July 2010 New Specialty Toys — Educational

Designed to help children listen and improve their behavior, The Ticket Store Game allows kids to earn tickets for positive behavior at home or school — for example, doing a task when first asked instead of having to be told repeatedly. They can then redeem those tickets for rewards, such as ice cream or TV time.
Awards: 2010 iParenting Award for Excellence

This powerful reference tool is packed with the features that English and Spanish language learners need most. Designed to enhance grammar and speech skills, it speaks words and phrases—providing students and language-lovers with sample sentences, advanced verb conjugations and learning exercises.

Best of all, it comes with the most trustworthy word lists in circulation: Merriam-Webster’s Spanish-English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary and Franklin’s comprehensive thesaurus. Students appreciate features like the TOEFL* word list and SAT** Spanish Subject Test Word List, along with a range of extras, including a phonetic spell corrector, grammar guides and interactive quizzes.

It also includes a USB port† for connectivity to a PC or Mac, allowing users to download their entries from their own dictionaries. Despite its robust features, this powerful device is perfectly sized to fit into a pocket or bookbag, and is ideal for language, gift, puzzle and learning aisles.

Fret no more, the solution is in the palm of your hand! Collins Bradford’s Crossword Solver offers advanced crossword search, allowing you to look up entries in the portfolio of Collins references using known keywords, letters, and/or word length. Search and solve with the power of Gem Bradford's Crossword Solvers Dictionary with over 120,000 crossword solutions, Bradford's Crossword Lists, Solutions English Dictionary, Compact Thesaurus, and Discovery Encyclopedia. The crossword solver, anagram solver and word builder flex your word power while 4 learning zones filled with practical clues, word games, crossword indicators and more will have you polishing off puzzles in no time. The perfect gift of crossword and word game enthusiasts!


Solve puzzles like a pro – learn and improve as you go!

3 great tools in 1: Pencil Case, Spelling Corrector and Calculator

The SSB-210 Speaking Spelling Bee is a virtual spelling bee tutor designed to improve spelling skills for students’ ages 8 and up and all aspiring spelling bee participants. Play with friends and family in the Competition mode, or sharpen your skills in Practice or Game Show modes to become a spelling ace! Includes a Merriam-Webster Intermediate Dictionary and Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster Rhyming Dictionary, phonetic spell correction, reading timer, word bank and additional games to enhance both educational and play value.

Challenge your quick thinking and math skills with Racin’ Mathematics

• Test your skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Advance through 12 levels of difficulty
• Earn points and cups in the bonus rounds
• Use training mode to get up to speed
• Practice learning your multiplication tables up to the “9’s”
• Ages 7+
• 1 CR2032 battery included

This travel toy includes seven alphabet cards designed with elements of the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom story on both sides. Cards fit into a case that may hang in the car or in other various play areas with hook and loop straps. Launch date: 2010.

Suitable for ages 6 months and up, this Chicka Chicka Boom Boom-themed toy is designed to work perfectly with most strollers and carriers. Baby can enjoy a mirror, three clacking rings, crinkle flaps and a teether. Launch date: 2010.

Suitable for ages 18 months and up, this 14-piece set includes 10 shapes with numbers and letters to count and sort into the A-B-C-D compartments, each with a hook and loop closure. Julie Flann, Manager of Marketing & Sales at Manhattan Toy, told TDmonthly, "This great Chicka Chicka Boom Boom-themed toy provides a great way for little ones to practice their numbers and shapes." Launch date: 2010.

Baby Wilford has soft brown fur and a cute little face. Julie Flann, Manager of Marketing & Sales at Manhattan Toy, told TDmonthly, "Baby Wilford is an adorable little walrus plush, part of the new Manhattan Wildlife Collection." The Manhattan Wildlife Collection has been developed to strongly resemble the real animals they represent. They come with a hangtag that describes their animal's unique characteristics. Launch date: 2010.

This fun-filled educational book is written about two Shoulder Buddies, Breezee and Biffle, who plan to go to the School of Smarts. They want to earn their Feathers so they can fly. Readers take a journey with them as they try to help each other discover the Smarts that are right for them. The Book N' Buddy combo comes with the Breezee or Biffle Shoulder Buddy character attached. Shoulder Buddies are unique to their Feather color, so no two are alike. They come with a collectible Shoulder Buddies Coin and a backpack clip. Shoulder Buddies are not recommended for children under 4 years of age. Launch date: Feb. 2010.

Peace teaches about "Peaceful Smarts." Peace's acronym is W-O-R-L-D: Work together, Open your mind and heart, Remember we are all equal, Deliver this message of PEACE. Shoulder Buddies are unique to their Feather color, so no two are alike. They come with a collectible Shoulder Buddies Coin and a Backpack clip. Shoulder Buddies are not recommended for children under 4 years of age. Jeaneen Muller, Managing Partner of Shoulder Fun USA, told TDmonthly, "Shoulder Buddies can be worn on the shoulder, and are a collectible, educational accessory." Launch date: Dec. 2009.

Breezee is a Shoulder Buddy character that teaches "Frustration Smarts." His acronym is T-H-I-N-K: Try to relax, Have happy thoughts, Its good to be thankful, Now is the time to share your feelings, Know you have choices. Shoulder Buddies are unique to their Feather color, so no two are alike. They come with a collectible Shoulder Buddies Coin and a Backpack clip. Shoulder Buddies are not recommended for children under 4 years of age. Jeaneen Muller, Managing Partner of Shoulder Fun USA, told TDmonthly, "They can be worn on the shoulder, and have a great learning message that each teaches about."

Players are charged with the challenge of rescuing a baby dinosaur stuck in a canyon threatened by a flash flood. Players must work as a team to save little Dino by lowering the water level until he is dry and also help give him his favorite food. Bambino Dino is simple to grasp, with color-coded dice that indicate when to pick a helpful Tool or some Food and also when to build the Water higher and higher. The game includes a 6" x 12" board, water pieces, rules, bucket and food cards, dice and stickers. Launch date: 2001.

In this game, a winter storm hits Little City. Granny and Grandpa, Uncle and Aunt, Mom and Dad, and Best Friend's Family have things to do, places to go and errands to run. Players must help them complete these tasks together by driving to the places on their lists and returning them safely home. Deep snow? Bad ice? Players decide when and where to do some plowing or spreading of sand while the weather constantly changes. The game includes one 12" x 12" board, weather reports, errands, cars, places, snow and ice, and service trucks. Launch date: 1994.

DGA-TV is a co-operative game about running a TV station. Players are producers who run 7 Studios, featuring everything from children’s shows to current affairs, working together to bring award-winning programming to the viewing public. They must deal with the critics, ratings, sponsors and the actions of people behind and in front of the cameras while putting together as popular a TV program as possible in order to avoid cancellations and earn awards. The game includes eight player game boards, rules, six movers, seven success markers, a program marker, 41 thumbs up and 45 thumbs down cards, and a rules summary chart. Launch date: 2006.

This board game is designed particularly for young children who have an interest in stars, planets, astronauts and space travel. Players are among a team of astronauts sent out into the universe to find another planet with new sources of energy, food and minerals as a suitable environment for earth's growing population. Dark and Dangerous Skies includes two more games of increasing complexity, making it a game youngsters can start off on and then grow with, well into adult years. Jim Deacove, President of Family Pastimes, told TDmonthly that one of the notable features of the game is that one can "play as friends, not as enemies!" The game includes a 12" x 12" board, four explorer craft, four matching astronaut movers, a die, rules, and 10 equipment, 19 danger and 12 info tokens. Launch date: 2006.