February 2010 Notable Toys — All

Suitable for ages 6 months and up, these bowls are free of PVC, phthalates, BPA and external coatings. They are dishwasher-safe, and are made from recycled plastic milk containers, packaged with recycled and recyclable materials, and printed with soy inks. “Our customers tell us they love Green Toys products because they know where the toys are made and exactly what they are made from,” Robert von Goeben, president and co-founder of Green Toys Inc., told TDmonthly.

Suitable for ages 6 months and up, this eco-friendly version of a classic is made in the USA from 100-percent recycled milk containers. The packaging uses only recycled and recyclable materials and is printed with soy inks.

Each pack has four pairs of socks with an elastic band around the ankle to make sure they stay on. Made with certified organic cotton that was harvested without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers, these socks are manufactured using environmentally friendly processes and use Oeko-Tex Standard 100 dyes, which meet health and ecological standards in the U.S. and EU, according to Baberoo.

The Wall Coaster is NOT an ordinary marble run. Kids can just stick it to the wall and let their imaginations soar. The Wall Coaster uses the basic laws of physics and gravity to enable hours of fun and imaginative play. Plus, it is super easy to use. What makes the Wall Coaster different? The Wall Coaster can be applied to almost any vertical or horizontal surface. The new add on parts allow the user to build all kinds of crazy contraptions.
— Dean Smith, owner of JaZams in Princeton, N.J. told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that he sells between eight and 10 Wall Coasters each month.
— Want this? As of 05/10/2011, this product was available for purchase at JaZams

These environmentally friendly greeting cards feature art from the award-winning game I Cherish Planet Earth. They are printed in the USA on recycled paper using vegetable inks. Each card comes with a “Geolope,” an envelope made from recycled surplus maps. The $2 pack contains eight cards.

Children can change the bathwater to vibrant colors using these all-natural dye packs that won't stain the tub. They are preservative and chemical free. Each pack contains two blue and one red.

These blocks were created for parents as concerned as their child's development as the environment they will inherit. They are made from 100-percent renewable bamboo, as is the storage box. They can be decorated by kids using non-toxic Be Block markers. The stencils are made from partially recycled polyester. All the paper and packaging is partially or completely recycled. The set comes with 18 blocks, eight markers, more than 100 stencils and an idea booklet. They're perfect for “people who want to design everything,” Founder Leah Hamilton told TDmonthly. A percentage of the proceeds funds arts education. Watch Be Blocks: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010.

 

Fun to work with and easy to use, colorful wool felt makes unique jewelry. With simple tips and lots of examples for inspiration, design a fashionable bracelet, necklaces, pin, barrette and 2 pairs of earrings, all with this one great kit! Two bonus projects in every kit! Turn the box into a mailbox, birdhouse or special treasure box. The inner tray is perfect for framing your art. Ages 8 and up.  

Played with a unique deck of nautical themed cards, Rowboat is comprised of several different phases play that combine luck and strategy. Combining cards face up on the table and cards held in players' hands, each player must devise a dynamic strategy in order to play his cards, as well as predict how many rounds he might win in order to score the most points and ultimately win the game.  “There's a lot to the game that forces you to create a strategy, and based on your opponents moves you have to rethink the way you're going to move forward,” John Montague, owner of Moosetache Games, told TDmonthly in February 2010.

Bugs are pretty common to find around the house, so the children should be able to quickly identify the ladybug, caterpillar and dragonfly. Children can decorate the bugs with colored tissue paper, black sticky dots and colored pom-poms to bring them to life.

Sometimes preparing for the party is almost as fun as having the party itself. Preschool children can wrap this present with ribbon, decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles and glue glitter to the party hats. This activity pack gets everyone into a festive mood.

Children can create colorful butterflies with all the different, tactile and colorful materials found in this kit.

Beach and ocean life is the theme in this activity set. Includes a seahorse, fish, and sandcastle as well as sand.

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes: big, small, fuzzy and hairy. Children can take the crinkly paper, the soft snow, and the fuzzy brown yarn to create their own furry friend.

Snakes, alligators, and turtles are very different, yet all in the same family. Use the various materials to create a visual distinction among them.

Written and illustrated by Ed Young, this book is about a boy who discovers an egg and presents it to chickens. When an eaglet hatches, the boy and the chickens work to help it fly, and it's eventually able to soar into beautiful skies. Launch date: April 2009.

Spirited little Lulu is determined to wear her soft, comfy pajamas to school, but is crushed when a day out in the PJs makes them barely recognizable. Launch date: 2009.

This guidebook by Lisa Trutkoff Trumbauer is written from the perspective of an international vampire hunter sharing secret details about everything from vampire games to the places they live. Launch date: August 2009.

This new edition of Jane Yolen's 1977 story tells about Hwei Min, the blind daughter of a Chinese emperor. Despite a reward offered for anyone who can cure the girl, physicians and magicians cannot help. But an old man with a seeing stick teaches the princess a new way to "see" the world. Launch date: September 21, 2009.

The Best Party Game is a provocative adult board game that challenges players to get out of their social comfort zone with personal questions and crazy activities. It’s not about trivia, or strategy, or guessing; it’s all about what’s true for you. Not for the faint of heart, the questions and activities here are specifically designed to make everyone squirm.

Past Videos:
ChiTag 2009

My First Lil Roo is a small Round trampoline with an enclosure and zippered netting for smaller children ages 3 to 6. The weight limit is 100 lbs. The enclosure has a circular steel upright that helps with stability and keeping the netting straight. It's made of "heavier steel than a lot of the smaller trampolines on the market," Pamela DeVore, General Manager, Trampolines USA, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2010.

These are hard plastic 28mm multi-part figures for wargamers, modelers and collectors. It's the first set in the Hammer of the Gods Dark Ages range and features 24 multi-pose Vikings. Award: 2009 Reader's Choice Award - 2nd Place Tabletop Gaming News. Launch date: October 2009.

By air, land, and sea, migrating animals are "going home." Salmon, turtles, whales and manatees travel by sea. Hummingbirds, butterflies and geese fly with determination. And caribou thunder across vast plains. Both illustrations and text capture a sense of movement and purpose, plus a sense of mystery and amazement. This is an "educational book about why animals migrate [and] how they find their way home, and lets you discover the journey along the way," Sandy Philpott, Director of Marketing, Dawn Publications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2010.

At bedtime, kids can use these 96-page memory books  to draw and write about their day with their parents. The books have a lenticular 3D/motion front cover. Launch date: February 2010.