June 2008 New Toys — Educational

Molar Mate™ Toothbrushing Timer & Holder by SPECIALTY PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INC.

Molar Mate is the FUN, interactive, entertaining way to be SURE children actually enjoy brushing their teeth! This loveable character's freckles, eyebrows, and tongue light up during a 2-minute or 3-minute time countdown; entertaining, engaging and motivating your child to brush their teeth for the dentist recommended time. The included Toothbrushing Guide is educational, teaching kids how to brush properly and more effectively. It makes brushing fun! The lightshow and sound makes kids WANT to brush! Give the gift of health! (four "AA" batteries required) 5/22/2008 (Price: $29.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Professor Noggin's Rainforests of the World by OUTSET MEDIA

The game has two levels of difficulty for kids of all ages. Kids will hone their communication skills while learning about monkeys, rubber plants, jaguars and more, as Professor Noggin takes them from the forest floors of Africa to the canopies of the Amazon Basin. The material covers both tropical and temperate rainforests. Launch date: June 2008. ( Watch Video) 5/22/2008 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Professor Noggin's Extraordinary Women by OUTSET MEDIA

The game has two levels of difficulty for kids of all ages. Kids will hone their communication skills while learning about extraordinary women in the field of science, art, politics and more. Launch date: June 2008. ( Watch Video) 5/22/2008 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Heart 2 Heart by DISCOVERY BAY GAMES

The game teaches kids about how everyone sees the world differently. Heart 2 Heart lets players work as a group to move game pieces along a board while discovering what each player contributes to moving toward a shared goal. Some players are thinkers, some are talkers, some are guided by their feelings, and some are guided by seeing how things work. “Heart 2 Heart is a great tween girl’s game that provokes positive conversations about you!” Discovery Bay Games Director of Sales Veronica Sanchez told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2008. 5/22/2008 (Price: $30.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Link-o by JAX LTD INC.

The challenging number memory game comes with tiles that players need to place end-to-end on the board, matching. The first player to rid himself or herself of all cards wins the game. The game is fun for the whole family. 5/22/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Vehicle Memory Tile Game by MAPLE LANDMARK WOODCRAFT CO.

The game comes with 24 wooden tiles, featuring twelve different vehicles. Among the vehicles are a fire truck, tugboat, bulldozer, police car and school bus to name a few. Each vehicle is brightly printed on 2-1/2" square tiles. Each tile is 1/4" thick and is finished with a clear child safe lacquer.  The set comes with a cloth bag for storage and instructions on how to play. “The game exercises memory and recognition skills as well as matching,” Maple Landmark Marketing Manager Barbara Rainville told TDmonthly. “Our graphics are simple, appealing and kid-friendly without being ‘cartooney’ or commerical.” Launch date: February 2008. 5/22/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

BrainBox Dinosaurs by THE GREEN BOARD GAME COMPANY

BrainBox Dinosaurs is a multi-player, 10-second memory recall game. The game is beautifully illustrated and made from 70 percent recycled cardboard. “BrainBox Dinosaurs is a unique game that the whole family can enjoy,” Helen Lumby, of The Green Board Game Company, told TDmonthly. It’s “perfect for dinosaur-mad kids who love showing off their knowledge and testing their memory skills.” Launch date: June 2008. 5/22/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Animalia DVD by PORCHLIGHT HOME ENTERTAINMENT

The DVD so based on the children’s alphabet book, Animalia, written by Graeme Base. Animala uses 26 illustrations of animals, one for each letter of the alphabet. Adventurous, fast-paced and funny, Animala also carries positive social messages; highlights key character traits like cooperation, persistence and creativity; and promotes literacy. In the movie, 11-year-olds Zoe and Alex on thrilling adventures, as they are swept from their local library into Animalia, a unique world of talking animals. 5/22/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Straw: The Game That Broke The Camel's Back by ALDERAC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC.

The game has kids practicing their addition and subtraction skills while having fun with family and friends. The game also features “great art and makes counting fun,” Alderac Entertainment Group Sales Manager Daniel Ray told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2008. 5/22/2008 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Syl-la-bles by TWIN TITAN INNOVATIONS INC.

