April 2011 Notable Toys — Language

One 23" green Beanpod fits four Beandolls, including one pink Beandoll (named “MeiLin”), one red Beandoll (named “Bahiya”), one orange doll (named “Adora”) and one green doll (named “Oris”). The Beandolls are soft and cuddly and the Beanpod can be hung from a loop on its end. Each Beandoll represents a different cultural theme and has a special symbol on it (the meaning of which is explained on its tag). Also sold individually or in pods of two.

At the core of this game lies a fast paced word game that will help children develop many useful skills including improving their spelling and vocabulary and the ability to think quickly under pressure. The rules of the game are simple. Each player selects 20 lettered tiles and must be the first person to spell 5 different words (a 2 letter, 3 letter, 4 letter, 5 letter and 6 letter word) within a five minute time frame. The first player to do this will score points for tiles left unused by his/her opponents. The first player to score 100 points wins the game. To make the game a little easier for new spellers, simply remove or extend the timer or omit the 5 and 6 letter word requirement.

Spanish for Kids is an award-winning Spanish immersion DVD series featuring the adorable Fritzi, an animated mouse who interacts with live-action adults and children to help teach Spanish.  In Las Estaciones (The Seasons), Fritzi wants to celebrate his birthday, which comes in the Fall.  With the help of his friend Maria, young viewers learn about the many joys associated with all four seasons, from sledding and snowball fights in winter (el invierno), to trick-or-treating in autumn (el otoño). 

Kloo has taken the proven five principles of language learning and embedded them in a game system. These principles of language learning are independently corroborated by language experts. It means you can just play and learn a language at least 200% faster and much more easily. There is no work, writing or study – just playing, learning naturally and having fun. Comes in French or Spanish.
Awards— Dr. Toy’s Best Classic Toys for 2011

The Language Mechanic is an effective, comprehensive program that uses fun examples and logical reasons to eliminate the confusion students often feel while learning the rules of language mechanics. Each activity demonstrates and reinforces why following the logical rule is important. Lessons begin with a "grabber”—a humorous miscommunication that results when a rule is broken. Examples are followed by an explanation of the specific rule, the logic behind it, then guided and independent practice exercises. Includes presentation and reinforcement suggestions, answers, a glossary, and a compare/contrast organizer.
Awards— Dr. Toy’s Best Classic Toys for 2011

PathWords is a new game that combines the Tetris® and Word Search. Players must find all the words in each challenge and place the puzzle pieces so that the letters under each piece spell a word. PathWords will delight puzzle game buffs and word search fanatics. Launch date: March 2011.
— In a Summer 2011 survey, Mary Porter of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly that ThinkFun was her best-selling brand of puzzles.
— As of 7/12/2011 this product had 4.9 out of 5 stars from 19 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Clear instructions; fun alone or as a group; challenging.

Moona Luna is the new musical project brought to you by the Latin-Alternative group Pistolera. Inspired by the birth of her first child—during the making of the last album—Pistolera's lead singer and songwriter Sandra Velasquez now brings us family-friendly songs in Spanish and English that continue the band's tradition of positive messages and toe-tapping beats. Moona Luna's debut album, Piñata Party, features eleven original songs as well as a cover of the Latin American folk song De Colores. Brooklyn based family music hero and Moona Luna fan, Dan Zanes, makes a guest vocal appearance on Brinca, Jump. "This is bilingual party music for the whole family," Beth Blenz-Clucas, PR, told TDmonthly. Launch Date: March 2011.

The Little Pim Spanish Intro Gift Set includes Spanish DVD eating and drinking (Disc 1), Spanish Bop music CD, Little Pim trilingual board book- Colors or Feelings, and an adorable 9” plush panda, packaged in a handy, reusable Little Pim tote. The DVD introduces 60 Spanish words and phrases for mealtime, and the music CD features songs by Milkshake and Dan Zanes & Friends, stars of the children's music circuit. "Little Pim is the first language immersion product that specializes in introducing foreign languages to babies, toddlers and preschoolers," Ashely Hernandez, Little Pim sales associate, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2012.
Awards: 2012 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys for 2012; Dr. Toy 10 Best Audio-Visual Toys for 2012; 2012 Tillywig Brain Child Award; 2010 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2008 iParenting Media Award; 2010 Dr. Toy Best Audio Visual Award; 2007 Parent-to-Parent Adding Wisdom Award; 2010 Creative Child Media of the Year Award; 2009 AEP Award.