July 2012 Notable Toys — Creative Activities

Three oversized puppets on sticks inspire dramatic play with silly faces, movable mouths and endless possibilities.
Awards: 2012 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Toy Award Seal; 2012 Oppenheim SNAP (Special Needs Adaptable Products) Award.

Get to the airport on time with the 1.2.3 Airport Shuttle Bus. Equipped with a luggage compartment, this shuttle can accommodate three passengers and one driver, all included. This set, with its colorful and rounded pieces, is perfect for toddlers who love toys on wheels. Recommended for ages 18 months and up.
— David Stelzer, owner of Shananigans in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly in an October 2014 survey that Playmobil 123 was one of his store's best-selling line of preschool toys.

Chunky tools made from durable, soft plastic are perfect for encouraging imaginative play. Includes stethoscope, syringe, bandage, ear scope and thermometer. All pieces store in a vinyl doctor’s bag measuring 6.75"W x 5"H.
Awards: 2012 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Gold Seal Award.

Sunflowers have been become an iconic symbol of van Gogh's work. Many of his Sunflower paintings were done in the Yellow House in Arles and were used to decorate the room he created for Gauguin.  The vibrant colors and simplistic beauty of the paintings have led many artists to try and duplicate their beauty.  The Sunflowers Master Kitz includes all the tools your child needs to create their own Sunflowers masterpiece and the learning materials to deepen their understanding of van Gogh the artist and the time he spent in Arles. Each Sunflowers Master Kitz contains: A sturdy, re-usable art tool box with magnetic closures; 3 Custom Acrylic Paints (child friendly); 1 van Gogh Roller specially designed to replicate van Gogh’s active stroke; 2 re-usable Sunflower stencils; 1 foam paint brush; 2 pieces deluxe art paper; Fun, easy-to-understand van Gogh learning materials; Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Graham's favorite place is the skateboard park, where he hangs out with friends and tries out the latest skateboard tricks while listening to cool music. Grahams outfit includes 1 T-shirt, 1 pair of dungarees, shoes, baseball cap, scarf.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Make a mask, not a mess. Have some Mudpuppy's Make-a-Masks on hand for a creative activity at any children's party or gathering. Just add some crayons, markers, or paint and let the fun begin. Each tablet has 20 tear-off paper masks ready to be colored in. 5 each of 4 designs. 20 paper masks in 4 designs. Pre-cut eyeholes. Pre-cut colored elastic for attaching masks included. Sold in shrinkwrapped 7" square (18 cm) books. Printed with nontoxic soy-based inks. Recommended for children age 4+. Launch date: May 2012.

100 piece GLOW IN THE DARK building block set. The building fun doesn't have to stop when the lights go off. Safe and non-toxic glow paint adds a new dimension to block building. Set includes 70 glow blocks and 30 natural color blocks. Building guide included.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Go green with a new and innovative approach to building. Don’t toss out newspapers: recycle them to build incredible geometric sculptures. Tape the included tubes to both ends of a sheet of newspaper. Roll up the newspaper and secure with tape to make a connecting paper rod. Includes durable plastic connectors that fit into the rods. Follow the step-by-step instructions in the guide to make a triangular pyramid, a square anti-prism or design kids can design their own creations in the classroom, gymnasium or playground. Includes guide. 36 connectors, 200 rod-tubes.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

The fun and educational drawing and coloring toy for ages 4 and up. Create endless colorful pictures and effects without any paints or crayons – and no mess. Create effortless works of art by just gliding the tool across the Magic Drawing Board.

This fairy dress comes complete with glittery wings which are attached. The top is made with blue velour spandex and it has an insert of pink glitter netting adorned with organza ruffle. The skirt showcases petals made with blue and pink glitter netting. The underlayer is made with blue and magenta tulle, and stiff fuchsia organza for volume. The underskirt is made with pink lining to prevent scratching. Launch date: May 2012.

This is a charming fairy dress with glitter wings attached. The top is made with green velour spandex and two-tone green shimmery taffetta, and it's adorned with three burgundy silk flowers. Elasticized straps are embelished with organza capped sleeves.  The wings are made with two-tone green organza. The skirt has a rose lining and layers of magenta and lime green stiff tulle for volume. The petals on the skirt are made with magenta and two-tone green organza. Launch date: May 2012.

