November 2012 New Specialty Toys — All

Step Ups! 4-In-A-Box puzzles area great “starter” puzzles and will help little hands develop their fine motor skills. Step Ups! Puzzle sets contain four puzzles depicting fun characters that young ones will easily recognize. The puzzles progress from 2 pieces to 4 pieces to 6 pieces to 8 pieces, giving children the opportunity to grow with the set as they grow and develop. The 8 piece puzzle brings the characters from the other three puzzles together in one animated scene with lots to discuss and talk about. Step Ups! Are a great way to help toddlers begin building their tactile and problem solving skills. Each puzzle measures approximately 12.5” X 8.5”. Launch date: 2012.

Step Ups! 4-In-A-Box puzzles area great “starter” puzzles and will help little hands develop their fine motor skills. Step Ups! Puzzle sets contain four puzzles depicting fun characters that young ones will easily recognize. The puzzles progress from 2 pieces to 4 pieces to 6 pieces to 8 pieces, giving children the opportunity to grow with the set as they grow and develop. The 8 piece puzzle brings the characters from the other three puzzles together in one animated scene with lots to discuss and talk about. Step Ups! Are a great way to help toddlers begin building their tactile and problem solving skills. Each puzzle measures approximately 12.5” X 8.5”. Launch date: 2012.

Click It! puzzles take a traditional puzzle and blend it with today's popular technology. After completing the beautifully illustrated 24-piece "talk-about" puzzle, children can use any smart phone or tablet with a QR label reader application to "Click" the barcode and watch their puzzle come to life. The QR barcode will link them to a fun video animation of the puzzle that was just assembled. Additionally if kids flip the puzzle over, it becomes a fun coloring activity (crayons not included). Click It puzzles offer the traditional ways of learning along with the high tech ways to discover. Each puzzle measures 24"X18". Launch date: 2012.

Click It! puzzles take a traditional puzzle and blend it with today's popular technology. After completing the beautifully illustrated 24-piece "talk-about" puzzle, children can use any smart phone or tablet with a QR label reader application to "Click" the barcode and watch their puzzle come to life. The QR barcode will link them to a fun video animation of the puzzle that was just assembled. Additionally if kids flip the puzzle over, it becomes a fun coloring activity (crayons not included). Click It puzzles offer the traditional ways of learning along with the high tech ways to discover. Each puzzle measures 24"X18". Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20

Click It! puzzles take a traditional puzzle and blend it with today's popular technology. After completing the beautifully illustrated 24-piece "talk-about" puzzle, children can use any smart phone or tablet with a QR label reader application to "Click" the barcode and watch their puzzle come to life. The QR barcode will link them to a fun video animation of the puzzle that was just assembled. Additionally if kids flip the puzzle over, it becomes a fun coloring activity (crayons not included). Click It puzzles offer the traditional ways of learning along with the high tech ways to discover. Each puzzle measures 24"X18". Launch date: 2012.

Click It! puzzles take a traditional puzzle and blend it with today's popular technology. After completing the beautifully illustrated 24-piece "talk-about" puzzle, children can use any smart phone or tablet with a QR label reader application to "Click" the barcode and watch their puzzle come to life. The QR barcode will link them to a fun video animation of the puzzle that was just assembled. Additionally if kids flip the puzzle over, it becomes a fun coloring activity (crayons not included). Click It! puzzles offer the traditional ways of learning along with the high tech ways to discover. Each puzzle measures 24'X18". Launch date: 2012.

Enjoy two fun-filled playtime activities in one. Each Find It! product combines a puzzle and game into one highly educational, interactive learning experience. First assemble the puzzle, then play the game using the enclosed game pieces. For an additional learning experience, flip the game pieces over to play a word recognition game. Each 50-piece puzzle measures a gian 3'X2'. Launch date: 2012.

