March 2010 Notable Toys — Creative Activities

This stack-and-play dog house comes complete with fencing, dog cages, feeding dishes, a main dog house, a variety of pups, a cat, a bunny and a bird. There are 44 accessories in eight stackable layers of storage that create this imaginative play environment. A bonus DVD is included with the story of B-I-N-G-O and interactive games. Launch date: April 2010.

Teifoc allows kids to build with real bricks made from high-quality materials. The mortar is made from a mixture of fine sand and a corn-extract, easy to create by just adding water. Teifoc offers many sets that include all materials needed to build housing structures. The bricks are reusable after immersion in water for a few hours. After the cement is dissolved, the bricks are easy to clean with fresh water. Launch date: June 2010 (U.S.).

These are definitely not your father's dot-to-dots. With no clues given to the final image, numbers into the thousands, and amazing detailed pictures, The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Super Challenge provides a whole new level of challenge and intrigue. Author and artist David Kalvitis continues his Dot-to-Dot revolution by introducing a variety of brand new puzzle inventions such as "Arrows", "Compass" and "Alpha Dots" as well as double page spreads with over 1,400 dots.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5stars from 4 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: One user said that it was too challenging.

Pop, pop, pop. This snap-together jewelry features fashionable colors and distinctive shapes for playtime and party fun. Launch date: 2010.

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.

This craft kit includes three 10" x 12" designs with a mermaid theme, sparkling sequins and jewels to give the pictures dazzle, and a glam grabber tool to grab and stick the decorative pieces. Launch date: 2010.
— John MacDougall, owner of Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., liked this product at Toy Fair 2010, saying, "[It's] easy to do and [the] results are dazzling!"
— Gladys Griffin, owner of Main Street Toy Shop in Columbus, Ga., told TDmonthly in a January 2014 survey that Do-A-Dot-Art is a best-selling arts & crafts toy.

Kids can create their very own patchwork of colors directly on Elmer. He starts out plain white and awaits your imagination to make him stand out in the herd. Wash him off to return to the black and white canvas to color again and again! Awards: Creative Child Coloring Product of the Year 2010

In this game for three to six players, each participant in turn is given a picture card, while the other players receive a hand of six pictures. The designated storyteller uses a word or phrase to strategically hint at his picture (without being too obvious), and the other players each choose one of their cards that best fits the description. Everyone then bets on which picture belongs to the storyteller.

10pc girl's wild west play set includes two 8" clicker guns, holsters, badge, and more. Comes in a 8"x13" blister card.

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

These books each feature a 8” x 8” inch fold-out backdrop for the story, a 26-page book and flashlight. In each story, the flashlight is used to cast shadows on the die-cut pages with images of ordinary objects, the resulting shadow looks a little scary! Through storytelling and fun examples, the child learns that the shadows need not be feared. Comes in “Camping Out,” “Forest Fairies” and “Time for Bed.”

— Baby Loving Mama’s Emilie loved being able to show her children that shadows are not frightening. She warned that the cut outs may need a table or other flat surface to remain stable and create shadows properly.
— Renee of What Mommies Need reviewed the Camping Out book from the Shadow Books series. She applauded the book for teaching “that storytime is better when you use your imagination” and enhanced the experience for her son by reading the story inside a blanket tent. Renee also noted that the set’s flashlight includes batteries so it is ready to go right out of the package.

Encouraging kids to reuse, recycle and be creative, makedo kits include connectors that help fashion masterpieces out of cardboard and other objects. The Kit for One houses 69 pieces, including 30 pins, 30 clips, eight hinges, a construction tool and an inspiration poster. Watch makedo: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010
— John MacDougall, owner of Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., thought the makedo line "clever" at Toy Fair 2010.
— Susan Stephenson, The Book Chook, called Makedo “beautifully thought out.” Although she found the cutting tool less effective than scissors, she loved the value and limitless possibilities of a set that uses what would otherwise be junk.
— Makedo was a Readers’ Choice Winner for TreeHugger’s Best of Green Awards.

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.

Box-O-Mania puts a modern twist on the traditional cardboard box - the inspiration behind imaginative play and creative learning without complicated instructions and power charges. Inspired by this timeless toy, Box-O-Mania play boxes and specially-designed reusable stickers provide kids with the creative space in which they can use their fantasy through a variety of themes: a fire station, a beauty salon, a home, a clubhouse and more. Made of lightweight, yet sturdy corrugated plastic, Box-O-Mania play boxes offer more than twelve square feet of interior space for up to three children; they are easy to assemble, convenient to transport and store away.
— "My daughter is going to love this one. Fun, interactive child sized houses made from correlated plastic panels that velcro easily together. Available in 4 colors and several different themes. Use dry erase markers or the included sticker collection to decorate and personalize. When your done, wipe it off and start anew. Great for imaginative play," Jennifer Shuman, of 1SmartNoodle, 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.

UNISET Magic Stickers Activity set is designed to offer a great and unique play pattern that is well-suited for traveling, with stickers created to stick over and over. It consists of two background scenes, Magic Stickers, a postcard, 10 activity and coloring sheets, and seven coloring pencils. The following titles are available: Winnie the Pooh, Disney Princess, Disney Pirates of the Caribbean and Disney Cars. Launch date: 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.

Fashion Skinz are removable, reusable fabric stick-ons for your entire wardrobe. They are made of fabric, designed to work great as a fashion decoration for any article of clothing or accessory. Girls can decorate skinz with jewels, sparkly stickers, or markers, and just peel and stick to personalize any outfit. Fashion Skinz come in three different themes, based on the best-selling BOT themes for girls. Users can complete their look with matching tattoos for a head-to-toe fashion makeover. "Iron-ons are intended for a one-time use while Fashion Skinz are designed to be used over and over again on many different surfaces. Fashion Skinz are made from high quality woven canvas that won’t tear, stretch, leave a sticky residue, or damage any surface," Lacey Wilson, Account Coordinator, SAVVi, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2010.