June 2011 Notable Toys — Infant & Toddler

Invented by a British mother of six, My Wee Friend is a simple potty training method. It is a black disc which adheres to the bottom of a training potty. When the child uses the potty, the disc temporarily reveals a smiling face, then reverts to black. It can be left in the potty, cleaned as usual and reused for up to 12 weeks. Suitable for both boys and girls, it motivates the child and reinforces consistency. It is available in nine designs.

SeatSnug can easily be added to a vehicle’s existing seatbelt to allow the lap belt to be lightly tightened around a child’s hips.  This prevents looseness in the lap belt to enhance seatbelt performance, resulting in increased safety and improved comfort.  SeatSnug secures and stabilizes the child and the booster seat, yet allows the shoulder belt to operate normally for free upper body movement. "Formal crash tests have shown that SeatSnug significantly reduces the potential for injury when used with current vehicle seatbelts.  In one set of replicated real world tests, SeatSnug reduced the impact forces in a 30 mph frontal impact simulation by 7 Gs at the chest and 11 Gs at the hips of a 6 year old child test dummy," Bruce Mather, CTO and President of Lap Belt Cinch, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2011 Australian Automotive Aftermarket Assoc. “Best New Aftermarket Accessory” Award; 2010 Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Design & Innovation;” 2010 The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2010 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association Global Media Award; 2009 BRAKE Fleet Safety Forum “Fleet Safety Product Award;” 2008 Adaptive Driving Alliance Finalist for the “New Technology Award;” 2007 National Street Machine Club Seal Of Approval; 2006 Ben Franklin “Most Innovative Product or Service” Award.

Baby Diner attaches to any smooth table top or structure and allows a parent or guardian to secure all types of smooth-bottom plates, bowls and any other dinnerware to prevent young children from accidentally knocking or throwing dishes on the floor. "Baby Diner can be used with all types of dishware such as: Ceramic, Glass, Plastic, Melamine and Stoneware dishes," Jesse Mills, Owner/CEO of Lil Diner, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2009 Best of Utah.

For infants from 3 months to 24 months. A fun new design from the creative minds at Baby Banana Brush. The Baby Sharky Brush is still made from the highest quality medical grade silicone. His “teeth” are actually short massaging bristles, and his fins give babies additional places to chew. In fact, Baby Sharky can stand up all on his own using his unique back fins.

For infants ages 3 months and up. Thick, massaging bristles are perfect for sore teething gums. “A-peel-ing” handles are easy for little hands to hold, or for a parent to loop a binki strap through. Dishwasher and Freezer Safe. Made from highest quality medical grade silicone. Teething and brushing can be fun!
Awards: 2010 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.

Geared toward preschoolers, Juno Jr. expands on the Emmy Award-winning Juno Baby line with original orchestral music, rich story lines and a deep emphasis on music education and appreciation. Join Juno and her brother, Rai Rai, as they take an adventure to the imaginary, magical, musical world of Harmonia Springs. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need.  

Geared toward preschoolers, Juno Jr. expands on the Emmy Award-winning Juno Baby line with original orchestral music, rich story lines and a deep emphasis on music education and appreciation. Join Juno and her brother, Rai Rai, as they take an adventure to the imaginary, magical, musical world of Harmonia Springs. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need. 

Join Juno and her friends as they take a lyrical journey through the alphabet, learning the letters one by one. Featuring rhymes, colorful images of the Juno characters and an introduction to various musical fundamentals. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need.

Almost real-life version of Juno Baby's adorable puppet character. This Bunny features an adorable necklace and pom pom hair clips. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need.

Almost real-life version of Juno Baby's puppet character. Part of the Juno Baby plush collection, a huggable extension of the Emmy award winning characters. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need.

Featuring the Emmy Award winning original classical music of mom and composer Belinda Takahashi, PhD, young children laugh, sing and learn as they interact with Juno and her puppet friends. Sing out loud with the Juno Baby cast of characters as they joyfully sing to our very own original music performed by live orchestral musicians. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need.

Shhh…it’s time to listen and enjoy this beautiful instrumental collection of Juno Baby songs performed by live orchestral musicians. Perfect for lighthearted listening and quiet time. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need.

Featuring the Emmy Award winning original classical music of mom and composer Belinda Takahashi, PhD, young children laugh, sing and learn as they interact with Juno and her lovable puppet friends.  The best of all worlds: a collection of your favorite Juno Baby sing along tunes, as well as our original instrumental pieces performed by live orchestral musicians. Also, includes two bonus tracks by Handel and Debussy. For every Juno product purchased, the Juno Company donates a music education DVD to a child in need. Includes collection of Sing Along tunes as well as original instrumental pieces.

4ct. Washable finger paint set in primary colors. Bold colors formulated to wash esily from skin and clothing. Red, blue yellow and green.
— As of 06/08/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 28 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Washes off very easily, even after dry; squeeze top bottle is good for use with younger children; No reviews below 3 stars. Cons: Smells bad; washes off hard surfaces easily but may stain some clothing.

