TDmonthly Magazine staff have seen lots of fun new products as the holiday season approaches. This month, check out a game in which acquiring debt is a winning tactic, soft-soled modern toddler shoes from Canada, and a sidewalk-chalk curriculum designed to get kids up and moving!
Little Soles Urban Infants Collection is designed to suit early walkers in size 3 to 8. The shoes are free from harmful dyes and toxins, feature premium Leathers sourced specifically to surpass the standards in footwear testing set by Health Canada or the CPSC, and are tested for the following: European Council directive 2002/62/EC testing for AZO colourants or Dyes, formaldehyde content and seven toxic elements (lead, arsenic, antimony, barium, mercury, cadmium and selenium). A full leather upper, inside and out, allows for optimal comfort and breathability, and the soft, flexible outsole is suited to pre-walking and early walking. The shoes also offer heel counters for support, a padded ankle collar and a cushioned heel. They are sold in a reusable designer gift box and received a 2009 iParenting Media Outstanding Products award. Launch date: April 30, 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $39.95; Age: 0 to 3) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Bailout! The Game is a quality board game for 2-6 players for ages 14 to adult. It has the appearance of a classic board game with quick 1-hour playing time. It is interactive and requires a competitive strategy to outsmart your opponents. Every action you take compounds upon the next creating a unique outcome every time you play. Be the Bank, Lose Billions, Get a Bailout! 9/2/2009 (Price: $29.99; Age: 14 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Coursing Around's first edition offers 15 activity courses using sidewalk chalk. Designed to motivate kids to get off the couch and be active outside, it also offers an educational dynamic by helping kids learn their shapes, colors, numbers, and lefts and rights. Coursing Around received a 2009 iParenting Media Award in the Outstanding Product Toys and Games Category. Launch date: 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $19.95; Age: 3 to 12) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
This set of four 8" melamine plates features a different robot on each against a bright, patterned background. The plates are dishwasher safe and coordinate with the company's robot juice cup and bowl set for kids. 8/21/2009 (Price: $32.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
After rolling the special dice and flipping the timer, players race to list words containing the three letters shown on the dice. Only words listed by a single player score points, so players are rewarded for their speed and creative thinking. This game is adjustable for different skill levels and ideal for varied group sizes. Launch date: April 2009. 8/19/2009 (Price: $24.99; Age: 8 to Adult) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
This kit contains everything needle to make two cute stuffed owls, right down to the stuffing, scissors and needle. The owl pattern is printed onto unbleached cotton fabric, making it easy to cut out and simple to sew together the owls. The box is printed on the inside to cut it out and recycle it into glasses for your owl. Launch date: January 2, 2009. 8/19/2009 (Price: $14.99; Age: 6 to 12) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
The painted wooden Torii Gateway, built in the traditional Shinto style, is a classic and beloved icon of Japanese architecture. This model is 1/100 scale and measures 9.4" x 5.1" x 6.7" when assembled. Launch date: July 15, 2003. 8/28/2009 (Price: $15; Age: 10 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Rocket Pockets features floating super balls and an inflatable, multi-color target that can be used in the pool, at the beach or in a back yard. It is designed for one to eight players and points are scored by landing the super balls in the colored pockets. The game may be used for birthday parties, ring toss, fun learning activities and, for adults, party pong and chipping golf balls. Each game includes one inflatable target, four floating balls, four non-floating super balls, a patch kit and instructions. It is "great for teaching hand and eye coordination, letter recognition and number recognition," Gary Hoskins, creator and inventor of Rocket Pockets, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2004. 8/28/2009 (Price: $29.99; Age: All Ages) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Designed to make a little girl's birthday a touch more special, these tees features cupcake appliques made with soft, fuzzy fabric. They are available in a variety of colors and patterns. The company also offers designs for boy birthdays. "All of our appliques are cut and sewn in our offices in Fountain Valley, [Calif.]," Chis Jannuzzi, co-owner of Jannuzzi, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008. 8/28/2009 (Price: $28; Age: 1 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
