November 2012 New Specialty Toys — Preschool

The jungle is warm and steamy. What kind of animal might live there, a snow goose or a sloth? What about a still, cool pond -- could that be home for a howler monkey? Find out why meerkats like dry sunny grasslands (hint: they like to dig holes to hide in) or why clown fish feel right at home in a coral reef. Small flaps and a matching spread at the end make learning about habitats fun. Lift the flaps and learn about animal life with two new books in a fresh, fun-filled series for curious preschoolers. Launch date: November 2012.

Here’s a hungry chameleon with a long, long tongue. And here’s a big juicy caterpillar. Can you guess what happens next? What if a honeybee comes upon a beautiful patch of flowers, but the members of her hive don’t know how to find her? Or if two chimps want to munch on termites that are out of reach deep inside a mound? Peek under large flaps to find out - and refresh your memory at the end! Lift the flaps and learn about animal life with two new books in a fresh, fun-filled series for curious preschoolers. Launch date: November 2012.

DOWN AT THE ZOO is a 10 song album for children featuring songs about different animals. Launch date: 2002.
Awards: Parent's Choice Approved; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award

Large, bright, and colorful jungle, safari and zoo animals wall murals are made in USA by a proprietary process that provides thickness and creates a three-dimensional silhouette image that pops off the wall and creates a 3D effect. Each large animal character measures approximately 2 feet wide, 3 feet tall and nearly 1/4 inch thick, but is still very lightweight and can be installed even by a child. Unique 100% removable adhesive strips make the murals very easy to install and remove without any tools or causing any damage to the walls. Launch date: August 2012.

Everyone knows that kids are fascinated with mazes, especially this vibrant wooden Boat Maze that is loaded with activities. Build the boat, stack the sail, play the maze with 5 colorful beads, and have fun with the cute Boikido characters. Develops fine motor skills. Launch date: February 2013.

SmartMax Set - BASIC 25 allows children ages three and up to experience the wonders of magnetism and the fascinating world of construction in a safe way. Towers, bridges, and houses are just a few building options that take advantage of the large pieces to engage even the youngest builder.
— Diane Gervais from Amato's Toy & Hobby in Middletown, Conn., told TDmonthly in a November 2014 survey that Smartmax sets are one of their store's best-selling educational toys. "Smartmax is pretty popular right now in preschool," she told us.

Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Discover the all new Magneatos Better Builder Series. With super strong magnetic force, unique rod and ball configurations and myriad design possibilities, Magneatos Better Builders are a wonderfully inventive way to help children discover principles of science, construction, and engineering while developing their creativity skills. Includes handy storage bin and deluxe 22-page Activity Guide which explores magnet science and provides sample building models for all ages. Magnets are safely and securely embedded in the over sized rods. Metal balls ensure a quick and strong connection. Tested to ages 18 months plus. For ages 2+.
Awards: Oppeheim Platinum Best Toy Award Winner

BubbleBum is perfect for parents and tots or kids always on-the-go ages 4-11. The first inflatable lightweight car booster seat, BubbleBum is a fun way for kids to ride comfortably. BubbleBum comes with seat belt positioning clips in place of arm rests and fits in small spaces, making it possible to fit three kids across the back seat. It easily deflates after use allowing it to be stored in a backpack, flight bag, trunk or even a large purse. Perfect for family car trips, fly ins with car rentals and every day use with car pools.

In free play children will pile the animal blocks on top of each other by color or all mixed up, and play with the animal vehicle. A colorful stacking game. All in one toy and game with instructions. Game material designed with special care. Conceived for small children's hands. 1 - 4 players.

Set contains 20 pieces. Perfect way to begin - starter set of circular track, brightly colored train & two carriages to push around the track, three colorful houses and trees included. Additional track pieces and accessories can be added as required.

In this fun game, kids create an endless cast of characters as leaves, ribbons, coins, seashells, paper clips and a variety of found objects combine to make millions of faces. 160 object images. Made from 90% recycled materials.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Focusing on the number 10, Pig 10 is an exciting card game for children. As in "MAU MAU", players take turns in placing cards in the middle of the table while adding the number of the card to the value of the card pile. A player reaching 10 exactly wins all played cards, whereas a player exceeding the 10 has to give the reward to his right neighbor. In this easy and popular game, players must make decisions with every turn: do I have the right cards in my hand, can I put my left neighbor under pressure, or will I step into the trap my right neighbors have set for me?

Green Toys' Flatbed Truck and Race Car lets kids ages one and up enjoy two cars, either apart for racing or stacked together for hauling. These eco-conscious vehicles are made in the USA from 100 percent recycled plastic milk containers. The recycled products in this set help to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Parents can feel confident giving this toy to their little one as it contains no BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings.
— As of 10/26/2012 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 51 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Durable; BPA and pthalate free; made in the USA. Cons: Several users mentioned that the wheels had difficulty turning.

The perfect toy for doll mommies and teddy daddies to create a first home for their little friends. This doll's house has lots of accessories and is easy to carry wherever you go. Includes a chair, sleeping bag, pillow and three hangers. When kids are done playing, they can just close it up and take it with them. Includes carrying handle. Made of cotton/polyester. Measures 41" x 13" x 28" when open. Dolls are not included.

