March 2010 Notable Toys — All

This 24-piece wooden jigsaw puzzle features an attractive palette of dinosaurs and scenery. It measures 0.4" x 11.75" x 15.75".
— Eight of 38 retailers named puzzles by Melissa & Doug as a best-selling wooden toy in early 2010. Jamie Burdette, owner of LB Toys in Media, Pa., told TDmonthly his store sells about 36 a month of assorted styles.

This small purple engine boasting red wheels and gold trim is labeled with the No. 14 and prides himself on mischief and adventure. It measures 3.5" x 1.5" x 2".
— Ten of 38 specialty retailers named Thomas & Friends as one of their best-selling wooden lines in February 2010.
— Mike Lane, manager of Hobbytown in Cumming, Ga., told TDmonthly in early 2010 that his store sells about 3 dozen Thomas trains per month.

This collectible character figure from the Twilight Series features a 17" athletic body with brown eyes. Jacob Black, in the likeness of Taylor Lautner, is dressed in jeans, a knit muscle shirt and casual sneakers.

This collectible, 16” ball-jointed doll is ready for Halloween with two complete outfits — Back to School and Vampire. She even comes with a wig and removable fangs.

Do Tell Family game takes five minutes to learn and requires no knowledge of anything. The game sets up quickly and the average play time is about an hour. In this game, players get to reveal themselves using both words and actions, some thought-provoking, some side-splitting. DO cards invite you to step into the spotlight and demonstrate your talents, TELL cards invite you to share your thoughts and feelings, RISK cards add excitement to the game, and WILD cards shake things up. Contents include four decks of cards, eight tokens, two dice, scorepad, pencils, timer, and instructions.

In this gravity-defying, 3-D word-building game, two to four players are challenged to add stacking letters to a tower to form words up, down or sideways to earn points. They must be careful, though, as any new letter could send the Konexi into a full collapse. The game comes with 26 red letters, a die, a mover, a pad and pencil, and a rules manual. Launch date: Fall 2010 (specialty and mass retailers).

This hand-washable set made in the USA with wool felt includes a lunch bag, sandwich, pickle and cookie. The meat, lettuce, cheese and tomato from the sandwich can be taken apart so kids can pretend to make their own lunch. Most Lilly Bean products are available pre-made or as do-it-yourself craft kits with instructions, patterns, and felt.
— Sara of Sara’s Toy Box found the instructions for the sandwich craft kit easy to follow and was very pleased with the end result. The quality of the felt, both in thickness and softness, and the large selection of food choices made the felt food attractive to Leanne of Rave & Review. See also The Full Mommy.
Other LILLY BEAN favorites include Green Eggs and Ham, Chocolate Easter Bunny, and My PB&J.

Designed to keep children busy and amused during meal time, Get-Set Placemats come in three variety packs: Hello Robot, Hello Me, and Hello Jungle. They include eight full-color heavyweight paper placemats and matching sticker sheets. Every Get-Set Placemat features a pop-up person, animal or robot to be decorated like a paper doll with the stickers. The placemats also have marked locations for a plate, cup and utensils so kids can learn about setting the table.
— Reviewers across the Web universally praised the Get-Set Placemats for living up to the goals of entertaining kids at the table. Kids who tried the product were instantly enthralled, decorating to their hearts’ content while their parents enjoyed a meal in peace. Many reviewers feel that although the non-laminated placemats might not be the best value for everyday use, they would make excellent and functional party decorations. Kimberly of Oh My Baby lamented the fact that the placemats’ large size and inability to fold make them difficult to take to a restaurant. See also In the Know Mom and She Scribes.

Norman PhartEphant is an elephant with a bit of a gaseous problem. “Volume 1” tells of his move from Africa to a U.S. zoo and his adjustment to the new environment, culture and diet. The 32-page book is printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink and measures 9” x 7”.
— Reviewers praise the hilarious illustrations and educational story. CPA Mom of Did You See That? reports that the bodily noises featured in the book drew in and delighted her son, while her daughter was drawn to the story of making friends and understanding. Parents can purchase the Norman PhartEphant plush toy to bring the story to life; Sage and Savvy’s Sagemom enjoyed reading the story to her kids while they played with the stuffed Norman. See also 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires.

