July 2011 Notable Toys — Creative Activities

Barbie® enjoys pampering herself with a day at the spa. Create a spa atmosphere and a line of beauty products to go with it at home using this Make Your Own Natural Beauty Products kit. Create sweet smelling body lotions, soaps, lip balms, and more with helpful hints and recipes from the full-color guide book. Finish off products with the prefect packaging by using the gift tags, stickers, containers and pink raffia. The best part of all: the recipes use ingredients found at a grocery store or home so they are totally natural and safe to use. This kit includes beeswax, 2 cosmetic tins, 2 bottles, 56 stickers, 16 gift tags, pink raffia, 16 recipe cards, and a guide book filled with recipes, beauty tips, ideas and more. "Young fashionistas love to experiment with make-up and what better way than with one of their favorite beauty icons, Barbie! They can customize Barbie's make-up using real tools and make-up items on the sketch sheets. The design guide is great for beginners to learn about how to apply make-up properly too," Sarah Malchow, PR Manager at Fashion Angels Enterprises, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2011.

Take the Lalaloopsy dolls on a day of imagination and fun! Each tin consists of 2 characters printed on the tin, activity card to be used on the tin and 1 sheet of magnets.

Designing a wardrobe for Barbie® has never been easier. This Barbie® Fashion Design Artist Tote features the Compact Fashion Design Sketch Portfolio and markers. Simply use the removable plastic stencils and markers to trace the most glamorous collection of clothing and accessories for Barbie®. The instructions provide tips and inspiration on how to color, shade, and add details to make each outfit perfect for Barbie®. Finish off and embellish the designs with the foil stickers included in the spiral bound portfolio book. When you’re done designing you can carry all your designs around in the stylish Barbie® shoulder tote. This kit includes the shoulder tote, 10 markers and the Barbie® Compact Fashion Design Sketch Portfolio featuring 40 sketch pages, 4 removable plastic stencil sheets with 52 stencil designs, 77 foil stickers, and instructions. Launch date: 2011.

Volcanoes are one of the most awesome forces found in nature. They can shoot rocks and gases miles into the air and their lava flows can outrace a speeding car.  Now kids can try that at home.  In this kit, everything is included to create a volcanic blast.  Volcano really explodes and lava flows, and the kit includes cool science that explains how volcanoes form and why they explode.  Volcano erupts up to 10 times. Launch date: August 2010.
— In a September 2011 survey, three out of 13 retailers said products from Scientific Explorer were their bestselling science & nature toys. Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Brynn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly that "Scientific Explorer's line features colorful, good sized boxes and some great titles."

With this kit, kids can investigate crime scene clues and learn about how science plays an important role in solving crimes.  They'll also learn how to make & match DNA, analyze mysterious fingerprints, decode secret messages, and more. Launch date: August 2011.

With this kit, kids can make gruesome fake cuts, burns, and bruises, just like in the movies, use tricks professional make up artists use, and learn the science behind the movie make up. Launch date: September 2011.

Kids can make oodles and oodles of reusable Fuzzoodle combinations.  Just pick a Fuzzoodle Noodle, add some parts and pieces, and start creating.  Includes: 22 Fuzzoodles, 26 Fuzzoodle parts, and an idea guide.
Awards: 2010 Parenting Magazine Toy of the Year Award

Kids can create over 300 different color combinations with this set of Blendy Pens.  Just insert any 2 Blendy Pens into the fusion chamber, and click, twist, fuse.  Includes 12 original Blendy Pens, 12 Magic Blendy Pens, and 10 mini Blendy Pens, PLUS 20 bonus Surprise Art posters. Launch date: October 2011.

Jurassicmorphs #14: Jurassicmorphs, new for 2011, is part of the Zoomorphs pop-together building system. The child can build animals that exist or have existed in nature; or easily pop the pieces apart to make all sorts of friendly, poseable fantasy creatures. There are six characters in this set:  Diplodocus, Pilosaur, Coelophysis, Rhamphorhyncus, Pterosaur and Triceratops All sets are interchangeable.  All animals have hinged jaws.  Also available: Junglemorphs #15. There are four characters in this set:  Tree Python, Bird of Paradise, Tiger and Tropical Beetle.  All sets are interchangeable.  Some animals have hinged jaws.
Awards: Family Fun TOY of the Year

ArtiSands Flowers Mini Kit includes nine shakers of sand and eight pre-cut Sandesigns.

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

Kids create beautiful designs with these colorful wooden pieces. With hundreds of wooden pieces, this creativity kit provides endless hours of imaginative play and self-expression. The wooden shapes are designed to interlock perfectly, making it easy to create beautiful, artistic designs, while learning about geometry.  Contents: 240 wooden pieces; A booklet with suggested patterns. Launch date: 2010.

