July 2012 New Specialty Toys — All

Children's quartz watches feature: 3 Dimensional bands; some are teaching time dials, other have minute increments; Battery good for approximately 2 years (can be replaced); Bands are available in several hundred designs; Moving disc on dial.  "We have several hundred designs in stock including some that have teaching time dials," Ricky Wilhelm from Solo Time Ltd. told TDmonthly.
— Karen Laroche, manager of Kid's Ketch in Lews, Del., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2013 survey that they sell 15-20 Solo Time watches each month, making them a best-seller in the jewelry category.
— Shirley Reilly, owner of Let's Play in Hillsboro, Ore., told TDmonthly in an October 2014 survey that Solo Time watches were her store's best-selling jewelry and accessories item.

Each mini figure in Safari Ltd®’s Toob® ranges from 1” to 3” and is carefully sculpted and finely hand painted. Packaged in a reusable acetate Toob®, the figures guarantee years of learning fun. Safari Ltd® introduces for 2012 small, highly detailed musical instruments that play together in symphony. This Toob® includes a violin, guitar, clarinet, flute, French horn, saxophone, trombone and horn. All figures are 100% guaranteed and lead free to ensure children’s safety. Suggested ages 3+. Launch date: January 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Each mini figure in Safari Ltd®’s Toob® ranges from 1” to 3” and is carefully sculpted and finely hand painted. Packaged in a reusable acetate Toob®, the figures guarantee years of learning fun. Safari Ltd® introduces for 2012 highly detailed butterflies from around the world that flaunt their vibrantly colored wings. This Toob® includes a Red Glider, Green Swallowtail, Orange Barred Sulphur, White Angled Sulphur, Evenus regalis, Anaea clytemnestra and a Papilio garleppi. All figures are 100% guaranteed and lead free to ensure children’s safety. Suggested ages 3+. Launch date: January 2012.

In the Old West, the sly snake oil salesman had a special talent: he could get the most skeptical customer to buy the most dubious product. Now players can have their turn, inventing their own crazy two-word products and selling them to all types of customers. If the customer buys a product, the player wins. With over 280 wild words and 70 oddball customers, players will never run out of new combinations. Launch date: November 2010.
Awards: 2012 Mensa Select; 2012 Dr. Toy; 2012 Toy Man Seal of Excellence
— In a late Summer 2012 survey, Charles from Miller's Toys in Mamoronec, N.Y., told TDmonthly that Snake Oil is one of their top-2 best selling card games. They sell about 2 dozen copies a month.
— As of 12/6/2012 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Fun for all ages.
— Gary Green, owner of Toy Box of Asheville Inc in Asheville, N.C., told TDmonthly in a February 2015 survey that Snake Oil was his store's best-selling game.

18 Scale figurine set to complete displays of die cast model cars. Limited edition, hand painted original figurines. Launch date: August 2012.

18 scale figurine sets themed to complete the best in diorama and display case presentations of die cast automotive models. Limited to 1201 sets for the world. Launch date: August 2012.

Our Peace Van Scoot is a simple, durable wooden vehicle great for toddlers and sized perfectly for playmats. Crafted from locally sourced, responsibly harvested pine with hardwood wheels and printed Peace and Love details on both sides. The Peace Van measures approximately 2-5/8" tall by 4" long by 2-1/8" thick. Designed and Made in the USA. Launch date: June 2012.

Our Name Train Peace Train Car Set contains a flower power engine, a dove & love car and a peace sign car on one 9" straight piece of track. Individual cars measure about 3" long by 2" high each and have a non-toxic finish. Each car is printed on both sides. Track is sanded smooth with laser-engraved stripes and is unfinished. All pieces are crafted from locally sourced, sustainably harvested hard maple and are compatible with our and other wooden railway systems. Cars sold individually. Launch date: June 2012.

Every little girl likes to play dress-up. These memory tiles have fun outfits that can be matched and mixed. Dress-Up Memory Tiles come with 24 tiles (12 pairs) with a brightly colored clothing and accessories on one side and the Maple Landmark logo on the other. Each tile measures 2-1/2" square by 3/16" thick and is cut from high quality birch plywood. A cloth pouch for storage and instructions are included. Made in the USA. Launch date: June 2012.

Robbin’ Eggs is the eggciting game of math, memory, and luck. Each egg has a number on the bottom - some positive, some negative. Players turn over eggs trying to get the sum as close to the rolled number on the die, all while following sometimes silly rules on the cards. Meanwhile, opponents might have a “rob” card and can steal the egg other players need.  Players try to remember the location of numbers as the game progresses…that is, until another player scrambles the locations with a drawn card. The player with the lowest score at the end wins the game. "This game is much more than just an educational math game or a memory game.  Because it adds these components together along with the uniqueness of the nest and eggs, and the randomness of the action cards, this game becomes an entertaining family game that happens to help players hone their math skills," Tami Murphy, marketing manager at The Haywire Group, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2012.

Cluck 'N' Chuck is a game that’s bursting with fun – and chickens! This game for two to four players will leave kids in hysterics as they try to contain runaway chickens. Players roll the die to see which chickens they can chuck into the coop. But move quickly before the coop jumps up and they all fly out. It’s a race to see who can round up their chickens first in this rowdy cluck-cluck game. For ages 4 and up.