The Chan Pie Gnon line features mushroom-shaped toys that play on “champignon,” the French word for “mushroom.” Chan, Pie and Gnon styles are available, and are free of BPA and phthalates, created as a safe chew toy for baby. These natural rubber toys squeak when squeezed.
— VULLI, the classic French nursery and toy company, has found great success with Sophie the Giraffe. The rubber toy won a spot on ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids List and is flying off shelves. Customers familiar with Sophie will find that the three varieties of Chan Pie Gnon are made with the same natural rubber. The varied tops of the toys provide soothing relief for teething babies, and parents need not worry since the plastic and paints are non-toxic. Reviewers on Amazon.com rated Chan Pie Gnon an average of more than four stars out of five, though they warn against submerging the toy in water or getting it too close to a dog accustomed to playing with chew toys. See also Rave & Review.

TreBot is micro robot controlled by a a 5-button IR remote that also charges it. TrekBot is available in four colors — Crystal Clear, Clear Safari Yellow, Clear Khaki Green and Clear African Sun — each color with its own frequency so they can be raced. "The size, method of movement and the USB charging" set this product apart, David Piltz, Managing Director, Desk Pets, told TDmonthly. Schylling is the distributor to specialty stores in the United States. Launch date: June 2010. Watch Video

The fast-moving SkitterBot is charged by a USB remote contoller. Individuals can battle or race the bots as each color has its own frequency. SkitterBot is available in four colors: Clear Diamond, Clear Emerald Green, Clear Ruby Red and Clear Sapphire Blue. "Our items can be charged by our unique USB remote control and SkitterBot travels at a speed of 12" per second," David Piltz, Managing Director, Desk Pets, told TDmonthly. Schylling is the distributor to specialty stores in the United States. Launch date: June 2010. Watch Video

Knight Pegasus is adorned in armor, with a black and red cape, a red shield bearing a pegasus emblem, and plate helm with the bust of pegasus on top of the helm.

King Richard is dressed in black and gold colors, holding a jousting lance and a shield featuring lions on it.

From the Tales & Legends line, this princess is wearing a rose red dress with black trim, with a flower adornment on the head, and a paper fan in her hand.

This firefighter is suited up in his flame retardant gear and air tank. In his hands is a hose ready to extinguish fire.

This asian dragon features tan brown scales with red flames.

This mutant shark pirate is a dual-wielding, half man, half shark buccaneer.

Brandishing multiple weapons, this humanoid ram is ready for battle.

Riding on his armored war griffin, this bird man soars into battle.

Zoobies teamed up with the World of Eric Carle to launch the Zoobies Very Hungry Caterpillar Toy, Blanket & Book Combo. This plush character folds into a pillow with a butterfly print blanket zipped inside. The package also includes the classic “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” board book.
Awards:  2010 NAPPA Gold Award.
Launch date: February 2010.

73866 Motormax Reel Rides - Old School Diorama with 1977 Pontiac Firebird Hard Top (1:43 scale). Former students reunited at their old school. The action takes place in the front of old school building. Includes 1/43rd scale 1977 Pontiac Firebird, three 1/43 scale figures, old school building facade, two trash cans, barbeque grill, and mail box. Manufactured by Motor Max. Packed in a hard plastic case. Case size: 10.25"L x 4.75"W x 4.5"H.

73640AG/TAXI Motormax American Graffiti Moments in Time - Times Square Diorama with Ford Crown Victoria Taxi Cab (1:64 scale). Includes Times Square facade, a 1/64 scale Ford Crown Victoria Taxi Cab and three 1/64 scale figures, trafic lights, subway exit. Fits any 1:64 scale car. Manufactured by Motor Max. Packed in a hard plastic case. Case size: 6"L x 3"W x 3"H.