May 2012 Notable Toys — All

The O3 kids backpacks boast a blend of creativity, functionality and style. All kids backpacks feature a main compartment that is large enough to fit school supplies, including a standard size school folder. Kids can also stay organized with the inner organizer pockets. And because kids already have enough to carry to school, the front pocket is a lunch cooler so they don't have to carry an extra lunch tote. Because we know how important a comfortable backpack is, the straps and back feature padded mesh support for a much more comfortable experience. Launch date: July 2011.

This fairy dress comes complete with glittery wings which are attached. The top is made with blue velour spandex and it has an insert of pink glitter netting adorned with organza ruffle. The skirt showcases petals made with blue and pink glitter netting. The underlayer is made with blue and magenta tulle, and stiff fuchsia organza for volume. The underskirt is made with pink lining to prevent scratching. Launch date: May 2012.

MOGO Shades are the perfect tween accessory featuring retro styling and hot neon colors. Each pair of Shades will hold 2 MOGO Charms - ready for instant personalization. "MOGO Shades let you show the world how you're feeling, what you love or maybe you just want to wear your initials," Katie Elliott, Operations Manager of MOGO Designs, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2009.
Awards: 2011 Dr. Toy's Best Picks New Products; 2011 Parents' Choice Fun Stuff Award; 2012 The Next Big ZING Award, Kid's Category; 2012 Mom's Choice Award, Arts, Crafts & Hobbies

Rockboard takes boarding to an all new level in 2012 with the brand-new Descender, the first of its kind! Featuring innovative high-performance treads never before applied to the boarding experience, this unique cross-over board bridges the gap for summer and winter outdoor sports enthusiasts, enabling riders to “surf” down grass and all-terrain hills. With its four treads positioned around triple sets of wheels for maximum traction and power, The Descender extends the fun of snowboarding and surfing into every season. Launch date: June 2012.
Awards: 2012 TIA Outdoor Toy of the Year

This is a charming fairy dress with glitter wings attached. The top is made with green velour spandex and two-tone green shimmery taffetta, and it's adorned with three burgundy silk flowers. Elasticized straps are embelished with organza capped sleeves.  The wings are made with two-tone green organza. The skirt has a rose lining and layers of magenta and lime green stiff tulle for volume. The petals on the skirt are made with magenta and two-tone green organza. Launch date: May 2012.

Gorgeous fairy dress with a full size stretchy velvet bodysuit. The skirt is made with layers of fuchsia and turquoise tulle, and it's trimmed with hot pink sequins. The top has elasticized straps embellished with sequins, and it's adorned with three silky magenta flowers. Launch date: June 2011.

Tie dye lined bathing bag- meant to hold wet bathing suits and clothes. "Comes with an applique and free necklace," the Vice President of TopTrenz told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2012.

This back pack is tie-dyed for maximum fashion impact. Kids can use it to store their school things, for over nights and sleepovers, or their toys. Launch date: April 2012.

Deluxe Super Scrabble combines the "bigger. better" game play of Super scrabble with an innovative gameboard that holds letter tiles firmly in place. Launch date: July 2012.

The Classic Game of Threezer® Riddles. The fun starts with three seemingly unrelated clues.  What do Roses, Doughnuts and Jurors have in common? Players win the card if their team guesses, “They come in dozens.”  How about A Violinist, An Archer, A Fancy Gift? (They all have bows!) First team to collect the winning number of cards claims victory. TriBond “Threezers” are challenging, clever and contagious. The game’s edge-of-your-seat excitement has sparked sales of over 3 million copies. Launch date: July 2012.

Hold-On Handles is the new, fun and stylish tool to help moms teach young children to stay within arm’s reach in the mall, at the amusement park, or while running errands around town.  Moms share many things, including the stress of their children wandering off. And with all the juggling that mothers have to do, especially if they have multiple children close in age, ensuring that the kids are always safely within arm’s reach and out of danger when out and about is a priority. That’s why we created Hold-On Handles the first stroller accessory and walking rope designed for up to three children ages 18 months and older.  With a quick click of the unique, oversized carabiner, it can transform from stroller accessory to a reinvented walking rope that can be worn comfortably on a parent’s wrist, bag, or through a belt loop. Children befriend the whimsical, colorful handles, freeing up mom or dad’s hands to push the stroller, hold the bags, or open doors. Unlike with restraining and embarrassing harnesses or “leashes,” parents can teach their children to stay “in line” and “hold on” while allowing them their physical liberty.  With Hold-On Handles, moms will feel more confident, and their children can be safer, more active, and happily independent – a far better option, we believe, than a leash or harness. Launch date: September 2010.
Awards: 2011 Top Choice of the Year Award, Creative Child 2011 Four-Star Certified, WTS Toy Review 2011 Cribsie Award Finalist

My Little Puppy just loves play time. He flaps his ears and claps along to "If You're Happy and You Know it, Clap your Hands". This childhood song favorite will get any child up and ready for play time. Launch date: July 2011.

