February 2010 Notable Toys — All

Sid the Science Kid, from PBS Kids and the Jim Henson Company, focuses on the inquisitive Sid as he explores the world and learns basic science concepts. The travel ready Super Fab Lab Science Kit to ask questions about the natural world, just like Sid. A real microscope, a scale, and sample specimens provide everything a child needs to start their own exploration. Launch date: Fall 2010.

The 2010 Transformers product offerings bridge the gap between 2009’s “Revenge of the Fallen” film and the next film’s release in 2011. HASBRO’s Battle Ops Bumblebee brings the films’ star to life with electronic lights and sounds. Kids can choose between Battle and Guardian modes to experience new actions and features. Launch date: Fall 2010.

Power Rangers returns to its roots in 2010 with BANDAI’s toy line based on the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The Deluxe Mix & Morph Titanus Base lets kids create custom Power Rangers and Megazord robots by mixing, matching, and morphing parts from Titanus and the four exclusive translucent Ranger figures. The Titanus Base can also combine with other Power Ranger toys to recreate the action from the television show.

Fun first pull toy is great for encouraging beginning walkers. Pull the hen along to see the eggs come out one by one, great for teaching cause and effect. Press the hen's comb to hear realistic chicken sounds.
— "This uber cute hen is a pull along toy, and while being pulled it drops multiple pre-hatched chicks," Joe Mitchell, owner of YoYo Joe's Toys & Fun, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Bright and colourful building blocks made from lightweight bamboo. The blocks are printed with various abstract designs which encourage creativity and imaginative play. Particularly suited for child hands, they can be very easily built on top of each other.
— "Fresh off winning the Toy Innovation Award at the 2010 Nuremberg Toy Fair, Hape has introduced these really big colorful hollow, bamboo construction blocks. Painted with water based paint, the blocks are big and easy for little hands to manipulate," Joe Mitchell, owner of YoYo Joe's Toys & Fun, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Bubber feels light as air and fluffy as a cloud. It's so light that it actually floats on water. Discover the joy of carving in a soft compound that leaves clean, sharp lines and amazing imprints. Bubber is non-toxic, leaves no stain or residue and never dries out, so you can play with it over and over. Watch Bubber: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010
— "We came upon it today for the first time and ordered it promptly. The basic bucket sells for about $12.99 and comes in several colors," Joe Mitchell, owner of YoYo Joe's Toys & Fun, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

In this two-player game, each participant starts with 12 cubes and proceeds to make a crossword. The first to finish with no cubes remaining yells "Zip!" and, on the bag that holds the pieces, moves his zipper to indicate a point. Players exchange six cubes at the end of each round, to keep their letter hands unpredictable. It can be played in as little as 20 seconds and is designed for take-along play on a plane. The game comes with the Weords mini dictionary. Launch date: spring/summer 2010.

Box-O-Mania puts a modern twist on the traditional cardboard box - the inspiration behind imaginative play and creative learning without complicated instructions and power charges. Inspired by this timeless toy, Box-O-Mania play boxes and specially-designed reusable stickers provide kids with the creative space in which they can use their fantasy through a variety of themes: a fire station, a beauty salon, a home, a clubhouse and more. Made of lightweight, yet sturdy corrugated plastic, Box-O-Mania play boxes offer more than twelve square feet of interior space for up to three children; they are easy to assemble, convenient to transport and store away.
— "My daughter is going to love this one. Fun, interactive child sized houses made from correlated plastic panels that velcro easily together. Available in 4 colors and several different themes. Use dry erase markers or the included sticker collection to decorate and personalize. When your done, wipe it off and start anew. Great for imaginative play," Jennifer Shuman, of 1SmartNoodle, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Now whenever your Little Picasso has the urge to be brilliant, this 20 piece art organizer will keep their mess to a minimum. The Little Picasso Art Kit is a fun and easy way to keep pencils, markers and other art supplies neatly packed to take along to school, car rides, vacation or out for the day. With a place to embroider, this art set is one of kind and a zipper pouch keeps their little knickknacks handy too. Size: folded 4.75" h X 8" w X 1.5 d unfolded 8" h X 18.5" w. Includes 8 markers, 8 colored pencils, 1 pencils sharpener, 1 glitter glue pen, and 1 pair of safety scissors.
— "Little Picasso Art Kits and Chalk N Doodles...Beautiful fabric and clever design make these kits more special than ordinary art supplies. Perfect for home or on the go," Marlene England of Dancing Bear Toys & Gifts, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Red Rover by MATTEL will have preschoolers laughing, running, and thinking as they try to help the titular pup. The game includes 12 bones, featuring shapes, numbers, letters, and colors, to be hidden around the room. Red Rover requests certain bones, and it is up to kids to rush around the room to find the proper bones. Preschoolers flex their bodies and minds as they rush to feed Red Rover before the other players. Launch date: July 2010.