Kids will be amazed as they watch their puzzle come alive with the Puzzle Double! Discover It! 3D Space floor puzzle. Taking the concept of a traditional puzzle to a new level, each Discover It! puzzle includes five fun, 3-D lenticular stickers. When kids finish piecing together the beautiful 30-piece, talk about puzzles, they simply add the stickers to their matching place in the scene and watch the puzzle come to life and move and change. Additionally, after assembling the puzzle you can turn it over for a fun coloring activity (crayons not included). Puzzle Doubles! Discover It! Space puzzle will provide children multi-dimensional ways to discover and learn. Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Kids will be amazed as they watch their puzzle come alive with the Puzzle Double! Discover It! 3D Safari floor puzzle. Taking the concept of a traditional puzzle to a new level, each Discover It! puzzle includes five fun, 3-D lenticular stickers. When kids finish piecing together the beautiful 30-piece, talk about puzzles, they simple add the stickers to their matching place in the scene and watch the puzzle come to life and move and change. Additionally, after assembling the puzzle you can turn it over for a fun coloring activity (crayons not included). Puzzle Doubles! Discover It! puzzles will provide children with multi-dimensional ways to discover and learn. Puzzle measures 24"X18". Launch date: 2012.

Kids wil be amazed as they come alive with the Puzzle Doubles! Discover It! Ocean puzzle. Taking the concept of a traditional puzzle to a new level, each Discover It! Puzzle includes five fun, 3-D lenticular stickers. When kids finish piecing together the beautiful 30-piece, talk about puzzles, they simply add the stickers to their matching place in the scene and watch the puzzle come to life and move and change. Additionally, after assembling the puzzle you can turn it over for a fun coloring activity (crayons not included). Puzzle Doubles! Discover It! Ocean floor puzzle will provide children with multi-dimensional ways to discover and learn. Puzzle measures 24"X 18". Launch date: 2012.

Snowflakes are combinations of frozen ice crystals that fall through the Earth's atmosphere. They form when microscopic super cooled cloud water droplets freeze that are only about the size of four ten thousandths (.00039) of an inch one hundredth of a millimeter (.01 millimeter) in diameter. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes develop as the flakes fall through different temperatures and humidity. These droplets are able to remain liquid at temperatures lower than -0º Fahrenheit (-18º Celsius) because in order to freeze, a few molecules in the droplet need to come together by chance to form an arrangement similar to that in an ice lattice molecule; the droplet then freezes around this "nucleus." Experiments show that this chance accumulation of droplets around an ice lattice molecule to form a snowflake occurs at temperatures lower than -31° Fahrenheit (-35° Celsius). Once a droplet has frozen, it grows in the supersaturated cloud environment where air is below the freezing point. These large crystals fall through the atmosphere due to their mass, and may collide with others, sticking together in clusters. These clusters of ice crystals are snowflakes, and are usually the type of ice particles that fall to the ground.

HipZips Bracelets are available in a variety of colors. These bracelets actually zip and unzip. Wear alone, or combine colors for a fun look.
— In a late Summer 2012 survey, Charles from Miller's Toys in Mamoroneck, N.Y., told TDmonthly that HipZips bracelets are their bestselling novelty item. "We get them in a 72-pack, and they fly out of the store," he said.

The latest Think-ets game from Think-a-lot Toys is like having a “party-in-a-pouch”™. This edition of our award-winning Think-ets game is geared for adults, teens and college kids who want their own, slightly more sophisticated version of the game. Get silly with stories, throw objects into glasses, or try to come up with categories, rhymes and names in speedy fashion. For 1 or more players. Includes 15 miniature trinkets from around the world and an instruction Booklet with 10 different games to play.

Leonardo da Vinci improved upon the already-established catapult design when he introduced his own vision the the age-old military launching device. This design uses a double leaf spring to produce a great deal of energy in order to propel stone projectiles or flammable materials over large distances. A hand crank on the side of the catapult was used to load the spring. The scientific genius of Leonardo da Vinci is brought to life through these 10 articulated models. The inventions that inspired these snap-together replicas are taken from the pages of Da Vinci’s priceless and awe-inspiring notebooks. All models are made of plastic and require no special tools. Manuals are very educational and teach how these inventions have evolved into what they are today.
— Priscilla Moore, owner of Mr. Fub’s Party/Toys and More in Yellow Springs, Oh., told TDmonthly in a late Summer 2012 survey that this catapult is one of their best selling Science toys.

These race cars can be used with other SmartMax race track sets. SmartMax is the magnetic discovery concept that allows children, even from a very early age, to experience both the wonders of magnetism and the fascinating world of construction in a safe way. The extra-large pieces make it easy for small children to manipulate them. The magnets have the ideal strength for easy assembly and breakdown of constructions. SmartMax is carefully designed to meet and exceed the world’s toughest safety requirements, including giant-sized, non-swallowable 1.8” diameter metal balls and inaccessible magnets encased in specially sonic-welded bars.

