July 2010 Notable Toys — Preschool

This set for critter families includes more than 40 furniture pieces and accessories, including a light-up fire place complete with tools and fire logs, a comfortable couch, arm chairs, a coffee maker, a telephone, a clock, newspapers and more. Cons: Lots of little pieces that are hard to assemble.
— In late Spring 2011, 4 out of 12 retailers said toys from Calico Critters were their best-selling play sets.
— Calico Critters made the top-10 best-seller list at Totally Thomas Toy Depot in San Diego in July 2010. “We sell a ton of critters and accessories of all sorts, but the Deluxe Living Room Set seems to be on everybody’s list,” President Cynthia Wyatt told TDmonthly. “These precious critters are absolutely irresistible as are the homes and accessories.”
AWARDS: 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller (entire Calico Critters line)

This set comes with four bottles of poster paint and four spill-proof paint cups. Also included are an easel paper roll, chalk, paint brushes, a dry-erase marker and an eraser.
— In a November 2011 survey, 2 out of 12 retailers said art supplies from Melissa & Doug were their best selling educational products.
— Mark Rosenblum from Hobbytown in Fairfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in a January 2015 survey that Melissa & Doug was one of their best-selling brands of arts & crafts toys.

This ramp features performance-packed play with toddler-appropriate activities. The set is over 2' tall, anchored by two rolling ramps with places to play on both sides. Included are two Little People mini-vehicles - a sports car and a Formula One racer. The cars can also be loaded onto the clicking elevator to bring it to the top all over again.

This 21-piece set includes all the Yo Gabba Gabba characters. Bath Buddies are foam "stickers" that stick to the bath tub and can be used again and again.

This play set transforms into a rock concert with a stage. It comes with buildable dancing figurines of the characters Muno and Plex. Designed for first-time builders, this set aims to help children develop fine motor skills and distinguish colors and shapes.

Each Mega Bloks Yo Gabba Gabba set comes with a buildable figurine that also dances and swings its arms up and down. Designed for first-time builders, this set aims to help children develop fine motor skills and distinguish colors and shapes.

This 23-piece set comes with built-in music and sounds. Included are dancing figures of the characters Brobee and Foofa. Designed for first-time builders, this set aims to help children develop fine motor skills and distinguish colors and shapes.

This remote plays over 35 silly sounds and fun phrases as children press buttons just like those on a real remote. Fast forward and rewind sound effects and a real working volume control are included. Elmo’s eyes also open & close.
— As of 7.26.2010, this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 72 reviews on Amazon.com, and was listed No. 22 in the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Humorous, durable and keeps children busy. CONS: Some parents did not feel it was educational enough.

This Lego starter kit lets younger children build a house, car, dog, helicopter and more. The set features 405 pieces stored in a durable plastic box with a see-through top. Included are minifigure, a building plate and a wide mix of standard bricks in various colors, as well as house and wheel elements.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 293 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 19 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games. Pros: 405 pieces and one figurine included; packaged in durable storage container. Cons: Younger children may need help with construction; pieces do not fill up bucket all the way.

The All in One Play Kitchen is a canvas for little cooks to practice pretend-play skills. It is full of details that are designed to enhance play value and lead to hours of fun, including a refrigerator, a sink, a microwave, an oven, a dishwasher, a clock with moveable hands and a wall phone. "This product is manufactured to withstand years of enjoyment," Guidecraft designer Dave Ruddock told TDmonthly.
— In a May 2012 survey, Sherry Grisham, owner of Today's Dolls and Toys in Corinth, Miss., told TDmonthly that this is her best selling furniture item.

Lightweight and easy to move, fold and store, the Kitchen Helper safely and securely elevates children to countertop height. It easily adjusts to three platform heights and is available in two designs, Natural and Dollhouse. Natural features fun cutouts, wipe-off marker board and chalkboard. Dollhouse is a play item in addition to its functionality as a kitchen aid. The item ships fully assembled and safely supports up to 125 lbs.

This soft and floppy Fuzzles monkey is adorned with white dots against a pink background. It's 8" sitting and 11" standing.

How Do You Read to A Rabbit? is a fun picture book that looks into one child's attempts at reading a book to thirteen different animals; from alligators, to bats, to kangaroos. Each animal poses a different challenge, but all ends well as we see the child finds someone to read to — his parents.

With over half a million copies in print, Mortimer is one of Robert Munsch’s most popular and beloved books. The story of a little boy who refuses to go to sleep has always resonated with young children—and the adults who read to them. Now available as a board book, this modern classic retains the original story and its humor, but with revised text and in a child-friendly format appropriate for preschoolers.

This line of DVDs is designed to teach early sign language skills to preschool-age children. Featuring beautiful video productions of some of the most recognizable children’s books of all time, this series offers a unique approach to learning sign language and helping kids of all hearing abilities to gain literacy and pre-reading skills. "A Pocket For Corduroy...and More Stories About Friendship" is adapted from the beloved book by Don Freeman.

This line of DVDs is designed to teach early sign language skills to preschool-age children. Featuring beautiful video productions of some of the most recognizable children’s books of all time, this series offers a unique approach to learning sign language and helping kids of all hearing abilities to gain literacy and pre-reading skills. "Goodnight Moon…and More Great Bedtime Stories" is adapted from the 1947 storybook by Margaret Wise Brown that has sold tens of millions of units worldwide.

Packaged in a reusable tote box, these 35 oversized pieces are easy for little fingers to assemble. When all the pieces are put together, a dazzling underwater scene is uncovered.

These four mini-jigsaws are each divided into four colorful pieces. This set features young princesses accessorized with crowns and wands.

These four mini-jigsaws are each divided into four colorful pieces. This set features a train, plane, truck and boat.

The gentle concepts of this book aim to inspire children to love the natural world. Animals Everywhere is designed to teach children about animal habitats from snowy mountains to dusty deserts.

The gentle concepts of this book aim to inspire children to love the natural world. Little Helpers shows kids that small actions taken each day can make a big difference in helping the Earth.
Awards:  2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal.

Ten chunky books can be stacked or stored to turn even a few minutes into a learning lesson. Concepts include colors, shapes, rhymes, opposites and more. The book tower is available in Little Animal or Little Learning versions.

This double-sided modern children's kitchen is made in Germany from high-quality beechwood. "Children can play on both sides of the kitchen," Detlef Schülingkamp, Sales Manager, Fagus Wooden Toys, told TDmonthly.

ABC Melody Maker is an exciting electronic learning companion featuring five fun games and a ten note musical keyboard sure to entertain and educate youngsters. This colorful interactive unit features an activity selector that puts kids in charge of choosing their fun. Children won’t even realize they’re learning! Song book included. Requires three “AA” batteries (included). Ages 3+ years.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products 2010