July 2009 New Specialty Toys — Outdoor Fun

This rocker is also a table designed for indoor or outdoor fun. Upon turning it over, the stable twin-seat rocker (see-saw) becomes an activity table. It is made of durable, easy to clean plastic. The table is 15" H and the seat height is 8". The unit measures 18" H x 16" W x 34" D. Launch date: May 29, 2009.

Kids can whittle down their waists by keeping this hula hoop going. It comes in various colors and sizes to suit all shapes and sensibilities.
— Syd Clarke, owner of Ali-Cat in Carrboro, N.C., sells about 30 hula hoops per month. She attributes the fad's resurgence to increased interest in countering childhood obesity with exercise. She also noted that a woman in her neighborhood now offers a hula hoop class for adults.   

Designed to combat boring kids' golf lessons, myminigolf employs obstacles the teacher can use to motivate kids in a playful way. "There is no competitor on market. myminigolf is the only product for this application," Hannes Weber, designer for defacto.GmbH, told TDmonthly. This product was a finalist of the "Golf Europe Product Award 2008."

Lil Red Tractor is a high-quality, rechargeable, battery powered mini-tractor for boys or girls. It can be driven up to 2 mph indoors or out, on semi-hard surfaces. It has a large, adjustable seat for growing legs, and on-off foot pedal, and a one-year limited warranty with a free second year extended warranty and toll-free customer service. It is made in Canada. "Lil Red Tractor is a very high quality product, powered by a rechargeable battery (included). Kids love the bright shiny red finish and it's the perfect size for use indoors or out. [It is] not distributed in big-box stores," Ken Maxwell, VP of marketing for Peg Perego, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2009.

Double Ladderball consists of placing each ladder 25 feet apart, and each team consisting of one or more players stands at one ladder and  tosses their colored bolas (either red or blue) at the other ladder. Bolas that hang onto any of the crossbars scores points for the tosser. Top bar is 3 points, middle bar is 2 points, and the bottom bar is worth 1 point.

Metal Ladderball is exactly like Ladderball, but built tough for durability against wear and tear. Similar to the rules of Double Ladderball, Metal Ladderball consists of placing each ladder 25 feet apart, and each team consisting of one or more players stands at one ladder and tosses their colored bolas (either red or blue) at the other ladder.

Tail Wags helmet covers are designed to fit over all makes and models of bike, ski, snowboard, toboggan, skate and equestrian helmets. They come in more than 35 animal character designs. Tail Wags was a 2008 JPMA finalist and received a 2009 iParenting Media Award. Launch date: June 2009.

Parents may indulge their child’s imagination with this enchanting unicorn helmet cover, designed to encourage kids to wear their safety helmet. Tail Wags helmet covers are designed to fit over all makes and models of bike, ski, snowboard, toboggan, skate and equestrian helmets. They are available in more than 35 animal character designs. "Tail Wags helmet covers uniquely fit over all safety helmets, thereby, making it an ideal all-year-round product," Karyn Climans, owner of Tail Wags Helmet Covers Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2009. Tail Wags was a 2008 JPMA finalist.

Tail Wags helmet covers are designed to make it fun for kids to wear their safety helmets. They are made to fit over all makes and models of bike, ski, snowboard, toboggan, skate and equestrian helmets, and come in more than 35 animal character designs. Tail Wags was a 2008 JPMA Finalist. Launch date: June 2009.

The MOOV by BERG is both a construction toy and a rideable vehicle for children, ages 5 to 12. Children can construct MOOV by themselves without the use of any tools or help from parents. The wooden parts, rings, shafts and frames are multi-functional. Once the model is complete, the fun continues. MOOV construction toys are available in three kits: Starter, Advanced, and Street. The Starter kit ($210.00) can create three wooden models, the Advanced ($300.00) seven models, and the Street ($376.00) up to 10 models. For each new construction, the old model must be taken apart.

Designed for older girls (ages 4 to 10), Junior BanZ feature UV400 polarized polycarbonate lenses and sturdy frames, while offering new shapes and temples for protection and style. Junior BanZ come with their own solid pink neoprene carrying case complete with zipper clasp, as well as a removable neoprene strap for active girls on the go. Launch date: April 2009.

A tribute to family, friendship and forty-five years at summer camp, "Campingly Yours" paints a poignant picture of character, charisma and courage, lovingly nestled in America’s heartland. Punctuated with vivid imagery and laugh-out-loud humor, Thomas C. Adler’s memoir is "a heartwarming journey of a lifetime at summer camp," Sue Defabis, project manager at Five Star Publications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 15, 2009.

Kids can line up the arrows on Froggy's belly and watch him spin through the water from one end of the pool to the other. He uses 2 AA batteries. The "patented random direction makes him zip in random directions," Doug Rubel, CEO of MindWalk, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

The Spooner is a balance trainer that simulates board maneuvers associated with surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding but not limited to that. The Spooner helps to develop flexibility and strength in the legs as well as creating a better center of balance. The Spooner is a core trainer, a stabilizer and a pasteurizer because of the ability to work the muscles closest to the spine. Also, it's loads of fun and can be done on any surface indoors or out. Made of H.D.P.E. it is unbreakable. Our guarantee is "You break it, we replace it."  Made by Hand in the USA. Launch date: 2006.
— In a March 2012 survey about outdoor toys, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Spooner Boards were among their best sellers.
— In a March 2012 survey, Chris Lowe, owner of Beanhead Toys in Sandy Springs, Ga., told TDmonthly that Spoonerboards were one of her best selling ride-on toys.
— Alexander McPherson, toy supervisor at Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Va., told TDmonthly in a March 2013 survey that Spooner Boards are their best selling item - they sell about 114 each year, with sales of the item concentrated in 4th quarter.

Designed for children who are learning to ride a bike, the Go Glider allows kids to practice balance and movement on a model that does not consist of pedals or training wheels. It has 16" EVA foam tires (no air), adjustable handlebars and a seat that is adjustable from 17.5" to 23". Launch date: 2008.