These ergonomic snow gloves for kids are snugly designed with a zipper that originates over the back of the hand and zips down past the wrist for quick and easy on-off use. There's elastic gathering on the inside of the wrist, and the gloves feature a water-resistant shell and a soft fleece material on the forefinger for nose wiping. 9/3/2009 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
At the pole, your penguins are jumping from ice floe to ice floe hunting fish. They’re also trying to block other penguins and secure the best fishing grounds for themselves. The penguin colony that catches the most fish by the end of the game wins. Launch date: December 2008. 8/19/2009 (Price: $40.00; Age: 8 to Adult) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
The Radio Flyer Push, Pull & Ride offers three interchangeable modes: stroller, ride-on and pull wagon. The large, easily removable bucket encourages children to build cognitive skills by loading and unloading objects, while the free-rolling wheels permit easy forward and backward motion and encourage active play. Toddlers can push their favorite toy in the stroller mode, scoot across the floor on the back in foot-to-floor mode, or pull their favorite treasures in wagon mode. It is a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval winner. Launch date: July 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $49.99; Age: 1 to 3) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
The Bamboo LullaBag is a sleep bag that is specifically designed to help babies sleep through the night. With the Bamboo LullaBag, baby stays at a constant comfortable temperature, which greatly improves the quality and duration of baby’s sleep. Since the Bamboo LullaBag promotes back sleep and replaces loose bedding, it is designed as a safer way to put baby to sleep that reduces certain risk factors associated with SIDS. "The patented Bamboo LullaBag has a continuous dual-headed zipper that begins at the neckline and curves along the entire side and bottom of the bag. This unique two-way zipper allows parents to open the bag partially or completely in either direction, making overall use and late-night diaper and clothing changes very easy," Emily Chae, marketing associate for Cloud B, told TDmonthly. This product received a 2009 PTPA Seal of Approval. Launch date: July 2009. 8/27/2009 (Price: $36; Age: 0 to 2) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
This jacket and toy in one is made of pre-washed, blue denim with attractive pink stitching and a silky pink satin lining. Embroidered on the back of each denim jacket is a fabric doll. Kids can dress up the doll by applying the hair, dresses and various accessories to the doll's body with easy to use Velcro backings. Dress Me Jackets aims to make getting dressed an enjoyable activity for kids as they use their imagination, fine-motor and decision-making skills to create new looks with their jacket. Each jacket includes a denim purse to carry the 14 interchangeable accessories that create the two "Princess" and "Ballerina" characters. Launch date: November 2008. 8/28/2009 (Price: $59.99; Age: 3 to 8) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Young sculptors can create a realistic version of one animal — an elephant, lion, lizard or horse — with each single-themed Clay Play sculpting kit. Kids can learn a variety of sculpting techniques and interesting facts about the featured animal. Then, they can showcase their masterpiece in front of one of two dioramas — a natural setting or a display frame. Each set includes a plastic poseable animal armature; a large clay block for body; several smaller clay blocks for details; two double-ended tools to cut, add details and texture; body part templates; and a double-sided diorama. "Young sculptors can create a realistic version of a horse with the posable armature," Jeff Fettinger, sales and operations associate for SMARTLAB, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $9.99; Age: 6 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
The Amazi Flyer! magic floating device allows children to float, fly and spin an ordinary object, such as a card, coin or dollar bill, in mid air. Mark Hamilton has combined three tricks in one — the flying card, floating dollar and floating coin tricks. Launch date: September 30, 2009. 8/28/2009 (Price: $5.99; Age: 6 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
The Signature Bears are unique to Stuffington Bear Factory with floppy legs, oversized feet, and playful faces with bright eyes. This guy isn't the roundest of bears, so if you're looking for something easy to carry or someone who doesn't take up too much of the bed, the Signature Bear is for you! Available in ivory, black and chocolate. You can customize the ribbon colors. 8/21/2009 (Price: $34.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
