January 2014 Notable Toys — Preschool

Caillou Firetruck Set - a play set featuring Caillou and fire-fighting accessories.

Franklin the Turtle pops out of this box after turning the crank.

Aqua Dragon Deluxe deep sea habitat with LED light

Caillou Bathtime With You play set.

SafariTime™ Pals is a bit of adorable and a bit of wild all mixed into one fun package! They come with their own animal themed removable “hoodie” that’s made of cuddly microfiber plush and are available in six different animal costumes. With their extra squeezable beans bodies and sweet Adora vinyl faces, they are perfect to take along for hours of palling around!

With over 300,000 copies sold since its publication in 1985, The Very Busy Spider is well on its way to becoming a modern classic. Follow an industrious spider as she carefully spins her web. A cow, a pig, and other farm animals want her to play-but a busy spider needs to finish her work, or there'll be no dinner.
— Mary Walsh-Martel, owner of Magical Child in Greenfield, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2013 survey that this is one of their best-selling books.

"Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy." So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older, he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave. Since it was first published fifty years ago, Shel Silverstein's moving parable for readers of all ages has offered an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.
— Barb Stine, owner of Toys on the Square in Hershey, Pa., told TDmonthly in a December 2013 survey that this is one of their best-selling books.

I Spy: A Book Of Picture Riddles
The classic debut title in the national best-selling series! Each rhyming riddle in this bright collection of photographic challenges invites children to find objects hidden throughout thematic pages. "This is a true eye-opener," raved the Los Angeles Times about this California Children's Media Award winner.
— Barb Stine, owner of Toys on the Square in Hershey, Pa., told TDmonthly in a December 2013 survey that this is one of their best-selling books.

Fobie Friends has come out with iPad apps that help a young child face and overcome a certain fear or phobia -- whether it is a fear of the dark, fear of heights or fear of climbing. Fobie Friends is the first series of books to address childhood fears that entertain, but inform in a non-clinical setting. Narrated by the author, the ebook allows a child to read and bounce along to its perfect rhyme and rhythm. When children have a lack of structure, phobias become more produced. Young kids often have fears of the dark, being alone, strangers, and monsters or other scary imaginary creatures. As they grow and learn, with the support of adults, most are able to overcome these fears. Yet, some kids are more sensitive to fears and may have a tough time overcoming them. The eBook features: Both English and Spanish; Easy to memorize “fear cheer” at the end of each book; Gorillas and chinchillas dance, tigers growl, flowers bloom...EVEN watch a gorilla teach YOGA!; Use your own voice to record the story; Simple to follow, highlighted text; 3D; Character puzzles; Printable painting pages with email option.

Scented Scoops is an ice cream party playset that smells good enough to eat. The 6”x9” beech wood serving tray holds six, three-inch White birch “cones”. Each cone can be topped with one or more of the six, deliciously scented two-inch “scoops” made from 100% compostable corn starch bio-resin (two vanilla, two chocolate and two strawberry. Great for role-play, Scented Scoops is recommended for ages 4+

Where to buy:
NORTH EAST

Bury your hand inside Marcel's tummy, touch the cards, discover the different hidden materials, and match up the pairs! A memory game for ages 2 and up! The circles on each card have a different fabric, creating a sensory aspect to the game! Children can match up pairs by touching and feeling the cards while they are inside the bag. They can also be matched up visually, by comparing the cute critters on them. Marcel the owl is a soft, plush drawstring bag for perfect storage of the game pieces and he can also be a friendly stuffed animal to play with on his own!

Watch the fun add up with My Very First Games - Counting Fun from HABA! Farmer Tim wants to check that everything is in order on the meadow and feed clover leaves to the animal kids! But the rascals are playing tag and happily frolic about! Farmer Tim soon loses track. Can you help Tim count and feed the animal kids? A bouncy counting game for ages 2 and up!

Experience how exciting a day at nursery can be with your children! When a story, poem, or a riddle is being read aloud, children have to listen carefully. Is an object on the table mentioned or is this object being looked for in the riddle? Think quickly and grab the object! Helps to develop concentration, language skills, and reactions. For 1-6 players ages 3 years and up, and a reader. Please note: This game can be played separately, i.e. without "Ratz Fatz" or "Ratzolino."

This is a game packed full with ideas and suggestions, stories, riddles, and poems all about the pieces included. It is a fun way to aid development of language skills, imagination, concentration, and reactions. For 1-6 players and a reader. Please note: This game can be played without the other games in the Ratz Fatz series.

Tonight is the the night the secret mission "Amun Re" beings! The team, made up of four cunning secret agents, breaks into the museum and, thanks to their precise calculations, cracks the tricky codes of the security system. Be it through addition or subtraction, multiplication or division, the numbers on the dice have to be combined so that the results coincide with the code numbers. Who will be the first to overcome all the light barriers to get hold of the precious Amun Re mask?

5.5” Rubberwood stirring xylophone. Wooden mallet stirred inside xylophone creates soothing soft sounds. Includes hanging header card.
— Crisi Chapman, co-owner of Dear Friends & Children in Duncan, Ok., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that wooden instruments from Hohner are her store's best-selling eco-friendly toys.

6” eco-friendly Rubberwood tone drum with 4 grooved tone chambers that produce warm and appealing rhythms when struck. Includes child safe rubber mallet. Open box will hang.

12.5" ergonomically designed eco-friendly Mangowood base fits easily on a lap or table. Eight precision tuned bars in the C major diatonic scale provide an authentic musical experience that never sounds tinny. Includes pair of wood mallets. 

Rubberwood blocks with five different pitches for fun rhythmic play. When struck with a mallet the blocks sound higher or lower depending on their size – the smaller the block the higher the pitch. 12.5” ergonomically designed Mangowood base fits easily in your lap or on a table. Includes pair of wood mallets. According to Brett Sommers of Figpickels Toy Emporium in Coer D’Alene Idaho, not only do the toys have musical value, but kids are attracted to the bright, candy-like colors. Retail box will hang.

Four instruments on a central base perfect for the budding Ringo Starr: Two removable drums, bright cymbal and multi-timbre wood block add to the array of sounds kids can make. 12.5” Ergonomically designed Mangowood base fits easily on a lap or table. Includes pair of wooden mallets. Closed box with handle.

STRIKE UP THE BAND! This assortment of musical instruments is a great way of introducing children to music. Encourages rhythm and social interaction. Provides lively entertainment for all ages. Fun for jam sessions and group play. Makes a creative, reasonably-priced gift.

STRIKE UP THE BAND! This assortment of musical instruments is a great way of introducing children to music. Encourages rhythm and social interaction. Provides lively entertainment for all ages. Fun for jam sessions and group play.  Makes a creative, reasonably-priced gift.