The object of Syl-la-bles™ is to come up with the longest and most difficult (correctly spelled) word that begins with the letter on the space player's land on. The longer the word, the more points are scored. Fun for all ages and skill levels. Each letter has a point value and each syllable is worth 50 points. "Syl-la-bles is one of the easiest games to learn and play for ALL ages!" George Ward, president of Twin Titan Innovations Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.
Awards: 2007 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award; 2007 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2007 Canadian Toy Testing Council 3-Star rating; 2008 Learning Magazine Teacher's Choice for the Family Award; 2009 Creative Child Magazine GAME OF THE YEAR AWARD; Family & Friends Educational Games category. 5/22/2008 (Price: $24.99)

La Fiesta – The Party DVD by LITTLE XAVIER COMPANY

The DVD teaches kids both English and Spanish using songs, illustrations and puppets. The DVD is so much fun that “kids don’t’ realize they’re learning,” Blanca Castro of Little Xavier Company told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 9, 2008. 5/21/2008 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

WorldTeasers™ World Culture & Geography Edition I by ELM EDUCATION MARKETING LLC

The fast-paced game introduces players to fascinating and intriguing facts about people, places and things. “It makes learning geography fun. It gets players talking, laughing AND learning simultaneously,” Christy von Kaenel of Word Teasers told TDmonthly. “WorldTeasers piques the interest of all players to want to learn more about the world outside the USA.” Launch date: January 2008. ( Watch Video) 5/21/2008 (Price: $16.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Skeleflex Powerflex Lab by WILD PLANET

Bring custom creatures to life with this ball-and-socket building system composed of bone-shaped pieces and flexible joints that attach to a motorized platform. A step-by-step guide is included. “After you build your creation, you can bring it to life by hooking it up the motorized lab,” Wild Planet Media Relations Manager Kim Bratcher, told TDmonthly. “Connecting bones and flexible joints to form a dinosaur, alien or other fantastical creature is fun – but adding the mad scientist aspect of connecting the lifewire to its spine and controlling the speed and direction of the model’s movement is beyond what standard building sets offer.” Launch date: Fall 2008. 5/21/2008 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Race N' Bake by JADEN TOY CO.

The English and French game teaches kids about baking in a fun and exciting race with an emphasis on language skills, early math concepts, matching, social skills and multi-cultural awareness. This item is a 2008 iParenting Media Award winner. “It’s unique, fun and exciting,” Jaden Toy Co. President Karen Aspros told TDmonthly. “We call it ‘learning and fun baked into one!’” Launch date: October 2007. ( Watch Video) 5/21/2008 (Price: $24.99)

All About Cowboys Series by TM BOOKS AND VIDEO

All About Cowboys, Part 1 (45 minutes), is an exciting mix of cowboy action, Western lore, and the lively music of Bethany Zill. Beth sings both classic and original songs. The video visits the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo where bull riders and wild bronco busters match their skills against 1500-pound bulls and wild, bucking horses and also touch base with Bridger, a 7-year-old cowboy, and his pony Mabel. See amazing trick riders, crack a bullwhip, tame a wild horse, and meet Max Reynolds, a world-class trick roper. All this against backdrops of blue skies, misty mountains, and the golden prairie. Kids will learn, laugh, and want more. Grown-ups, too. Parents’ Choice award-winner and chosen by Parenting Magazine as one of the top kid videos of the year. All About Cowboys, Part 2 (45 minutes) includes real cowboys in action at Big Creek Ranch, an 84,000 acre slice-of-heaven. More thrills and spills at the rodeo, go on a cattle drive, see a fast-draw expert, learn about Quarter horses, Percheron draft horses, take a ride on the prairie, learn how to ride a horse, talk about “The Cowboy Way,” and a lot more. Plus music by Bethany Zill. Original compositions include Where The Cowboy Calls His Home; also classics like Get Along Little Dogie and Chisholm Trail. Parents’ Choice Award winner. 5/21/2008

