November 2008 Notable Toys — All

This whimsical jewelry box is painted on all sides with rich watercolors in a scene out of a fairy tale. The main chamber hides a dancing prince and princess that twirl as the enclosed music box plays when the lid is open. The box features a divided, flocked tray, a large drawer in the bottom, and smaller drawers that come out of the sides for sorting out various treasures.
— “Jewelry boxes … the top seller comes from Enchantmints,” David Ekwall, owner of The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in September 2008 when speaking about best-selling products for tweens.
— “Musical jewelry boxes by Enchantmints,” agreed Diana Nelson, owner of Kazoo & Co. in Denver, Colo., who sells more than two dozen a month. “[They’re] very nostalgic.”
— These music boxes were best sellers at Twirl Toystore & Playspace in Taos, N.M., in early 2009, according to Owner Molly McMullin. “Grandparents love to give these to their granddaughters … a classic we remember receiving as kids,” she said.

This fluffy white horse comes with a special code kids can use to access Webkinz World online.
— Kathy Mabry, owner of The Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., told TDmonthly that Webkinz continue to be a top seller for her store. She reported sales of hundreds every month in early fall 2008.
— “Ganz’s Webkinz — they're still selling well here,” said Linda Laramy, owner of Cracker Jacks in Easton, Md., when asked about best-selling items for tweens. “They’re still very popular.”
— Webkinz was on the top-10 best-seller list at Pun’s Toy Store in Bryn Mawr, Pa., in October 2008. “Although not the sellers they were before, they still present the greatest play value in our industry,” Owner Joe Berardoni, Sr., said.

This 89-piece set measures 3.5” tall and includes a functional mast and forks that lift a cargo pallet. Please check with LEGO directly to see if this particular item is available for the specialty market.
— “Lego's been a big huge boost,” Ron Banducci of Games Unlimited told TDmonthly in early fall 2008 when discussing hot-selling tween items.
— “The kids like the challenge of building all the pieces,” said Linda Kapnick, owner of Ambassador Toys in San Francisco.
— Twelve percent of 51 retailers said Lego is a best-selling item for tweens.

This easy-to-build plane is made of pre-cut pieces of balsa wood. The double-wing design is stenciled with dramatic details for an authentic World War I look, with the spacing of the structure maintained by light plastic pieces to keep everything in place.  
— “Balsa wood planes, by Guillow,” said Joel Hardy of Magpie Toys in Red Lodge, Mont., of the store’s best-selling flying toys.
— Eight percent of 68 retailers reported Guillow’s balsa flyers as top sellers among aircraft in October 2008.

The mittens, scarf and hat in this set can also be purchased individually. "Our unique, adorable accessories appeal to kids and adults alike; they are both fun and functional," Julie Dennis, designer at BearHands & Buddies, told TDmonthly. Available in a rainbow of fleece colors with a variety of animals. BearHands received a 2008 Product of the Year award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: July 1, 2008.

Who knew saving waste can save money and the environment? These eco-friendly banks, recycled from paper, mud and glue, come in 13 wildlife and marine varieties. Kids can smash the bank once it's full; it's biodegradable and will decompose by itself, plus it doesn't leave any sharp edges. "It's the only recycled bank in the U.S. market ever featured, as of the moment. We are educating the kids to save up and, at the same time, care for the environment," Janelle Go-Lin, president of King-Max Products told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2009.

Kid Galaxy’s Morphibians unite a wide variety of play types as they are safe not only for land, but also for water. Battery-operated and remote-controlled, a Morphibian is an all-terrain vehicle, going from driveway to living room to bathtub easily. Simple controls and aggressive styling make this chunky, four-wheel-drive vehicle appealing to a wide range of ages. Morphibians are available in two frequencies to allow two cars to be driven at once without interfering with one another’s signal.
— “For RC toys, we turn to Kid Galaxy for dependable electronics and age-appropriate play value,” said Sallie Kashiwa, manager of Timbuk Toys in Denver, who noted the Morphibian as a best seller for older boys.
— Ten percent of 68 retailers named the Morphibian as a best-selling hobby toy in October 2008, citing average sales of eight to 10 per month.

