December 2006 New Toys —Construction
My First Lincoln Logs House by
K'NEX BRANDSIn this beginner’s version of the classic wooden building set, the pieces are big, but are specifically designed for little hands. It also comes in “School” and “Farm” versions.
— Lincoln Logs was among the best-selling classic toys for Sylvia Pudtice, co-owner of Giggles for Kids in Suwanee, Ga. She added, “What makes them so popular is that mothers and grandmothers like them, so they buy their kids something they had as a child.”
— Lincoln Logs was also a best-selling classic for Roberta Kennedy, owner of Abracadabra Toys in Greenville, N.C.
— Seven of 27 retailers told TDmonthly that Lincoln Logs was a classic best seller. Most said that the toy’s success was because of the ability of parents and grandparents to pass on the joy of the product to younger generations. 10/23/2006 (Price: $14.99)
[Add to my Inquiry Basket][?] Goobi MASTER Pack With Permanent Carrying Case by
CREATIVE ZONEThis 202-piece pack contains 112 bars in an equal mixture of seven rainbow colors, 64 spheres and 26 tripods, which are new to the line. The educational toy features fascinating magnetic capabilities and can help improve children’s problem-solving skills. It also appeals to professionals as a stress reducer, and can help elderly people who have trouble with motor skills. The permanent carrying case is available in four color options and features a magnetic locking system and insert holder. Launch date: October 18, 2006. 10/23/2006 (Price: $59.95)
[Add to my Inquiry Basket][?] Super Structure 50 Model Building Set by
K'NEX BRANDSIntermediate and advanced builders can use the latest specialized K’NEX parts to building the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Chrysler Building and other structures from around the world. Experienced builders can create everything from bridges to monuments with the rods, connector pieces, and new flexi-rods and flexi-panels. A battery operated motor puts models in motions, and the set comes with a storage case. Launch date: Fall 2006. 10/23/2006 (Price: $49.99)
[Add to my Inquiry Basket][?] KAPLA Color Squares by
KAPLA USAThis square wooden box holds planks in six distinctive Kapla colors, with 40 planks of each color.
( Watch Video) 10/20/2006 (Price: $20.00)
[Add to my Inquiry Basket][?] The 280 pack by
KAPLA USA280 planks in natural wood with Art Book. Includes a booklet of building techniques with 40 illustrations. 10/20/2006 (Price: $99.00)
[Add to my Inquiry Basket][?] The 1000 pack by
KAPLA USA1000 planks in natural wood. Includes a booklet of building techniques with 40 illustrations.
( Watch Video) 10/20/2006 (Price: $299.00)
[Add to my Inquiry Basket][?] Dado Cubes by
FAT BRAIN TOY CO.Dado will engage your imagination and help develop a keen eye for design, color, shape, size, space, balance, proportion and composition. Constructed horizontally, vertically or nested together, Dado invites unlimited visual spatial development and problem solving through design-centered play. Dado features ten cubes, scaled from 1” to 5”. This game is "self-expression revealed through a contemporary palette of play, " Kathy Lorkovic, at Fat Brain Toys, told
TDmonthly. This product has won numerous awards, including a 2007 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award, a Spring 2007 Dr. Toy Best Product Award, a 2007 iParenting Media Excellent Products Award and a Creative Child Preferred Choice Award. Launch date: September 1, 2006.
— “Dado Cubes forms the foundation of a series of design-centered educational toys,” offered Mark Carson, developer and president of Fat Brain Toys. Dado is “that rare toy that combines intuitive fun with fine design. Equally rare is its ability to entertain young and old alike,” he added. “Beyond Dado, we have a number of products in development that have been inspired by true educational research.”
Past Videos:
Toy Fair 2007 ( Watch Video) 10/6/2006 (Price: $27.50)
Magna-Tiles by
VALTECH CO.According to Valtech Co., Magna-Tiles were inspired by Pythagoras of Samos (560-480 BC), an important historical mathematician. (Perhaps you recall the Pythagorean Theorem from high school.) If this lofty inspiration doesn’t impress you, perhaps the design of the magnetic tiles themselves will. While using the tiles to build various constructs, children will also be developing familiarity with geometric shapes, which will lay a strong foundation for advanced mathematics, such as geometry and calculus. This product has no equal, Michael Ziegenhagen, owner of Playmatters in Cleveland, told
TDmonthly. "It's used in some schools to teach geometry and spatial reasoning," he added.
— Two of 50 retailers who spoke with
TDmonthly in spring 2008 singled out this item as the best-selling construction toy in their stores.
— “We're constantly selling Magna-Tiles. This is a weekly seller, and they're even high end,” said Peggy Sebert, owner of
Becky & Me Toys in Glenview, Ill., during an April 2009 survey of 49 retailers on their best-selling construction toys.
— “We sell the Magna-Tiles from Valtech really well on a consistent basis,” Kim Emigh, VP of e-commerce at
Growing Tree Toys in State College, Pa., told
TDmonthly of her store’s top-selling construction items in spring 2009.
( Watch Video) 10/3/2006 (Price: $49.50)
Pyramags by
MAGFORMERS LLCThis building set features three-dimensional, brightly colored square- and triangle-based pyramids with super-powerful magnets safely affixed on all sides. Kids can watch the permanently attached magnets rotate to their attraction position on contact, creating instantaneous connection. It also includes 24 tubes with affixed magnets on each end. The combination of the three shapes allows builders to create a magnitude of geometric and inventive structures. 9/12/2006 (Price: $24.98)
[Add to my Inquiry Basket][?] Toysie Snappers by
Unitech Toys Inc/Toys i.e., LLCThis open-ended, versatile set is a Winner of a NAPPA Honors Award (2006) in the Toys, Ages 3-4 category. Toysie Snappers introduce kids to the concepts of linking, 2-D building and patterns. Eighty large, lightweight, interlocking tiles with smooth, round edges are perfect for small hands to handle. The set is accompanied by 20 easy-to-follow patterns on large activity cards. Toysie Snappers are easy to put together and take apart. This developmental toy helps improve motor, visual and spatial skills, and encourages creativity and conceptual thinking. This product is ideal for the specialty market because it is "developmental and educational," President Olga Ousherovitch of Toys i.e. told
TDmonthly. 9/5/2006 (Price: $21.95)