June 2011 New Specialty Toys — Construction

This is a set of 27 interlocking Cubes arranged in a 3x3x3 cube shape.  The puzzle challenges the player to transform the arrangement of the 27 cubes from one shape to any other shape, without disengaging any of the Cubes from each other. Cubes must be shifted by sliding along their faces.  The Cubes can shift in all three dimensions: X, Y and Z, but each face slides in only one direction. There are many solutions because there are millions of shapes you can tranform from and to.  The ultimate goal is to be able to logically understand how to shift from one shape to another in the fewest number of moves.  Other games can be invented by disengaging the Cubes and re-engaging them with the colors "flipped" on one or some of the Cubes, creating a "marked" Cube. The challenge is then to shift the "marked" Cube or Cubes into a specific position in the arrangement
Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: This cube puzzle challenges kids to use their spacial-temporal reasoning and logic skills. It's innovative design allows for more open-ended play than similar products, and it is portable for fun on-the-go.

This 22 piece rattling building block set was designed specially for Little Builders. Shake, rattle, and build with these colorful blocks sized for little hands. Launch date: June 2011.
Awards: Dr. Toy 10 Best Toys of 2011

Dado Bricks are interlocking cardboard bricks, measuring 12 inches long x 6 inches deep x 3 inches high. Kids can use these stacking bricks to create kid-scale structures...walls, castles, forts, secret hide-outs, or even attractive room decor. Unlike other simple cardboard blocks on the market, the Dado Cardboard Bricks contain a protruding pair of square nubs along with a matching set of recessed square indentations. The result is a cardboard brick that when stacked, will not easily tumble and can retain a rigid structure. "The ONLY interlocking cardboard block on the market," Erik Quam, Director of Product Development at Fat Brain Toy, told TDmonthly.

"While there are several stacking toys on the market, none of them are circular and included the added element of balance.  Tobbles is a stacking toy which encourages children to explore and discover," Erik Quam, Director of Product Development at Fat Brain Toy, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2011 Finalist for ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids
— Melodie Ingwersen, owner of Creative Kids Inc in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly in an April 2012 survey about best selling infant & toddler products that they sell 2-3 dozen Tobbles each month.

Kids can design a structure, then throw the big blue veil over top. The heavy duty straws are strong enough to support the veil, yet flexible enough to bend and curve. Set includes illustrated guide. "This set allows children to build a structure large enough to actually crawl into. The included fabric veil adds dimension to the structure," Sandra Smith, sales assistant at Roylco Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2011.

The Pod is the newest product in the OgoBild line. The set offers a combination of active and constructive play. Kids can build their own sculpture, or build their own space. Kids can experiment with the flexibility of the Pod for hours of dynamic, inventive play. The set includes 12 of the OgoBild rubber balls and 30 ball to ball 24" connectors. This product offers play for multiple children. "The Pod does not easily come apart - it can be thrown around and manipulated without the connector pieces popping out of the OgoBild rubber balls," Mary Kate Cowell, sales manager at OgoSport LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2011.

Inspired by kids’ submissions to Infinitoy’s online gallery, Z.A.C. the ZOOB Alien Creature gives kids all the tools they need to build their own aliens. Using specially-colored ZOOB pieces (including glow-in-the-dark pieces), and light-up eyes, kids can build aliens, a rocket, a UFO, a radio telescope, and lots more. This set includes 200 ZOOB pieces, 12 glow-in-the-dark pieces, 2 light-up eyes with batteries, and complete instructions. Launch date: September 2011.

The ZOOBMobile FastBack H2H features two pull-back friction motors, so kids can create their own ZOOBMobiles and race them against each other, or put the motors together to make a super vehicle that goes up to 50 feet. The Fastback H2H features 45 ZOOB pieces, and 8 high-quality tires that are notched so they work like gears. Because ZOOB® pieces snap together so many different ways, kids can use their imaginations to create their own vehicles, and add on pieces from their ZOOB collections to make even more. The FastBack H2H is fully compatible with all other Infinitoy ZOOB pieces. Launch date: September 2011.

ZOOB is a building set with a difference—the pieces move after kids put them together. So kids can play with their creations, instead of just looking at them. ZOOB JR. provides ZOOB’s award-winning creative play with softer pieces designed for young children. ZOOB JR. pieces are made with a special memory material that flexes and goes back to its original shape, so they bend, move, and snap together snugly. And just like ZOOB, ZOOB JR.'s open-ended versatility lets kids build anything they want to build as it sparks young imaginations. The ZOOB JR. Scooter includes 18 ZOOB JR. pieces, 4 wheels, and instructions for 17 creations, such as a scooter, a mini go-cart, a skateboarder, and a spinning robot (but kids can make up lots more). The instructions require no reading, and are printed on sturdy cards. Launch date: September 2011.

LEGO Crazy Action Contraptions is a brand-new book of brand-new, high-performance projects. From the supercharged Speedster to the Squeezeclaw Grabber to the Wall Rocket Racer — all these contraptions spin, stretch, speed, or otherwise spring into action. And all of them are totally buildable thanks to super-clear instructions and step-by-step diagrams. Every single one of the 16 projects can be constructed using just the custom selection of LEGO® bricks that come with the book.
— As of 05/12/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 15 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: Some contraptions run slowly; the included rubber bands wear out with time.
— "Klutz Lego contraptions is by far our biggest seller," Mary Porter Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Asburn, Va., told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011.
— Want this? As of 05/11/2011 this product was available at The Curiosity Zone.

This is a set of 8 interlocking Cubes arranged in a 2x2x2 cube shape. The puzzle challenges the player to transform the arrangement of the 8 cubes from one shape to any other shape, without disengaging any of the Cubes from each other. Cubes must be shifted by sliding along their faces. The Cubes can shift in all three dimensions: X, Y and Z, but each face slides in only one direction. The 8 Cube set introduces the player to this innovative new toy. The ultimate goal is to be able to logically understand how to shift from one shape to another in the fewest number of moves.  Other games can be invented by disengaging the Cubes and re-engaging them with the colors "flipped" on one or some of the Cubes, creating a "marked" Cube. The challenge is then to shift the "marked" Cube or Cubes into a specific position in the arrangement.
Awards: Dr. Toy Best Vacation Product of 2011

LEGO DUPLO bricks are sturdy and safe for a toddler’s hands and imagination. Features 80 basic bricks in different sizes. Includes bricks in red, green, yellow, blue, orange, light green, white and black. The blocks are a great introduction to the world of construction play for toddlers, to whom smaller bricks present a choking hazard.

Children will have a blast building and racing on this fast and fun Techno Gears Marble Mania Twin Turbo Trax. After completing the build kids can compete against each other as they race their marbles through this exciting turbo marble speedway. Fun sound effects add to the excitement and the winning time shown on an LED display. Colors may vary. Requires two "AA" batteries and two button cell batteries. "We manufacture the longest running marble run on the market, " Sherri Borrelli, Sales Administrator for The Learning Journey International, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.