March 2009 New Specialty Toys — Educational

Backseat Drawing is fun for the whole family. Players race to identify what the artist is drawing. But, the artist doesn’t know what he or she is drawing; the artist can only follow the instructions given by the director. The excitement continues as players attempt to follow directions and guess what the picture might be. Launch date: 2009.

The MagnaPlay™ Wooden Magnetic Alphabet Picture Puzzle contains self-checking tiles that give little fingers the ability to put puzzles together and keep them together. Launch date: November 15, 2008.

Comet® The Fast Path to Learning - Family Edition is an exciting and stimulating game based on spelling. The Family Game offers the best knowledge in Science, Geography, History, Health and much more. Based on multiple choice answers, choose the correct word, spell the word, state the number of vowels…win a Bonus Card. Roll the dice, everyone has a chance to win! Launch date: August 8, 2008.

Step into an adventure of a little girl who turns green from her head to her toes and learns that doing her part for the environment really shows. "I'm Turning Green" teaches young readers tips for conservation of energy, water and natural resources. It is made from 100-percent recycled papers and offer a 100-percent eco-friendly product at a reasonable price. Launch date: November 24, 2008.

The Marine Life Grow-a-Head assortment includes goldfish, crab, penguin, leopard and tiger styles. Kids just add water and watch them grow "hair," or grass. It's a "great educational tool with info about plant biology, seed germination and more," Lori Wrubel, national sales manager for Sourcing International LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Designed for children who are accustomed to saying, "Five more minutes, please," or interpret "right now" to mean at the commercial break, The My Time Activities Timer helps children complete tasks in a timely manner, self-monitor their leisure activities, and take more responsibility to manage their time. Features include Main Activity icon buttons (TV Time, Video Game Time, Computer Time) and a customizable interchangeable button (far right button on timer). The timer is easy to set up and use, and comes with instructions for pre-programming. "This product is ideal for children who need that extra help to limit their exposure to too much TV, video games and computer time, but also encourages [them] to spend more time reading, practicing music [and] doing physical activities," Veronique Bella, owner of My TIme Timer LLC, told TDmonthly. The timer requires 2 AAA batteries. It received a 2008 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center. Launch date: 2008.

Featuring famous “firsts” in African American history — Barack Obama, Bessie Coleman, Oscar Micheaux, Rebecca Lee Crumpler and Toni Morrison — this kit is both a fun craft activity and an inspired teaching resource. It contains the following: five blank corrugated bodies, 10 blank arms and legs, five blank heads, five themed faces, five sticks, 20 fasteners, five sheets of decorative paper, 50ml of glue, easy to follow directions and synopses of included historical figures. Completed stick puppets stand 14" tall and have movable arms and legs. "Our product features famous "firsts" in African American History, including President-Elect Barack Obama!" Tiger Kandel, president of Tigercandy Arts, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Two to 36 players match color photographs of rocks, minerals and gemstones with relating trivia facts or physical/chemical properties. With two levels of play, students will unearth three rock types and dust off some interesting trivia. The game involves practice with 70 different rocks, minerals and gemstones and includes color game boards, calling cards, plastic markers and an instructional guide. It teaches the physical characteristics of rocks and minerals, the rock cycle, and the characteristics, uses and names of rocks, minerals and gemstones. "All our games offer multiple levels of play and are aligned with national standards. They are made with the needs of every learner in mind," Alyssa Brown, product development manager for World Class Learning Materials, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

The Wildlife Animals Grow-A-Head Collection includes five styles: parrot, elephant, panda, leopard and tiger. Kids can just add water and watch them grow. Launch date: 2009.

From the leader in language instructional videos for children, Language Tree introduces Italian to kids in a way that engages them from start to finish. Blending 3D animation, sing-along songs and interactive games, this DVD clearly demonstrates conversational Italian used in everyday situations. Topics include meeting and greeting, counting, colors, eating and playing. "To enable children to learn faster, we employ a unique methodology,the Multi-Cognition Approach, developed by a Stanford University PhD in Cognitive Sciences. Our DVDs also makes learning fun by incorporating 3D animation, original sing-along songs and interactive, remote-control games," Ana Leung, president of Language Tree, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 6, 2007.

