June 2010 New Specialty Toys — All

Stix & Stones is a prehistoric picture-making race designed to build fine motor, creative and social skills. Kids can create like a caveman using only sticks and stones; no drawing skills are required. Players make a picture with as few pieces as possible, then challenge each other to guess what it is. Along with 40 plastic sticks, 15 plastic stones, an arrow and a timer, Stix & Stones features 75 game cards providing 450 words of varying difficulty, ensuring a different game every time. Instructions and a storage bag are included.

The open-air version of Playsam's Streamliner wooden car is avaliable in wedding white as well as three additional shiny shades. It measures 5.3" and comes packaged in a white box.

The Playforever Toys Mimmo Airplane is designed by British designer Julian Meagher, and is ruggedly constructed in brilliant orange ABS plastic with rubber tires.

The Playforever Toys Enzo Motorbike with sidecar is designed by British designer Julian Meagher, and is ruggedly constructed in brilliant orange ABS plastic with rubber tires.

Ben Rudnick & Friends' seventh CD, "A Frog Named Sam," is filled with energy, fun and musicianship. The title track tells the story of Sam, a country frog who heads off to the big city to fuflfill his dream of singing for big audiences. With success, he misses his friends and returns to sing for them back at the pond.

This recording is suitable for children who are ready to move beyond listening to music to spoken word. Features delightful tellings of Aesop's Fables, plus lively tales from Grimm, Chaucer and others. Stories include The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Lion and the Mouse, The Tortoise and the Hare, and more.

Jim Weiss integrates his own storytelling art with the profound story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, bringing both young and old listeners the emotions of the timeless love story.

Adventurer, conquerer, political genius, classic author - Julius Caesar lived one of history’s most amazing lives. Yet it was the story of his death that William Shakespeare turned into a dramatic masterpiece. This spirited retelling brings us Shakespeare’s cast of immortal characters with excerpts from the original dialogue told in a way that young listeners can grasp.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch tells the inspiring, true adventures of Nat Bosditch, a boy during the American Revolution, whose passion for learning and unstoppable spirit lead him from poverty and servitude to triumph and adventure at sea. Ultimately, Nat achieves everlasting fame for revolutionizing navigation and saving countless lives. This is a moving personal story about the value of knowledge and the exultant human spirit.

These tiny puzzle erasers feature cute cow faces and bright pastel accents.
— In a June 2010 survey, three of 40 retailers told TDmonthly that Iwako erasers are a best-selling product.

Available in pastels, these pig erasers are collectible and have removable puzzle parts.
— Iwako erasers were best sellers at Dancing Bear Toys in Asheville and Hendersonville, N.C., in summer 2010. “These are so cute!” owners and sisters Sarah and Erika Evers told TDmonthly. “They are also inexpensive, and they pop apart and are like puzzles.”

Suitable for children 1 1/2 and up, this bucket is made of nylon and measures approximately 23 cm tall.
Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Children's Product

The 60 curved pieces in this 4.5" x 4.5" x 2.5" Hello Kitty puzzle assemble to form a solid, smooth ball. The kit also includes a standing base so that the finished puzzle can be easily displayed.
— Three of 43 retailers told TDmonthly in late spring 2010 that puzzles are a best seller in their stores. Two of the three cited Ravensburger as a top brand.

Designed to resemble a hot air balloon, this whimsical nylon kite features a durable but lightweight fiberglass frame.
—  Five of 43 specialty retailers told TDmonthly in May 2010 that kites are a best seller.  Mike DiAndrea, manager of Hardware Center Inc. in Paoli, Pa., which stocks Premier Kites, cited sales of 65 kites in April 2010.
—"They have a really good quality," said Ginger Milligan, co-owner of Fantasy Island Toys in Fairhope, Ala., in 1Q 2011.
— Teresa Derry, owner of Annie's Toy Chest in Cocoa, Fla., told TDmonthly in a November 2014 survey that Premier Kites is their store's best-selling brand of flying toys.

