August 2009 New Specialty Toys — All

There are three different Make Your Own Kits: Make Your Own Chewing Gum, Make Your Own Gummies and Make Your Own Chocolate Kits. Each kit has a short story describing the life and surroundings of a hypothetical child and explains what his or her family and neighbors do regarding the kit's contents. "These kits are all Fair Trade Made. They have an important message; for example, the Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit includes an educational booklet describing the benefits of the Rainforest and how Chicle is tapped from trees to make gum," Sylva Dvorak, in marketing for One World Projects, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2004.

This book describes the entire MathMosis system. It is filled with short lessons outlining the I Chant, You Chant teaching methodology and gives teachers at-a-glance ideas for counting practice activities, as well as extension activity ideas that can be integrated with other subjects. It includes reproducible worksheets for fact practice as well as instructions for fact-practice games. The MathMosis book is the foundation to the MathMosis system. "MathMosis is a unique instructional approach to teaching skip counting, multiplication and division, through a variety of learning modalities," Jennifer Tuttle, CEO of Brain Party, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2008.

Twelve MathMosis Posters provide a visual for kindergarten through 4th-grade students as they learn to count. The posters are printed on heavy cardstock for durability and are 23" W x 12" to 29" L, depending on the information on the poster. The posters were specifically designed for classroom use with attractive colors and large numbers that students can see in a large-group setting. "MathMosis Posters appeal to visual and analytical learners by presenting skip-counting patterns on bright, colorful, heavy cardstock," Jennifer Tuttle, CEO of Brain Party, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2008.

MathMosis Mania provides children with a visual and kinesthetic approach to learning while having fun, offering practice in counting, multiplication and division. MathMosis Mania is designed to grow with children as they learn through multiple games. "[It] teaches number sense, multiplication and division through a variety of learning modalities, including visual, analytical and kinesthetic," Jennifer Tuttle, CEO of Brain Party, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2008.

MathMosis® Mania provides children with a visual and kinesthetic approach to learning while having fun. The game gives children practice in counting, multiplication and division, and is designed to grow with children as they learn. Children will learn to play four different MathMosis Mania games, "which [help] children learn through many learning modalities including visual, analytical and movement," Jennifer Tuttle, CEO of Brain Party, told TDmonthly.
Awards: Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2009

Momma Couture offers a line of bags created for fashionable, on-the-go Mommas and Poppas and their kids. The fashion-forward bags are designed to meet the style needs of the parents carrying them as well as being functional. Much of the function is provided in the form of insulation that can be found within the bags that allows bottles, sippy cups, snacks and wipes to be kept at the right temperature and moist. The messenger-style City Bag features water- and stain-resistant canvas and nickel hardware, a top zip-closure, a 60" adjustable strap, six interior, elasticized pockets, a key ring hook, an oversized ring on the outside, and a coordinating wristlet and changing pad. All of the bags are 100-percent compliant with CPSIA lead and phthalate regulations. Launch date: March 2009.

Girls can make a special place to store their jewelry with the Mosaic Jewelry Box, using more than 300 colorful acrylic tiles and glitter grout to decorate a plain white jewelry box and transform it into a sparkling masterpiece. This product received a 2009 iParenting Media Outstanding Product Award. Launch date: December 3, 2008.

Kids can create 10 paper airplanes with the Sky Diver Paper Airplanes set, following simple folding techniques to turn sheets of paper with awesome patterns into slick airplanes. Kids can add sticker accents, then try to land their planes on punch-out runways. A bonus sky diver with parachute is included. "The thoughtfulness that goes into our product development process — selecting appropriate and engaging materials and providing detailed instructions for a quality creative experience" sets these kits apart," Lisa Brody, PR manager for Creativity for Kids, told TDmonthly. This product received a 2009 iParenting Media Outstanding Product Award and a 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award. Launch date: January 13, 2009.

Meebie is a toy developed for play, with therapeutic benefits. Designed as a globally appealing tool for expression and learning, it may be used in educational settings, play therapy, speech/language pathology, occupational therapy, social work, counseling and at home. The soft, furry Meebie measures 21" from head to seat and is fully washable. It may be used to express emotion, using the interchangeable pieces; comfort a child with separation anxiety, or one who has been hurt; engage children who are reluctant to express or participate; or teach specific emotions and emotional understanding. "Meebie’s 37 beautifully embroidered pieces can be arranged and rearranged in any number of ways, conveying all emotions," Lisa Johnson, co-owner of Orkid Toys, told TDmonthly. It was named among Dr. Toy's Best Products from 2007 to 2009. Launch date: September 15, 2005.

Gentle Giraffe On The Go helps recreate sleep time routines by bringing familiar soothing sounds while away from home. Gentle Giraffe’s unique Serengeti sounds aim to take a child on a magical journey while effortlessly transforming unknown surroundings to a more familiar environment. It features four peaceful sounds, push-button sound selection with volume control, and two sleep-timer options, plus more, and may be used for all ages. Gentle Giraffe On The Go is part of the Cloud B Endangered Species Series, which helps bring awareness to animal friends who need our attention. A portion of every purchase goes to Conservation International. This product received a 2009 NAPPA Honors award, a 2009 iParenting Media Award for Outstanding Product in the Toy Category, a 2009 Creative Child Top Choice of the Year Award in the Travel-Soothing Sleep Aids for Kids Category, a 2009 Seal of Approval from the National Parenting Center, and a 2009 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Children's Product Award. Launch date: June 2009.

