February 2010 New Specialty Toys — Puzzles & Skill

This 24-piece wooden jigsaw puzzle features an attractive palette of dinosaurs and scenery. It measures 0.4" x 11.75" x 15.75".
— Eight of 38 retailers named puzzles by Melissa & Doug as a best-selling wooden toy in early 2010. Jamie Burdette, owner of LB Toys in Media, Pa., told TDmonthly his store sells about 36 a month of assorted styles.

Blocks Rock is a fast-paced blocks game of recognition, action and excitement that can be played by two players or two teams. Launch date: March 2010.
— "Blocks Rock with cognitive reasoning and fine motor control.  What makes this game unique is that it was designed by kids for kids and all sales proceeds go back to their school. Kudos to those that inspired these children. Geared to children 6 years and older and played by two individuals or two teams, players race to build a pattern on a matching card. The game is made challenging by a clever a 3D element.  Add a timer for solo play and use multiple cards to increase the level of difficulty as proficiencies rise," Jennifer Shuman, of 1SmartNoodle, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Dbox is a patent-pending puzzle game consisting of cubical units that can be attached or detached to several others to create three-dimensional segments in a variety of shapes. Users connect segments to solve an endless number of challenges. DBOX offers pre-existing puzzle selections and also allows players to create and solve puzzle challenges themselves, in addition to sharing them with other puzzlers arround the world on the DBOX website. "Dbox has endless challenges and shapes in one game. It appeals to all minds at all levels. It is a social game where players can invent, create, share and compete," Oded Light, co-founder, Pushkapor LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 14, 2010.

Crazy Cheese is both a puzzle and a brain-teaser, all in the same slice of cheese. With two levels of difficulty, the Crazy Cheese puzzle is designed to provide hours of entertainment for the whole family. "Beware, as simple as it appears, completing this puzzle without the solution key is a phenomenal feat of perseverance and brain power!" Bert Devort, Sales Department, Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 14, 2010.
― Two of 40 retailers told TDmonthly in June 2010 that Crazy Cheese is one of their top-selling puzzles.
— Jeanette Lauture of Aunt Jean's Toys and Treats in Montclair, N.J. Sells about two to four Blue Orange games per month, she said in the fall of 2010.

Thirty magnetic double Y-pieces click together to form a fun soccer-ball shape, appealing to sports fan as well as creative individuals. The distinctively angled pieces can be put together to create inventive shapes, and the creativity guidebook offers ideas and inspiration for the imagination. "This creativity tool appeals to all ages and can be used at home, at work, and in school to spark the imagination," Lynn Araujo, Communications Director, Creative Whack Company, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 15, 2010.

Sneaky Puzzles are full of surprise. Kids put together a colorful under-the-sea scene with funny fish and their silly friends. Then, they can see all the letters of the alphabet and numbers 0–9 hidden in the picture, and wear the included 3D glasses to see the fish and their friends in a whole different way. "Children will be astonished as they watch the sea creatures swim towards them and parents will love the educational value," Jessica Wineke, Public Relations Coordinator, Patch Products Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2010.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

The images might be contemporary, but the jigsaws are classic. High-quality puzzle pieces packaged in square boxes with shrink wrap.

This 1,000-piece puzzle features illustrated arachnids from all over the world, from big tarantulas to tiny scorpions. This high-quality puzzle includes educational information to make assembling both fun and fascinating. Launch date: February 2010.

Retailers will be able to milk new profits from  b. dazzle, inc.’s beautiful new Scramble Squares® puzzle on one of America’s favorite topics. Retailers using b. dazzle’s unique Scramble Squares® interactive playing surface point of purchase displays may offer consumers a free Scramble Squares® puzzle if the consumer can solve the demonstration 9-piece Scramble Squares® puzzle within 5 minutes.  b. dazzle, inc. provides a free electronic timer and  a 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® CERTIFICATE Kit with every display to support this very effective promotion. Once a consumer tries to solve the puzzle, he/she gets “hooked” and wants to buy at least one to take home and prove he/she can solve it!   Because Scramble Squares® are less than $10.00 retail and they are available in over 140 exquisite styles, consumers who have taken THE CHALLENGE® usually buy at least two or three Scramble Squares® puzzles at a time to delight or torment friends and family members.You can also watch a video about how the 5-MINUTE CHALLENGE® helps sell Scramble Squares® puzzles.

ThinkFun a-ha! Brainteasers are designed to inspire special a-ha! moments for novice and seasoned problem solvers alike. A player will need all his brainpower for this one. The goal is to fit all four cubes into the box so they sit flush with the rim. Expert, Level 4. Launch date: 2010.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va, told TDmonthly in a July 2013 survey that ThinkFun Brainteaser Puzzles were among her store's best-selling puzzles.

ThinkFun a-ha! Brainteasers are designed to inspire special a-ha! moments for novice and seasoned problem solvers alike. Can you “shoot” the arrow out of the front of the tray without removing the three planks? Hard, Level 3. "[It's] another brainteaser to add to ThinkFun's collection of best-selling brainteasers, which teach pattern recognition, abstract thinking and problem solving," Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

For novice and seasoned problem solvers alike, the object of the Star Burst is simple, the solution is elusive. Just take the Star Burst apart and put it back together again. Simple. Or is it? Medium, Level 2. Launch date: 2010.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va, told TDmonthly in a July 2013 survey that ThinkFun Brainteaser Puzzles were among her store's best-selling puzzles.

