July 2010 New Specialty Toys — All

With the Sumi-e Painting Kit, kids can paint in the Japanese style with watercolor ink, then stamp their creations with a hand-crafted symbol. The kit contains everything needed to make eight paintings and one scroll painting, along with enough extra ink to print dozens more. Easy-to-follow instructions are also included.
Awards: 2008 Parents Choice Award; 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal

With the Eye Can Art kit, kids can draw a pastel picture or make a collage inside a frame, then melt a layer of wax and draw on top. This wax drawing kit contains everything needed to make two ready-to-hang encaustic artworks, along with easy-to-follow illustrated instructions.
Awards: 2010 A+ Education.com Award

This pre-knit craft kit includes everything needed to make a 7" x 7" Purse Pal with a 30" strap. Simply attach the pre-made parts by stitching them up with yarn supplied. Leaving the top open and adding the strap turns this toy into a purse. Purse Pals are also available in Hamlet the Pig, Millard the Duck and Twitch the Rabbit versions. "It's a kid-friendly craft that spins off of the popular knitted and crocheted amigurumi trend. It allows kids to create their own toy, but doesn't require knitting or crocheting!" Lion Brand Marketing Communications Coordinator Lindsey Shaw told TDmonthly.

These bean bag activities, blended with world traditions and rich musical rhythms, are designed to teach unique customs and cultures. These activities include circle and partner activities, traditional dances, games, fiestas and original action fun, with the goal of teaching important concepts, motor skills and language.

WOKER is Word Poker. The cards represent letters and the goal is to make the highest scoring words based on the points associated with each letter. The cards are dealt as in three popular poker games. "It can be a family game, a party game or an educational tool," LCT Enterprises President Lisa C. Teore told TDmonthly.

Children can get actively engaged with these easy circle time ideas for a daily routine. Circle time activities and games are designed to provide structure and help children develop important concepts and skills, such as listening, color and letter recognition, patterns, rhythms, body identification, weather and counting. "The music and movement action will help calm kids down and get them ready for learning," Elaine Murphy, Kimbo Educational director of sales and marketing, told TDmonthly.

All of the songs on "Be Nice" were inspired by Leeny's persuasive, misbehaving, penguin-loving nephew Zak, and the result is an album of irresistible, hilarious, and educational tunes for children and their parents.
Awards: 2008 Parents' Choice Approved Award; 2008 Children's Music Web Award: Best Recording for Preschoolers; 2008 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award; 2008 Best Music Recommended List for Your Family by Common Sense Media; 2009 Song of the Year nominee by Just Plain Folks Music for "What Have You Done With All the Penguins?!"; 2008 International Songwriting Competition Finalist for "Mammals"

"Sharing the Same Stars" by Leeny and Tamara features 14 original songs about topics including ladybugs, seat belt safety, the epidermis, shyness and kindness.
Awards: 2010 Parents' Choice Recommended Award; 2010 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Rising Star honoree; 2010 Independent Music Awards (IMA) Song of the Year nominee for "Ladybug, Ladybug, Ladybu-u-ug"; 2009 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award.

The Sterling Police have just announced a major breakthrough in the case of the pirated video game MazTech Ultimate SK8 and need help breaking up the piracy ring. In this game, kids can join the Ectropy Secret Science Team, using science skills to help solve the mystery. "Secret Science Team is about taking what you learn about science and applying it to everyday situations ... it is more than science experiments, it is truly a science experience," Ectropy Science President Walter Thompson told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Parents' Choice Approved

This set of nine dice is printed with a full deck of 52 playing cards and two jokers. The set is specially designed to allow hands to be rolled for poker and most other card games. Instructions for both family and betting games are included.

Word FRENZY is a fast-paced, word-forming card game that aims to foster spelling, vocabulary, word association and math skills. Playing with letter cards, players try to be the first to collect cards that spell a four-letter word relating to a category. "It's stealth education made fun!" Tame Tiger Marketing VP Steve Kam told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2009 Parents' Choice Approved Award; 2009 Dr. Toy's Best Picks; 2009 The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2010 Family Review Center Gold Award; 2010 Family Review Center Editor's Choice Award

Replicating a T-33A Shooting Star — the two-seat trainer version of the USAF’s first combat-capable jet fighter stationed in 1953 Korea — this 1:72 scale die cast airplane features engraved panel lines and simulated rivets, a detailed cockpit with an opening canopy, prototypical wingtip fuel tanks and wing-mounted bombs, optional-position landing gear, and authentic markings, including "The Red Devil" painted on the front wheel well doors. Its wingspan measures 6.25".