Don’t Rock the Boat will have kids channeling their inner pirates without fear of having to walk the plank! The play pieces for this game are fun pirate penguins, and play takes place aboard their pirate ship. Take turns trying to balance the pirate penguins on the ship, but if you rock the boat and send some mateys overboard, ye be a loser! For ages 5 and up. Launch date: 2012.

Super Shooter Basketball is for one or more players. Shoot hoops with the miniature basketballs and gain mad skills! The game includes rules for three well-known games. Super Shooter Basketball is for ages 5 and up. Launch date: 2012.

Spurtle Turtle is also for one or more players. In this fun matching game, press the button on the turtle’s back to spurt out tokens. Then, find the matching sets of tokens! The turtle is also a convenient storage case. Spurtle Turtle is for ages 3 and up. Launch date: 2012.

Bowl, Spell and Score is a wacky word bowling game in which bowlers roll a unique wooden character ball to determine the amount and location of bowling pin letter tiles to flip over in an attempt to spell words for points each frame. Launch date: 2011.
Awards: December 2011 Toyman Award

Roll-a-chore is a dry erase chore, rewards, message chart game. In the bag: 10"x13" themed game board, dry erase marker, dice, spinner, draw string bag, suction cup and adhesive magnets. This game takes the "chore" out of assigning chores in a fast, fair, fun way. There are countless benefits when using this product: math, writing, reasoning, teaching responsibility. Themes available include: Basketball game board, Baseball game board, Policeman game board, Jake (one of roll-a-chore's characters) surfing game board, Molly (one of roll-a-chore's characters) surfing game board, Flowerpower game board, Blue Hearts game board, Molly Soccer game board, color-a-chore (for the little tikes learning their colors) themed game board, and Handy Helpers 2 & 3 (a general family theme look) game board, with more themes to be available later in the year. Launch date: February 2005.

Children love to make up stories, and these 40 creative projects and activities encourage them to free their storytelling instincts. Younger children will love making story stones and a storytelling jar, and then will love using them to create stories of their own, while older kids will enjoy word grab bags, story walks, and journaling exercises. For everyone ages 5 to 12, whatever their reading level, this book has everything needed to spark an infinite number of child-created stories. 144 pages. Launch date: September 2012.

Bright, colorful, 100% natural crayon wedges that last. 12 colors, kids will love using these multi-surfaced crayons for all of their coloring activities. Each crayon has 4 writing points and multiple surfaces to use for different width lines. Makes coloring large areas a snap. Easy to hold for artists with small hands.
— As of 09/05/2012 this product had 3 out of 5 stars from 1 review on AbesMarket.com. Pros: "Nice packaging. The bright, rich colors remind me of chalk or pastels, not run-of-the-mill crayons;" Cons: "Greasy-feeling crayons leave pigment on hands as hands and crayons warm up. As one colors an area, some of the crayon comes off in clumps and curls."

In Empire Express, players create competing railroad empires by drawing railroad tracks with crayons upon an erasable board. Players win if they utilize their network of rail lines to acquire and deliver goods efficiently to accumulate the largest personal fortune. The base game provides pre-programed routes on a board depicting a north eastern portion of the US with demand cards providing players with an easy way to learn the system through play. Players start with the bare bones of a railroad: an empty train and track connecting some cities. Each turn players take turns building track, operating trains, and delivering loads. The bank will pay players for each delivered load. With the starting route guided by the board, only two loads per card and a visual pick-up and delivery guide on every card the learning curve is greatly shortened. For 2-4 players, 90+ minute game time.

When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Byers Guerdon, they receive a less-than-warm welcome. Auntie Ida is eccentric and rigid, and the girls are desperate to go back to London. But what they don't know is that their aunt's life was devastated the last time two young sisters were at Guerdon Hall, and she is determined to protect her nieces from an evil that has lain hidden for years. Along with Roger and Peter, two village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it's too late for little Mimi. Riveting and intensely atmospheric, this stunning debut will hold readers in its spell long after the last page is turned. In an exquisitely chilling debut novel, four children unravel the mystery of a family curse - and a ghostly creature known in folklore as Long Lankin. Launch date: July 2012.

It's a rainy day, so Posy decides to stay at home and do some baking. With the cupcakes safely in the oven, she settles down to lick the bowl when a large, blue, furry paw appears at her window. A moment later, a monster walks in- oh, no! But something about the monster looks familiar...Pip and Posy are friends (most of the time!) in the newest title in this series about the dramas of toddler life. Launch date: July 2012.

Maisy and her friends love everything to do with Halloween - painting faces on pumpkins, dressing up in costumes, bobbing for apples, and especially going out to trick-or-treat. But they can't do any of these things unless their little fans join the festivities by completing each scene with colorful stickers. Launch date: July 10, 2012.

In Tsuro of the Seas players will sail the treacherous waters of the Mystic Seas in an engaging game of adventure and suspense. As the captain of one of the Emperor’s mighty Red Seal ships, players navigate the seas by placing Tsuro wake tiles to direct their vessel. Players must take great caution to avoid opponents’ ships...and those mysteries lurking on the horizon and under the sea. The last captain sailing to survive the mystic seas wins. For 2 to 8 players ages 8 and up; plays in 20-40 minutes. Launch date: August 2012.

The Wet-Erase coloring kit comes with 3 stone paper coloring scenes and a set of patented wet-erase crayons that wipe off with a damp cloth for multiple use. Launch date: 2012.