March 2011 Notable Toys — Licensed Products

Join Thomas the Tank Engine and all his railway pals as they celebrate the joy and surprises of birthdays in Thomas & Friends: The Birthday Express. Thomas & Friends continues to teach timeless life lessons such as discovery, friendship and cooperation, inviting children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Birthdays always come with surprises when your engine friends are part of the celebration. Percy must safely deliver a beautifully wrapped present, while Thomas encounters a mystery as he takes Sir Topham Hatt to the party. Includes four episodes and two special bonus features. Total running time: 46 minutes. Launch date: May 17, 2011.

Disney dolls let kids live a royal lifestyle with their favorite princess. Rapunzel's hand sculpted face has a matte porcelain finish and her eyes are of the highest grade of glass Macor eyes. Her hair is made of hand-rooted hair imported from Japan called Kanekalon. A signature tiara with a high gloss metallic finish is accented with rhinestones. Rapunzel has satin shoes that can be removed. Six points of articulation make for a greater range of poseablity. Rapunzel features: 18 inches of beautiful hair, Dressed in high style fashion inspired by the Tangled movie. Set comes with 1 Doll, 1 Dress, 1 Tiara, 1 Pair of Earrings, and 1 Pair of Shoes.

Dinosaur Train Dino Poop Kit let's kids discover what the dinosaur ate. Kids can create their own fossil imprint with what they find. It's not real poop...but it sure does feel like it. Assortment Includes: Buddy - Carnivore, Tank - Herbivore, Mr. Conductor - Omnivore.

The path is filled with excitement and danger: will players master the four constructs that they need to defeat Parallax? Once players have the constructs- and the Green Lantern ring- go to the lantern and see if the ring comes up lit. If it does, players light up their ring and win. "Based on the upcoming Warner Brothers feature film, Green Lantern, this game includes an exclusive Green Lantern light-up ring," Jim Pressman, President of Pressman Toy Corp, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

CandyRific introduces new candy novelties that combine the iconic M&M'S Characters, delicious M&M'S Chocolate Candies and world-famous Star Wars movie characters. New items include M&M’ Brand Star Wars Fans, M&M’S Brand Star Wars Coin Banks, M&M’S Brand Star Wars 9”& 12” Dispensers and an M&M’S Brand Star Wars Lightsaber. Launch date: February 2011.

Based on characters from the cult classic movie, these plastic and resin figures will be released in two lines, one in Spring 2011 and one in the summer. They include a moving eye feature which enables the user to roll their eyes.

The race is on to see who will make it to the Fountain of Youth first. Will Jack Sparrow be outsmarted by Blackbeard or wooed by Angelica, or will he beat his rivals to the coveted pools of eternal youth? Set includes Jack Sparrow, Barbossa with peg leg and Blackbead minifigs, plastic waterfall detail and two chalices. Launch date: May 2011.

Includes Jack Sparrow and two Zombie minifigs, buildable shelf and two ships in a bottle. Launch date: May 2011.

At White Cap Bay, Jack Sparrow and the other pirates must capture a mermaid. Spot them using the searchlight and shoot the net from the boathouse cannon. But beware- if the whale oil tips over, the whole lighthouse is sure to go up in flames. Includes Jack Sparrow, three mermaids and three other pirate minifigs, mini-boat with pirates’ victims, crewmates and a collapsing lighthouse. Launch date: May 2011.

One player draws a construction card and builds the structure shown. Next, an opponent loads an Angry Bird onto the launcher and catapults the bird to knock down structures and pigs. The player with the most points and knockdowns wins. Features three Angry Birds, four green pigs, one slingshot-style launcher, structure pieces and multiple mission cards. For one or more players. Launch date: May 2011.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 3.9 out of 5 stars from 252 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Great alternative to the app for parents who want to reduce kids' screen time; fun for the family to play together; helps kids develop dexterity and patience. Cons: Certain structures are too elaborate to build and don't seem to be grouped in the correct level of difficulty; kids with short attention spans may lose interest in building the structures; structures are easy to knock down, which can be frustrating for younger players.

Authentic cloth sails, a retractable crow’s nest, canon with working projectile and launching deck complete Blackbeard's ship. Once you capture your rival, use the retractable plank walk and send him to his doom. Midsection opens for inside play; detachable longboat also included. Launch date: March 2011.

The 2-in-1 Kre-o Transformers Bumblebee set allows fans to create and recreate their favorite Autobot character in ‘robot’ mode or in ‘vehicle’ mode. In ‘robot’ mode, builders can convert the wings on Bumblebee into a glider for Kreonmini figures to balance on. In ‘vehicle’ mode, open up the driver’s door and take up to two Kreonmini figures for a spin. Set includes two Kreon mini figures and more than 300 pieces.  Launch date: Fall 2011.

