June 2011 Notable Toys — Preschool

Sweet Dreams is a new, eight episode collection from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.  Join Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam, Barney, Bob the Builder, Kipper, Angelina Ballerina and newest HIT family members Roary the Racing Car and Timmy Time as they tuck in for some sleepytime good viewing. Join Thomas as he lights up the tracks for an evening concert and see how Angelina discovers the importance of a good night's sleep during her sleepless sleepover. Then, watch as Barney shows you the magic of nighttime and Bob the Builder lights up a football field for a nighttime game. Total run time is 87 minutes. Release date: May 24, 2011.

Give a kid a camera and they'll want to take pictures of everything they see, everywhere they go. That's why this real digital camera is designed to be tough enough to stand up to the ways kids play and the places they go. This 1.2-megapixel, drop-resistant digital camera has a rotating lens so kids can even take pictures of themselves. Launch date: July 2011.

Give a kid a camera and they'll want to take pictures of everything they see, everywhere they go. That's why this real digital camera is designed to be tough enough to stand up to the ways kids play and the places they go. Features child-friendly controls, viewfinder for ease of use, stores 1000+ digital images, 4X digital zoom, enhanced low-light performance, and photo editing software to download. Requires 4 AAA batteries.

These shoes, available in sizes 12-18 months and 18-24 months, are treated with a special clear coating to help protect them against scuffs, dirt and frays.  Also designed with a slip resistant sole. Though practical, the shoes are also fashionable. The Mi Mica line comes in eight popular styles for children 12-24 months.

Start your engines and chuff along to the ultimate playdate!  Thomas and all his railway friends welcome you aboard for three exciting DVDs. Adventure is full steam ahead as the engines attend Sodor’s Winter Festival, race along with a new jet engine, visit the construction site of the new school, track down a possible monster and much more!  The Set includes these 3 DVDs: Thomas and the Really Brave Engine, Thomas and the Jet Engine, On-Site with Thomas. Bonus features include 4 singalong songs and 7 DVD games.

Ready, Set, Play!  It’s a party on the playground with everyone’s favorite purple pal Barney in the all-new, 3-disc gift set Barney PlayDate Pack.  Come along for some tee-rific fun as Barney and his friends build their own airplane for a tropical island adventure, put on a musical game show and visit Barney at home. The set includes these 3 DVDs: Let’s Pretend with Barney, Can You Sing That Song, Come On Over to Barney’s House. Total running time is 146 minutes. Launch date: April 5, 2011.

Includes 5 colors of soapy finger paint, a fish-shaped sponge for clean up and a hand-shaped palette to hold the paints. Safe, clean and fun for kids.
Awards: Dr. Toy’s Best Classic Toys for 2011
— In an April 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Paint in the Tub is one of their best-selling bath toys.

Kids spin the spinner, squeeze the matching colored acorn with their Squirrel Squeezers, and place it in their log. The first to fill their log with delicious acorns wins. But players need to look out - they could spin "steal an acorn" or "lose an acorn."

A delightful combination of wooden and felt pieces that have been graphically-enhanced to help youngsters pull of a pretend healthy lunch. Educo does it again with silk-screen graphics on the veggie and fruit pieces that fit with lettuce and cheese in felt to tuck in a whole wheat pita pocket. Just what the new food pyramid suggests. Launch date: February 2011.

Tegu's patent-pending blocks cleverly incorporate magnets inside sustainably harvested wood, offering gravity-defying blocks that show no visible point of connectivity and enable multi-dimensional building experiences. Available in the following honduran hardwood finishes: natural, mahogany, tints and jungle. "We utilize eco-friendly hardwoods, making them both durable and friendly to the forest," a rep for Tegu Inc told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Parent’s Choice Award, 2010 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys and Children’s Products, 2010 Oppenheim Gold
— David Stelzer, owner of Shananigans in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that Tegu blocks were one of his store's best-selling eco-friendly toys.

Kids writing their first letters will get helpful up, down and sideways instructions via easy-to-follow arrows. A magnetic stylus pulls beads up to create solid lines. Erases with the tip of a finger. Comes in lower case, upper case, and numbers.
— Mike McCollum, owner of Learning Express in Hoover, Ala., told TDmonthly in a November 2011 survey that their best selling educational product is the Magnatab. "Parents like the way children have fun pulling the magnet around," he said.
Watch Video from Toy Fair 2011