April 2012 New Specialty Toys — All

Noah’s Ark Balance Game comes with pairs of brightly painted wooden animals and can be played either cooperatively or competitively by the entire family. Kids learn about weight distribution and how the shape of an object affects where it is able to be balanced. Played against an opponent, kids learn to place animals just so their opponent has difficulty finding a spot for their piece. Pieces are the perfect size for ages 3+. Kids can also work together to see how quickly they can stack all the animals on the rocking ark. Sevi is Europe’s oldest wooden toy company.

Schoenhut's miniature version of a baby grand piano is designed to encourage a child to play and develop a love of music. Elegant in appearance with graceful spindle legs, yet extremely durable and sturdy, it makes a beautiful addition to any home. Lovely chime-like tones are produced by small hammers striking metal rods, the sound that makes Schoenhut toy pianos unique. The two-and one-half-octave span of full-width keys provides a good foundation for the transition to a larger model. Includes: Schoenhut's Learning System and bench.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Just add water and watch these little clear and colored beads grow into giant jelly marbles. Before soaking, sort the different colors and ask science questions like “How are these alike, and how are they different?” Will the different colors grow to different sizes? Try it and see! Afterward, kids can have lots of fun playing with their experiments. Find a water-safe surface and play the slimiest game of marbles in town, or try them out as new jelly bouncy ball. Kids can even try to grow the amazing spheres in different liquids, like milk, vegetable oil, or salt water. Use a notebook and record hypotheses and observations.

The aim is to reach the other end first. The problem is that each opponent puts up fences to slow the other down. Not to worry, there's always a way out. But who will find the shortest route? Created by Gigamic; exclusively distributed through Back Alley Traders in the USA.
Awards: May 2012 TDmonthly Top Toy Award. Why it won: This beautifully designed wooden strategy game has won several prestigious awards already in the US and in Europe. It also has great user reviews on Amazon.com. TDmonthly staff who saw the game demoed at Toy Fest West 2012 were impressed. Other awards: 1997 Mensa Select Top 5 Best Games; Games Magazine Game of the Year 1997; Best Bet of the Toy Testing Council 1997; Prix d’Excellence des Consommateurs; Consumer’s Toy Award 1997 Quebec; Spelgut 1997; Grand Prix du Jouet 1997; Games Magazine “Games 100 Selection” 1998; Games Magazine “Best Games.”
— As of 4/10/2012 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 25 reviews on Amazon.com.

Each of the 16 pieces has 4 different attributes. The aim is to line up 4 pieces which share the same attribute. The problem is players can't choose which piece they're going to play - their opponent chooses for them.

This latex Ram mask is hand painted. Features curling horns and curly white hair.

8" wide. Kids can carry their mini Clifford the Big Red Dog® stuffed dog everywhere in this stylish tote. Quilted material with colorful trim and embroidery. Plush dog is removable and comes with sak.

Another stone building set from Anker Blocks, made of natural ingredients, these shapes of stones will allow kids to create endless forms. It contains 20 sample cards to fire kids' imaginations. With 36 stone building bricks made from the original Anker stone material kids can construct creative buildings and let their imagination run riot. There are countless possibilities to build mosaics, aesthetically appealing puzzles and edifices using the stones of the New Stone Age. Made in Germany of chalk, quartz sand, pigments and linseed oil.

Captain Charlie sets sails and heads off on his big journey. Equipped with the jacket, belt, hat and beard children quickly transform into brave pirates. An enemy ship ahoy! Captain Charlie whips his sword out and prepares the fetters for his prisoners. Together with his parrot he has many exciting adventures on the high seas.

Sit. Stand. Roll! Teach this silly dog some new tricks. Walk-A-Long Puppy is from the Early Explorers range of the Hape Collection.  Measuring 8.66”L x 3.54“W x 6.38”H, Walk-A-Long Puppy is age graded for children 12 Months +. The toy is beautifully crafted of FSC certified wood from sustainable forests and colored with safe water based paint. Launch date: July 2012.

The possibilities are endless with the 147-piece Quadrilla Twist and Rail Set. A combination of straight and curved rails and even funnels plus color-coordinated blocks offers a new level of fascination to a build and play toy. Launch date: January 2012.
Awards: 2006 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award; 2007 TDmonthly Top Seller Award; 2007 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award.

