June 2009 Notable Toys — Arts & Crafts

This set for portraits contains a 12-piece selection of smooth, blendable oil pastels to create natural skin tones. Expressionist oil pastels are formulated with extra-fine quality pigments, wax and oil. Artists blend to create genuine complexions for portraits. The product is ACMI Non-toxic certified and may be used on paper, cardboard, canvas and wood. Also available is Expressionist Extender, a unique oil pastel medium that extends a color’s hue range. "Expressionist oil pastels are the standard by which all other oil pastels are judged," Linda Lyon, marketing specialist for Sakura of America, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 24, 2009.

Like all Scribble Mats!, this durable vinyl place mat is designed to provide hours of fun and creativity. Kids can learn as they color. Each mat comes with a box of four crayons. Scribble Mats! may be used at school, home, restaurants, or during travel. "Color on Wipe off Scribble Mats! are made with our signature surface that allows any waxed based crayon to wipe clean and easy with a dry paper towel or cloth. Kids can color again and again," Andi Thea of Scribble Mats! told TDmonthly. This product received a 2003 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toy award. Launch date: July 2003.

There's no limit to what you can make with this beautiful collection of materials! With simple tips and lots of examples for inspiration, cut, glue and sew ornaments, bookmarks, jewelry, cards, mobiles, gift tags, collages & more! Two bonus projects in every kit! Turn the box into a mailbox, birdhouse or special treasure box. The inner tray is perfect for framing your art. Ages 8 and up
— "I love these craft kits because the materials used are so incredible. Kids get to play with 100-percent wool felt, glass and wood beads, and beautiful handmade paper. It’s an added bonus that the company has skipped excessive packaging and uses 100-percent post-consumer waste recycled paper, reusable bags and vegetable-based inks," said Autumn Orndorff, gift buyer for Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Ariz., after discovering Artterro kits at ASTRA Marketplace 2009.

Complete cooking sets for kids made with delicious Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies! No beaters, blenders or knives are required, making these products safe, simple, educational and above all, fun! The color-coded measuring cups, spoons and recipes take the difficulty of measuring and mixing out of cooking. For ages 5 and up.

This CALAFANT Dollhouse comes complete with balcony and two big rooms on the backside. All doors open. Made from recycled material and is 100% biodegradable. Decorate inside and outside, create wallpaper and pictures. Ideal in size for play with 3" dolls and animals. Assembled product is approx. 15" x 7" x 16"

High quality cardboard fort with 2 teepees. Can be colored as shown or with one's own creative design. Once colored in, the fort and teepees become a pretend play environment. The fort's size is ideal for play with 3" dolls and animals. Approximate size: 14" x 14" x 9"(fort) and 5" x 4" x 8"(tepee). Made from recycled material and is 100% biodegradable.

Beautiful castle for every princess, fairy, king and queen. Color with the included 12 markers (non-toxic, washable) or decorate it with many other materials or paints. Approximate size: 9" x 9" x 11".

Ahoy! This pirate ship is ready for new adventures in no time. Decorate it in your very own colors. 12 washable, non-toxic markers included. Built with eco-friendly materials. Approximate size: 10" x 8" x 5".

Cozy little farm house with stable. Easy to fold and color, and can be used to play with existing farm animal figurine toys. 12 non-toxic, washable markers included. Approximate size: 14" x 11" x 5"

The PocketKiddy is a smaller version of the TravelKiddy for the purse, diaper bag or pocket.  It contains crayons, mini activity book, stickers and more. Minor mishaps are no problem as wipes, tissues and bandages are included.

Similar to the TravelKiddy for ages 6 plus but with activities selected for the younger user.  Designed to keep the young kids occupied during the long car rides and plane trips. Wipes, tissues and bandages are included in every TravelKiddy to take care of minor mishaps along the way.  Included also is a foam core board so there is a hard surface on which to color or do crafts.

Contains age appropriate crafts, stickers, activity books, 3-d puzzles, small toys, crayons in a durable container, doodle pad, pencil, tape measure, pre-stamped design-your-own post cards and more.  Each easy to carry, durable bag is designed to provide over 7 hours of entertainment. The return kit is separately packaged so the TravelKiddy can be refilled with new toys, crafts and activities for the trip home.

Packaged in a purple box, this craft set includes a mirror fit for royalty, stickers, gems that sparkle, and both craft and glitter glue.

Complete with photos, drawings, footnotes and diagrams, this guide boasts 300+ entries, including how-tos such as “How to Do a Wheelie” and “How to Really Annoy Your Older Sibling.” The book received a National Parenting Publications Gold Award.

