June 2011 Notable Toys — Preschool

Specially designed for bathtime fun, Tidoo is soft and posable and so light that it floats.
Filled with polystyrene "beads" that dry quickly, Tidoo can play out of the tub, too; it can even suck its thumb. Tidoo baby dolls can wear any fashion from the Mon Premier collection. Corolle also offers a wide selection of nursery accessories specially sized for Tidoo. 12 inches tall. Blue sleeping eyes.
— In a Summer 2011 survey 10 of 14 retailers told TDmonthly that dolls from Corolle were their best-sellers. Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr,  Pa., said they sell 6-10 Corolle dolls per month, and that Tidoo is the best-seller.
— Rebecca Goblish, owner of Picayune Toys in Dunwoody, Ga., told TDmonthly in a Summer 2011 survey that dolls from Corolle are in her top-three best-selling products.
— In a June 2014 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Corolle makes their best-selling dolls.

Caillou preschool products: Stimulate the imagination and creativity while participating in emotional development. Improve sociability and language. For boys and girls.

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.

New firefighting engine friends Flynn and Belle come to the rescue with Thomas in the all-new, CG-animated adventure Thomas and Friends™: Day of the Diesels - The Movie coming to DVD, Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack, Digital Download and On Demand. When Thomas starts spending all of his time with Sodor’s newest heroes, Percy is drawn to the Dieselworks, where he is made to feel special by the master of mischief himself, Diesel 10. But Percy doesn’t know that he is part of Diesel 10’s master plan to take over the Steamworks. Running time: 58 minutes. Also available in a DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack for $24.99.

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. 

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. After Bunny’s “serenade stand” doesn’t live up to her expectations, Indie hires her to be his own, personal “One Bunny Band.” Indie gets more than he bargains for as Bunny misses the music mark time and time again. But in the end, Bunny and her friends learn how to put feeling into their music through concepts such as tempo, dynamics and articulation. 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.

A battery-operated bump and go train with lights, sounds and moving picture panel has bubbles that shoot from the smoke stack. Bubbles included. Requires five "AA" batteries, not included. Measures 6.75"L x 9"W x 5"H.

The Step2 Naturally Playful Sandbox has four molded-in "cornerstone" seats, and a sunshine-motif lid that protects sand from weather and critters. It can also double as a large planter. Fully assembled. Sand and sand toys are not included. Step2 Naturally Playful Sandbox holds up to 200lbs of sand. It is approximately 15.5" Height x 44" Width x 32" Depth.

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.

The CAT Excavator has a large resin digging shovel, and  dual action levers for easy scooping and dumping.  The sturdy blow molded resin body rotates 360 degrees, and sits on 4 rolling wheels to easily move forward and backwards.

The Kiddi-o Air Junior is a size-adjustable, tipping-resistant trike for young children.  The Kiddi-o product line from China continues the tradition of the KETTLER German made trikes sharing some of the same features at a value price. It has the patented Limited Turn Radius to reduce tipping. Patented Quik-Adjust frame to easily adjust the size to fit different aged children. Comes with Tubeless Air Tires for a smooth and quiet ride. Attached the included Push-bar and take a stroll through the park.      

The Anchors Away Pirate Ship is made of durable plastic construction and features two fun characters, a squirting shark and a constant running water fountain. Kids can keep the water moving by pumping or pouring the water into the crows nest; the spinners cause a current in the ship which moves floating objects around. Kids can aim and squirt water from the water cannon to see the steering wheel spin, and the anchor raises and lowers by cranking the handle.
— As of 6/6/2011 this product had 3.2 out of 5 stars from 39 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Interactive; keeps kids engaged. Cons: Numerous reports of the plank and the cannon squirter breaking; expensive; water flow in fountain isn't strong enough to make the wheels spin smoothly.

ZOOB is a building set with a difference—the pieces move after kids put them together. So kids can play with their creations, instead of just looking at them. ZOOB JR. provides ZOOB’s award-winning creative play with softer pieces designed for young children. ZOOB JR. pieces are made with a special memory material that flexes and goes back to its original shape, so they bend, move, and snap together snugly. And just like ZOOB, ZOOB JR.'s open-ended versatility lets kids build anything they want to build as it sparks young imaginations. The ZOOB JR. Scooter includes 18 ZOOB JR. pieces, 4 wheels, and instructions for 17 creations, such as a scooter, a mini go-cart, a skateboarder, and a spinning robot (but kids can make up lots more). The instructions require no reading, and are printed on sturdy cards. Launch date: September 2011.

Mater is a good ol’ boy with a big heart and the only tow truck in Radiator Springs that blows bubbles. When kids push this toy, it blows bubbles.

This water table helps children develop "put and take" and early motor skills. They can: drop balls down spiral, watching them go round and round and down into the lazy river; turn the Ferris wheel to scoop up and drops off balls; fill the cup and pour into the funnel to power twin water wheels; and turn the spinner that powers the "lazy river."
— As of 05/24/2011 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: Assembly is somewhat difficult; one customer received a box with missing pieces, but the company replaced them when she called.
— In a May 2012 survey, Barbara Fineblum, owner of Barstons Child's Play in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly that they "just sell Little Tikes" in the furniture/play house category.

Thomas and his friends are preparing for the Railway Inspector’s visit to Knapford Station.  But when the coal trucks crash, covering Gordon in soot, can Thomas take charge and help straighten out the mess? This 48 minute DVD includes four episodes and a bonus trivia game.

Shaun and his barnyard buddies deal with a fiendish fox, attempt some clever catering, take to the links, run a farmer’s market, stage a daring rooster rescue and more in this 44 minute DVD. Episodes include Foxy Laddie, Whistleblower, Frantic Romantic, Who's the Caddy, Everything Must Go, In the Doghouse, and Cock-a-Doodle Shaun.