Martha™ Mom and Baby is a 10.5” fluffy mom duck with an orange beak and feet. She sports a yellow and lilac chiffon neck bow. Her chick is crafted of yellow plush and wears white and pink bunny ears. When you press mom’s wing, mom’s mouth and body move to the music “How Sweet It Is” while the chick’s wings flap up and down. It includes three replaceable AA batteries. The product's "animated movement" and "design concept" set it apart from similar items, according to Shallu Chhabra, marketing manager for GUND. Launch date: 2009.

This hip and stylish pink and brown flowered print reverses to super sized pink and brown polka dots.

Cocoa Brown with Blue Paisley highchair cover for the most stylish toddlers!

A tropical escape for your little one. Bright red and white hawaiian floral print reverses to a surf scene print on a bright blue background. Completely reversible and washable.

Perfect for your little soldier, this cushioned stroller liner has a classic green and tan camouflage print on one side and reverses to a tan chenille on the other.

MiniMitts are a thumbless, easy on/off pair of child-size wash mitts designed for "little hands” that enable children to master personal hygiene skills. While parents teach children how to wash with BellyLaf’s coordinated Grippees™ adult wash mitts, children model after Mom and Dad by using MiniMitts. MiniMitts incorporate SmartShapes™, geometric shapes of colorful circles, squares, triangles and stars that are combined together to create clever characters that appeal to kids and parents alike. They are made with an ultra-soft, eco-friendly bamboo/cotton blend. "MiniMitts teach children bathing independence and make bath time an interactive and learning experience. The SmartShapes™ appliqué designs on the top of each mitt allow parents to teach children about shapes and colors," Denise West of BellyLaf told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 7, 2008.

Patent-pending Grippees are designed to help parents bathe children with confidence and reduce risk of injury. Grippees' clear, soft and non-toxic silicone gripping dots are strategically placed on the palm of each wash mitt and aid in holding slippery children as you wash or move them in and out of the bathtub. Colorful embroidered appliqué designs incorporate SmartShapes™, bright and cheery geometric characters that make bathing time fun and interactive for all. The product is made with an ultra-soft, eco-friendly bamboo/cotton blend. Grippees wash mitts actually solves a problem with its clever gripping system. Everyone on the planet that has bathed a child knows how slippery they are. "Bathroom accidents occur every day in American households involving children. Having wash mitts that wash as well as aid in safely holding the child is an ideal combination. The bamboo/cotton blend makes it perfect for delicate skin," Denise West of BellyLaf told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 7, 2008.

The Scrunch Bottle Bib is a revolutionary way to protect infants from spillage during bottle feeding. Catching the drips and spills that traditional bibs leave behind, the Scrunch Bottle Bib attaches to the bottle instead of the infant and catches spills before they reach the tender neck area. "It is made of the softest materials and is 100-percent cotton and machine washable. The Scrunch Bottle Bib extends and gently molds onto the infant's chin, requiring no holding or assistance," CEO Jennifer Edison of Wee Baby, Inc. told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2008.

Fast, compact and lightweight, the KG Racer is a hardy, easy-to-use remote-control car. Requiring no charging, the Racer is powered by batteries that stay safely in secure compartments in the car and the kid-friendly, two-button controller. Several styles of car are available with color schemes to suit boys and girls, and the cars are available in two frequencies to allow for two vehicles to be run at the same time without interfering with one another’s signal.
— Amy Barrett of Lasso the Moon Wonderful Toys in Helena, Mont., named KG Racers as her best-selling remote control toy in October 2008.
— Almost half of 68 retailers surveyed listed Kid Galaxy as their top-selling brand of RC and flying toys.

A more full-featured remote-controlled aircraft than some of Kid Galaxy’s simpler models, Field Flyers are more than just launch-and-fly gliders.  The combination launcher and charger allows even beginner pilots to guide the airplane after launching. With a 20-minute charge, the Field Flyer will fly for about four minutes with a range of 100’.
— “Kid Galaxy Field Flyers, [the] remote planes you fly,” said Patti Tepper-Rasmussen, owner of Learning Tree Toys in Oklahoma City, Okla., when asked about best-selling aircraft in October 2008.
— “They’re very popular and easy to use,” Carol Knight, owner of The Toy Store in Ketchum, Idaho, told TDmonthly.

