June 2009 Notable Toys — Arts & Crafts

This biodegradable steamer made from recycled cardboard is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. It includes six non-toxic, washable markers and may be used as a birthday party craft, as a school project or in goodie-bags. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This airplane is designd to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard, it is 100-percent biodegradable and comes with six non-toxic, washable markers. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This fire truck is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard, it is 100-percent biodegradable. The truck comes with six non-toxic, washable markers. It is "perfect for a fire fighter-themed birthday party or school project," Martina McConnon, owner of Creative Toyshop, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This 100-percent biodegradable racecard made out of recycled cardboard is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Six non-toxic, washable markers are included. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

Made from recycled cardboard, this 100-percent biodegradable carriage is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. It comes with six non-toxic, washable markers, and could be used as a birthday party craft or as part of a school project. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This dinosaur is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard and 100-percent biodegradable, it comes with six non-toxic, washable markers and may be used as a craft for birthday parties and goodie-bags. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

The CALAFANT spaceship is designed to be easy to build, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard and 100-percent biodegradable, it comes with six non-toxic, washable markers. "[It's] easy to sell as a goody-bag item for birthday parties: It's a craft-activity and something for the kids to take home," Martina McConnon, owner of Creative Toyshop, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This camper van is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard, it is 100-percent biodegradable. It has six non-toxic, washable markers and could make an ideal craft for birthday parties and goodie bags. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This little house is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard, it is 100-percent biodegradable. It comes with six non-toxic, washable markers, and could make an ideal craft for birthday parties and goodie bags. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

"Our die-cut vinyl designs are superior to paper or cardboard pictures. The peel-off release paper can be 're-attached' to the sticky surface to create your own designs. All products are made in the USA," MaryLee Hanson, owner of ArtiSands, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Fun Stix garage door magnets are a fast, easy and cost-effective way to decorate for holidays and celebrations of all kinds. Most garage doors in the U.S. are made of polymer-coated steel, and Fun Stix are designed to stick to these doors with no effort at all. They're also weather resistant, UV protected, reusable , and won't interfere with the normal operation of garage doors. Fun Stix may also be used on refrigerators or office file cabinets, or in nurseries, daycare centers or classrooms. "Typical magnetic decorations are too heavy. As a result, they are too expensive. ... Fun Stix™ combine plastic die-cut sheeting and magnets to give customers a one-of-a-kind decorative experience saving time, energy and money. Dollar for dollar, customers can decorate four to five times more of their garage doors compared to typical garage door magnets of the same cost," John Delatorre, president of Fun Stix Magnets, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

This soft, pliable, moldable dough is made from water, flour, salt, cream of tartar, canola oil and citric acid. The company uses colors that are made using only all-natural plant and vegetable extracts; no artificial colors or chemicals are used. The Super Mega Fun Pack contains one 4-oz. container of each of the colors (natural, brown, green, orange, pink and yellow) and a little rolling pin in a reusuable cotton bag. "When Happy Fun Dough has come to the end of its long and fruitful life, just put it on your compost pile and reuse or recycle the cute tin container," Christine Stewart, owner of For My Kids, told TDmonthly. This product received Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys of 2009 award. Launch date: November 2008.

These cards are ready for color and decoration. Variety includes Birthday, Thank you, Get Well, Congrats, and General Friendship designs. Perfect for the younger child. 20 cards per book.

Cards with a themed frame on the cover - leaves more room for creativity. Variety includes Birthday, Thank you, Get Well, Congrats, and General Friendship designs. 20 cards per book.

Includes fifteen "Merry Christmas" cards in 5 designs as well as five Christmas Gift Thank You notes. 20 cards per book.

Teachers' Editions have the same card design repeated throughout. Perfect for classroom projects and group settings. 25 cards per book. Also available are Father's Day and Thank You book.

Ideal for beginners! Children can learn three different stitches. Make a 6'''x6''' needlepoint picture, bookmark, and keychain, a 6'''x6''' crosstitch picture and sew a puppy bean bag. Includes all materials needed to complete kit

Cool little albums for BIG TIME fun! Enough to make an entire mini scrapbook! Kits include mini scrapbook with 12 page protectors, 12 pattern sheets, sticker sheets, 3D embellished frames, embellished stickers, foam stickers, confetti, pom poms and rhinestones.

Every teddy bear's got personality, but this one's got yours! With a little TLC and some careful stitching you can sew a puppy and made a friend all in one sitting. This kit includes pre-cut felt, polyfill, embroidery floss, needle, ribbon, and easy to follow instructions. Everything you need to complete one 9-1/2" puppy.

These craft kits let kids build their own bears at home. Kits include materials to make the bear, plus clothing. Large kits come with a diorama and cardboard furniture. This product is licensed from the original Build-a-Bear. Launch date: February 2009.

This little lapdesk is topped by a slate that comes with an attached eraser and a pack of Crayola chalk. Kids can also use the elastic holders to secure a piece of paper and use the desk as a writing surface. Launch date: Spring 2009.

Created in France, these well-crafted wooden car kits, designed to introduce children to the world of woodworking, give children a chance to build something fun for themselves. The kit comes with pre-cut wood, a hammer, sandpaper and glue and dowels for old-world construction, as well as acrylic paints in durable pots, plus two paintbrushes to personalize the project — one for broad painting and one for details. The set features "beech wood components, which is more durable than pine, and everything the child needs is included," Meghan Ristau, sales and marketing manager for Woodland Magic Imports, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2008.

Incrediline's murals and mats are designed to take any kind of permanent or impermanent marker and wipe clean easily without water or cleansers — even months after Junior first scrawled his Hancock.

T-me Design-Your-Own is a do-it-yourself kit that includes everything a child needs to design his or her own wearable artwork. She can draw a picture using the markers and papers in the kit, choose her favorite T-shirt style from the enclosed catalog, and mail the drawing to the company in the pre-paid return envelope. In 10 days, she'll receive her very own wearable art. The kit's T-shirt-shaped packaging converts into an easel-style picture frame so kids can easily display their favorite artwork.