March 2012 Notable Toys — Construction

Take the Lego Friends fun to the tree tops with Olivia’s Tree House. All of the friends love meeting in this treetop retreat to play games and camp out under the stars. Climb the folding ladders to watch the ladybirds, catch butterflies and feed the cat. Watch the ocean waves or wish on stars through the telescope. Stash secret treasures in the hidden compartment and decorate the whole fort with wildflowers. Includes Olivia mini-doll figure, and features the tree house pet cat Maxie, 4 ladybirds, a bird Goldie with birdhouse, 4 butterflies, hidden compartment and folding ladders.
— As of 02/28/2012 this product had 4.9 out of 5 stars from 19 reviews on Amazon.com.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

The General of the Hypnobrai snake tribe, Skales, is using mind control to stop Cole from taking the golden Hypnobrai staff with its powerful anti-venom. Counterattack his hypnotic powers with Cole's Tread Assault vehicle. Launch the rock shooter and ninja blades. Flip the Tread Assault vehicle over for a surprise attack. Stop Skales and his mind-controlling minions by grabbing that staff. Includes Cole ZX and Skales minifigures, Tread Assault vehicle, golden Hypnobrai staff, golden scythe and mini-snake.

Children use their building skills to create machines, buildings, robots, and more from their imagination. Easy to grasp Magic Brix assist children with fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, logic, creativity and sensory awareness. Just put two blocks together and apply pressure to connect them. The littlest kids can create houses, vehicles, animals, or whatever their minds dream up.

This set includes 41 magnetic geometric shapes that can be creatively combined to animal shapes, people, patterns, and more. The set includes 24 design suggestions cards to get the creative juices flowing.

Thanks to the pre-cut wooden pieces budding craftsmen have immediate construction pleasure without having to do any sawing. Thanks to the easy to read instructions assembling the pieces is very simply. The construction sets bring physics within easy reach and are real fun to assemble, and then to observe and test the results. More than 50 wooden pieces to glue and assemble together (3 mm strong waterproof plywood), 2 plastic swimming elements, 3 plastic bushings, 5 propulsion rubbers, glue.

Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture. It is regarded as the finest surviving example of 17th century Japanese castle architecture.  It comprises a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakurojo ("White Egret Castle") or Shirasagijo  ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight. More than 2,000 pieces.

Stack and tumble, build and crumble with these soft fabric blocks. This set of four blocks, each featuring different patterns and characters, are sure to make playtime a blast for babies 3 months and up.
— As of 12/13/2011 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews on Amazon.com

A rainbow of five rings fits over a cone with rocking base. Stacking toys help baby develop fine motor skills while encouraging cognitive abilities. Made of teethable material.
— As of 12/13/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 164 reviews on Amazon.com.

Harry, Ron and Hermione often visit Hagrid in his hut on the Hogwarts grounds. Sometimes their visits are uneventful – but other times, a visit to Hagrid can lead to adventure. Includes 6 characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Hagrid, Norbert and Aragog. Hagrid's Hut features light up fire place. Furnishings, such as chairs, a table, a stove, and pots and pans also included. 442 LEGO pieces.
— As of 12/16/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 28 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of great details inside the hut; a great selection of mini-figs; detailed instructions. Cons: Not very durable once it is built; a bit small.

The Hub features new attachments, including the wheel and more imagination pieces, allowing kids to invent more complex structures. Build a go—cart, a rover, or a roaming character on a secret mission. Comes with over 60 attachments. Set Contains: 2 flexible OGOBILD balls, 4 wheels, 16 connectors, 11 joints, 5 wings, 25 imagination pieces.

Block Mates build upon the foundation of unit blocks by providing children with a themed exploration set, designed to enhance the original principles of block—building. All Block Mates are designed to fit standard unit blocks and can be built in their natural form or mixed and matched with others in the set to create new, imaginative vehicles or creatures. Patented gasket design ensures a snug fit. Set of 4 construction vehicles: Dump Truck, Sanitation Truck, Back Hoe and Cement Mixer. Features rugged sure—grip wheels with steel axles. Blocks not included.