FISHER-PRICE follows up its remote controlled Imaginext Spike the Ultra Dinosaur with the elusive yet irresistible Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster. Kids command Bigfoot with a foot-shaped remote, making him walk, flip, and express emotions. With just the press of a button, Bigfoot roars, snores, talks, eats, works out, and throws his ball. Launch date: June 2010.
— As of 1.07.2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars on Target.com and was listed as one of the site's bestsellers. Pros: Durable; Interactive; Entertaining.

MATTEL’s Barbie Video Girl Doll promises to show girls the world through Barbie’s eyes via a video camera built inside the doll. Barbie’s necklace hides a camera lens while her back holds a color LCD screen capable of replaying video shot with the doll. Beyond simply shooting video, girls can edit the audio and visual elements of their videos with software downloaded from the Barbie website. Launch date: July 2010

As part of LEGO’s entry into the board game category, Monster 4 combines the strategy and play of a game with the building and rebuilding of LEGO. In this game, players take control of and attempt to line up monsters, including werewolves and skeletons. Once children have mastered the basic game, they can use the included LEGO elements or bricks from their own collection to change the dice, board, and rules for endless gameplay possibilities. Launch date: March 2010

HASBRO follows up its Star Wars Darth Tater and Transformers Optimash Prime with Tony Starch, the Iron Man 2 version of Mr. Potato Head. The armored spud includes Iron Man boot, helmet, and chestplate pieces based on their appearance in the second movie. The toy also includes classic Mr. Potato Head nose, arms, and eyes to create more looks.

Cartoon star. Theme park mascot. Worldwide icon. Dance star? Mickey Mouse takes on a new role with FISHER-PRICE’s new Dance Star Mickey Mouse. The interactive toy is quite an accomplished dancer, able to switch between Soul, Techno, Disco, and Latin dancing styles. Interactive activities, walking, and talking are also a part of this playful rodent’s repertoire.
Awards:  2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Platinum.
— As of 1.07.2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars on Walmart.com and was the #12 bestselling item in the Dolls & Dollhouses category. Pros: Multiple songs; interactive. Cons: Possibly too fragile for very young children.

The classic Ant Farm gets an update from a galaxy far, far away. Kids can watch live ants dig and tunnel beneath two Star Wars planet landscapes from Season 2 of “The Clone Wars,” Geonosis and Felucia. The Ant Farms are connectable, break-resistant and escape-proof. Clean tunneling sand and clear connector tubing are included; just mail in the coupon for live harvester ants and let the digging begin.

“That’s no moon; it’s the Death Star Planetarium.” This tabletop Death Star opens up into a planetary projector to display the cosmos on a bedroom ceiling. Kids can choose to view a map of the worlds that make up the Star Wars galaxy, or view the Earth’s own night sky.

“The Clone Wars” characters come to life with the Holographic Animation Lab. Kids can learn about animation, persistence of vision, and the principles of a zoetrope, an invention that is nearly 2,000 years old. The Animation Lab comes with 10 animation disks — one side has characters from “The Clone Wars” and the other side is blank to create unique moving pictures.

The Clone Trooper Recon Kit helps kids find bugs and more, using the included tools — a soil sifter, a magnifier and a special reconnaissance tool. They can even explore in the dark with the built-in searchlight. Once an interesting life form has been found, the kit transforms to an insect viewer to examine the specimen.

Children discover the science of light and optics as they build their own miniature, 8.25”-long version of the lightsaber used by Anakin Skywalker. A choice of four different colored crystals customizes the lightsaber. There are two lenses (focusing and wide-angle) to demonstrate the principles of optics.

The final challenge in becoming a Jedi Knight is to build one’s own lightsaber. With the Remote Controlled Lightsaber Room Light, young Padawans can construct their own Jedi lightsaber and mount their creation as a room light on the wall. Eight color effects let kids personalize their lightsaber, and a wireless remote control turns the light on and off. During construction, kids learn about the electronics that make a lightsaber work.

R/C Snake is more than 20” long and slithers along any hard smooth surface. It has light-up eyes and a segmented body. Launch date: Summer 2010.

The skeleton of an extinct T-Rex has been discovered and kids can carefully remove each bone from the dig site while learning facts about dinosaurs. When users touch the sides of the pit, the T-Rex will roar, forcing the loss of a turn. The goal is to collect the most bones and win. Launch date: Summer 2010.

Star Theater 3 is an updated design of the No. 1 selling home planetarium in the world. Kids watch as hundreds of stars and constellations are projected onto the ceiling and walls. It features a CD with a guided audio tour of the night sky and Stellarium interactive astronomy software. It's designed to feel like being in a real planetarium. Launch date: Summer 2010.