Wimmer-Ferguson infant development toys are designed with your baby’s interest in mind. Studies show that high-contrast patterns and images prove to be more stimulating than brightness or color alone. Each Wimmer-Ferguson toy is specifically designed for infants through each developmental stage to meet the best stimulus level. Launch date: January 2011.

Wimmer-Ferguson infant development toys are designed with your baby’s interest in mind. Studies show that high-contrast patterns and images prove to be more stimulating than brightness or color alone. Each Wimmer-Ferguson toy is specifically designed for infants through each developmental stage to meet the best stimulus level. Launch date: January 2011.

This is one of Manhattan Toy's seven new Mod Baby toys that feature soft fabrics and textures in every design. Each unique piece provides engaging entertainment. Launch date: January 2011.

This is one of Manhattan Toy's seven new Mod Baby toys that feature soft fabrics and textures in every design. Each unique piece provides engaging entertainment. Launch date: January 2011.

This is one of Manhattan Toy's seven new Mod Baby toys that feature soft fabrics and textures in every design. Each unique piece provides engaging entertainment. Launch date: January 2011.

Ms. Frizzle and her students take Young Scientists on a wild ride while blasting off with erupting volcanoes. Young Scientists learn about the layers of the Earth, study tectonic plate movement, explore different volcanic shapes and eruptions, make real pumice float, create the ultimate “lava” mixture, paint and explode a volcano, and more. This kit includes a colorful poster with volcanic facts, pictures, and stickers. "The Magic School Bus is a very popular brand that is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Our Magic School Bus kits takes Young Scientists on a great journey that includes a poster, stickers, volcano mold, test tubes, and lots more. The manual in the kit is colorful and designed in a similar fashion as the books that are so popular," Esther Novis, president of The Young Scientists Club, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2011.

Creative Whack’s newest product is both a challenging puzzle and a creativity toy. Star-Balls's 32 magnetic pieces can be rearranged in countless different ways. Polarity dots help you reassemble the star shape by combining the 5-legged stars with the 3-legged "tri" pieces. Star-Ball pieces can also be combined with the award-winning Ball of Whacks for even more creative possibilities. "The geometry of Star-Ball embodies the golden ratio found in mathematics, art, and nature," Lynn Araujo, communications director of the Creative Whack Company, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2011.

The Storymatic is a writing prompt, a teaching tool, a parlor game, and a toy, all in one little box. Combine a few of the 500+ cards, and watch a story take shape. Six trillion story combinations are possible. "I made the first one while teaching creative writing at a small Vermont college...my students kept asking me to make more than one so they could buy it and play with it outside of class with their family and friends. Finally, I took their advice," Brian Mooney, president of The Storymatic, told TDmonthly. Additionally, "The Storymatic is made here in the U.S., in a printing plant and box factory that have both been in continuous operation for more than 100 years." Launch date: March 2009.

Mary Meyer has brought the bold fashion and flare of its top selling Print Pizzazz products to their baby line by softening the bold and turning up the cute. Baby Pizzazz is the result. There are two collections for Boys – Squiggles Puppy and Dots Giraffe – and two collections for Girls – Birdy Boo Elephant and Petals Pony. Each of the collections include a rattle, soft toy, and floppy pillow. The Dots Giraffe Soft Toy is 12'' high. All of the Baby Pizzazz items exceed safety standards and are machine washable.

This album is full of elephants and tigers and rain and cuckoos and babies and flies and centipedes and googly eyes and acoustic guitars and pianos and clear, funny stories inside the super lovely songs. Launch Date: 2010
— “Caspar Babypants has been huge. I don't know where he's from, but his stuff is extremely popular and parents say that it doesn't drive them crazy to listen to it,” said Valla Wagner, co-owner of Teaching Toys & Books in Tacoma, Wash.
— Owner Joan Hewitt of Wind Up Here in Olympia, Wash., sells “probably 12+ a month… We got to have him live in the store!”

This colorful line of giftwrap from Disegno is made of eco-friendly Kraftpaper (sustainable PEFC/FSC cultivation) and is CO2 neutral. The creative design features children playing, a castle, a volcano, princesses and knights, and more. This design is available as counter-roll wrapping paper, paper shopping bags, gift bags,  and gift certificates. Once a child opens their gift, the wrap can be used as a border in their room, hung as a poster, or laminated onto cardboard and cut into puzzle pieces.

