May 2012 Notable Toys — Construction

The book is divided into six themed chapters—transportation, buildings, space, kingdoms, adventure, and useful makes—each with basic templates of key models and spreads to inspire kids to create their own. Hints and tips from Master Builders can help kids turn their classic car into a race car or add a bridge to their castle. Featuring all-new LEGO® building projects, tips to supplement and enhance LEGO creations, inspirational builds, and expert advice from LEGO Master Builders, The LEGO Ideas Book will keep kids of all ages creating for hours. Launch date: September 19, 2012.

Hunt down the Rebels in the iconic TIE Fighter. Equipped with dual flick missiles and opening cockpit, this instantly recognizable and hugely popular starship of the Imperial fleet returns to battle the rebel alliance once again. Includes 4 minifigures: TIE fighter pilot, Imperial officer, Death Star trooper and R5-J2 droid.
— As of 4/11/2012 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 9 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Stonger than previous sets; more representative of the Tie Fighters seen in the movies than previous sets.
— In a May 2013 survey, 50% of retailers surveyed told TDmonthly that LEGO Star Wars was their best-selling line of licensed products.
— Helen Santosuosso, owner of Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., told TDmonthly in a November 2014 survey that LEGO Star Wars is one of their store's best-selling toy lines.

C-3PO and R2-D2 have the secret plans to escape the Death Star, and must avoid capture by heading to the desert planet Tatooine in their escape pod. Will they land safely and avoid being captured by the Imperial sandtroopers on their swoop bike? Includes 4 minifigures: C-3PO, R2-D2 and 2 sandtroopers.
— As of 4/11/2012 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 3 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Design has improved from previous sets; escape pod is larger and more detailed; good assortment of useful LEGO bricks.
— In a May 2012 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that LEGO Star Wars was their best selling licensed product.

Introducing the world-renowned Sydney Opera House. This masterpiece of expressionist architecture is the vision of young Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, whose unique interlocking vaulted ‘shell' design beat 933 competitors from 28 countries to win an international design competition held by the New South Wales Government in 1959. Combined with the beautiful setting of Sydney Harbour, the opera house has become a true symbol of late modern architecture and one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century. This LEGO Architecture series interpretation of the Sydney Opera House was designed by US architect Adam Reed Tucker in collaboration with the LEGO design team.

On a dangerous journey aboard Destiny's Bounty, an ancient shipwreck, Sensei Wu and the ninja have located the powerful golden Hypnobrai staff deep inside of the secret snake shrine. As they land the flying ship in the water to seize the staff, Zane and Jay get a scaly surprise from Hynobrai General Skales and his accomplice warrior, Slithraa. Sensei Wu fires the ship's cannon into the battle until his ancient enemy, Lord Garmadon, appears. Can Sensei Wu protect the Ninjago treasures onboard without the help of the ninjas? Choose the battle in an epic showdown where the fate of the Ninjago world hangs in the balance. Includes 6 minifigures: Sensei Wu, Kendo Zane, Kendo Jay, Lord Garmadon, Skales and Slithraa; Destiny's Bounty ninja ship, snake staff shrine, golden Hypnobrai staff and 16 weapons.
— As of 4/11/2012 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 9 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of minifigs; sets are sturdy enough to play with after building.
— In an April 2012 survey, five of 13 retailers said that LEGO is their best selling construction brand. Melissa McCollum, owner of Learning Express in Hoover, Ala., told TDmonthly that they sell about 150 LEGO sets each month, especially from the Ninjago and DC Universe lines.

String-Along Shapes are first toys that encourage coordination, dexterity, imagination, and simple problem solving. This brightly colored set of 30 maple shapes includes two strings that turn blocks into a train, a caterpillar or a tower. The possibilities are endless and so is the fun. Shapes are approximately 1.25' wide each.

Return to yesteryear with this festive holiday scene. It's a winter wonderland in this snow-covered little town. A special-delivery evergreen, all ready for decorating, arrives at the tree-sellers stand by horse-drawn cart, while ice skaters frolic on the frozen pond with colorful lights and a curious owl perched overhead. Just look out for the freshly-shoveled snow piles one skater has already tumbled in head-first. At the bakery nearby, the friendly baker prepares delicious holiday treats in his oven and rings up sales at the cash register. Push the glowing LEGO Power Functions brick to fill the building with warm interior light. Includes 7 minifigures, snow owl, horse and lots of winter accessories.

LEGO Ninjago Zane DX (2171). Kids spin their way to victory and become a Spinjitzu master. Zane is now a dragon ninja and has reached a level of Spinjitzu ability that allows him to ride the awe-inspiring Ice Dragon. Wearing the white dragon suit and armed with the Shurikens of Ice, no skeleton is a match for him. Use the four battle cards included in the set to influence the battle.
— As of 3/30/2012 this product had 4.3 out of 5 stars from 3 reviews on ToysRUs.com.

