March 2010 Notable Toys — All

A Game of Thrones Living Card Game is a game of epic battles and intrigue for two to four players. Players vie for the Iron Throne as one of the six Great Houses of Westeros using their favorite characters from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels in military, intrigue and power challenges. A Sword in the Darkness is the third installment in the Defenders of the North expansion to the A Game of Thrones living card game and features the never-before-seen character cards Stallwart Shield and Orell the Eagle. This 40 card pack includes 20 different cards designed to augment existing decks. Launch date: April 2010.

Based on the Merriam-Webster's The Official SCRABBLE® Player's Dictionary, 4th edition, this helpful handheld device will be invaluable to players at all levels, who want to master the SCRABBLE® game. It  instantly validates over 100,000 words and provides brief definitions. This device has easy to use features which enhance SCRABBLE® playing skills by building vocabulary. It provides solutions ranked by score and includes three challenging word games that can be played on three different skill levels. It offers easy-to-read large type, on-screen help, automatic shut-off and adjustable contrast control. Requires four AAA batteries (not included).

Add accents and highlights with smooth, opaque, white Gelly Roll ink. Gelly Roll white is archival, waterproof, and fade resistant. This white ink is very bright on dark papers.

Gelly Roll Stardust captures the sparkle and glitter of stars to make handwriting extra-special. This pigment-based ink works best on light colored or matte paper surfaces. The rollerball pen is easy and comfortable to write with, and the chemically stable, waterproof, and fade proof ink will not feather or bleed through most papers. Also available in a special Stardust Clear which has no pigment, only sparkle.

The Skyball is a distinctive play ball  filled with helium. The brightly colored ball can bounce up to 75 feet in the air, giving a whole new dimension to play for one or a group. Kids can add this astronomical bounce to existing games like handball, or invent whole new things to play.
— “Skyballs would be No. 1 if I had any right this minute, but I don't. They are the best seller. I sell as many as I have, 48 or more. Sixty. Can't keep enough in stock,” said Gage Brownell, manager of Belmont Toys in Belmont, Mass., during a March 2010 survey.
— Two of 37 retailers told TDmonthly in March 2010 that Skyballs are a top-selling outdoor toy.

The bright colors and complex design of the Nova kite from Jakks Pacific make it an engaging kite that is satisfying to watch and fly. Box kites are well known to be very stable in steady winds, making them great kites for beginners while offering enough visual interest and the opportunity for impressive acrobatics on a slackened line.
— Eight percent of 37 retailers said during a March 2010 survey that kites are their top-selling sports and outdoor item.

This marabou-edged satin robe has a gathered neck and waist to fit a variety of shapes and sizes. Soft fabric wings and a tiny feathered halo complete the costume, which is constructed to fit children up to 25 lbs.
— Kim Haynes, owner of Lollipop Toy Store in Dawsonville, Ga., said in March 2010 that Mullins Square is her best-selling line of apparel. “They are durable and great looking.”

Fashioned from bright green lamé material, the Dragon Cape transforms a little one into a great, fierce creature of legend. The hood picks up to form horns, and bright yellow plates trail down the back into a long, pointed tail. 
— Ten of 37 specialty retailers who participated in a March 2010 survey said Creative Education of Canada is their top- selling line of dress-up clothing.

This hat from Jacobson Hats makes a ferocious statement with a bright red, wide-open mouth of shark teeth. The wearable plush shark is modeled after a Great White, and could be used in pretend play games, puppet shows, or any time when a situation needs a little silliness.
— “Jacobson Hats sell well,” said Gage Brownell, manager of Belmont Toys in Belmont, Mass., when asked about his top-selling dress-up items during TDmonthly's March 2010 survey of 37 specialty retailers.

This soft, simple cotton gown can be converted into a legged onesie by re-arranging the snaps around the leg. Great for changing weather or changing diapers, the gown is machine washable and sports elegant picot trimming around the hems.  The garment is available in three colors of embroidery detail: a green frog, pink hearts or a yellow duck.
— “Moms really like the quality and the designs,” said Vicky Davis, owner of Children's Prep in Atlanta, Ga., of Kissy Kissy.  In March 2010, Davis reported sales of around 30 pieces per day.

Whether used for a multi-media Halloween costume or good frightening fun any time of year, the musical Monster Mash skirt offers a funky dimension to dress up. The skirt, which is knee length and finished with multiple layers of colored tulle, plays music at the push of a button. This piece in Acting Out's line of musical dress up plays the 1960s hit “Monster Mash,” and the music continues with motion but stops automatically if the child is still.
— “We sell Acting Out, their petticoats and things. We sell a lot of those,” said Jill Brown, buyer at Kidoodles Toys in Norman, Okla., of the store's top-selling dress-up clothes in March 2010.
— Out of 37 retailers, two listed Acting Out as the supplier of their best-selling dress-up items in spring 2010.

