February 2010 Notable Toys — Arts & Crafts

Complete with an illustrated guidebook, this developmental kit comes with 10 multi-sensory games and craft activities to let preschoolers practice early cutting and fine motor skills.

6pc dinosaur crayons. Each crayon measures 2" long.

Make beautiful beads from foil. The device can create a number of shapes to make an assortment of necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings. Kit includes Foil Bead Maker Machine, 3 bead molds, bead rolling guide, 72 sheets of foil in 4 colors, 4 earring hooks, elastic cord, 5 satin cords, beading needle and easy instructions.
— Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys, was intrigued by this product. "Very different, " she commented to TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Turn 25+ real sea shells into a crew of creative crustaceans. This complete set includes a tropical pallet of paint, glitter-glue, wiggly eyes, craft glue, dimensional paint and ocean inspired felt accents.
— Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys, informed TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010 of how she was impressed by this kit's use of real sea shells.

Eco-dough is a molding dough handmade with flour, salt, cream of tartar, organic rosemary oil, vitamin E oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, potassium sorbate, citric acid, natural and organic fruit, plant and vegetable extracts from beets, spinach, paprika, carrots, purple sweet potato, red cabbage, blueberries and tomatoes. Also available in a Gluten-free version. Watch Eco-Dough: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010

Jacquard Products' Funky Groovy Tie Dye Kit, a 2010 Tillywig Top Fun Award winner, includes everything a parent needs to introduce their child to the fascinating art of tie dye and supervise the creation of up to 5 adult size T-shirts. With easy-to-follow instructions and pattern tying guidelines, the kit also includes: pre-measured Procion MX dye in red, blue and yellow; soda ash dye fixer; 3 squirt bottles; rubber gloves and rubber bands.  Launch date: February 2010.

Jacquard Products' Hoop Painting Fun Bag, a 2010 Tillywig Top Fun Award winner, includes all the professional-quality supplies needed for painting hoops using four different techniques: silk painting, watercolor, salt or sun-printing. Kids can express their artistic side by creating stunning sun catchers or one-of-a-kind wall art pieces. Launch date: February 2010.

Moon Dough is a moulding compound unlike that is soft and marshmallow-like, does not stick or stain to material, and never dries out so you can use it again and again. As well as being wheat-free, the compound is hypo-allergenic. Launch date: 2010.
— "I thought this product was great and placed an order for it at the show, " Jeanette Lauture, owner of Aunt Jean's Toys & Treats, 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.

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.

This six-pack of 2-oz. paints includes creamy colors created with Mayan mineral earth pigments. The natural paints are free from chemical dyes and are washable with soap and water.

This pack includes eight vibrant shades of rock-shaped crayons designed for shading and blending.

This all-natural, crumble-free dough comes in a three-pack of 4-oz. containers holding strawberry-, lemon-, and lime-scented dough shaded with turmeric, carmine and spinach. It's designed to last for more than a year when sealed in the container.
— "Natural Modeling Dough and Natural Soy Crayons...Love the natural ingredients, clean eye-catching packaging, and price points," Marlene England of Dancing Bear Toys & Gifts, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Girls can create their own Tea Party with this preschool kit that has larger tiles. "These kits use a shape and color matching system, and large tiles, to make sure any preschooler can achieve great results!" Damien Crocker, U.S. Specialty Sales Manager, The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 15, 2010.

Kids follow the numbered pattern to create sparkling greeting cards to send to friends and family. They can be used for birthdays, holidays or just to make someone feel special. "To make the Pretty Cards even prettier, we die-cut the front of the card, so tiles placed on the inside pop out of the front when the card is closed!" Damien Crocker, U.S. Specialty Sales Manager, The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 15, 2010.

Girls can create four fabulous butterflies by following the numbered pattern. The kit includes four shaped templates, four plastic hangers, and more than 1,900 foam and jewel pieces. Launch date: March 15, 2010.
— Sticky Mosaics have been consistent best sellers at Jillie Beans Toys & More in Westminster, Colo., since the store started carrying them in fall 2009. “These are just fun,” said Owner Valerie Elsea in April 2010. “Parents say that their kids are so engaged when they are doing this craft. Any and all are great!”

With this groovy craft kit, girls follow the numbered pattern, and use stunning foam tiles and jewels to create four fantastic images to hang on their wall. Launch date: March 15, 2010.

Girls can create their very own rock band with this Girls Rock craft kit. Simply follow the numbered template, then peel and stick sparkling jewels and foam tiles to create. "Only with Sticky Mosaics® can any child achieve perfect results every time, simply by following our numbered template. It's as easy as peel & stick!" Damien Crocker, U.S. Specialty Sales Manager, The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 15, 2010.

With the Model Magic Presto Dots set, kids cover the plastic base with Model Magic, use the Pop-Dot tool to start fashioning a sheep with round dots of the modeling material, then create the final accents for a finished piece. Launch date: 2010.

Each bright crayon in this eight-pack can be used on a dry-erase surface and is said to erase cleanly and not dry out. The pack, which comes with an eraser mitt and crayon sharpener, includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown and black shades. Launch date: 2010.

This simple project from The Little Experience includes everything kids need to create this cute, clever key chain character. Pre-cut felt pieces are hand-stitched together using two colors of embroidery floss from the kit, and then stuffed and attached to the included metal keyring. 

One of six collectible characters in The Little Experience's line of Stitch-It Keyrings, this puppy is a simple project that children do from start to finish. The pre-cut felt pieces of the puppy are embellished with other felt shapes in the kit, hand-stitched together, and stuffed with batting. The kit includes everything necessary to finish the craft.

A funky character in bright colored felt, the Stitch-It Chick Keyring is designed to be easy to make from start to finish. The felt shape of the chick is pre-cut, and patterned appliqués are included for his feet, hair, face, and clothing. The kit has everything needed to do the project, including the keyring, metal needle, stuffing, and two colors of embroidery floss. Watch Stitch-It Chick: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010

In this mini kit from The Little Experience, a young lady will find everything she needs to create her own cute stuffed key chain. The felt is pre-cut for the bear, and patterned fabric is included so kids can create their own appliqués to add to the other embellishments in the kit.  All the materials are included, including colored floss, a metal needle, stuffing and the keyring.