In anticipation of Columbia Pictures’/Sony Pictures Animation’s 3D release “The Smurfs,” in theaters August 3, 2011, Pressman Toy Corporation announces a licensing deal to create games and puzzles based on the movie. Pressman Toy’s games and puzzles will be available for purchase at mass and specialty retailers nationwide in July 2011. Race to Smurfs Village is a board game where players choose their favorite Smurfs character and try to be the first to get to their village. Special spaces help players get closer to the village, while others will set them back. Launch date: Summer 2011.

This game of skill features Erik balancing atop of blocks of ice that must be carefully pushed out one by one. Pressman Toy has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to produce a line of board games and puzzles based on Warner Bros. Pictures’ highly anticipated computer-animated family film Happy Feet 2. A follow up to director George Miller’s 2006 Academy Award-winning Best Animated Feature Film, Happy Feet, Miller’s Happy Feet 2 will be presented in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and will make its theatrical debut on November 18, 2011. Launch date for game: Fall 2011.

The LEGO DUPLO ZipBin Legoville Toy Box and Playmat has a colorful city theme and can be used as a fun storage container for DUPLO blocks as well as an easy to clean playmat. Sturdy, strong, stackable, portable. DUPLO Blocks not included.

The LEGO DUPLO ZipBin Toy Box and Playmat has a colorful animal theme and can be used as a fun storage container for DUPLO blocks as well as an easy to clean playmat. Sturdy, strong, stackable, portable. DUPLO Blocks not included.

Among the sand and glitter in the I Spy Wonder Tubes are I Spy pictures. Find the floating pictures in the tube to answer the I Spy riddle/rhymes. There are three different sets of riddles and five different colors to collect. "The I Spy Wonder Tubes are unique because they feature the I Spy images AND I Spy riddles," Carol Comes, senior product manager at Briarpatch Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2011.

Let's get ready to read with I Spy! Players read the riddle on their gameboard, find the objects the riddle refers to, and punch them out. The game can be played in reverse by reading the riddles, naming the objects, and placing them back into your board. The game develops necessary pre-reading, verbal, and visual skills. "I Spy Ready To Read uses unique I Spy imagery and riddles to encourage kids into learning to read," Carol Comes, senior product manager at Briarpatch Inc., told TDmonthly.

With the help of WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face, kids twist the rings to learn how to use consonants and vowels to build new words. Line up a letter on the left, and twist the next ring to find letters that make words from two to six letters long. Rings can be removed and rearranged. In addition, letters have numerical values, so kids can work on their math skills as they find words with bigger scores.

This matching game features a 3-level spinner as well as a riddle challenge at the end of each round. I Spy Spectacular includes 36 double-sided cards featuring different levels of play for younger and older players. "Our 3-level spinner is truly a unique aspect in the world of matching games," Carol Comes, senior product manager at Briarpatch Inc., told TDmonthly.

With the help of Clifford and his Friends, kids can twist the rings and match everyday items with their proper category. For example, line up the word "winter," and twist the rings to line up earmuffs, warm hat, scarf, gloves and snow boots. Helps develop logical thinking as well as motor skills.

This plush Good Night Moon Bunny Storytime Pal features a stuffed animal with a child sized blanket folded inside. When the blanket is removed children can snuggle up and use the stuffed animal as a pillow. The blanket zips on and off and is machine washable; the Zoobie stuffed animal is held in shape by two velcro tabs.
— In late Spring 2011, Melodie Ingwersen, owner of Creative Kids in in Columbia Ill., said of the Storytime pals from Zoobies: "They did a real good job transporting the character to a Zoobie,” and they're only $1-2 more than the non-licensed characters. She told TDmonthly that these were among her best-selling licensed products.

Kids can talk to Dora and her friends when they use the colorful Dora the Explorer Talk And Explore Cell Phone. The phone contains pre-recorded, bi-lingual messages, and includes a blue butterfly phone charm. As of 1.06.2011 this product was listed as a bestseller in the Pretend Play & Dress Up category on Toysrus.com. Pros: Colorful; comes with phone charm; bilingual.

Based on the popular TV series, kids can play out battles between their Beyblade tops in this colorful arena. Set includes SUPER VORTEX Beystadium arena, 2 exclusive Beyblade Metal Fusion tops, 2 ripcord launchers, 24 tournament grids, official rule book and 2 collector cards. As of 1.06.2011 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 58 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 27 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games. Pros: Engaging; encourages critical/creative thinking. Cons: Plastic arena may not hold up to aggressive play.