July 2010 Notable Toys — Play Sets

Good Buddy Notes newborn onesies are imprinted with "baby talk" text messages on the front. Shelley Dieterichs of Good Buddy Notes told TDmonthly, "These onesies are clever, trendy and humorous." Launch date: April 2010.

This portable play set has a handle at the top and a door that opens to store all the pieces inside. It contains 22 pieces, includes a couple of pirates, a skeleton, guns and other accessories, and even a cannon that really fires cannonballs.

Lightweight and portable, this small Imaginetics play set combines whimsical animal illustrations and a richly colored background with reusable, interactive magnets. Each image is backed with thin, flexible magnetic material, allowing pieces to be repositioned easily on the themed backdrop. Children can tell stories or invent games, and when finished the play set folds closed to protect and secure the pieces.
― “We sell a lot of Imaginetics,” said Jill Brown, buyer at Kidoodles in Norman, Okla., when asked about her best-selling travel items in spring 2010. Seven of 39 retailers surveyed by TDmonthly in March 2010 said magnetic play sets are their top-selling travel toy.
― In late Spring 2011 two out of 12 retailers surveyed mentioned Imaginetics as a best-selling travel toy.
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Magic Box Toys.

The Be Good Company My Little Sandbox line features tabletop play sets encouraging creativity, imagination and fun by bringing the sandbox or the beach into the home on rainy or cold days. Kids can play in the ultra fine sand-filled 10" x 10" x 2" wooden box. Each play set includes the wooden box, sand, a no-mess play mat, a re-sealable storage box, and themed toys - dog house, doggie food, grooming tools, doggie bed, 6 dogs, drinking water, pooper scooper, grooming rate, and 3 doggie toys.

With the ZipBin® Mini Space Playset, child can keep toys neatly stored together. When unzipped, there is a colorful planet and a space station ready for fantasy play. When play is done, capture all the toys inside. This mini play set includes one astronaut and space shuttle and also serves as a travel toy.

The Playmobil Kitchen with Dinette Set is great for use with Playmobil Suburban Life play sets. The Playmobil Kitchen is packed with accessories that allow the figures to put away groceries in the cupboards or fridge, make a meal on the stove, and serve and eat it at the dinette. Launch date: 2010.

This convertible allows up to six Calico Critters to travel around Cloverleaf Corners in style. The set includes 3 Whisker Cats, detachable luggage and 2 detachable baby seats with safety straps. The convertible's tires and wheel both rotate. Launch date: 2010.

Fans of DreamWorks "How to Train Your Dragon" can experience the movie's excitement with this volcano playset. Kids can drop an egg into the volcano to reveal a new Dragon. They can remove the parts and assemble, then swap Dragon parts around to make new species. Set includes one volcano, one egg and one figure. Launch date: 2010.