March 2010 Notable Toys — Preschool

Pookie and Tushka Find a Little Piano takes children to magical lands atop the world in a tender tale where a frozen little piano arrives to the shores of Icelands, bringing Pookie the penguin and Tushka the polar bear fun, excitement, and a heartwarming lesson about the essence of friendship. The forty-page, full color hardcover with jacket includes four pages of educational content and a CD-ROM with games, songs, and other educational content. Launch date: July 28, 2003.
Awards:
Winner of the "BEST NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD" at the 2005 Parent to Parent Awards.
Winner of the "OUTSTANDING PRODUCT AWARD" at the 2005 iParenting Media Awards.
Winner of the "SEAL OF EXCELLENCE AWARD" (Storybook with Characters category) at the 2005 Top Creative Toy Awards.
Winner of the "ADDING WISDOM AWARD" at the 2005 Parent to Parent Awards.
Finalist Award for "BEST FIRST CHILDREN'S BOOK" at the 2004 PMA Benjamin Franklin Awards.
Honorable Mention for "BOOK OF THE YEAR" at the 2003 DIY Book Festival.

Baby Stella has a new Baby Brother named Sam. Sam comes dressed in a blue and white striped onesy decorated with yellow trim and a dinosaur.  His pacifier matches the outfit and attaches magnetically to his mouth. Also includes a removable diaper. Launch date: 2010.

This fully insulated preschool lunch box has an easy to wipe clean interior. Kids can enjoy wearing it as a backpack or it can be carried with the padded carrying handle. Launch date: 2010.

The Keester is a cushion specifically invented, designed, and engineered for the comfort of child. The Keester is a practical solution for the discomfort and lack of back support experienced by children on most automobile booster seats. The Keester is more than 2 inches of polyurethane foam for added comfort. The rear of The Keester is a semi-circular cut out that suspends the tail bone and reduces pressure on child's sensitive nerves, preventing numbness.

The Diggity Kids™ Neck Pillow slips on child’s neck and provides the support needed for comfortable rest or sleep. Props their head in the perfect position to prevent sore necks. Soft and comfortable, can be used in the car, on the plane, or in the stroller. Colors coordinate with The Keester® and the Diggity Kids Seat Belt Cover. Can be purchased separately or with the Diggity Kids Comfort Travel System. Machine sewn and hand stuffed with memory foam.

The Diggity Kids™ Seat Belt Cover for your child’s shoulder and/or lap belt is a comfortable, durable and lightweight seat belt pad. The Diggity Kids Seat Belt Cover prevents chafing and keep kids happy to be secured in their seat belt. Coordinate color with The Keester and The Diggity Kids Neck Pillow. Can be purchased separately or with The Diggity Kids Comfort Travel System. Made of soft micro-suede, and 100% polyester covering, it is machine washable.

The Diggity Kids™ Comfort Travel System is The Keester, The Diggity Kids Neck Pillow and The Diggity Kids Seat Belt Cover together in one set. The Diggity Kids Comfort Travel System is the comfort travel system marketed to children ages 4-10. Made in the USA, it comes in different design themes.

Created for family game night, this bowling set features six hand-cut and sanded maple wood kitty pins with carved facial features and coated in non-toxic paints. It includes a 2"-diameter bowling ball, a game play sheet, four score sheets, and a handmade cotton canvas bag for storage. "We love that they function to help develop hand-eye coordination for a younger child but will last for years as the child grows older," Sara, co-owner of Kitty Baby Love, told TDmonthly. Launch date:

There are four different Teach & Play Tiles set for the beginning learner. Set 1 has shapes and colors, set 2 includes animals and vegetables, set 3 makes story telling fun with buildings and vehicles, and set 4 reinforces counting skills with numbers and fractions. Each set comes with 12 tiles, printed on both sides with non-toxic inks. The tiles measure 2.25" wide, 3.5" tall and a slight 1/8" thick. Sets come with a cloth storage pouch and suggestions for play. Each set can be used for rudimentary learning at first and then grow with the child in expanding activities. The tiles may be used for matching and sorting skills, comparing and contrasting, categorization, story telling and math practice. Launch date: Summer 2010.

This Thomas and Friends train playset has been designed so that it can be used with or without the normal Thomas Wooden Railway gauged track, but has oversized engines for little hands can easily grasp and manouvre. The set includes two destinations for Thomas to visit on Sodor Island: Maithwaite Station and Crossing Gate. Launch date: February 2010.