This puzzle game is different on all levels. For starters, a challenge consists of showing the solution (the color of all the balls on the playing board). But which balls are connected and how? Not only do players' brains have to be flexed to find the solution - they can bend all the puzzle pieces so they click into a new position.

Begin a quest to settle the island of Catan. Guide brave settlers to victory by using clever trading and shrewd development. Use resources—grain, wool, ore, lumber, and brick—to build roads, settlements, cities and key cultural milestones. Get resources by rolling the dice or by trading with other players. Catan is a modern classic. It truly redefines social board games and been awarded with “Game of the Year” honors in Germany, the United States, and a host of other countries. This New edition features a six piece reversible board allowing for more replay value than the previous Gallery Edition. Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Itzabots are robot shaped ceramic planters that kids can customize with any of the included mix and match stickers. Create and recreate new companion as many times as kids like. When kids fill the planter with water and give it a little light, their itzabot will begin to sprout a thick head of grass "hair" within 5-7 days. The hair will continue to grow for 2 months with continued watering and styling. Available in three styles/sticker kits: Monster, Girl, and Robot.

Itzabots are robot shaped ceramic planters that kids can customize with any of the included mix and match stickers. Create and recreate new companion as many times as kids like. When kids fill the planter with water and give it a little light, their itzabot will begin to sprout a thick head of grass "hair" within 5-7 days. The hair will continue to grow for 2 months with continued watering and styling. Available in three styles/sticker kits: Monster, Girl, and Robot.

Uncover a murder most foul by revealing six story elements that together describe the deadly deed and spell the word MURDER. But take care that opponents can't do the same. Take their letters, counter their actions, or call on a waiting Crow to influence the murder before they do. At any moment a well-played card can shift the balance and seal someone's fate. Murder of Crows is a fast-paced card game for 2 to 5 players that's quick to learn and features atmopheric art by Dungeoneer illustrator Thomas Denmark. A game typically lasts 15 to 20 minutes, and is designed for ages 13 and up. Launch date: August 2012.

This easy-to-use spiral-bound book includes reproducible pages of questions for students, a complete answer guide, and interpretive activities for each of the 32 styles presented from prehistoric art to the present. The book is designed to correlate with Crystal's DVD series Learn Art Styles with Lisa, as well as the Art Styles Posters and Display Cards, but can also be used as a standalone resource as well as with books and the internet as other sources of information.

Just imagine all of nature—mountains, prairies, oceans, and all—lying on your bed as a patchwork quilt. Take flora and fauna in their unique habitats, fold them up and you have a book, this book. Earth’s major habitats are spread before you, ready to be examined. Here in this beautiful package are revealed the key concepts of natural science. This patchwork quilt of nature covers the whole Earth to learn about, to enjoy, to care for, and to love.

Just imagine—you are a young orca whale. Your special friends are two cousins and your 100 year-old great grandmother, the clan leader. You learn to play with them, face danger with them, hunt with them—and even go people-watching with them. Based on actual orca, or killer whale, research, this book combines science with the real story of how family, friendship, and a grandmother’s love are helping this magnificent but endangered orca clan to survive.

Times have been hard. To save on money, you have moved out of your old castle, and into a luxurious ravine. You didn't like that castle anyway, it was always getting looted, and never at a reasonable hour. And if it wasn't barbarians it was the plague, or sometimes both would come at once, and there wouldn't be enough chairs. The ravine is great, you get lots of sun, and you can just drop garbage wherever you want. In your free time you have taken up begging. Begging is brilliant conceptually, but tricky in practice, since no one has any money. You beg twigs from the villagers, and they beg them back, but no one really seems to come out ahead. That's just how life is sometimes. You are quietly conquering people, minding your own business, when suddenly there's a plague, or barbarians, or everyone's illiterate, and it's all you can do to cling to some wreckage as the storm passes through. Still, you are sure that, as always, you will triumph over this adversity, or at least do slightly better than everyone else. This is the 7th addition to the game of Dominion. It is 500 cards but is not a stand-alone. It adds 35 new Kingdom cards to Dominion, plus new bad cards you give to other players (Ruins), new cards to replace starting estates (shelters), and cards you can only get via specific other cards. The central themes are the trash and upgrading. There are cards that do something when trashed, cards that care about the trash, cards that upgrade themselves, and ways to upgrade other cards.