January 2009 Notable Toys — Infant & Toddler

This puppy loves to have his belly rubbed. Press the center and hear him bark with joy. The soft 9” puppy features an attachable clip design to take in the car, off to grandma’s or hang in the nursery. There’s a reflective mirror to catch his smiles plus rattle and crinkle sounds, ribbon tags and rings for grasping. Launch date: February 2009.

This colorful bunny features fabric and plastic, as well as a ringing bell and ears that make a rustling sound. It helps develop a baby's senses and gross motor skills.

Created to be fun, supportive and safe for baby's first steps and toddler play, this entertainment and developmental system provides an area where baby can crawl and later aids the child in learning to stand and walk. It was named 2009 Toy of the Year in the Toddler Educational System category by Creative Child Magazine.
Awards:  2010 NAPPA Honors Award Winner, "Best Bang For The Buck."

Past Videos: Toy Fair 2009

Suitable for children ages 9 months and up, this set includes three textured scrubbers that can be filled with water and easily unscrew for cleaning, even in a dishwasher. They are BpA, phthalate and PVC free. Launch date: February 2009.

Snuggle up with a toddler and explore these themed picture books with
soft covers and sturdy cardboard pages. Other titles include "My Toys" ($8) and "Good Night" ($8). Launch date: February 2009.

This soft, satin-edged, 13" x 13" blanket features a Beagle head as well as a plush tail and soft paws. It is perfect for toting around and is also available in Golden Retriever, Dalmatian, Yellow Lab and German Pointer varieties. Launch date: March 2008.

This natural version of the Classic Skwish toy is made from rubberwood and has a water-based, nontoxic finish. It measures 5.5" high. Launch date: January 2009.

Suitable for ages 3 months and up, this activity toy features bright colors and pictures of expressive baby faces by renowned photographer Penny Gentieu. It features various textures along with a bell, a rattle and teething accents.

Snuggle Buddy is a plush toy and security blanket that offers play and soothing and tactile benefits. It is a wonderful gift that grows with baby and becomes a comforting companion for months, even years. Winner of the 2010 Top Choice of the Year Award and the 2010 Seal of Excellence Award from Creative Child Magazine.

This ultra-luxurious line from Honey by The Bumble Collection was created to facilitate a high-end lifestyle and endure the challenges of motherhood. It features full Italian cowhide leather, 18k gold-plated signature hardware, a removable front clutch with detachable shoulder strap, and a water-resistant exterior. Launch date: December 15, 2008.

Every new parent wants to make sure baby’s environment is as healthy as possible. This 12-oz. bottle is made from 100-percent recyclable, high-quality, food-grade stainless steel so it doesn’t need a synthetic lining like aluminum bottles. It’s completely BPA-free and won’t leach chemicals, toxins or funky flavors into baby’s beverages. It’s designed for small hands, making it easy to hold, and the large-mouth makes it easy to clean. It can be scrubbed out with soap and water, or tossed in the dishwasher. It comes with a nipple adapter, stainless stopper and no-leak sport lid so the bottle can be used for many years. "G2 Grows with your child from newborn right into grade school. At Goo-Goo Baby we make products that last," CEO Rea Cymbol of Goo-Goo Baby told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2008.

This beautiful mermaid duck comes in an individual gift box and is designed to float upright. Rubba Ducks come in many different styles.

Produced in the same contemporary style as our best selling Boikido blocks, these 10 Rainbow Cubes are adorned with colorful numbers and letters as well as whimsical animals. Exposing your child to counting and the alphabet, these cubes can be stacked up high, used to build, or inserted one into another while developing spatial and motor skills, too. Tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.

In this palm-sized package is a full size, clean, safe, portable, disposable, biodegradable potty that is truly a better way. It simply flips open and is ready to go. Pottyflip provides a quick dependable way to answer the universal call “I GOTTA GO.” It is easy to carry a Pottyflip in your pocket or purse. Keep one in the glove compartment of the car. Keep a spare in your diaper bag for playtime emergencies or while at the beach, lakes or parks. Use it, fold it back up, and dispose of the whole potty - no mess, no fuss. Use a clean new potty each time.