This is an adorable little cape made with green/black laminated foil. The scales are made with yellow felt, and the teeth are made with white flock. Launch date: May 2012.

Our Frog Cape is made with light green crushed panne and it features a laminated hood for structure. The eyes are made with black and white flock, and the mouth and nose are outlined with black flock. Launch date: May 2012.

This charming fairy cape is made with multicolored Tinkerbell panne, and it's trimmed with silver metallic bias. The back is adorned with a set of laminated wings, which are embellished with pink flowers. The front features velcro closure. Launch date: May 2012.

Satin Cape with an overlay of glittery silver organza. The back is embellished with a silver crown. The front has a white bow with a velcro closure, and the cape is trimmed with a silver metallic bias. Launch date: May 2012.
— In a December 2013 survey two out of 10 retailers said that Creative Education costumes were their best-selling Halloween products.

This dress has a top made with fuchsia velour spandex which is adorned with a golden Fleur De Lis. The straps are elasticized for comfort, and the top is trimmed with a fancy golden metallic bias. The skirt has a rose lining to prevent scratching, layers of paris pink tulle for volume, and a top layer made with sparkly netting. Launch date: May 2012.

This beautiful Princess Glitter Dress is a perfect fit for all princesses in training. The top is made with light pink velour, it's adorned with a silver crown, and it's trimmed with a silver metallic bias. The skirt has a pink lining to prevent scratching, a layer of rosette stiff tulle for volume, and it's topped with peony glitter netting. "This dress is our own unique design and it's hand made in Canada," Veesha Knight, Pink Poppy Brand Manager for Creative Education of Canada, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2012.

The mid-sized police station and airport hangar clamp onto a table, door or other surface to create the ultimate adventure, featuring multiple levels, working elevators and clamps. Not for use with some Matchbox vehicles. Each set sold separately.

With a boost, crashing and fast-paced action come to Wall Tracks sets. The booster launches cars up the ramp for anti-gravity thrills. The track works with multiple cars for mid-air madness. And the poster adds a background for the adventure and action. The set and poster can be hung with the included safe-for-walls Command strips from 3M. This set gives new meaning to climbing the walls. Includes 1 car. Not for use with some Hot Wheels vehicles.
— As of 5/10/2012 this product had 2.9 out of 5 stars from 16 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: Difficult to put together; safety button makes it confusing to turn on; the car that comes with the set has difficulty going through the tracks without flipping.

Brainetics teaches how to MASTER all the vitally important learning SKILLS (focus, concentration, problem solving, thinking outside the box, organizational, increased mental capacity and memory) that are rarely taught in schools and people lack throughout their lives. Brainetics TRAINS two different parts of the MIND to work simultaneously yet independently of each other. One part memorizes information while another part is sorting and processing new information. The mind will begin to work much more efficiently and be more powerful giving Brainetics kids a huge advantage throughout their academic lives and beyond. Brainetics can either be learned alone, or entire families can learn together. Package includes 5 DVDs, Parents Manual, Playbook with practices and exercises, flash cards, and playing cards.
Awards: Parents Choice Gold Award; Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys 2012.

Welcome to the City of Light, one of the world's most romantic destinations! From the revered Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame to the majestic Eiffel Tower, from the cabaret venue of Moulin Rouge to the highbrow opera house Palais Garnier, this world-class city offers beaucoup beloved architectural landmarks. Visit a dozen sites, including the Louvre, Pompidou Centre, Musée d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, and more, then fold all away in an élégant slipcase. Launch date: March 2012.

The Samurai Kids are ready to travel back from China to the Cockroach Ryu, nestled in Japan's Tateyama Mountains. But then the unthinkable happens: Kyoko, one of the Cockroaches, is kidnapped. Sensei knows it is the mark of his old enemy Lu Zeng, an evil minister of the Forbidden City who is obsessed with eternal life. The Cockroaches must make a perilous journey to the Forbidden City, during which they encounter the mysterious, forest-dwelling Lin people. But Niya, the boy with one leg, has his trust tested when he learns that his best friend, Yoshi, is keeping secrets. Even worse, it seems that Sensei is not revealing all he knows either. Will all these secrets keep the Cockroaches from achieving their most important mission yet- rescuing Kyoko before Lu Zeng performs horrible experiments on her? Launch date: February 2012.

Frances was nine when she first saw the fairies. They were tiny men, dressed all in green. Nobody but Frances saw them, so her cousin Elsie painted paper fairies and took photographs of them "dancing" around Frances to make the grown-ups stop teasing. The girls promised each other they would never, ever tell that the photos weren't real. But how were Frances and Elsie supposed to know that their photographs would fall into the hands of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? And who would have dreamed that the man who created the famous detective Sherlock Holmes believed ardently in fairies - and wanted very much to see one? Mary Losure presents this enthralling true story as a fanciful narrative featuring the original Cottingley fairy photos and previously unpublished drawings and images from the family's archives. Launch date: March 2012.