April 2011 Notable Toys — All

Gridiron Fanatic screams “Touchdown!” and “Boooo!” on command with the press of a button on his foot. Gridiron Fanatic is also packed with several offensive and defensive sound effects and phrases (“Tackle somebody!  Anybody!” and “Bears have an amazing sense of smell, and I smell a TOUCHDOWN!”), activated with a pat on his paws. Launch date: Fall 2011.

These miniature ice cream makers take three minutes to turn ingredients (sugar, milk cream, water, and anything else like to add like nuts, raisins, or candy) into an iced confection. There's no motor or batteries...the only energy required is a little vigorous shaking. Simply place ice cubes and salt into the lower part of the cup, and fill the top with sweetened juice, milk or cream. Fasten the lid and shake. The salt quickly melts the ice, which makes the aluminum plate super-cold, turning the liquid into ice cream, ice milk, or sorbet. Available in assorted animal characters (polar bear, cat, seal, dog, penguin)

Inspired by the popular 90's toy, these silicone watches can be slapped onto wrists. They come in a variety of vibrant colors and in two sizes, small or large. The analog watch face is backed in the same vibrant color as the watch band, and the watch face is framed by a metal in the same shade as well. These watches can be collected, swapped, or worn in multiples to create a bold fashion statement.
— Kay Emigh of Growing Tree Toys in State College, Pa., told TDmonthly in late Summer 2011 that small Silly Slapz! Slap Watches were a top-three best-selling item in the store.
— John Taylor, owner of O.P. Taylor's in Brevard, N.C., told TDmonthly in an October 2011 survey that he sells 250 slap watches a month between his three stores.

The Fashion Diva line includes many different styles of nail art including glittery stickers and press-on nail decorations.

The church includes an altar, choir loft with organ, pews, and a stuffed family of 6 plus Father Juan Pablo.

There are 10 Gomu erasers for each of Spin Master's 10 themes. These little erasers come in singles and in packs. The erasers vary in rarity, and you can track how many Gomu points you have on their website (the more rare the Gomu, the higher the point value).

These erasers from TY are tiny animals that can be taken apart and reassembled. The first release of Beanie Eraserz included 14 characters.

LockerLookz Wallpaper for lockers comes in eight fun patterns. The wallpaper is held up by 20 super-strong magnets, making sure no damage is done to the locker itself. The LockerLookz line of Wallpaper and accessories allows kids to personalize their space at school.
— Betsy Ordemann, owner of Magic Box LTD in New Orleans, La., told TDmonthly that she sells dozens of each piece of the LockerLookz line each month, and up to 3 dozen of the most popular pieces. “It's unbelievably popular. It's totally different than anything else in the market,” she said.
— Christine Osborne, co-owner of Wonder Works in Charleston, S.C., told TDmonthly in an October 2011 survey that LockerLookz was their best selling tween item. "We don't know how many" are sold, she said, "because it sells out too quickly!"
— William Meredith, owner of Learning Express in Cary, N.C., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2012 survey that they sell 100 LockerLookz products each month, making them a best seller in the tween category.

Players take turns flipping over cards that show different shapes. The first to complete the correct action wins that card. The game keeps it exciting by shuffling the actions and their corresponding shapes after each round.
See Toy Fair 2011 Video

From the best-selling book comes The Hunger Games: Training Days Strategy Game. Training Days allows 2-6 players to follow in the footsteps of their favorite Tributes as they compete in the days leading up to the arena. Includes 18 Tribute Cards representing the female and male Tributes from 9 districts, a deck of 45 Challenge cards featuring: 24 Events, 8 Special Events, 10 Alliances, and 3 End of Day cards. Plus, Effort Tokens for each District, Approval Rating Score Board, and 6-sided dice.

This ghostly marshmallow plays the main theme from the movie “Ghostbusters” when you press his tummy. Choose between happy or sad.

This popular video game gets its own collectible SackBoy critters, dressed in some of the costumes from the game. Available later this year.

These cute eggs come in a variety of characters. You can switch around their heads to let them have a chance to experience a different costume. They also wind up and walk.

These helium-filled clownfish balloons are remote controlled to "swim" through the air. The infrared remote functions include climb, descend, and tail fin control. Up to a 40 ft range. 57 inches long, 36 inches high. Launch date: 2011.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 3.3 out of 5 stars from 16 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Entertaining. Cons: Flimsy; hard to balance; does not work well in areas with AC, fans, or open doors or windows.

This habitat for ants and fighter fish allows children to examine the natural world. Including “swimming pools” and “food bars,” this habitat might be a little fancier than what its inhabitants are used to.

Similar to a Rubik’s Cube, this multicolored cube has seven rows and columns users have to align.

Phone Frenzy is a board game that uses everyone’s mobile phone as the primary game component for calling, texting, and sending photos.  Every turn, players are given a challenge or activity that can only be completed with the help of one or more of their phone contacts.  A challenge might be a race to receive a correct response to “Finish this lyric by Journey:  ‘Just a small town girl’…”  Players pick who they think are the right contacts from their phone and send them a text message with the question.  The first player to receive the correct text message wins the round. Launch date: Summer 2011.

This small salt water fuel cell car lets children lean about new forms of clean energy and engineering. After activating the fuel cell module with a saltwater mixture, the magnesium metal sheet (3 sheets included) can operate the car for about 5-7 hours continuously. If you want to park the vehicle, simply take out the fuel cell module and rinse with tap water and dry.

The race is on to see who will make it to the Fountain of Youth first. Will Jack Sparrow be outsmarted by Blackbeard or wooed by Angelica, or will he beat his rivals to the coveted pools of eternal youth? Set includes Jack Sparrow, Barbossa with peg leg and Blackbead minifigs, plastic waterfall detail and two chalices. Launch date: May 2011.

Includes Jack Sparrow and two Zombie minifigs, buildable shelf and two ships in a bottle. Launch date: May 2011.

This microphone was developed in conjunction with the eponymous hip-hop artist, notorious for his auto-tuned jams. The hand-held wireless microphone plays three different beats to sing over, and records your voice. It features pitch-correction. Launch date: Fall 2011.

At White Cap Bay, Jack Sparrow and the other pirates must capture a mermaid. Spot them using the searchlight and shoot the net from the boathouse cannon. But beware- if the whale oil tips over, the whole lighthouse is sure to go up in flames. Includes Jack Sparrow, three mermaids and three other pirate minifigs, mini-boat with pirates’ victims, crewmates and a collapsing lighthouse. Launch date: May 2011.

This intense play gun for older children shoots water soaked paper pellets that stick to their targets. Includes 102 pellet refills, two 8-round clips for easy loading, eyewear, and accuracy up to 60 feet.  Launch date: Fall 2011.

This battery-powered dart gun shoots a succession of 20 foam darts in rapid-fire. Launch date: Spring 2011.