January 2009 New Specialty Toys — Interactive

Children can learn and play with Colin, who is made of 12 colorful, detachable counting blocks designed to help children develop basic numeracy skills. The blocks can not only help children classify objects by color and shape; they can also help them learn about depth, width, height and length. Launch date: January 5, 2009.

The Tell Me About Today chart is a soft, plush, hand-crafted wall hanging. This "Learn and Play" interactive chart gives parents a fun way to help children learn the days of the week, the months of the year, the seasons, the weather and much more. With more than 40 hand-stitched, colorful and cute components, this chart will provide fun and education throughout the year. "Our price sets this product apart from any other. We offer fantastic value for money," Graham Macklin, director of Meadow Kids, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 5, 2009.

The "Body Bingo" CD, by Diane Cantwell, a specialist in education and dance, offers fun-filled manipulative activities using a bean and scarf, making it perfect for home and school activity time. The upbeat music and easy-to-follow verbal cues help teach body identification, locomotor and non-locomotor movement skills, improve coordination, balance and agility, and stimulate the imagination. It includes a guide, and Body Bingo cards are also available. "It feels like a game, but offers educational music and movement value," Elaine Murphy, director of sales and marketing for Kimbo Educational, told TDmonthly. This product received a 2003 Parents' Choice Gold Award. Launch date: 2003.

Timmy Tock is an interactive learn-and-play clock doll that helps children learn the basic elements of daily time. The soft, plush clock comes with more than 40 accessories, plus a reverse section to apply all the different "Tell the Time" components. This product is both a cuddly toy and a practical teaching aid, and is suitable for one-on-one "Learn and Play" as well as larger group teaching activities. Launch date: January 5, 2009.

LOL! (which stands for Laugh Out Loud!) is a new, fresh and exciting game of Internet lingo that involves acronyms, shorthand and Web slang used in chat rooms, email and text and instant messaging. The goal is to be the first to yell out "'LOL!'" to give the answer to the net lingo. Launch date: February 15, 2009.

Catch My Drift?!? is an interactive game of charades with an urban twist in which players have to guess the lingo from the hip-hop and pop culture. It has been featured by radio personality Michael Baisden on the Michael Baisden (syndicated radio) Show. "This is a new, hip and fresh game [that] targets the words/phrases most commonly used in the urban genre," Leia Avery and Eric King, founders of Slanguage Gamez, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 29, 2008.

Comet® offers an exciting and fun way to learn spelling, based on dictionary meanings, world facts, geography, science, history, health and animals. This expansion deck is designed for children ages 8 to 10 covering the same themes as the Family Edition of Comet.
Awards: A TDmonthly Classics Award for being an all-time favorite toy.

Angel Heaven™ Plush Dolls & Creatures have been custom designed by Artist/Author Sharon M Hayes. They are embroidered and are made from high quality materials that conform to toy safety regulations. Each 14" Angel doll order will arrive in its very own carryall zippered vinyl bubble with the "Earning Wings" poem printed on the front. Orders also include a shiny silver plush star, removable plush iridescent white wings and halo so children can reenact the "good deeds" steps they learn online at Angel Heaven™ World.com and from the "Earning Wings" poem.  The angels also have their own members-only website filled with games, cartoons and music. Launch date: 2009.

Now little boys and girls can be like their big brothers and sisters, with their very own Webkinz toy, Webkinz Jr.  “Webkinz Jr. is a world for younger children to discover, where learning and daily activities can be chosen by parents to meet their child’s needs," explained Howard Ganz, president of Ganz. "The site is bright, welcoming and easy to explore, with music, familiar environments and lots to do with every visit.”  The 12", super-soft Webkinz Jr. Monkey comes with its own code so kids can enter an online play world. Launch date: Spring 2009.

This big, soft 12" version of Webkinz is designed for younger children. Each plush animal comes with a secret code granting pet owners access to an online world. The interactive experience will include music, laughter and new characters in a fun and educational environment. Launch date: Late Spring 2009.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

These additions to Aurora’s furry, loveable YooHoo line are 8" Sugar Glider, Panda, Penguin and Lesser Panda. Each cuddly plush character makes a distinctive and funny sound when its tummy is squeezed.  Sugar Glider has pink wings attached to her tiny arms and tail, and makes a "whistle” sound). Lesser Panda features a pink and purple striped tail to match his pink button nose and purple body, and makes a “boing” sound. Panda makes a “giggle” noise when squeezed, and Penguin makes a “magical” noise.
— “I would say it would be the YooHoo dolls from Aurora — by sheer quantity, our best seller in plush,” Jason Curtis, owner of Funtopia in Middletown, Calif., told TDmonthly in May 2009.

The Naughty Monsters are portable time-out pillows in the form of friendly monsters. They include talking timers that allow parents to program the length of time the child should remain in time out. The child is to sit on the Naughty Monster while in time out. When time is up the monster will say, in a friendly monster voice, “You can get up now, but don’t be a Naughty Monster!” Launch date: November 15, 2008.

This high quality, 1:64-scale die-cast police car comes with a code that allows users to log onto the corresponding, interactive website. Once logged on, users get a garage and can fix up their cars and race them in the world of street racing, track racing and the dragstrip. The 06 Charger debuts in a limited edition. Launch date: February 2008.

KooKeys offers a line of plush animals with online, interactive digital counterparts known as the Virtual Koo. Each plush KooKey comes with a special key that unlocks the online world for children to explore, interact, play, and learn. Launch date: 2007.

This interactive plane guides a child through learning colors and shapes while having tons of fun. It has two play modes: Learn the Color and Shape and Find It! Kids play simply by inserting the plastic shapes into their slots. The infrared remote control, which works up to 12' away, can be used to bring the plane in for a landing. The plane vibrates, moves forward and backward, and plays melodies as it moves along. It also has red lights that blink randomly. The shape pieces and remote can be stored in the handy storage compartment in the nose of the plane. Jumbo Jet also has an automatic shut off. This product received a 2008 Seal of Excellence award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: March 2008.

From the #1 most respected name in language learning, Berlitz Interactive provides three easy ways to learn a new language: on your PC, in your car, or on the go.  Inside, the best-selling Berlitz Guaranteed all-audio course provide the foundations of conversation and everyday language.  Add to that the acclaimed Berlitz Word Traveler™ game, currently available only as in-flight entertainment on major international airlines, including Lufthansa, China Airlines, and Singapore Airlines.  For the first time ever this language learning game will be available as a consumer CD-ROM inside this Berlitz Interactive program.

Including everything you need to create your own unique models of our world, this kit features a globe stand and a CD with a variety of map projections that can be printed out on adhesive inkjet paper (included) to be cut and placed on the globe.  A 64 page, full-color project book offers comprehensive instructions and information about how maps are made and additional globe-related projects, including how to make “origami globes.”  The book also tells the story of how our world was made and takes you on an entertaining voyage around the planet.

Each player receives a card that lists three secret challenges to be carried out during the play period in front of other players without getting caught. With family or during a party, players then try to expose other players in order to win. The small box takes up little counter space and is easy to take along. Launch date: March 2008.