January 2013 Notable Toys — Creative Activities

Take a journey into a magical Fairy Forest. This whimsical box has three separate drawers to store all your treasured trinkets. Follow a numbered legend and add glittering jewels and tiles to complete a whimsical woodland scene. Featuring magical fairies and a wise old owl, this beautiful piece of room décor can be displayed for years to come.
— In an October 2014 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Sticky Mosaics jewelry boxes were their best-selling jewelry item.
— In a January 2015 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Sticky Mosaics was their best-selling arts & crafts line.

This mighty music maker (with an easy-carry handle) lights up as kids rock. Jam on a 24-note keyboard with a choice of 8 instrument sounds, 4 percussion sounds and 8 different rhythms. It even records and plays back compositions. Approx. 7'L x 15'W x 2'H. Made of plastic. Requires 3 'AA' batteries (included).
— Andrea Scartozzi from Hardware Toys in Paoli. Pa., told TDmonthly in a December 2012 survey that they sold 6 of this keyboard during the holiday season.

TDmonthly recommends looking at Schoenhut for similar, high-quality musical toys and instruments.

The Confetti Ukulele is thoughtfully made of wood with blast-from-the past construction and quality. Fun, tune-able sound and a size that’s just right for a budding musician.
— In a December 2012 survey, Katie Rook, owner of Be Beep A Toy Shop in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly that they sold 40 of these ukuleles during the holiday season.

TDmonthly recommends looking at Schoenhut for similar, high-quality musical toys and instruments.

The Sing Along Star Microphone makes singing fantastic fun. Kids can hear their voice amplified, enjoy backing music and also see cool lights flash as they sing to their heart's content. At the end of the show, the pink Sing Along Star Microphone adds clapping and cheering. Children can use the microphone's extending stand to sing along while playing an instrument with their hands, or making extravagant hand actions. They can also take the Sing Along Star Microphone off the stand to dance while they sing.
— In a December 2012 survey about bestselling musical toys, three out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that microphones were their bestselling musical toys.

Kids can be their own rock star with the cool Rock Star guitar. 8 buttons on the fret board make tunes and sounds, and there's a rhythm button, three songs and a demo, a swing bar to pull, light-up strumming section and lots of fun effects. Comes with cool glasses and hands free mic.
— In a December 2012 survey about bestselling musical toys, three out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that ELC musical toys from International Playthings were there bestsellers.

TDmonthly recommends looking at Schoenhut for similar, high-quality musical toys and instruments.

This high quality machine is versatile and super easy to use. It includes 40' of sticker tape, 80+ sticker designs - including velvet, metallic and glitter, color-in markers and sticker book. Kids can even turn their artwork and photos into stickers.
— In a December 2012 survey about bestselling toys, Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly, "This past holiday season we had great success with the X-treme Sticker Maker from Creativity for Kids. We sold several dozen from late Nov. till we ran out in early Dec."

Where to buy:
NORTH WEST

Our Cupcake Stand with Cupcakes is a perfect kitchen accessory for any young chefs. ids will love putting the cupcakes on display for the whole world to see. 6 pretend cupcakes – mix and match the tops and bottoms to make new color combinations. Made of composite wood products.

Illustration adapted from old wood cut. Glow in the dark cover. 60 pages; Spiral bound.

Includes Black and White Corriedale wool, two new felting needles, beads for eyes, a skewer and detailed photo instructions. Kit makes at least two puppies approximately 2in. to 4in. tall.

Paint By Numbers appeal to kids who are interested in art and want to create a "masterpiece". These guided art activities with whimsical graphics and premium quality components create an exceptional experience. Set includes 8 Faber-Castell Color Grip Watercolor EcoPencils, real artist canvas (9" square), Numbered Color Guide, paintbrush, foam mounting board, and mounting tape.

Rip, wrap and wear trendy duct tape bangles. It's easy to make funky stripes with 5 skinny rolls of duct tape in bright colors and prints. Includes 5 rolls of duct tape, 6 plastic bangles in 3 widths and easy instructions.

With this kit, kids can design their own bag out of duct tape. Take the pre-sewn bag from plain to fab. It's so easy. Includes pre-sewn tote bag, 6 rolls of duct tape, non-stick paper, stencil and easy instructions.
— In a January 2014 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Duct Tape Totes were a best-selling arts & crafts toy.

The Duct Tape Party craft kit from Alex Toys includes 108 feet of brightly colored duct tape and all the supplies and instructions needed to make jewelry, bags, headbands and more.
— In a December 2012 survey about bestselling toys, four out of 12 retailers said that Duct tape kits from Alex were their bestselling Arts & Crafts toy. Kathy Mabry, owner of The Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., told TDmonthly that they sell more than 36 units of Duct Tape Party each month.
— In a May 2013 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Alex Duct Tape products were their best-selling activity kits.

