April 2011 Notable Toys — Designer Toys

Funky Shape Sorter with Five Chunky Blocks. Kids learn about shapes and colors with the funky shape sorter. Rotate the gears, line up the shapes then slide the blocks through. Blocks drop inside the jet pack back with a funny clunky sound then slide out the side to keep the play going. Helps to improve fine motor skills and develop shape and color recognition. Launch date: April 2011.

These various hand-felted sculptures are made out of all natural wool felt and cotton thread. Each piece is made by hand. Also available are mini felted mice, gnomes, birds, and petit fours. Prices from $7.00-$95.00.

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.

Kimochis are small pillows with a feeling (happy, sad, silly, brave) printed on one side and a corresponding facial expression on the other. Each Kimochis plush character comes with a set of three feelings and a how-to Kimochis Feel Guide. The characters — Clover, Cat, Huggtopus, Cloud, Bella Rose, Bug and Lovey Dove — have a special pocket where kids can store their "Kimochis" or feelings. Using the characters and their Kimochis, kids can get in touch with their emotions through puppetry and play. “Getting back to the basics by playing and communicating with Kimochis™ is a simple, yet powerful way to teach children how to: be aware of feelings, choose how to communicate in emotional moments, and redo mistakes. Children will be drawn to the fun, adorable, accessible characters. Parents will be drawn to the high-quality craftsmanship and the valuable educational content," Susan Schroeder, director of marketing and communications for Plushy Feely Corp., told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2009 Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence; Best Vacation Products by Dr. Toy; Kaboose.com's Top 13 Amazing Toys for Preschoolers; TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: The latest line of Kimochis are cuter than ever and just as good at helping children articulate some of their more troubling emotions. Bella Rose is pretty and soft and works just as well as a traditional stuffed animal as she does as a teaching tool.

Kimochis are small pillows with a feeling (happy, sad, silly, brave) printed on one side and a corresponding facial expression on the other. Each Kimochis plush character comes with a set of three feelings and a how-to Kimochis Feel Guide. The characters — Clover, Cat, Huggtopus, Cloud, Bella Rose, Bug and Lovey Dove — have a special pocket where kids can store their "Kimochis" or feelings. Using the characters and their Kimochis, kids can get in touch with their emotions through puppetry and play. “Getting back to the basics by playing and communicating with Kimochis™ is a simple, yet powerful way to teach children how to: be aware of feelings, choose how to communicate in emotional moments, and redo mistakes. Children will be drawn to the fun, adorable, accessible characters. Parents will be drawn to the high-quality craftsmanship and the valuable educational content," Susan Schroeder, director of marketing and communications for Plushy Feely Corp., told TDmonthly. —  Awards: 2009 Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence, Best Vacation Products by Dr. Toy, and Kaboose.com's Top 13 Amazing Toys for Preschoolers.