These small, dessert-themed erasers with removable parts are available as a group and in single packs.
—  Twelve percent of 43 specialty retailers named Iwako erasers as a best seller in May 2010.
—  Karlene Rearick, owner of The Alphabet Garden in Cheshire, Conn., told TDmonthly in spring 2010 that Japanese novelty erasers are their “top seller.” Owner Molly McMullin of Twirl in Ranchos de Taos, N.M., cited sales of at least 100 units a month.

The 24-Pack Princess Shapes includes: Tiara, Diamond Ring, Glass Slipper, Princess, Majestic Castle, Magic Wand. This pack has shapes in six assorted colors to be collected, worn, or traded with friends. They can be treated as traditional rubber bands and worn as bracelets but spring back into their original shape when not in use. Launch date: 2010.
— Silly Bandz were on the top-10 best-seller list at Dancing Bear Toys in Asheville and Hendersonville, N.C., according to the storeowners, sisters Sarah and Erika Evers, in June 2010. “They are cute, inexpensive enough for kids to afford, and fun to trade,” they told TDmonthly.
— As of 7.13.10, this product had 4 out of 5 stars from nine reviews on Amazon.com, and was listed No. 1 in best-selling toys and games.
PROS: Fun, collectible, wearable (the right size for most children's wrists) and ideal for party favors. CONS: Some shaped rubber bands may have a bad smell, but it likely depends on the packaging and seller.
AWARDS: 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller (entire Silly Bandz line)

Not only are these stretchy rubber bands are shaped like anything, from adorable animals and pretty butterflies, to fashionable shoes, clothes and rock star shapes, but they also glow in the dark. Tweens can stretch them, wear them, trade them, and collect them all.

Kids can learn to multiply numbers 0 to 12 with these 55 pocket-sized flash cards.

Hazel likes to make a lot of noise. She loves banging on the cymbals of her father's drum set. Honey really likes playing in his father's mail bags and throwing envelopes in the air. He tends to make a big mess. This pair is part of the Calico Critters of Cloverleaf Corners collection.
— Mary Sisson, owner of Kazoodles in Vancouver, Wash., named the Pickleweeds family among her top-30 best sellers in early June 2010.

These 3-D watches come in assorted 12-sets of themed styles.

Based on resilience theory research, the songs from this album are specifically designed to help children build creativity, independence, planning, people skills, optimism, confidence and problem-solving skills. "Our music is research-based. We take the latest findings on child development and translate this research into practical and entertaining products for teachers and parents," Growing Sound Sales and Marketing Director Emily Sandul told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Product Award

“It’s a StoryTime Jam, Volume 1” is designed for mommy-and-me, preschool and elementary classrooms, quiet time at home, a family vacation in a mini-van, or any time a child wants to be transported to a musical, magical world. It includes educational, catchy original songs and musical stories. "This is a musical story hour that gets kids and their families excited about reading! It also provides an auditory listening experience encouraging kids to focus through the StoryTime By Design motto,"1-2-3-It is time to read!" StoryTime By Design Co-Owner Cori Cohen told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Product

Snoots Toots! A Kids Game of Empathy and Manners is a therapeutic board game from Dr. Poppy Moon’s Imagucation Creation Workshop. Kids will role-play their way through a variety of situations requiring manners and empathy skills. This game is designed to help kids learn skills that are critical to social and emotional development. "The use of role playing during the game makes it unique, as does fact that it can be used in a therapeutic, educational, or home setting," YouthLight Inc. Creative Director Amy Rule told TDmonthly. Awards: Dr. Toy 2010 Best Children's Vacation Products

Sticky Pixies Wall Art Kit comes with 8" x 10" hardboard-framed fairy wall art and a ribbon to attach it to a wall. The fairy wears a Velcro-attached dress that can be mixed and matched with other Sticky Pixies dresses, one of which is included in a tri-fold hardboard armoire. This armoire holds up to three dresses, as well as fairy crowns and hats that are sold separately. "Sticky Pixies is unique in design and is always interactive," Founder Tyanne Hitchcock of Morgan Evan-Thorne told TDmonthly.