This pack comes with 12, 27" square scarves — two of each of the following colors: lavender, medium blue, lime green, yellow, peach and pink, and includes an instruction/informational insert and a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 1996.

This kit includes 12, 27" square scarves — two of each of the following colors: purple, royal blue, kelly green, yellow, orange and purple, plus an instructional/informational insert and a reusable hanging plastic resealable storage bag. Launch date: 1996.

This kit includes 10, 27" square scarves in 10 colors — one of each of the following: purple, royal blue, gray, black, orange, red, kelly green, brown, pink and yellow. It also comes with an instructional insert, the "My Many Colored Days" book by Dr. Seuss and the IDEAS Music Colors CD. "We also provide durable and reusable plastic bags for storage as well as Velcro to hang the scarves in a special place, where they can be put away easily and beautifully," Rosanne Jessen, marketing associate for arts education IDEAS, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008.

While Octopi may look like just another plush toy, but stored in its head is a family dice game and a distinctive treasure. Grippa’s game is Sink or Swim, for two to four players. During a turn, players roll dice and try to score points to collect seashells. Whoever has the most shells at the end of the game wins. "Each Octopi has a unique look, personality, dice game and treasure that support the collectibility value of the item," Steve Hart, co-founder of FunHub Creative, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

Each Octopi comes with an easy-to-learn dice game complete with a treasure (all stored in the Octopi head). Dip's game, Doubloon Dippidy, is a faced-paced game in which players try to win all the gold doubloons by being the last person with a doubloon. It is for two to 10 players. "Octopi Games deliver a social play experience along with the collectible value of a plush toy. It’s really the first collectible plush that promotes face-to-face social interaction," Steve Hart, co-founder of FunHub Creative, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

Kids can blast off on a cosmic journey in the Playhut X9 Rocket play structure, which is comprised of a large, shuttle-shaped play hut and two 20” tunnels. It has multiple tunnel ports for crawl-through fun and structure expansion, and EZ Twist technology allows for instant set-up and quick-fold down for convenient storage. It received a 2009 Outstanding Products iParenting Media Award. Launch date: July 2009.

ReUsies are a reusable alternative to plastic sandwich bags. They are cotton on the outside and leak-resistant nylon on the inside, sealed with Velcro closures. ReUsies can be machine or hand washed, and each one is designed to replace hundreds of plastic baggies. ReUsies come in two sizes (larger sandwich and smaller snack) and many different patterns to appeal to all members of the family. "We use reusable items in many other areas of our lives (reusable water bottles, shopping bags, lunch boxes, etc.), but there are very few products that replace those plastic sandwich baggies we all use and toss every day," Karen Whorton, owner of ReUsies, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2009.

The Safe-T-Seat, created for children 12 months to 4 years, is designed to offer a better center of gravity than other child bike seats and is easy to install. "The patented mounting system is much easier than other front-mounted seats on the market," Kelly Eissinger, president of iBert Inc., told TDmonthly. It received a 2007 Creative Child Magazine Top Choice Award. Launch date: May 25, 2005.

The Cats of Baseball is an original character series depicting teams of cats playing baseball and their ongoing stories in cartoons, figurines, games and trading cards. "No character series has ever featured stories about cats with baseball cards, playing team baseball. The Cats of Baseball collection is designed for a wide range of children's toys and apparel," Victoria Oldham, co-president of Trade Winds Advertising Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 10, 2009.

This kit includes 20, 27" square scarves in 10 colors — two of each of the following colors: purple, royal blue, gray, black, orange, red, kelly green, brown, pink and yellow. It also comes with an instructional insert, the "My Many Colored Days" book by Dr. Seuss, the IDEAS Music Colors CD, a reusable plastic hanging storage bag, and Velcro to hang the scarves nicely. Launch date: 2008.

This kit includes 24, 54" square scarves in 12 colors — two of each of the following shades: purple, lavender, royal blue, medium blue, kelly green, lime green, yellow, orange, red, pink, black and white, plus an IDEAS Music 111 CD, an instructional insert, a reusable plastic hanging storage bag, and Velcro to hang the scarves. "Our scarf kits contain high-quality, 100-percent washable nylon scarves in vibrant colors," Rosanne Jessen, marketing associate for arts education IDEAS, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 1996.

The soft, squeezable, 10"-round Norman PhartEphant produces eight different fart sounds with each gentle squeeze of his tail. "Norman PhartEphant appeals to all ages, and brings silly to any situation. He has become a gift of choice in hospital gift shops and even hit the corporate world as a gift to give the person that has everything. Really, who doesn't want a farting elephant?" Angela Larson, in sales at Fierce Fun Toys, told TDmonthly. This product has received the following awards: Great Dad Recommended: Seal of Approval - 2009; The Toy Man: Seal of Approval - 2009; and The Toy Man: Editors Choice Award - 2009. Launch date: June 2009.

This two-piece suit for boys is ideal for springtime, with lightweight seersucker bubble shorts and a four-button vest that features a funky fresh van applique crafted of washable felt. Launch date: March 2010.

This polka-dot dress features a strawberry applique crafted of washable felt. It is available in sizes 6-12m through 6T, through spring 2010. It is made in the USA. Decaf Plush offers "unique animal, fruit and street illustrations crafted in washable synthetic felt — beats silkscreen any day!" Kimberly Murray, designer for decaf plush, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2009.