Endango™ is an environmental board game that teaches kids how to go green.  With a unique game strategy, it links children's behaviors to their indirect environmental consequence – the fate of endangered animals. When playing the game, each player is responsible for three endangered animals in an environment.  The points players earn as they navigate the human track affect the fate of the endangered animals in their environment.  Positive points for “green behavior and knowledge” help save the animals; negative points for “less environmentally friendly behaviors” move the animals toward extinction. This product received a 2009 Parents' Choice Recommended Award.

Thirty-seven easy-to-say singable chants and songs from around the world. Traditional and original. Interesting sound effects, games and clapping, field holler, warm-ups, welcomes, fingerplays, chain gang, sea chantey, celebration, dance, language arts and more.

The Let’s Learn series of Puzzle Doubles! combines a puzzle with additional activities into a highly educational, interactive learning experience for your child. The Let’s Learn puzzles introduce numbers, letters, animals, transportation, foods, and colors & shapes in a bright and colorful way. After assembling the colorful “talk about” puzzle, turn the puzzle over for an entertaining learning activity! Color in the illustrations using the enclosed write- on/wipe-off crayons, and practice those hand writing skills by tracing and writing the letters and words as shown. Each 50 piece puzzle measures a giant 3’ X 2’! Recommended for ages three years and up.

The Create A Scene series combines a puzzle with additional activities to create a fun and interactive learning experience for children. After assembling the puzzle, children can create their own scenes and stories by placing the reusable 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’! Recommended for ages three years and up.

Never has early learning been so much fun! These portable, hand-held talking animals are cute and colorful and as much fun as they look. Kids can learn ABC, 123, colors & shapes, animal sounds and favorite nursery rhyme melodies. Each Early Learning Animal Pal teaches something different! The animal pals feature an auto shut-off feature and requires two “AA” batteries (included). With light up buttons and fun, friendly voices and activities, these Early Learning Animal Pals will soon become your child’s favorite toy. Recommended for ages 18+ months and up.

Let Telly The Teaching Time Clock help your child learn to tell both analog and digital time using two quiz modes in two languages. In the learning mode, Telly teaches time in five minute increments by moving his hands and updating his LCD screen. In the quiz mode, Telly asks your child move the hands on his face to match the time displayed on its screen. Telly also features a night-light and comes with a fun digital watch. Learning to tell time has never been so much fun!  Requires three “AA” batteries (included), or an optional 4.5 V AC Adapter (not included). Recommended for ages three years and up. Telly The Teaching Time Clock is available in yellow or pink.

Build exciting projects with the Electronic Playground (EP-50) such as Voltmeter, Alarm, Radio Announcer and many more.

Power a clock with the Cola Clock Kit. Learn how batteries work when you use cola to make a chemical reaction that powers a clock.

America’s No. 1 horse breed is one of 33 new animals available. It is extremely realistic and hand painted for a natural finish. "Schleich is the world’s leading designer of high-quality, realistic animal and historical figurines and fantasy play worlds for children and collectors of all ages," Martin Gour, marketing director for Schleich North America, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2009.
— Schleich animals were listed as top sellers in spring 2009 at At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, by Storeowner Candace Gooch. “This June, my store will take part in a merchandising program with Schleich,” she told TDmonthly. “I will be putting in two, 4’ backlit Schleich displays for farm and wild animals.”

This plush, one of several new items in the GIANTmicrobes line, represents West Nile virus. It measures 5" to 7".

This 14-track educational album helps kids remember facts and history by setting them to music. Songs include "Revolution, Revolution," "Grew to the West," "Pledge of Allegiance" and "Branches of Government.

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 clean-energy set created for use at home or school uses fuel cells and allows kids to learn about wind energy as well as create hydrogen using wind and water; thus kids make their own scientific demonstrations. The set includes a water/gas storage module, a reversible fuel cell, a miniature wind turbine, an electric motor, a propeller blade and a manual. Launch date: Fall 2008.

Two to four players must travel through the remote jungles of the Amazon River, identifying greater-than and less-than fractions while avoiding obstacles. Two levels of play allow students to gain understanding of fractions with denominators of halves through twenty-fourths.