BuckleyBoo plush dolls come in two sizes: the original 17” with five buckles ($29.99)  and the 12” ($19.99) with three buckles — perfect for the toddler on the go. With an internal, motion-activated chime and a variety of pattered ribbons, each BuckleyBoo will provide hours of challenging and engaging playtime. Created by a child psychologist and grandma, Buckleyboo teaches essential developmental skills. Launch date: February 2009.

BuckleyBoo plush dolls come in two sizes: the original 17” with five buckles ($29.99) and the 12” with three buckles — perfect for the toddler on the go. With an internal, motion-activated chime and a variety of pattered ribbons, each BuckleyBoo provides hours of challenging and engaging playtime. Created by a child psychologist and grandma, Buckleyboo teaches essential developmental skills. Launch date: February 2009.

The 2009 SummerMuff InfantMuff is a 100-percent organic, lightweight, sun-blocking muff for infant carriers and car seats. Its patented design fits most three- and five-point harness systems and comes in three colors. The larger SummerMuff StrollerMuff fits strollers and joggers. The InfantMuff protects baby's skin from UVA/UVB rays using certified UPF50 fabric, and from scratchy synthetic fabrics in strollers by lining them with jersey cotton. Launch date: August 2008.

Cart-Stopper offers a new level of safety in grocery-store parking lots by reducing the risk of child injury and vehicle damage related to "run-away" shopping carts. Cart-Stopper is extremely effective, is easy to use and is compact in design, storing easily in a purse, diaper bag or glove compartment.

This cool and hip food-themed bib has a 100-percent cotton fabric front and soft and absorbent towel backing. It is handcrafted in the USA of all new materials, and the backing is made from repurposed towel remnants from the company's hooded towel collection, resulting in less landfill waste. Fabrics inclue Sushi, Pizza, Ice-cream and Melon. "The TAKE-me-OUT bib, by Frog Kiss Designs strives to help the environment one small step at a time," Owner and Designer Ruta Leonard of Frog Kiss Designs told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 20, 2008.

This new line is "the next best thing to bare feet" for children ages 1 to 5+ years. Available in EU sizes 20-29 (U.S. children's sizes 6-12), pediped Flex is perfect for children that have outgrown pediped Originals and are ready for the next stage. There are more than 30 adorable Flex styles, including larger versions of many pediped Originals. "They are the only toddler shoes with the Flex Fit system. An additional insole is included with every pair. Put the additional insole in the shoe when it is first bought, [and] when the shoe feels too snug on the child's foot, remove the additional insole and the shoe will have an added half-size of wear," Diane Edgeworth, marketing coordinator for pediped footwear, told TDmonthly. This product received an APMA Seal of Acceptance and a 2007 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. Launch date: 2009.

Suitable for ages 6 months and up, this snail is outfitted with a shell that spins as it rolls. It comes with a five-piece stacker shell and one with colorful beads that move all around.
— “They're very easy to communicate with [and] their billing is straightforward,” Pat Cooley of Cooleykatz Toys in Livermore, Calif., said of this preferred vendor. Seventeen percent of 52 retailers named International Playthings as a favorite supplier in fall 2008.
— Two of 64 retailers named this product as a best-selling infant and toddler toy in March 2009.
— “It grows with the child and lasts,” pointed out Theresa Oppenheimer, owner of Toy World in Wayzata, Minn. Janet Hoo of Hoomade Toys in Phoenix, Ariz., told TDmonthly in spring 2009 her store sells about 40 of this item each month.

This book written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Vlasta van Kampen captures the story of a group of hippos at their peak of boredom, and follows them on a journey to happiness, which they find wallowing in the mud. It combines simple text with colorful, expressive artwork. Launch date: April 30, 2008.

This fitness DVD gives offers parents a way to work out with their children from birth to 6 years old, while having fun at the same time. It features real moms and kids alongside cartoon scenery background to catch children's attention. There are three workout options: cardio; toning and abs; and cardio, toning and abs. Launch date: 2008.

This mega gift basket includes the following: a Kids Rule! ruler, Bumblebee Scissors, a Turtle Flashlight, an Easy Writer, a Dragonfly Whistle, Glow in the Dark Spiders, Waikiki Sunglasses, a wind-up caterpillar, wind-up bugs and a magnifying glass. Launch date: 2008.