An update on our classic Sticky Mosaics® Jewelry Box design, this product features a beautiful fairy and flowers to decorate it. It includes one numbered Jewelry Box and more than 1,000 sticky foam and jewel pieces. "While there are many other Jewelry Box kits on the market, ours stands above. Our easy to use number-to-color matching system creates perfect results every time, providing a child with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment," Damien Crocker, sales and marketing representative for The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2009.
—John MacDougall listed Sticky Mosaics as best sellers in his store, Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., in summer 2009.

Kids can create four fabulous designs with this kit, which includes numbered templates and a number-to-color matching legend designed to make it fun and simple. It comes with four templates, four wall hangers and more than 3,000 sticky foam and jewel pieces. "Our number-to-color matching system ensures a perfect picture every time. A child does not need to be artistic to create their own masterpiece to give as a gift or hang on their wall," Damien Crocker, sales and marketing representative for The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 15, 2009.

This kit is designed to make it easy to create six stunning tiaras with sparkling jewels and foam stickers. Ideal for birthdays, slumber parties or make-believe, the kit includes six tiaras and more than 1,000 sticky foam sparkle, foil and jewel pieces. "Twinkle Tiaras represent a new take on the make-believe market. It allows children to create their own tiara to help them rule over their very own magical kingdom. Not only does this product help promote creativity, but also provides a huge sense of accomplishment," Damien Crocker, sales and marketing representative for The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 15, 2009.
— "[It's] great for a party activity or just [to] wear around the house," Elisabeth Dahl of Calico Cat Toy Shop in Bainbridge Island, Wash., told TDmonthly following the 2009 ASTRA trade show.

Just the right size for a variety of tiny treasures, jewelry or other extra-special keepsakes, this miniature craft kit from Melissa & Doug comes with four pots of paint, a brush, glitter, white glue, and glittering gems to decorate the lidded, heart-shaped box.
— “It's a party favor. A cute and fun activity,” Linda Rocco, owner of Gummy Lump Toys in Medford, N.Y., told TDmonthly when asked about top-selling activity kits in spring 2009.
— Seven of 49 retailers surveyed in April 2009 listed Melissa & Doug as a top-selling activity brand in their stores.
— Bill Sartain, owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah, told TDmonthly in a May 2014 survey that items from the Melissa & Doug "Decorate Your Own..." line are their best-selling activity kits.

With My Giant Busy Box, kids can craft and create with two frames, four animal punch outs, 10 colors of dough, two peel-and-stick tissue art pictures, plenty of tissue paper, and glue. All the supplies come in a handy storage box with an easy tote-along handle.
— “It's awesome,” said Vicki Davis, owner of Children's Prep in Atlanta, Ga. In an April 2009 survey of best-selling activity kits and playsets, Davis reported sales of about a dozen per month.
— About 10 percent of 49 retailers named Alex as a best-selling activity kit line in spring 2009.

Hear it crackle and feel it crinkle while you make animals, decorate frames and pencil cups, or roll it into a real bouncing ball. This special sculpting mix dries by itself, turning your idea into a fun work of art or keepsake. Foamfetti™ sticks to itself, to unfinished wood, and to paper. It’s easy to make all sorts of cool stuff with Foamfetti!

Includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, white, and black.

Hear it crackle and feel it crinkle while you make animals, decorate frames and pencil cups, or roll it into a real bouncing ball. This special sculpting mix dries by itself, turning your idea into a fun work of art or keepsake. Foamfetti™ sticks to itself, to unfinished wood, and to paper. It’s easy to make all sorts of cool stuff with Foamfetti!

Includes red, blue, yellow, green, and orange.

From Original Life-size Painted Ponies to best-selling books and figurines, The Trail of Painted Ponies have become the most beloved collectible in America. It is now our pleasure to let the sun shine across the country and around the world with The Trail of Painted Ponies Art Glass. Each Painted Ponies piece is hand-crafted with exquisite attention to detail and is a dazzling work-of-art. This art panel is 19.25"x14.25"

These colorful, non-toxic crayons do not need sharpening as they simply twist from the bottom to expose more crayon. The package measures 5.5” x 3” x 1”.
— The Hello Kitty brand is a consistent top seller at Melody’s Choices in Fayetteville, Ark., Owner Steve Melody told TDmonthly in April 2009.

There are two pre-printed styles of tote bags to choose from. Girls can add glitter glue and gems according to the instructions. The kit includes the Fashion Angels Cooler Jeweler gem and stud setting tool to keep the bling on the bag. "The item is something functional and results in a professional looking tote bag, not like a craft project — all for a great price," Sarah Koth, PR manager for Fashion Angels Enterprises, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.