Take to the stars in the classic X-wing starfighter. Featuring wings that fold into attack mode, proton torpedoes, retractable landing gear and opening cockpit, this most iconic vehicle of the Star Wars universe returns to turn the tide in the battle against the evil Empire. Includes 4 minifigures: Luke Skywalker, Jek Porkins, R2-D2 and R5-D8.
— As of 3/30/2012 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 6 reviews on Amazon.com.
— In a May 2012 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that LEGO Star Wars was their best selling licensed product.
— In a May 2013 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that LEGO Star Wars was their best-selling construction toy line.

Another stone building set from Anker Blocks, made of natural ingredients, these shapes of stones will allow kids to create endless forms. It contains 20 sample cards to fire kids' imaginations. With 36 stone building bricks made from the original Anker stone material kids can construct creative buildings and let their imagination run riot. There are countless possibilities to build mosaics, aesthetically appealing puzzles and edifices using the stones of the New Stone Age. Made in Germany of chalk, quartz sand, pigments and linseed oil.

The possibilities are endless with the 147-piece Quadrilla Twist and Rail Set. A combination of straight and curved rails and even funnels plus color-coordinated blocks offers a new level of fascination to a build and play toy. Launch date: January 2012.
Awards: 2006 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award; 2007 TDmonthly Top Seller Award; 2007 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award.

This 500 piece model of the Titanic celebrates the 100th anniversary of the doomed ship's voyage.

The Sevi workbench is what every little carpenter dreams about. Each detail is carefully designed by the toy designers from Sevi, a company with a tradition of making great children’s products since 1831. The bench has a nice big work surface (about 18 by 19 inches). There is also a vice and a place to put your tools when finished. The tool bench is designed as a companion product to Sevi’s full range of construction toys. There are five different sets in the construction series (sold separately). In addition to the workbench, the set comes with 20 pieces including nuts, screws, and a set of five tools: mallet, wrench, screw driver, saw, and a square. The size of the pieces are ideal for little fingers just learning to manipulate and develop dexterity. The Sevi workbench is recommended for children ages 3+.

These construction sets offer exciting insights into the world of technics and also foster the technical skills of all amateur craftsmen. 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.

Solid beechwood blocks still made in Germany. Perfect for little architects with the 6 building block clamps, 6 wheel clamps, 3 building block clutches, 11 building blocks. 26 pieces.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

A little buggy with a driver and six different building blocks each with its own surprise, acoustic or visual, for playing, building, assigning, discovering.

Build a five-foot-tall marble track out of paper and tape. Eleven different patterns are printed onto 45 sheets of card stock and cut into strips. The kit comes with five marbles and a detailed instruction manual with over 90 color photographs showing kids how to make each piece and how to connect the pieces together. Made in USA; marbles made in China. "This is the only commercially available marble track kit made out of paper," Andrew Gatt, owner of Paper Roller Coaster Company, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2011.

Little builders with big ideas can work right at this professional-looking station. Shelves and storage keep all the tools and supplies in the 38 piece set within easy reach. Includes an "adjustable height counter that grows with a child," Robin Lehnert, Marketing Manager for Hape North America, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

New fun and colorful GEOMAG set lets kids build and put into motion. Build a spinning top, and put it into motion. Set makes two spinning tops. All components are manufactured to stringent European and American safety standards. GEOMAG E-Motion Power Spin 24 pc Includes: 8 magnetic rods; 8 Non-magnetic steel spheres; 2 performance tips; 1 triangle panel; 1 pentagon panel; 2 graphic discs; 1 triangle pro panel; 1 pentagon pro panel.

Constructed of hardwood & comes with over 38 pieces; skills developed will include the matching of gears, construction building and hours of multiple tasking. Container has handle.

This classic manipulative wooden toy is designed with geometric blocks, large gears, washers and rings, all in bright colors. Geo Blocks & Gears will boost hand/eye coordination and problem solving skills in a fun hands on way. Skills include stacking, matching and making gears fit to turn. Constructed of hardwood and is packaged in a full retail colored box

Multi color. 24 pack in full color display box. Size 10"L x 1"W.
— In a September 2014 survey, Lynda Blankenship from Smart Toys & Books in Knoxville, Tenn., told TDmonthly that What'Zit is one of the store's best-selling novelty toys.

Like how every great inventor has a lab, the Nanopad is the ideal platform for Nanodot creations. Made from a fusion of ferrous metal and fabric, the Nanopad is a flexible double-sided surface that is attracted to magnets but isn’t magnetic. Each Nanopad features an imprinted grid on one side making it an ideal play surface for chess, checkers, go, as well as role-playing and card games. Available in two sizes: 16" and 26".

Nanodots: how do they work? Users can see for themselves with the Magnetic Field Viewer and Splitter. Straight from the labs of Nano Magnetics, the MFV Splitter allows users to see magnetic interactions, carve and divide creations while also serving as a Nanodot ruler.