February 2010 Notable Toys — Apparel

Animal Rubber Bands were designed by Haneda & Ohashi of Passkey Design in Tokyo in 2002. They were awarded Best Design for 2003 at the Japanese National Competition; the Toyota Prius had won the previous year. "Ours are the original animal rubber bands and come in three styles: pet, zoo and dino," said Carol Shapanka of Eastern Accent International. " They're made of silicone and produced and packaged in Japan. Japanese products are produced under strict standards. Factory conditions and the welfare of the workers is just as important as the products coming out of the factory.” The boxed set comes with 24 pieces in a sturdy snap box. The cards have one of each of the pet, zoo or dino animals. Launch date for Animal Rubber Bands: 2002. Launch date for Dinos: 2007.
— TDmonthly Magazine first reported on Animal Rubber Bands by Eastern Accent on July 27, 2005; one store manager compared their popularity to that of Ty's Beanie Babies. They had also been featured in a 2002 New York Magazine "Best Bets" article.

The playful expression, “tag, you’re it” no longer applies to the boys on the playground who swoosh by as they poke a girl. This tag is designed as a hip fashion statement that schoolgirls wear around their necks. Mag-tagz are adorable magnetic “tagz” that can be changed regularly to reflect a girl’s ever-changing mood and style. Mag-tagz received two 2009 Seal of Excellence Awards in Creative Child Magazine's Kids Gear/Apparel category. Launch date: November 2009.
— A top pick, retailer Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys, informed TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

This multi-purpose, light-weight hip carrier is designed to give parents choices — baby can face inward or outward and ride on either hip. It converts to a portable high chair restraint and can be used in shopping carts for additional safety. It includes color-coded clips and an instructional DVD to make securing baby a breeze, and free leg warmers are included. It was "developed for use when first front carrier or sling gets uncomfortable at 5-7 months of age. [It] can be used right up to 2+ years or 37lbs," Cyndy Mundy, CEO of Snazzy Baby, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2009.
Awards: iParenting Media Award for Outstanding Product for Gear and Equipment 2009; Creative Child Magazine Top Choice of the Year Award

This Aloha-themed set includes a toddler backpack and a kids changing towel. Launch date: May 3, 2009.

Designed for baby's comfort, these leg warmers provide protection and warmth indoors or out. They are lightweight and easy to carry, so are ideal to slip on when the weather cools or in air conditioning. The leg warmers feature Vibrant fashion colors to make baby look and feel good. The one-size-fits-all product is made of 85-percent cotton, 12-percent spandex and 3-percent nylon. Launch date: October 2009.