This colorful rattle comes in a twisted barbell design. The transparent plastic ends hold colorful balls that rattle when baby shakes the toy.
— As of 05/31/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 58 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lightweight; bright colors; easy for small hand to grab; not overly loud.  Cons: The plastic is hard, and one parent complained that their child kept hitting itself in the face, and needed a softer rattle; one reviewer said her baby liked a different rattle that was easier to hold.

The Intex Mushroom baby pool features a built-in mushroom shade for added comfort on hot days. It has a soft, inflatable floor that allows for gentle play. Adult supervision required at all times.
— As of 06/02/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 12 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Shade keeps baby protected from sun; easy to blow up; inexpensive. Cons: One customer said one of the floats that came with the pool had a hole in it; if you aren't kneeling next to the pool when the top is on it's hard to see the baby in the pool.

This award-winning patented cloth pocket diaper is made with sturdy snap closures, which are made to last and require no maintenance. FuzziBunz diapers have no Velcro®, so they won't fray, collect lint or snag your baby's clothes. FuzziBunz come in a variety of sweet and fun colors and they fit snugly on your baby without the added bulk that  comes with most one-size diapers. They offer "Lots of adjustability with 30+ adjustable buttons and snap settings to adjust waist, leg casings and rise. It is the most adjustable one-size diaper," Ashley Boudreaux, marketing director at FuzziBinz, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2007 Iparenting Media; 2008 PTPA Media; 2009 Best of Business Awards; 2010 Stevie Awards: Best New Product of the Year; 2010 Stevie Awards: Most Innovative Company

This 22 piece rattling building block set was designed specially for Little Builders. Shake, rattle, and build with these colorful blocks sized for little hands. Launch date: June 2011.
Awards: Dr. Toy 10 Best Toys of 2011

Dado Bricks are interlocking cardboard bricks, measuring 12 inches long x 6 inches deep x 3 inches high. Kids can use these stacking bricks to create kid-scale structures...walls, castles, forts, secret hide-outs, or even attractive room decor. Unlike other simple cardboard blocks on the market, the Dado Cardboard Bricks contain a protruding pair of square nubs along with a matching set of recessed square indentations. The result is a cardboard brick that when stacked, will not easily tumble and can retain a rigid structure. "The ONLY interlocking cardboard block on the market," Erik Quam, Director of Product Development at Fat Brain Toy, told TDmonthly.

"While there are several stacking toys on the market, none of them are circular and included the added element of balance.  Tobbles is a stacking toy which encourages children to explore and discover," Erik Quam, Director of Product Development at Fat Brain Toy, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2011 Finalist for ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids
— Melodie Ingwersen, owner of Creative Kids Inc in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly in an April 2012 survey about best selling infant & toddler products that they sell 2-3 dozen Tobbles each month.

The multi-functional Play With Me Gym provides an ideal stage for growth as it keeps little minds fully occupied and alert. Built in concert with Bkids proprietary and innovative Loop ‘n Link system, the overhead bars are a perfect place to attach the collect ‘n connect plush animals from the Bebee and Friends collection. The soft, cushy frame provides a safe place for babies to rest making the Play With Me Gym an ideal nap time companion. Launch date: February 2011.

With it's innovative flipping mechanism, Wishbone Flip transforms from rocker to ride-on in seconds. Eye-catching and super-functional, Wishbone Flip is the perfect first birthday present. It’s an heirloom quality, transformable toy, packed with personality. Made from plantation birch for ages 1 to 5. "Wishbone Flip has an impressively simple flipping mechanism making it easy to transform Flip from rocking to ride-on toy and back again in seconds," Jennifer McIver, managing director at Wishbone Design Studio, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 2011.

Nourish Toddler celebrates a toddler's growing independence with an easy-to-use, impossible to spill and healthy drink of their own. It is 10 oz of purified spring water in a unique, patented bottle designed for little hands and complete with a spill-proof sippy top. Nourish is also BPA-free, Phthalate-free, made in the USA and 100% recyclable and reusable. Toddlers can now quench their thirst without drenching themselves and everything around them. ""Nourish Toddler is the only 100% spill-proof sippy cup on the market,"" Brittany Roderick from Nourish Inc told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 MAX Award for Most Innovative New Product in Georgia; 2011 Water Innovation Award: Runner Up for Best New Water Brand

Nourish Baby eases the stress of feeding time on the go. It is 8 oz of pre-measured purified spring water with a wide neck for easy formula mixing. Nourish is also BPA-free, Phthalate-free, made in the USA and 100% recyclable and reusable. ""Nourish Baby is like no other baby bottle because it already comes with water in it and is the first immediate consumption drink for babies on the market,"" Brittany Roderkick, from Nourish Inc, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 MAX Award for Most Innovative New Product in Georgia; 2011 Water Innovation Award: Runner Up for Best New Water Brand