible, and that the songs sung with "meow" instead of regular lyrics were intolerably annoying; a few reported that certain keys wouldn't work simultaneously.
— In a 2012 survey about musical products, two of 13 retailers told TDmonthly that the Meowsic Keyboard from Battat was their top seller in the category.