Children can learn numbers 1-10 while having fun. These bright, colorful Duplo bricks feature a number on one side and pictures corresponding to the number on the reverse to help children learn matching skills. Play pieces such as the child minifigure, dog and wagon are included along with a booklet to inspire imaginative and creative play.

A simultaneous catch of a bumblebug leads Chameleon friends Willy and Wally into a big fight over the meal. After putting the peace of the forest at risk, will they decide to share? "A Delicious Bug" is a 32-page hardcover. Launch date: 2009.

This two-in-one kit for "Following Directions" and "ABCs and Simple Shapes" was developed by an occupational therapist and contains 20 hands-on games in a no-spill carrying case. It's designed to get children prepared for school through activities such as ABC fishing, letter building, turn taking, coloring on bumpy line pages to enhance concentration, and more. It comes with an illustrated guide for parents.

This small reading couch for kids comes with red or blue cushions and includes storage with tubs underneath the seating and slots to hold books along the back. The bench is 11" high and the couch is 18.5" wide, 42" long and 23.5" high. Launch date: February 2010.

Restickables are designed to help kids put their own clothes away. Simply stick them on drawers, bins, closets, etc. Pictures with matching words will help kids of any age learn to get organized. These fabric, waterproof and tear-proof stickers are created to peel on and off without leaving any residue and can be used over and over again. They come in three colors so each child can have his or her own set. "Easy Daysies ReStickables are the only cloth stickers out there helping kids put clothes where they belong! No minimum order!" Elaine Comeau, Founder of Easy Daysies, told TDmonthly in spring 2010. Launch date: March 5, 2010.

This starter set of 26 Tegu blocks includes cubes, long planks and short planks in a natural finish. The blocks are made of European Beech and contain small, embedded magnets that allow the blocks to stick together and be fashioned in a variety of ways not possible with traditional blocks.
Awards:  2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal.
— In a February 2015 survey, Terry Myers, owner of Kaleidoscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, told TDmonthly that puzzles from Melissa & Doug are her store's best-selling wooden toys.

This 3D board game is designed to sharpen memory skills as kids play with glittery ostriches. Each turn, a player removes an ostrich from the sand. If the ostrich’s head matches the color the player needs, he gets one step closer to winning. Launch date: 2010.

The goal is to be the first player to pack everything in your backpack and head out to the car and win. Children get the chance to move through the house game board to collect everything needed for vacation. It includes vacation item cards, children movers, backpacks and packing lists. Launch date: 2010.

This game gives kids the chance to take a moveable shopping cart and a shopping list, and race along the supermarket aisles to collect fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. By paying at the end of every turn, players get closer to winning. This brightly colored game board comes with a supermarket shelf, four shopping carts with moveable wheels, 36 coins and six shopping lists. "The Chimp and Zee line of preschool specialty games that have been developed with the help of teacher and parent input. In 2010, an array of new games and puzzles will be added to the award-winning Chimp and Zee line that was introduced last year," Stephanie Meyering, Account Coordinator, G.S. Schwartz & Co., told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

Classic Disney characters help preschoolers learn about numbers, colors and shape recognition in this version of Rummikub. It features three levels of game play and is designed for two to four players.

This collection is designed for Magformers to transform into hundreds of creative construction vehicles. Each set includes emergency lights and engine sound, plus an attachable, poseable figurine. Launch date: June 2010.

This giant floor puzzle is full of colorful, adorable dogs. Each puppy has style, attitude and class. The puzzle is 2" x 3" when completed.

No More Monsters! A Light In the Night™, created by a mother to comfort her oldest son when he moved to his big boy bed, is a gift set which includes an adorable light-up creature and beautifully illustrated board book. Just one soft press of the tummy emits a bright glow which proves once and for all there’s nothing “going bump in the night.” Each nighttime guardian is available in bubble gum pink, mint green or ice blue. Each gift set includes a Light Up Creature, Children's Board Book, Display Box, and online access (register A Light In the Night online and receive an official "Certificate of Bravery").
Awards: Creative Child Magazine 2010 Preferred Choice Award, Storybooks With Character category

This realistic-looking barbecue set features a hood that opens and a collapsible side table. It includes red knobs to pretend adjusting the heat during play, and wheels to roll it around to different locations. Primary materials are plywood, MDF and non-toxic paint. It measures 47 cm x 37.5 cm x 60 cm.
— This BBQ set was one of the top-two products mentioned by specialty retailers during ASTRA's Share the Fair event at Toy Fair 2010.