This “cousin” of the best-selling Gordian’s Knot is designed to be elegant but cunning. Untangling Zig-Zag Knot is not as easy as it looks. The player slides each piece in the correct sequence of 37 moves to take the Zig-Zag Knot apart. With every move made, one or more pieces will move easily, but there’s only one right answer. The included guide shows the complete solution as well as full instructions for putting Zig-Zag Knot back to its original form. Launch date: April 2010.

This bilingual puzzle game is designed to help players learn the alphabet and spell three-letter words. It has bright colored letters and picture cards to captivate a child’s attention, and it grows with the child by starting with the alphabet and continuing on to spelling simple words. Children can play a self-checking spelling game and learn to spell three-letter words in both English and Spanish. It includes 22 spelling cards and 68 letters. "Ingenio is the first educational bilingual toy brand committed to bilingual learning. All Ingenio products are bilingual — product, packaging and website. This line offers parents a great opportunity to teach a second language to their child at an early age," Ilango Sankaralingam, president of Smart Play, LLC, told TDmonthly. Award: Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products 2009. Launch date: September 2009.

For home or travel, these 60-piece puzzles come in six styles and are packaged in sets of four in a crisp clear sleeve. Choose from Puppies, Kittens, Wildlife (pictured), Travel, Horses and Nature.

Available in three sizes, Re-Marks puzzles feature a wide range of images to choose from to accommodate interests from puppy fans, star gazers to horse lovers.

The first member of the Perplexus family, this see-through sphere houses a 3-D labyrinth game with 100 barriers, turns, twists and cliffhangers that serve as obstacles to getting a small steel ball to the end. Invented in 1970 by Michael McGinnis, a design teacher, Perplexus helps develop motor and dexterity skills, along with hand-eye coordination.
― As of 12/17/2012 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 393 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 12 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games.
— At Izilla Toys in Seattle, "Perplexus is selling really, really well for us," Co-owner Jude Larene told TDmonthly in late fall 2009.
— In summer 2010 this game was a top-10 best seller at Dancing Bear Toys in Asheville and Hendersonville, N.C..
Awards: 2012 Parents’ Choice Awards - Silver, 2011 Time Magazine – 15 Smartest Toys for Young Geniuses, 2011 Parent Tested Parent Approved – Seal of Approval, 2011 Grand Prix Kidexpo – Elu par les Parents (Parents’Choice), 2011 Children of Museum of Indianapolis – Top 10 Toys of 2011, 2011 Canadian Toy Testing Council – Children’s Choice, 2011 Babble List – Best Kids Toys, 2010 Toy Insider – Hot 20, 2010 The National Parenting Center – Seal of Approval, 2010 Prémio Brazil – Award of Excellence, 2010 Parents’ Magazine – Top Toys, 2010 NAPPA – Gold, 2010 ASTRA – Best Toy for Kids

The Fun Facts! series of Puzzle Doubles combines a beautifully illustrated floor puzzle with twelve fun animal facts into a high-quality educational experience. Children will first enjoy assembling the large, colorful puzzle. Flip the puzzle over to learn fun facts about the pictured animals, which encourage parent-child discussion. Each 50-piece puzzle measures a giant 3' x 2'. Launch date: November 16, 2009.

The Fun Facts! series of Puzzle Doubles combines a beautifully illustrated floor puzzle with twelve fun animal facts into a high-quality educational experience. Children will first enjoy assembling the large, colorful puzzle. Flip the puzzle over to learn fun facts about the pictured animals, which encourage parent-child discussion. Each 50-piece puzzle measures a giant 3' x 2'. Launch date: November 16, 2009.

Puzzle Doubles Create A Scene Ocean combines a puzzle with additional activities to create a fun and interactive learning experience for your child. After assembling the puzzle, children can create their own scenes and stories by placing the reuseable static stickers on the surface of completed puzzle. Then turn the puzzle over for a big coloring activity! The bright illustrations encourage parent-child conversation. Each 50-piece puzzle measures a giant 3' x 2'. Launch date: November 16, 2009.

The Fun Facts! series of Puzzle Doubles combines a beautifully illustrated floor puzzle with twelve fun animal facts into a high-quality educational experience. Children will first enjoy assembling the large, colorful puzzle. Flip the puzzle over to learn fun facts about the pictured animals, which encourage parent-child discussion. Each 50-piece puzzle measures a giant 3' x 2'. Launch date: November 16, 2009.

The Fun Facts! series of Puzzle Doubles combines a beautifully illustrated floor puzzle with twelve fun animal facts into a high-quality educational experience. Children will first enjoy assembling the large, colorful puzzle. Flip the puzzle over to learn fun facts about the pictured animals, which encourage parent-child discussion. Each 50-piece puzzle measures a giant 3' x 2'. Launch date: November 16, 2009.

Puzzle Doubles Create A Scene Farm combines a puzzle with additional activities to create a fun and interactive learning experience for your child. After assembling the puzzle, children can create their own scenes and stories by placing the reuseable static stickers on the surface of completed puzzle. Then turn the puzzle over for a big coloring activity! The bright illustrations encourage parent-child conversation. Each 50-piece puzzle measures a giant 3' x 2'. Launch date: November 16, 2009.

This 200-piece puzzle shows a vast space scene and provides the names of the planets. Once assembled, it measures 19 1/3” x 14 1/4".
— Main Street Toy Shop in Columbus, Ga., sells about 30 Ravensburger puzzles per month, Owner Gladys Griffin told TDmonthly in fall 2009 when discussing best-selling educational items.
— "Ravensburger jigsaw puzzles; a dozen per month" Linda Laramy, owner of Crackerjacks in Easton, Md., told TDmonthly.