March 2010 Notable Toys — Award Winners

For two to four players, Stranded is a fast-paced light strategy game where being last will make one first. Players remove randomly placed game pieces from the platform in hopes of trapping their opponents. But each piece that is removed changes the game surface, creating new moves for some and different strategies for others. Suspense will mount with every move or remove as players try not to fall into their own trap. "Each game played has different moves you can make to either win or set yourself up for losing. The clear box top packaging gives the consumer a perfect look at the colorful playing board. This attractive and intriguing design draws consumers to the product," Todd Jacobs, Vice President, Talicor, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 15, 2010. Awards: 2010 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Game of the Year Award

Using the two captivating books included in CHESS: Once A Pawn A Time, this kit is designed to help children enjoy learning and playing chess. The endearing chess characters and story-book style are created to engage them in the game. "This imaginative approach to teaching chess was developed by author Patzi Stewart over her 20 years as a chess teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. The box opens so that customers can examine the books and understand the uniqueness of this chess product prior to purchase," Rachael Norman, Sales, Norman & Globus, Inc., told TDmonthly. Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy Best Toys Award. Launch date: February 15, 2010.

Silly Sam Broom is part of hands-on line of Silly Sam & Friends talking role-play toys. Kids sweep and move the bristles or press the nose to hear one of six random speech and sound effects. Awards: American Baby Toy of the Year, Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products. Launch date: 2002.

Joined by a host of family and friends including Arlo Guthrie, Pete and Tao Rodriguez Seeger, singer-songwriter Sarah Lee Guthrie presents thoughtful yet playful recordings of traditional songs and new compositions. The album includes three songs featuring lyrics by Woody Guthrie never before put to music and eight songs written by Sarah Lee and family. Awards: 2009 Dr. Toy ("Best Picks" Award) and 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio (“PLATINUM” Award). Launch date: October 27, 2009.

The Starter Kit includes the following: a signed Think Green! book with an environmental message, a reusable children's shopping bag, a reusable napkin to color, and a Kids Think Big bracelet made from reclaimed climbing rope. It can be all wrapped with a colorful piece of 100-percent PCW wrapping paper. Awards: Moonbeam Children's Book Award 2009, Creative Child 2009 Preferred Choice Award, Garden Club of America’s 2009 Club Conservation Award. Launch date: 2010.

This portable, all natural bottle warmer provides for multiple feedings on an airplane or just while running errands. It provide a tepid temperature that increases the nutritional value of breast milk or infant formula. It also offers slow, natural warmth that increases tryptophan, which naturally produce relaxation and sleep. It can also be used with sippy cups. Awards: 2010 National Parenting Center; 2010 Mom's Best Award. Launch date: September 19, 2009.

Inspired by babies who like to tug on jewelry, Teething Bling is patent-pending teething jewelry that looks like real gemstone but is actually soft and flexible because it's made from the same material as most teething toys. The pendants and bangles are designed to look great on the adult wearer but are safe for curious babies to handle and chew. They contain no harmful chemicals and are CSPIA compliant and CE marking approved.

The award-winning, patented Golfer’s Footprint® Swing Trainer is designed to help golfers learn ball control. Recommended by top PGA, LPGA, and Natural Golf® instructors, the Golf Swing Trainer takes golfers back to the fundamentals — simply point and shoot. "The Golfer’s Footprint® works with all your clubs from driver to wedges and is an excellent trainer for focusing your chipping game around the green. You can even use the trainer in the bunker to master those difficult sand shots. The trainer is designed to fit in your golf bag, so no matter where you go, you have a professional golf lesson with you. Simply point and swing and you’re on the path to a better golf game and lower scores. The trainer is available in left- and right-handed models," Marshall Townsend, President, Golfer's Footprint, told TDmonthly. Awards: iparenting Media Outstanding Products of 2007. Launch date: June 2001.

The Torch Fire Truck lets children get a detailed look inside to see how it works. The Torch Fire Truck comes with an illustrated Howie Work’s adventure hardcover storybook that takes them through how each of the major parts work in real life. By pushing a simple, three-digit combination of buttons on the vehicle or the included Worx Storybook Transmitter, an infrared signal is sent to the Torch Fire Truck revealing a working engine, emergency lights, fire hose, and much more. Launch date: July 2011.
Awards: 2011 Creative Child Toy of the Year

If kids can play business, they can learn business. Kids will have fun earning money in their neighborhoods and communities while starting their very first business with this unique mobile business stand. The business stand comes with wheels, dry/erase magnetic banner areas, built-in locking money tray, literature storage tray, solar-powered built-in calculator, hooks, keys, magnets, and dry erase marker set. Launch date: November 2011.
Awards: 2011 Dr.Toy Best Classic Toys; 2011 NAPPA Gold Award; 2011 Oppenheim Award

The Tessell play mat was designed to develop kids' creativity, space perception and shaping ability by giving them the option to assemble whatever shape they want from soft colorful piece segments of the soft play mat. Tessellation has been adopted as part of mathematical curriculum in the United States since the 1960s. It has been applied in mathematical education in many countries in the world because it enables kids to develop mathematical thinking and creativity in the most natural way while they move, rotate and turn over the basic shapes of triangle, square and hexagon. "It's two products in one. The puzzle mats changes to a rocking chair while it enhances learning skills," Jennie Nam, PR, Tessell, told TDmonthly. Awards: 2008 & 2009 Kind + Jugend Innovation toys. Launch date: 2010.

This bilingual puzzle game is designed to help players learn the alphabet and spell three-letter words. It has bright colored letters and picture cards to captivate a child’s attention, and it grows with the child by starting with the alphabet and continuing on to spelling simple words. Children can play a self-checking spelling game and learn to spell three-letter words in both English and Spanish. It includes 22 spelling cards and 68 letters. "Ingenio is the first educational bilingual toy brand committed to bilingual learning. All Ingenio products are bilingual — product, packaging and website. This line offers parents a great opportunity to teach a second language to their child at an early age," Ilango Sankaralingam, president of Smart Play, LLC, told TDmonthly. Award: Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products 2009. Launch date: September 2009.

Conceived by child literacy expert Dr. Brij Kothari, BookBox Series stories are designed for child entertainment while simultaneously improving reading skills. Using scientifically tested same language subtitling (SLS), children are assisted in the improvement of listening comprehension and reading and foreign language skills — while watching fascinating “Stories from Around the World” that bring cultural and educational values to children. The "Animal Stories" DVD features three stories: Based on an ancient Indian fable, "Four Friends" is about animal friends that work together to outwit a hunter and protect each other. "The Turtle’s Flute" is about a turtle that is a gifted flutist. When the turtle played her flute, everyone danced. One day, she is trapped by a greedy man. How will she escape? "Zippy the Zebra" is about a zebra that is bugged by a hide full of fleas. No amount of tail swishing or tree trunk scratching would give him any relief. Finally a pair of birds help him out by making a meal of his unwelcome guests. "This DVD helps children to read in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German or Italian. With three ways to use the program - Read to me, Let me read and Let me listen plus you can print the PDF of the book from a computer," Selina Yoon, President, Master Communications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 6, 2009. Awards: Kids First, Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products, Dr. Toy's 10 Best Audio/Video.