Sturdy wooden pages and simple pictures encourage babies to read along with you. (8 pages). Made of Wood, Water based paint, String. 10 mos and up.

A rolling pin, cookie cutters, and felt "dough" make baking seem real. Flip the shapes over and they're already decorated. Made of Wood, Water based paint, Felt, Aluminium alloy.

Shake up baby's playtime with a colorful wooden rattle, created especially for grabbing hands, teething gums, and curious minds. Made of wood and water based paint. 6 mos and up.

This board book helps kids learn how to count. Raised buttons pop in on every page so kids can press them as they count, so they don't lose track.

The Campfire Kids Campfire brings the great outdoors...indoors. Gather 'round the campfire and enjoy the night by the woodsy firelight. This simulated fire features a fan-powered flickering flame that is safe and cool to the touch. Glowing "embers" and realistic log design make this the natural "hotspot" for indoor campers. The no-heat firelight looks real, but feels cool. Includes 4 AA batteries.

Kendama is the ultimate form of the traditional ball and cup game. Originating in Japan, Kendama has captivated the world with its simple design and endless freestyle trick possibilities. With no moving parts, Kendama is deceptively simple at first glance. The simplicity makes it enjoyable for the beginner and also gives it its infinite playability.

This 500 piece model of the Titanic celebrates the 100th anniversary of the doomed ship's voyage.

Music is a wonderful opportunity for little ones to expand their sensory and imaginative personality. Music helps them to understand rhythm and harmony, and also to express themselves and their moods. This set of percussion instruments from Sevi is an easy way to get kids started. It comes with 8 pieces, including a tambourine, castanets, a triangle, maracas and a noise maker. Produced by Sevi, Europe’s oldest wooden toy company, this product contains parts and components that are recommended for children ages 2 and up.

MightyMind develops creativity & helps children understand visual/spatial relationships. A great confidence builder in a fun, purposeful format. Children learn to solve puzzles entirely on their own. Starting with the simple concept of manipulating shapes, kids follow a logically programmed sequence of patterns, learning how to manipulate different geometric shapes to build pictures of increasing complexity. This set features a zoo theme and puzzles that include animal shapes.
Watch Video from WTHRA 2012

The Gazillion Bubble Hurricane is Gazillion’s number one bubble machine. Year after year, this bubble machine cranks out thousands of bubbles for kids of all ages. Each Bubble Machine comes with an 8 oz. bottle of a "top secret" non-toxic Gazillion Bubble solution, just pour the solution into the reservoir attached to the Bubble Machine to continuously feed the wands creating a storm of colorful bubbles. Requires 6 "AA" batteries, not included. Works with core solution. iParenting Award Winner.

Now kids can take their A-Game everywhere with the Go Sport™ Basketball Backpack. This backpack lets kids keep their mini arena and books neatly tucked away. Has padded pocket for MP3 player and a pass-through for headphones. It includes a fabric handle that fits over a door knob so kids can hang and shoot. The included net hoop packs flat under a clear cover. When unzipped, the clear cover acts as a ball return and zips up into the backpack when not being used.  Rugged build, soft padding and a built in hoop brings out the student-athlete in all of us. Includes hoop, net and 3" basketball.

This ZipBin® Dinosaur Explorer Day Tote Playset has an has an earthy tone to it with beautiful artwork and prehistoric creatures all over. With softs sides and a handle on top, the tote is convenient to carry anywhere. It is ideal for exploring like an archeologist and for storing favorite collection of dinosaurs. It also holds lunches or school supplies and is great for field trips or camp. When unzipped it becomes a Playmat or placemat that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. Weighs less than one pound. Includes 2 dinosaurs.

The Picnic Lunch Box™ & Placemat features four adorable themes ranging from Cats and Dogs to Pigs and Cows. With comic artwork on the exterior, unzip the lunch box to find not only lunch, but a small placemat ready and waiting. Lays flat and wipes clean with a damp cloth for spills and crumbs. A clean place to eat and an even easier lunch box to keep clean. Patented. BPA Free, Phthalate Free on every lunchbox, PVC Free, Lead Free. Sold individually or in an assortment of 4. A1510XX - Penny the Pig Lunch Box & Placemat; A1511XX - Denzel the Dog Lunch Box & Placemat; A1512XX - Clyde the Cow Lunch Box & Placemat; A1513XX - Carmen the Cat Lunch Box & Placemat. Launch date: 2012.