March 2009 Notable Toys — All

This adaptable ball features a shock-resistant openable ball on the inside and a soft rubber covering. The core of the ball can be popped out of any hole on the elastic exterior, and then can be filled with rice, coins or other objects to create distinct sounds. Kids can mix and match the balls and covers, and each comes with a secret code where they can play a game online for prizes. Launch date: 2009.

This therapeutic plush character features soft, polar fleece on the outside and becomes a warm and comforting friend when heated in the microwave. It is 11" tall and comes with a bedtime story.

This colorful set includes a 30" x 40" towel and matching tote with rope straps.

This line of spa wraps offers seven different designs. The wraps are outfitted with a Velcro closure and have a full elastic back. The bottom features a ruffled hem. Two sizes are available (xs/s - size
0-4) and m/l - size -12).

This parent and child activity kit includes materials to create a foot cast in the sand at the beach. It includes enough plaster mix to make molds of two feet and comes in a bright beach pail. Launch date: February 2009.

When thrown onto the ground, these squishy pigs splat into a flat, liquid-looking mess, then morph back into their original shape. The pigs come in four colors, and various designs are available. Launch date: February 2009.

Suitable for babies 6 months and up, this soft, developmental toy is made of organic cotton fabric and is machine washable. It is part of a collection that features minimal packaging made of recycled paper and printed with vegetable-based inks. Launch date: February 15, 2009.
— "[I] love the organics, as new mothers are asking for them," commented Patti Tepper-Rasmussen, owner of Learning Tree Toys, Books & Games in Oklahoma City, following the 2009 ASTRA exhibition.

As players take turns stacking their pieces on the seven wooden posts, the object is to get four in a row of their winning color or shape. Moves require extra strategy, though, as more than half of each player's pieces are the opponent's shape and can help their game. The game features wooden construction with a box to store all the pieces. It measures 12.25" L x 4.5" W x 4.5" H. Launch date: February 2009.

This 4D time puzzle of New York City includes 765 pieces and challenges participants to build a base map from 640 pieces as they learn about city streets, museums and more. Then, they continue to build the city by adding buildings and skycrapers as they are numbered in the included booklet, which details the city's evolution from 1812 to 2013. Launch date: February 2009.

Each Lid Popping kit has just the right soil for its approximately 300 seeds. It's covered with a write-on label that starts the lesson, map of Jack's meadow, and a custom grid for practice charting growth over time.

Now that you know how to grow the delicious sunflower sprouts, you can order more crops and watch the "pop-up tray" pop up again. Included: new label, soil and seeds for one crop in your existing tray.

The World's #1 Sprout Song and Jack's Story on CD! Electronic files are also available for free on A Jack Sprout Inc.'s website.

These are first edition signed and numbered dolls. There are 1,500 left out of the original 2,400. Jack Sprout is a soft cotton stuffed doll. He's 22” tall, light green, with dark green removable cotton overalls. He's always waving and smiling and a positive influence for any classroom or child's bedroom.

This DVD program features a full exercise routine coupled with mathematical concepts from lines to numbers. The exercise program is for kids of all ages, with math concepts ranging from 2nd to 5th grade. It was named 2009 DVD of the Year by Creative Child Magazine and one of Dr. Toy's 2009 Best Vacation Children's Products.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

The Shailie™ Closet is an 18" x 30" fabric panel and hangs from a standard clothes hanger.   The Shailie™ pieces attach by simply pressing the Velcro® side of each Shailie™ design piece onto the Closet.

The Closet helps the pieces "play nice" and not hook and snag each other, keeping everything in runway-ready condition.

Shailie™ themed fashion kits are sold separately and include the Pink Princess, Prom, Fiesta, Bride, and Fairy.  Dresses are designed to fit most girls ages 5-13.  The themed fashion kits come in pieces, from jewels to sleeves, collars, and skirts.  Girls can design their own dresses and then wear them.  All Shailie™ products can be mixed and matched, providing endless creativity and endless fashion fun!

Pink polka dot fabric is the new signature look for Shailie's™ life-size dress form—the foundation on which girls design, create, and wear their own unlimited fashions using a wide variety of Shailie™ dress-up pieces and accessories.  The pink polka dot dress form comes in child size, medium and is a darling accent to any girls' bedroom or play area decor.

Game play starts by removing the towers from the base. The goal is to place the towers following two simple rules: there must be only one of each colored tower in every row and column, and the towers must fit into the base to form a perfect cube, with all the towers being the same height. Launch date: November 19, 2008.

This playfully smart art easel has so many neat-o benefits. Use it as a traditional easel, a chalkboard, a white board, or a puppet theater. Included are two fabulous “coloring-book” scenes to use as backdrops when this clever easel is in puppet theater mode. There is room in the back to add a P’kolino Play Kit and the entire unit folds flat for easy storage. Launch date: May 2009.

P’kolino’s Puzzle Stacker increases the play value of the classic stacker by adding the benefits of puzzles. Stacking toys help develop a baby’s hand-eye coordination and recognition of sizes and colors. The puzzles fine-tune motor skills and teach spatial logic through joining the interconnecting pieces. This two-in-one toy does both, doubling the fun; and doubling the development. Also available in a 6 ring version. Launch date: June 2009.

The Tag Junior system comes with a LeapFrog-original board book called If I Were, which explores animal sounds. Each of the other eight sturdy board books in the Tag Junior library focuses on a different preschool theme, including sounds, colors, letters of the alphabet, numbers and social play. Curious George, Dora the Explorer and Winnie the Pooh are just a few of the childhood favorites featured in the Tag Junior library. Launch date: January 26, 2009.

KENKEN is an arithmetic-based puzzle game that, like sudoku, is played on a grid using numbers.  It goes“beyond sudoku,” however, by taking the puzzle one step further and incorporating math skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  Game play ranges from very easy to extremely difficult.  “The hardest ones could challenge even Einstein,” said Robert Fuhrer, the New York businessman whose company, Nextoy™, licenses and markets the puzzle worldwide. iToys’ all-new KENKEN game offers thousands of puzzles on 3x3 to 6x6 grids.KENKEN was launched in 2004 by puzzle master and teacher extraordinaire Tetsuya Miyamoto, quickly becoming Japan’s hottest brain game.  U.S. launch date: February 2009.

Designed to help children connect children to nature and teach them about environmental concerns, this album features the Missoula Coyote Choir, made up of children ages 7 to 12 who are building eco-awareness. The project also promotes the process of biomimicry — learning from nature itself in order to develop solutions for a more sustainable world. The CD includes 18 tracks.  “A bunch of great songs for kids, their grownups and other animals.” —Bill Harley, Grammy® Award Winner.
Awards: 2009 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award, 2009 Parents' Choice Award, 2009 iParenting Media Best Choice Award.