From flower girl to firefighter, Aurora has released nine new "dress up" outfits that fit all of Aurora's five inch YooHoo & Friends. Each dress up set comes in clear packaging that includes two accessories. Retailers can combine the dress up packaging (fits slatwalls) with existing YooHoo & Friends displays. The "Blast to the Past" set includes three YooHoo & Friends "hippies.” Available separately are the "Go Green" set with two flower girls and a princess butterfly; and a third set that includes doctor, firefighter and police officer. Each 5-inch YooHoo & Friends animal (w/ sound) is available separately for $6.
— "They are all over the board, but I've sold about 100 of the various things," Barbara Fineblum, Owner of Barston's Child's Play in Baltimore, Md., said about YooHoos to TDmonthly when surveyed in late Spring 2011.

Mary Meyer adds new ring rattles and WubbaNub™ pacifiers to its popular Sweet Chocolate Collection in 2011. The baby pink and baby blue plush animals are designed with delicious chocolate accents. The 5inch Sweet Chocolate Puppy Ring Rattles are available in pink and chocolate and blue and chocolate colors. A Giraffe version is also availabe.

This 7" Ella Bella Bank has a firm plastic bank inside and is covered with fuzzy pink plush.  Embroidered features are baby safe.

This 10-inch pull-down toy is designed for car seats and strollers. Pull the sturdy feet down and a baby can watch Ella Bella wiggle and jiggle as her feet go back up. 

This sweet, 5-inch rattle features Ella Bella's signature modern patterns and pink plush.

Modern floral patterns, a soft color pallet, and fuzzy pink are the hallmarks of Ella Bella. Ell Bella, an adorable elephant, is the star of this new baby boutique collection especially designed for baby girls. The collection, designed by Mary Meyer toy designers in Townshend, Vermont, includes seven nursery items designed to decorate a nursery with a soft, nurturing color pallet. The 8-inch Ella Bella Wind-Up Musical plush toy plays “Brahams' Lullaby.”

Alex Marshall Studios is adding a giraffe coin bank to their line of handmade, personalized baby and kids' ceramics. Available in character or silhouette design, each bank is handmade in their northern California studio and can be personalized with the name and date of birth. Each piece is made from a white earthenware clay, is CPSIA compliant and measures 7.5 x 2.5 x 12" h.

Simple, fast-paced rhymes and watercolor illustrations tell this story about a group of mice delivering valentines to the other woodland creatures on a snowy day. The adventure escalates when the smallest mouse gets left behind. He's found just in time for a warm Valentine's Day group hug. This book comes in a durable board book format with decorative red foil accents. Written by Bethany Roberts, illustrated by Doug Cushman.

This book explores the everyday life of babies and their families. A multi-cultural cast of characters experiences the joy, exhaustion, and love that plays out during a typical day just being a family. Gentle rhymes and pencil and watercolor illustrations tell this tale that is ultimately about love. In the send-a-story format, you can affix three postage stamps to the book and send it to someone in the mail, no packaging required. Written by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee.

This reasurring tale explores the bond between parent and child. A little fox named Small asks his parent if he will be loved, no matter how gruesome his behavior. As Small's scenarios become increasingly unpleasant, his parent is unwavering in his expression of love for his child.  In the send-a-story format, you can affix three postage stamps to the book and send it to someone in the mail, no packaging required. Written by Debi Gliori

Easy rhymes and soft watercolors tell the story of a little lamb's birthday and the surprises he gets from his loved ones throughout the day. The book explores the loving relationship between parent and child and also the natural progression of the day. In the send-a-story format, you can affix three postage stamps to the book and send it to someone in the mail, no packaging required. Written by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

This book about friendship and love can be sent to friends or relatives in the mail, no packaging needed. Written by Sandol Stoddard Warburg and illustrated by Jacqueline Chwast, this book is unabridged from its original format — but now, you can affix three stamps and drop it in the mail.

Young readers can help Curious George and his friends celebrate with decorating, baking, and card making.  Ruby-red foil and fold-out flaps provide interesting textures and colors for children to explore while reading.

Why trust your hard-earned coins to a greedy pig? Feed an UGLY and get paid at the end of the day. These ceramic banks will cheer you up even when they're empty.