Made of airy, sumptuous 100-percent silk, the Rainbow Fairy Skirt is designed to create magic with every move. Fully reversible, the skirt is finished with a satin rose detail on both sides, and its multiple layers come to a fluttering pointed hem.  The waist is elastic for ease and comfort of wear.
—  “We do great with Sarah's Silks; they have great skirts,” said Eric Masoncup, owner of Geppetto's Toy Box in Oak Park, Ill., of his top-selling dress-up items during a March 2010 survey.
—  Two of 37 retailers named Sarah's Silks as their top-selling line of dress-up clothes in spring 2010.

With details and fabrics selected with careful attention to both look and tactile feel, Creative Education of Canada's Sequins Fairy Dress is a costume and play tool all in one. This sleeveless dress has a skirt of soft, multi-tiered tricot and matching petals over the shoulders. The bodice of the dress is elastic with sequins, allowing a great fit for growing girls.
— “You can't beat Creative Education of Canada,” said Sheryl Guidera, owner of Kaleidoscope the Parent Teacher Store in Capitola, Calif., of her top-selling line of dress-up items in March 2010.
— “We've stayed with Creative Education of Canada for quality and value, delivery and service,” said Barbara Paeth-Haas, owner of The Durango Kid in Durango, Colo., in spring 2010.

The GummiBear character that has become an internet sensation is now licensed as a karaoke for children. With 50 built-in songs for kids, the microphone recognizes pitch and sync as they sing to the music, grading the child's performance along the way. Launch date: 2010.

These non-toxic, rock-shaped crayons are made in America from natural soy wax derived from American-grown soy beans. Colors include, red, pink, blue, sky, green, grass, dark yellow, light yellow, orange, peach, purple, light purple, brown, tan, black and gray.

This tiger is part of Cardona's 2010 line of lifelike animals. The tiger is only one of the authentic-looking felines in the high-quality plush series, which includes lions, panthers, leopards, and other members of the animal kingdom. Launch date: 2010.

This product enhances the enjoyment of the ceiling fan for the whole family. It is not just a plush toy, but designed and weighted precisely not to disturb the fan's balance and performance. Fandangling is lightweight and easily attachable with velcro adhesive. It comes available in a variety of kits made with young children and teenagers in mind. Launch date: January 2010.

Sew & Stuff craft kits teach young girls how to sew & create their own hand-stitched crafts. Kits come with felt, stuffing, sequins, full-color step-by-step instructions, and everything needed to make a stuffed toy. Assorted kits available. Launch date: 2010.

This starter kit introduces young girls to the art of scrapbooking. The kit includes an album, die cuts, stickers, templates, decorative embellishments, & easy to follow instructions. Launch date: 2010.

Invented in sunny So Cal, Big Squirt!® sits right next to all the fun famous So Cal inventions like the Water Weenie®, Hot Wheels®, Frisbie® and the very tasty In-N-Out Burger®, a So Cal icon. Since 1988, Big Squirt! Inc. has been manufacturing the ever popular Big Squirt® Water Toy as you see it today. Known for the most wet summer fun you can have, the award winning Big Squirt!® has brought smiles to millions of people and wet clothes to even more. Oh, why did we mention the iconic In-N-Out Burger? Well, in 1989 all the deliveries and trips to to another icon made famous by "Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure," Raging Waters San Dimas, were fueled with pit stops at the very first In-N-Out Burger stand in Baldwin Park, just off the I-10 freeway & Francisquito — just try to pronounce that one. Big Squirt! was invented by Joel M. Schafer, an engineer who worked at Hughes Aircraft Company, yes, the company founded by its namesake, Howard Hughes. While the young engineer was serious about science and satellites, he was crazy about water and living at the beach. One day in 1987, while on a different water related adventure on the Colorado River, the waterlogged inventor saw something that made the gears start turning. https://bigsquirt.com/AboutUs.htm

Telepathy is a game that combines strategy, logic and deduction. The game board consists of 18 squares by 18 squares which total 324. There are nine different colors and nine different symbols. Each row and column contains two of each color and two of each symbol. There are 81 different colored symbols and 4 of each colored symbols on the board. In this puzzle solving challenge of deduction, logic and intuition, players go head to head to see who can be the first to guess their opponent's secret square. Every action turn brings you closer to finding the hidden, ancient symbol.
Awards: 2009 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2009 Parents' Choice Recommended Award Winner

The Creation Cottage is made from 100% recycled cardboard material. The unique design allows for a sturdy drawing surface for child. The white exterior is a blank canvas that child will be able to design on their own. Measurements (Assembled): 42.25"L x 39.5"W x 54"H

Players train their sense of balance & discover their body's flexibility with lots of fun exercises in Jungle Jive, the "eggciting" balancing game. In this party game, players challenge each other to see who has the best balance, concentration, flexibility and coordination while imitating the monkey's moves on the cards with the amazing egg in hand. There are 36 Exercises and 3 levels of difficulty players can choose from. Launch date: 2010.

Now aspiring artists can create their own puzzles. These blank puzzles are made with high-quality board and are sturdy enough for paints. There are 3 additional sizes of Create Your Own Puzzles as well as the option of pencil crayons. The kit comes with 2 puzzles and a set of crayons. Create Your Own Puzzle makes a great gift for any age. Launch date: 2010. From Cobble Hill.
— In a Summer 2012 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Cobble Hill (dist. by Outset Media) was a best selling brand of puzzles.