Creature Bots combines the timeless popularity of monsters and robots into a clever craft. Build and customize the three movable Creature Bots that chomp, flap and grab. They’re named GrabBot, FlapBot and ChompBot and utilize TechCard Technology™ – simple push-fit components – for building. Technology, engineering and physics add an educational element to the kit.
— In a May 2013 survey, 3 out of 10 retailers surveyed said Creativity For Kids was their best-selling brand of activity kit.

The Black Light Message Board is a double-sided, dry-erase message board with a lighted station. The kit includes more than 50 glow-in-the-dark stickers for decorating the message board, 70+traceable designs and two neon markers for enhancing messages and drawings. After creating a message, place the board on the station, flip the light switch and watch the message glow. The Black Light Message Board operates on three AA batteries.

Fashion Macramé includes cord, belt rings, carabineers, a key ring, hair elastic, scissors, glue, pony beads and project instructions.

Duct Tape Doggie Fashions is the newest addition to the duct tape trend. This kit includes a stuffed dog and puppy, five rolls of duct tape, duct tape stickers, scissors, patterns and printed paper. Six-year and older crafters can transform rolls of colorful and printed duct tape and printed paper patterns to create pet fashion and accessories.
— Mark Rosenblum, owner of Hobbytown in Fairfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in a May 2013 survey that Duct Tape Fashion is one of their best-selling activity kits.

Sparkling Hair Accessories provides your child with all the items needed to create fashionable hair accessories with trendy ribbons, feathers, rhinestones, bows, gemstones and sparkle accents and make an endless array of interchangeable designs with six glittery headbands and four spring hair clips. Complete set includes glue and all the crafting essentials needed.
Awards: 2012 Dr.Toy Best Picks
— In a July 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that products from CREATIVITY FOR KIDS were their best-selling toys overall.

Super sparkly manicures are right at your little girl’s fingertips. Glitter Nail Art craft kit includes glitter application station to minimize mess and maximize fun! Complete set also includes six pots of glitter, confetti and rhinestones, sparkling nail file, three bottles of glitter nail polish, tweezers and manicure storage bag.
Awards: 2012 Dr.Toy Best Picks

Tapeffiti Tape Art Tote Set is a fashion craft kit. Decorate the tote bag with 6 mini tape dispensers with different colors and patterns. Also has 6 replacement rolls and a style design guide with more than 2 dozen other project ideas, including tape bracelets, picture frames, pens or pencils, and pen/pencil containers. (Comes in Barbie licensed version, too). Also sold separately are 4 or 6 roll collection of Tapeffiti tapes in various designs, patterns, and colors. Color and pattern tapes for decorating is one of the hottest personal style trends for teens and tweens. Included are a full size tote bag, 6 mini tape dispensers with assorted colors and patterns.
Awards: 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20
— Karen Laroche, manager of Kid's Ketch in Lews, Del., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2013 survey that Tapefetti is one of their best-selling tween products.
— Molly McMullin from Twirl in Ranchos de Taos, N.M., told TDmonthly in a January 2014 survey that Fashion Angels Tapeffiti was a best-selling arts & crafts toy.

Colorforms, an iconic play product, once again brings classic Colorforms® to life with the Tinga Tinga Tales™ Create-A-Creature Game. Using African artwork from the loveable Disney Junior TV Show, Tinga Tinga Tales™, players use their imagination to tell stories about the unique creatures they create. So 2 to 4 players can take turns spinning the wheel to see which body part to select from the 32 pieces. When all players have collected a pair of legs, a tail, a head, and two ears and arranged them on a scene card, players take turns telling imaginative stories about how their creatures were created. Every generation will enjoy playing with the reusable pieces as they bring to life never before seen animals. Once the hilarious creatures are formed, the Create-A-Creature Game promotes imagination and creativity through the story each player tells about the new animal. The stories of how each animal came to be change every time as numerous animal combinations are created.
Awards: 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20

Use the custom-designed, innovative Low-Mess Glitterizer to create glimmery, shimmery art projects including ornaments, portraits, flowers, and snowflakes.

Captivating is understating the charm of the Folkmanis Enchanted TREE Puppet. Made for storytelling and all things fantasy, this magical tree has movable eyes, limbs and mouth - perfect for spellbinding fun. Launch date: July 2012.

The Crayola Color Explosion Glow Board lets kids create cool designs with glowing marker inks. Using it couldn't be easier - simply draw, flip the switch and watch the creations glow. The board comes with 2 transparent drawing surfaces that slide inside the board, one on top of the other. With the 2 boards, kids can create awesome background images and simple animated scenes. Press the 2 switches to easily light up the front or back image. A 4-position slide switch allows kids to activate the lights in different configurations for lots of display options.