All About Airplanes and Flying Machines by TM BOOKS AND VIDEO

In All About Airplanes and Flying Machines, you will meet our young narrator, Garret, a real-life aviation enthusiast. Ride along as he takes his first flying lesson, goes for a hot air balloon ride, and flies his remote control airplane. Viewers will meet Buddy, an amazing dog that flies in a hang glider, thrill to the legendary Blue Angels aerobatic flying team, and go to the Reno Air Races to see the world’s fastest motor sport. Vewers can also enjoy the splendor of Yosemite National Park from a hang glider, jump with a record breaking 100-man skydiving team, see beautiful Boeing airliners and experience the Wright Brothers first historic flights. Learn about airplanes, blimps, helicopters, paragliders and so much more. Narrated by kids for kids. 5/21/2008 (Price: $14.95)

Whizizzle Phonics 4-5-6 by WIGGITY BANG GAMES

The fast-paced phonics teaches kids the sounds of the English language. Designed by a dad and perfected by teachers, the phonics game helps kids learn by using sight, sound and color. “Whizizzle makes learning fun,” Maya Ellman, a representative for Wiggity Bang Games LLC told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 17, 2008. 5/19/2008 (Price: $12.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

AlphaPal Magnet by PARKING PAL

The magnet helps reduce injuries to children and heightens their awareness of the dangers in parking lots. Place the Parking Pal on the side of the vehicle and have the child place his or her hand on the magnet’s pre-printed hand image. This will allow caregivers to know where the child is at all times. The magnet is specially designed with bright colors, playful alphabet illustrations and a small handprint. Other varieties are available, including planets, fish, flowers and dinosaurs. Launch date: Fall 2007. 5/19/2008 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Dora Fairy Wonderland Garden by DUNECRAFT INC.

The complete kit includes multicolored fairy gravel, decorative fairy stakes and two fairy plants that will sprout within a week and flower within a year. The Lobelia will produce blue flowers, while the Primrose produces pink, scented flowers. “This product is very interactive as it features a terrarium in which kids plant the seeds, watch them come to life, take care of them and more!” Dunecraft Inc. Public Relations Specialist Alicia Borley told TDmonthly. “What better way is there to ignite an interest in plants and the world around us in young children than partnering with the creator of more top rated children's shows than anyone?” Launch date: February 2008. 5/19/2008 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Volcano Kit by SCHYLLING

The kit lets kids build and erupt their own volcano using Paper Mache. All necessary materials are included inside the kit, including an educational booklet filled with information about real volcanoes. Launch date: July 2004. 5/19/2008 (Price: $14.99)

Dinosaur Fossil Kit by SCHYLLING

The kit contains skeleton pieces that allow kids to create their very own dinosaur. Six different dinosaurs are available in the line: Mammoth, Pteranodon, Triceratops, Stegasaurus, Velciraptor and Tyrannosaurus. Six boxes come in each display case. Launch date: January 2007. 5/19/2008 (Price: $2.99)

Crystal Growing Kit - Jade Green by TOYSMITH

Kids can grow their own crystals with this kit. The kit includes a base rock, crystal formula, a growing tray, a magnifying glass, a spatula and instructions. Adult supervision is required. 5/19/2008 (Price: $6.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Volcano Making Kit by TOYSMITH

Kids can make their own volcano and then watch it erupt. The kit includes a volcano mold, fast drying plaster, paint, a stirring stick and a paintbrush. Simply add baking soda and vinegar and watch the volcano erupt with bubbling lava. Adult supervision is required.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly in a May 2013 survey that this toy is their best-selling activity kit. 5/19/2008 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Philomel Books - Naming Liberty by PENGUIN GROUP USA

The 32-page book covers the true story of Frederic Aguste Bartholdi and the creation of the Statue of Liberty, alongside the fictional story of a young Russian Jewish girl whose family emigrates to the United States. Launch date: July 2008. 5/13/2008 (Price: $16.99)

Cave Painter of Lascaux by CRYSTAL PRODUCTIONS

Anna is on a school trip to the Lascaux cave in the south of France — a mysterious place with prehistoric paintings believed to have been created over 17,000 years ago. Anna bumps into a real caveman, who explains to Anna what life was really like in the Stone Age and how they created the magnificent drawings on the walls. The 32-page, hardcover book is also available in VHS and DVD formats. 5/13/2008 (Price: $16.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]