The canopy converts the carry cot for doll or teddy into a comfy little bed. When the doll or teddy want to be taken along to grandma or grandpas, the canopy is simply removed and the carrying straps attached. Bed includes pillow, blanket and canopy. Made of cotton/polyester.

This set comes complete with a wooden cook top. Content: apron, frying pan, wooden stove top, pot with lid, and salt & pepper shakers. Dishwasher safe - microwave safe - suitable for food contact - PVC free. 10 pieces.

Yuko-chan and the Daruma Doll, a gorgeous book by author/illustrator Sunny Seki, takes readers on a journey into ancient Japan and the story behind the famous Daruma Doll. Yuko-chan, an adventurous blind orphan, is able to do amazing things. She confronts a temple burglar in the dead of night, and crosses treacherous mountain passes to deliver food to hungry people. During her travels, Yuko-chan trips and tumbles down a snowy cliff. She discovers a strange thing as she waits for help: her tea gourd, regardless of how she drops it, always lands right-side-up. The tea has frozen in the bottom of the gourd. Inspired by this, she creates the famous Daruma doll toy, which rights itself when tipped—a true symbol of resilience. Thanks to Yuko-chan's invention, the villagers are able to earn a living and feed themselves by selling the dolls. Yuko-chan never gave up, no matter the obstacles she faced, and the Daruma doll is a charming reminder of the power of perseverance.

Everywhere in the world, there are poems and songs especially for children—rhymes that are sung from generation to generation and never forgotten. In Japan, nursery rhymes speak of nature, of everyday joys and of Japan's own special culture. In Japanese Nursery Rhymes fifteen well-loved verses are colorfully presented in a format that makes language learning easier. The included audio CD features kids singing in both Japanese and English.

The land of dinosaurs comes back to life in an amazing detailed scene filled with all types of favorite dinosaurs. After completing the giant floor puzzle, kids will have a blast naming all the different dinosaurs. Launch date: March 2012.

Soft Shapes® Tub Stickables are made entirely of child-safe foam. These huggable, squeezable, touchable favorites are designed to get kids learning while playing in the bath. Perfect for bath time, playtime, anytime fun and learning, These fun filled sticker sets contain 20 chunky foam bath stickers that float in water and stick to the tub, packaged in a reusable tote-along tube that suctions to the wall. Other sets include Mermaids, Trucks, and Pirates.

Each fun animal piece is the same shape, but four are large and four are small. Kids can match the big pieces with the little pieces or mix them up to make different pairs or patterns. Skills in this puzzle: Recognition of size relationships; Understanding of sorting, matching, pairing, and patterning; Slight visual support in wells.

This set consists of 6 blocks Goodwood deconstruction blocks are a new system of innovative wooden blocks, designed to invite real creative play. The beautiful, precisely crafted blocks are intentionally packaged without instructions or other prescriptive guidelines, in order to cultivate open-ended exploration. Unlike most modern toys, this puts the child in complete control of the child-toy relationship, and encourages them to come up with their own ways to play. The different shapes allow for building outwards in every dimension, and the creation of structures which are both architecturally and geometrically interesting, as well as visually pleasing. They are suitable as a construction toy for children, and increasingly popular as a desk toy for design-minded adults as well. The ever-growing goodwood system currently includes seven original designs. Each set is designed to be fun and interesting on its own, and to provide new features when combined with the other sets as well. All sets come with pieces in six vibrant colors (water-based acrylic paint), made from forest-friendly rubber wood, and CPSIA tested. Care has been taken to ensure that the product reflects responsible social and environmental decision-making, and the developer's website provides a mechanism for purchasing discounted sets for donation into orphanages and kindergartens in the developing world.

Goodwood deconstruction blocks are a new system of innovative wooden blocks, designed to invite real creative play. The beautiful, precisely crafted blocks are intentionally packaged without instructions or other prescriptive guidelines, in order to cultivate open-ended exploration. Unlike most modern toys, this puts the child in complete control of the child-toy relationship, and encourages them to come up with their own ways to play. The different shapes allow for building outwards in every dimension, and the creation of structures which are both architecturally and geometrically interesting, as well as visually pleasing. They are suitable as a construction toy for children, and increasingly popular as a desk toy for design-minded adults as well. The ever-growing goodwood system currently includes seven original designs. Each set is designed to be fun and interesting on its own, and to provide new features when combined with the other sets as well. All sets come with pieces in six vibrant colors (water-based acrylic paint), made from forest-friendly rubber wood, and CPSIA tested. Care has been taken to ensure that the product reflects responsible social and environmental decision-making, and the developer's website provides a mechanism for purchasing discounted sets for donation into orphanages and kindergartens in the developing world.

Fun is the destination once kids hop on the VeggieTales bus. Sturdy enough for hours of play, it features bump-and-go action so that no matter what gets in the way, it keeps on rollin'. Honk the horn and hear the Veggies sing "The Wheels on the Bus." For ages 3 and up. Requires three AA batteries (not included). Measures 8" x 6.75".