Replicating a Grumman F9F-2B Panther flown by the U.S. Marines' VMF-311 "Tomcats" in 1952 Korea, this 1:72 scale die cast airplane features engraved panel and hatch lines, a detailed cockpit with an opening canopy, four 20mm cannons mounted in the nose, prototypical wing roots with detailed engine air intakes, wing-mounted HVAR rockets, optional-position landing gear, and authentic "panther head" nose markings. Its wingspan measures 6.25".

Created by a preschool teacher, these play dough gift sets are eco-friendly, organic and American-made by hand.

This deluxe play dough gift set, created by a preschool teacher, is American-made and non-toxic. The set includes three containers of Miss Brittany's Organic Preschool Fun Dough, a 100-percent organic toddler apron featuring the "Organically Awesome!" logo, a wood rolling pin, and four wooden shape stampers.

Goodwood is a system of innovative wooden blocks, designed to invite imaginative and creative play. The precisely crafted blocks allow for building in every dimension, creating structures that are architecturally interesting and visually pleasing. The system includes seven intercompatible sets, each intended to be fun and interesting on its own, and to combine in fascinating ways with the others. These colored blocks are made from forest-friendly wood and are CPSIA tested. "The abstract, innovative shapes of the Goodwood blocks, which fit together in surprising and interesting ways, cultivate truly open-ended explorative play," Around Square President Matthew Hiebert told TDmonthly.
Awards: Dr. Toy Best Vacation Children’s Products Award

"A Sunny Day" captures all the fun and wonder of a child's day from sun up to lights out. With an eclectic mix of melodies, playful lyrics and inviting vocals, Julie K takes children on an exciting train ride, a trip to the zoo, flying high jumping like a jumping bean and more.
Awards: 2010 Parents' Choice Award; 2010 Dr. Toys Best Vacation Product Award; 2010 Dove Family Approved seal from the Dove Foundation

This game for two or more players comes with a cup and 13 dice. Each player is a zombie, rolling a die for one of three outcomes: the brain icon that represents points, the footsteps icon that stands for a victim on the run and an opportunity to re-roll, or the shotgun blast icon that is detrimental to a player's undead health. Players score one point for each piece of gray matter and a strike for each shotgun blast. The first zombie to hit 13 points wins.

Who says a Teddy must be a bear? This dramatic 16" blond tiger teddy is based on a 3' fiberglass teddy design created by artist Peter Lorenz. He is made from genuine alpaca and is hand-airbrushed in black and white. The Teddy Bear Tiger follows the Teddy Bear Zebra and Teddy Bear Leopard in Steiff's "Wild Animal Bears" series.

This 10" classic mohair bear is a mottled gray color and wears a blue and white sailor collar.

Made of high-quality alpaca, this 10" bear based on the popular "Paddington" character is jointed and surface washable.

This 4" light brown mohair teddy bear holds a tiny pink pig and wears a coral ribbon around his neck.

This 15.7" Steiff Teddy bear is a likeness of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Both the bear and his clothes were designed in Lagerfeld's Paris studio, where the materials were individually selected. The Lagerfeld Bear wears a black ltalian wool jacket, a white poplin shirt with standing collar and trompe l'oeil buttonholes, and jeans featuring a design from the K Karl Lagerfeld collection. His outfit is completed by boots, glasses, a black silk cravat and a real leather belt adorned with Swarovski crystal "KL" initials.

These backpacks, lunch bags and boxes are available in 12 assorted tie dye colors and appliques.

Backpacks version 1- $19
Backpacks version 2- $20
Backpacks version 3- $20
Lunch Box-INSULATED version 1- $12.50
Lunch Box-INSULATED version 2- $12.50
Lunch Bag- INSULATED- $10