April 2012 Notable Toys — Creative Activities

Kids will spend hours of creative fun decorating their pets with their own bright colors and patterns with this Design a Pet Kit. The Design a Pet Kit from Toysmith 4M contains a sand filled lizard, fish and frog for kids to paint and decorate. Each pet has their own adoption certificate and habitat. Kit includes: 3 sand filled pets, water soluable paints, paintbrush, adoption certificates, and habitats.
— In a January 2012 survey about arts and crafts toys, Mary Porter Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly that they sell a dozen of this toy each month. In fact, they sell so quickly that they "Can't keep them in stock!"

A complete Shrinky Dinks fun factory with oodles of supplies. Includes 10 sheets of pre-printed Shrink film, charm bracelets, beads, greeting cards, gift tags, jewelry cord, hair clips and key chains. Plus 8 color pencils, pencil sharpener and hole punch.
— In a January 2012 survey about arts and crafts toys, Grafton Stine, owner of Toys on the Square in Hummelstown, Pa., told TDmonthly that Shrinky Dinks Deluxe was a best selling item.

Kids can custom design this jewelry box with shimmering faux jewels and colorful foam tiles. Includes more than 750 sparkling tiles and jewel pieces. Launch date: 2011.
Awards: 2011 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids
— In a January 2012 survey about arts and crafts toys, ten of 13 retailers said Sticky Mosaics from the Orb Factory were among their top two best sellers in the category. Retailers reported selling anywhere from 10 to 150 each month.
— In a March 2012 survey, 2 out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Sticky Mosaics from The Orb Factory were their best selling product. Elmer Caranza, manager of Doodlehopper 4 Kids in Springfield, Va., told TDmonthly that they sell about 2 dozen items from the Sticky Mosaics line each month, and that it's been a best seller for almost a year now.

Pick a theme, find the materials, and let the creativity flow. Each kit includes Makedo’s reusable re-clips, lock-hinges, safe-saw, an inspirational poster and stickers to complete the creation. Through playful creativity take recyclable materials commonly found in the home and transform them into creations. Exclusive to Toysmith in the U.S.

This red-roofed barn has dual purposes, as a handy farmhouse setting for adventures and later as a carry-all for stored farm toys. The large playset includes Farmer Tim, a tractor, 8 animals including a cat and dog, straw bales, shrubs and fencing. Launch date: 2012.

It’s almost time for the Heartlake Dog Show and Mia is getting her puppy groomed and ready. Use the soap, spray bottle and tub to help Mia give her puppy a bath. Brush its hair on the grooming table and dress it up with a pretty bow. Head out to the puppy parade and win a first prize ribbon to hang on the puppy’s house. All of the Lego Friends will be so proud to watch her compete. Includes Mia mini-doll figure and puppy, plate, bone, bows, prizes, spray bottle, soap and brushes. Set features grooming table, tub, puppy house and apple tree.

Children use their building skills to create machines, buildings, robots, and more from their imagination. Easy to grasp Magic Brix assist children with fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, logic, creativity and sensory awareness. Just put two blocks together and apply pressure to connect them. The littlest kids can create houses, vehicles, animals, or whatever their minds dream up.

This set includes 41 magnetic geometric shapes that can be creatively combined to animal shapes, people, patterns, and more. The set includes 24 design suggestions cards to get the creative juices flowing.

Thanks to the pre-cut wooden pieces budding craftsmen have immediate construction pleasure without having to do any sawing. Thanks to the easy to read instructions assembling the pieces is very simply. The construction sets bring physics within easy reach and are real fun to assemble, and then to observe and test the results. More than 50 wooden pieces to glue and assemble together (3 mm strong waterproof plywood), 2 plastic swimming elements, 3 plastic bushings, 5 propulsion rubbers, glue.

This kid sized Ukulele from the Hohner Kids line, all wood ukulele with real tropical sound is 21" long and includes instruction book. The Kohala is a little bit of a step up in quality and materials but essentially the same look and size as the HOH029.