Gorgeous fairy dress with a full size stretchy velvet bodysuit. The skirt is made with layers of fuchsia and turquoise tulle, and it's trimmed with hot pink sequins. The top has elasticized straps embellished with sequins, and it's adorned with three silky magenta flowers. Launch date: June 2011.

This is an adorable little cape made with green/black laminated foil. The scales are made with yellow felt, and the teeth are made with white flock. Launch date: May 2012.

Our Frog Cape is made with light green crushed panne and it features a laminated hood for structure. The eyes are made with black and white flock, and the mouth and nose are outlined with black flock. Launch date: May 2012.

This charming fairy cape is made with multicolored Tinkerbell panne, and it's trimmed with silver metallic bias. The back is adorned with a set of laminated wings, which are embellished with pink flowers. The front features velcro closure. Launch date: May 2012.

Satin Cape with an overlay of glittery silver organza. The back is embellished with a silver crown. The front has a white bow with a velcro closure, and the cape is trimmed with a silver metallic bias. Launch date: May 2012.
— In a December 2013 survey two out of 10 retailers said that Creative Education costumes were their best-selling Halloween products.

This dress has a top made with fuchsia velour spandex which is adorned with a golden Fleur De Lis. The straps are elasticized for comfort, and the top is trimmed with a fancy golden metallic bias. The skirt has a rose lining to prevent scratching, layers of paris pink tulle for volume, and a top layer made with sparkly netting. Launch date: May 2012.

This beautiful Princess Glitter Dress is a perfect fit for all princesses in training. The top is made with light pink velour, it's adorned with a silver crown, and it's trimmed with a silver metallic bias. The skirt has a pink lining to prevent scratching, a layer of rosette stiff tulle for volume, and it's topped with peony glitter netting. "This dress is our own unique design and it's hand made in Canada," Veesha Knight, Pink Poppy Brand Manager for Creative Education of Canada, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2012.

Kids can create their own outdoor art, then view it in awesome 3D and Kaleidoscope effects. Dual-ended Crayola® 3D Kaleidoscope Giant Chalk makes it a cinch to create fabulous 3D art. Giant chalk lasts a full seven times longer than regular chalk sticks.

Soft, Light Pink Nail Polish. Piggy Paint Nail Pen has a felt tip for easy coverage and quick drying results. Piggy Paint Nail Pens are packaged as shown.

Sets of essential art materials for on-the-go artists. High-quality Thin Markers, Colored Pencils, Watercolor Pencils, and Oil Pastels in clear durable cases. Inner trays neatly hold materials. Expandable handle and snap closure. Descriptive label. AP Non-Toxic. Launch date: January 2012.

Now youngsters can take pegging to a whole new level of excitement when playing with this versatile building set that combines popular Tall-Stacker Pegs with Mighty Monkey Pegs. Kids can stack colorful pegs and create different configurations for their monkeys to play. Use the included monkey figurines to swing from a vine, zoom down the slide or ride the elevator basket — with the Tall-Stacker Mighty Monkey Playset, the thrills are endless. "The Tall-Stacker Mighty Monkey Playset encourages free-form building and role-play, while fostering creativity and imagination," Mary Dolan, public relations coordinator for Patch Products, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Build some sweet structures. Stretches creativity, problem solving and fine motor skills. Includes chunky, durable candy pieces in a variety of fun, familiar designs plus Activity Guide with illustrated, step-by-step building directions. Largest piece measures 7"L x 1⁄2“ in diameter. Launch date: January 2012.

Made of safe, uniquely shaped, brightly colored and highly textured dense foam, this toy is designed for purposes beyond fun. Made for one or more players, it teaches agility and consequence while developing Fine/Gross Motor Skills, Reasoning, Logic, Hand-Eye Coordination, Socialization, Tactile Sensory Development, Color Matching and is an easy to grasp toy. Highly textured pieces make it easy for small hands, as well as Special Needs hands, to grip. As opposed to toys that ask players to retain balance while removing pieces, this is a stack and balance toy. Launch date: June 2012.