This action-packed, hidden-identity game is geared to please the younger crowd. Assuming the identity of one of six spies, each player uses the die and moves cards to move around the gameboard. If a player lands on the same colored space as his/her opponent, he/she may take a guess of the opponents identity. If the guess is correct, the opponent is out of the game. The winner is the last player remaining. The game "focuses on bluffing and guessing," Bill Stephenson, president of Spy Alley Partners, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 1, 2008.

Boogie Wipes are the first and only saline-enhanced wipes designed especially for kids’ runny noses. Developed by moms searching for a better way to wipe, Boogie Wipes combine pediatrician-recommended saline with a soft, sterile, moisturizing cloth strong enough to handle the tough job of baby boogies – better known as mucous. They are extra soft, hypoallergenic, alcohol-free and gentle enough for all ages. Boogie Wipes were named as a finalist for the 2008 Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) Innovation Awards. "Saline is the No. 1 way pediatricians recommend treating kids’ stuffy noses, but they hate the process of squirting it up their up their noses," Mindee Doney, director of marketing and product development at Little Busy Bodies, told TDmonthly. "Adding it to the wipe makes it easier to remove stuck-on mucous and the added moisturizers (Vitamin E and aloe) prevent chapping." Launch date: December 1, 2007.

A complete slot-car racing set, Police Chase features two authentically detailed cars. One, a Crown Victoria police interceptor with working headlights, and the other, a Corvette with blue under-lighting, race along the tracks at the command of two turbo-speed controllers included in the set. The lap-counter keeps track of who is in the lead.   
— Five percent of 68 retailers said in October 2008 that slot cars are their top-selling hobby item.

Each Slooh Kids activity book includes 14 celestial objects located in the northern and/or southern Hemisphere. It’s easy to launch, explore, and learn with the whole family. Kids can learn about space, then go see it LIVE using the Slooh mission card via Internet access on a Mac or PC. Kids can connect to three observatory site locations, learn how to plan missions, remotely control the telescopes, and take and print pictures, then paste them in the book. Access includes Live SkyGuide Audio. "Slooh is revolutionizing the way we explore the night sky," Patrick Paolucci, president of BlueStorm Productions, Inc., told TDmonthly. Slooh mission cards won a 2006 NAPPA Gold Award Honor award. Launch date: July 2008.

Children can easily build this sturdy Pirate Fortress, decorate it, and play with it. This kit transforms from a crafting activity into a real toy, and, best of all, is recyclable. All pieces are made from pre-cut and pre-punched sturdy white cardboard and can be put together without glue and scissors. "It's a great choice for parents who want to promote their children's creativity, and it is a wonderful, unique present for a kid that wants a cool toy," Martina McConnon, owner of distributor Creative Toyshop, told TDmonthly. It received the Spiel gut 2008 award in Germany. Launch date: September 8, 2008.

This Calafant cardboard kit transforms into a sturdy castle that is fun to build and decorate. It comes with 12 washable, non-toxic markers and is easy to color. When the child has completed the castle, it is a great toy and ideal for play with 3" dolls. Best of all, it's recyclable. "It is made from very high-quality cardboard — unless you sit on it, it won't bend!" Martina McConnon, owner of distributor Creative Toyshop, told TDmonthly. The product received a TOY Innovation award in the creativity category in 2006 (in Germany). Launch date: April 1, 2008.

The Calafant Palace is easy to build and decorate with any craft materials, acrylic paint, watercolor, rhinestones, scrap paper, glitter and aluminum foil — anything that comes to the creative mind. The sturdy structure is the ideal size for play with 3" dolls. All pieces are made from pre-cut and pre-punched, high-quality white cardboard and can be put together without glue and scissors. "It is exactly what parents look for when they want to promote their child's creativity while making an eco-friendly purchase," Owner Martina McConnon of distributor Creative Toyshop told TDmonthly. The product/line received the following awards in Germany: TOY Innovation 2006 and "spiel gut" 2008. Launch date: April 1, 2008.