March 2010 Notable Toys — Preschool

Kids can use the icing tube-shaped dry-erase markers to color four wooden cupcakes that come with a baking tray, cupcake sleeves and decorative wooden candles. The package measures 10.5" x 13.25" x 3.13".
— Play food sets and cutting food from Melissa & Doug were named as a best-selling wooden toy by seven of 38 retailers in February 2010. "The Melissa & Doug cupcake set did really well," Lesa Smith of Whiz Kid Toys in San Luis Obispo, Calif., told TDmonthly.
― Michael McCollum, owner of Learning Express in Hoover, Ala., told TDmonthly in spring 2010 that the Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set is his best-selling playset. “One of my employees absolutely loves it,” he said of what helps drive sales.
― “All year, [the best seller] is food sets from Melissa & Doug,” said Bill Rayment, owner of Toy Crossing in Harbor Beach, Mich., when asked about his top-selling playsets and activity kits during an April 2010 interview.
― Six of 43 retailers listed Melissa & Doug as their top supplier of playsets in April 2010.

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.

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.

Chester Raccoon and friends are devastated at the loss of their friend Skiddel Squirrel and, at the suggestion of Mrs. Raccoon, plan a special memorial service for him at the pond. This story is designed to help children understand and cope with funerals and the trauma of losing a loved one, encouraging them to create special memories. It's authored by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Barbara Gibson.

TDmonthly Review:

Please click here to read TDmonthly´s Toy Expert review of this product.

This multi-paneled portable play space can be toted around as a book but opens up to reveal themed scenes that create a large, personal play area for children. Kids can fold out the panels all around them and play with toys and accessories inside the impromptu play area.The cardboard and paper is made from 100-percent recycled material, and the glossy, UV-cured outer layers are designed to prevent fading and offer a dry-erase surface. The Castle Edition has 15+ panels with a suggested retail price of $39.99 to $42.99. Launch date: May 2010.

Kids will love this see-through bubble umbrella decorated with the brightest scenes from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Umbrella measures 26 inches and sports a bright green handle. Launch date: Spring 2010

Beautiful illustrations from Eric Carle’s popular book adorn the front of this lunch bag with Butterfly taking center stage. The handle and zipper were designed for small hands to easily open and close. Launch date: Spring 2010

Who’s very hungry? It’s not just The Caterpillar that needs a healthy snack. Pack nutritious meals in this sweet lunch bag for preschool, car rides or a trip to the park. Launch date: Spring 2010

Complete with an illustrated guidebook, this developmental kit comes with 10 multi-sensory games and craft activities to let preschoolers practice early cutting and fine motor skills.

Although it’s always fun to go shopping with mommy or daddy, because of HABA’s new shopping cart there’s no need to leave home. Sleek and sturdy design, double-wheels and fabric basket make for hours of pretend shopping play. Groceries sold separately.

A nice addition to story time to engage and encourage children to participate in the Humpty Dumpty story. Chimes are inside to enhance the story. Doll measures 7" x 6". Machine washable, dryable. Bricks sold separately.

Fun and fully-motorized vehicle toy plays over 40 phrases and sounds. When you lift his dump bed, press his bumper or press his top and he drives when you call him. Vehicle comes with storybook. Bumper moves and dump bed wiggles. 2010 TOTY Award Winner.

Red Rover by MATTEL will have preschoolers laughing, running, and thinking as they try to help the titular pup. The game includes 12 bones, featuring shapes, numbers, letters, and colors, to be hidden around the room. Red Rover requests certain bones, and it is up to kids to rush around the room to find the proper bones. Preschoolers flex their bodies and minds as they rush to feed Red Rover before the other players. Launch date: July 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.

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.

Building Thinking Skills Beginning is designed to provide fun, highly effective and engaging reasoning activities to improve the vocabulary, pre-reading, pre-writing, math, logic, spatial, and auditory processing skills of preschoolers. It teaches children to use organized analysis instead of guesswork to solve problems as it develops critical thinking skills necessary for success in reading, math, writing, and science. The book uses colorful, easy-to-understand activities, sequenced in small steps, many gamelike, and solvable in a short period. "Our thinking approach makes learning fun, motivating and effective. Empowering the mind through critical thinking is one of the best ways to prepare for life's journey," Nile Duppstadt, VP, The Critical Thinking Co., told TDmonthly. Awards: 2009 Teacher's Choice Award for the Family, Learning® Magazine, 2010 Best Products iParenting Media Award, Book category. Launch date: February 5, 2009.

This pad of 38 placemats gives kids and parents games, activities and puzzles to improve manners and social skills. Placemats can be removed for use.

Children can change the bathwater to vibrant colors using these all-natural dye packs that won't stain the tub. They are preservative and chemical free. Each pack contains two blue and one red.

Bugs are pretty common to find around the house, so the children should be able to quickly identify the ladybug, caterpillar and dragonfly. Children can decorate the bugs with colored tissue paper, black sticky dots and colored pom-poms to bring them to life.

Sometimes preparing for the party is almost as fun as having the party itself. Preschool children can wrap this present with ribbon, decorate the cupcakes with sprinkles and glue glitter to the party hats. This activity pack gets everyone into a festive mood.

Children can create colorful butterflies with all the different, tactile and colorful materials found in this kit.

Beach and ocean life is the theme in this activity set. Includes a seahorse, fish, and sandcastle as well as sand.

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes: big, small, fuzzy and hairy. Children can take the crinkly paper, the soft snow, and the fuzzy brown yarn to create their own furry friend.