In this game for two or more players, participants are confronted with interesting and, often, totally gross facts about the human body. One multiple choice question, for example, reads, "Most people fart about how many times a day?" It includes 130 question cards, 30 wild cards, six mover pieces, a game board that offers an intestinal look at the body, and a player guide. Launch date: 2009. 9/10/2009 (Age: 6 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Flowers will perk up when this Jr. Garden Fairy appears. This lovely, shimmering green dress has a tulle lining and the back is a knit fabric for comfort. Two beautiful floral appliqués and trim; plus the detachable gold-glittered wings complete the look. Sizes: 2/3, 4/6 and 6/8. 9/15/2009 (Price: $29.95; Age: 2 to 8) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Players do not have to be music buffs to enjoy and succeed at Consensus® Music Edition. It's not a trivia game — it's a game about opinions. Consensus® Music Edition takes about a minute to learn and requires only minimal knowledge of some of the most popular songs of all time. Consensus® Music Edition is as much about bonding as it is about friendly opposition, but most of all it is a wild and wacky game where players can learn how their friends and family view things by their taste in music. 9/14/2009 (Price: $29.95; Age: 17 to Adult) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
This collection of five, eco-friendly stuffed animals is produced in a certified organic plush toy factory in China and made with organic cotton, natural silk, sustainably grown corn fiber, soy and hemp, and non-toxic plastics. Each animal (about 9" tall) holds a heart-shaped apple rattle and comes packaged in a round red box with a leaf and ribbon on top. Launch date: September 2009. 9/11/2009 (Price: $48.00; Age: All Ages) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Themed like an oven with a painted stovetop on the top of the lid, cooking mits on the side, and oven timer and oven screen on the front, this 7.5" x 5" x 5" box holds recipes inside. The inside of the box features the phrase "What's cooking?" on the lid. 9/11/2009 (Price: $25.00; Age: 3 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
MIXIS™ Culturally Inspired Clothing draws on influences from China, Japan, India and Central and North American. Each outfit is inspired, not only by traditional and historical costume but also from current fashion trends. 9/23/2009 (Age: 6 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Combine gorgeous hand-dyed batik and solid color cotton fabric swatches with ribbon, beads, and artist quality acrylic paint to illustrate a unique canvas book. Write an original story, commemorate a special event, create an altered-art book, or personalize a favorite poem or fairy tale. Sew or glue fabric shapes onto the 6x8 inch pages. Includes high quality brush, craft thread, needles, and ideas sheet with design, writing, and painting tips. Winner of the 2009 NAMTA Best New Kid’s Product Award. 9/22/2009 (Price: $22.95; Age: 8 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
This assortment of 12 genuine die-cast replicas of real construction vehicles are each individually packaged in a collectible display case. 9/22/2009 (Age: 8 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
The Bumblebee Dress has a 2-tone ruched satin top trimmed with organza petals for a retro bumblebee effect. The skirt is lined with a soft lining to prevent scratching, and it has 3-tier tulle trimmed with black satin ribbons. Paired with Wings and a Headband (sold separately) this set will have little girls buzzing for more. 9/21/2009 (Price: $31.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
A day by the shore and sea is what pleases Marina. She’s set her sights on nautical adventure and wants you to join her in her quest for fun on the high seas! This limited edition treasure is sure to be one of the hottest and in demand dolls for some time to come, so order now! 9/17/2009 (Price: $124.98; Age: 16 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Design Your Own Sport Bobble Head Kits are real figurines that have not only a bobble head, but additional bobble features. Kits includes a multi bobble sports figurine and everything you need to personalize and decorate in your favorite sports team colors. 9/25/2009 (Price: $14.99; Age: 6 and Up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Writer's Bio: Julie L. Jones has written articles for both newspapers and magazines. Before joining the staff of TDmonthly Magazine, she worked as a communications writer and provided editorial support for a market research company. Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: Julie L. Jones has written articles for both newspapers and magazines. Before joining the staff of TDmonthly Magazine, she worked as a communications writer and provided editorial support for a market research company. Read more articles by this author