Set of three, one small, one medium and one large Amanita Muscaia mushrooms, made by hand out of 100% wool felt, and stuffed with sheep wool. The dots are needle felted onto the cap and the felt is plant dyed, all natural and environmentally friendly. These magical creations fall under the Waldorf Toy umbrella and can also be purchased as decorative items by collectors of mushrooms or unique toys.

The new SmArt Studio 3D Shrinky Dinks Build-a-bot kit comes with 10 Shrinky Dinks Sheets and tracing sheets. Just follow the easy to use illustrated instructions and kids will be making their own  3D robots in no time in no time- up to 3000 combinations are possible. Smart Studios Shrinky Dinks are 100% Made in America. "These are the only Shrinky Dinks on the market that teach kids how to make real 3D figures," Andrew Tober, Director of Creative Development at BSW Toy, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.

The new SmArt Studio 3D Shrinky Dinks Pirates kit comes with 10 Shrinky Dinks Sheets and tracing sheets. Just follow the easy to use illustrated instructions and kids will be making their own 3D armada in no time. Smart Studios Shrinky Dinks are 100% Made in America. "These are the only Shrinky Dinks on the market that teach kids how to make real 3D figures," Andrew Tober, Director of Creative Development at BSW Toy, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.

Create locomotives, trains stations, train tracks and more. The new SmArt Studio 3D Shrinky Dinks Trains & Tracks kit comes with 10 Shrinky Dinks Sheets and tracing sheets. Just follow the easy to use illustrated instructions and kids will be making their own 3D train station in no time. Smart Studios Shrinky Dinks are 100% Made in America. "These are the only Shrinky Dinks on the market that teach kids how to make real 3D figures," Andrew Tober, Director of Creative Development at BSW Toy, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.

Bubber, the award-winning and lightest modeling compound on earth! This easy-to-use product feels great in your hands, and since it is so lightweight, you can mold just about anything. Bubber is a super-soft compound that leaves clean, sharp lines and takes amazing imprints. Bubber is non-toxic, leaves no stain or residue and never dries out, so you can play with it over and over. It is great for developing fine motor skills! Bubber is available in six beautiful colors.
Awards: ASTRA’s Best Toys For Kids - Creative Play; Creative Child Magazine Toy of the Year; Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products

These three-dimensional Sticker Town boxes are just right for that special childhood occasion. Each one of the five different Sticker Town boxes contains 4 strips of coordinating stickers. 2” x 2” x 3”. Point of Purchase display box with 20 Sticker Town boxes – 11” x 9” x 11”.

Three captivating, colorful activity sets insure hours of fun and imaginative play for kids. Each one of the different 3-D, thick stickers can be used over and over again. The activity set folds out into a reusable play board with a ‘match and learn’ interior storage area. Great for travel. 10 ¼” x 9 ¼”.

This innovative spin on the classic story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" helps build reading confidence and fluency. With Jack, Jack's mother, the giant and the giant's wife, kids can experience the excitement of reading and acting at the same time. The kit includes four masks so kids can put on a real performance.
Awards: Father's Day 2011 Mr. Dad and Great Dad Seals of Approval.

Kids can design a structure, then throw the big blue veil over top. The heavy duty straws are strong enough to support the veil, yet flexible enough to bend and curve. Set includes illustrated guide. "This set allows children to build a structure large enough to actually crawl into. The included fabric veil adds dimension to the structure," Sandra Smith, sales assistant at Roylco Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2011.

The Pod is the newest product in the OgoBild line. The set offers a combination of active and constructive play. Kids can build their own sculpture, or build their own space. Kids can experiment with the flexibility of the Pod for hours of dynamic, inventive play. The set includes 12 of the OgoBild rubber balls and 30 ball to ball 24" connectors. This product offers play for multiple children. "The Pod does not easily come apart - it can be thrown around and manipulated without the connector pieces popping out of the OgoBild rubber balls," Mary Kate Cowell, sales manager at OgoSport LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2011.

Recall is an educational memory game. People will be surprised on how much they will remember when playing this game. RECALL teaches people how to retain information for a period of time instead of just short term. This product is good for kids, teens, adults and seniors. Recall will remove the intimidating factor in terms of memory. "There are some memory games out there where you practice memory but you don't really learn from it. RECALL is an educational game where your ability to recall will be taken to another level. Good practice for one player, great for cooperative play," Derek Chinn, owner of LMD Enterprises, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2011.

This set includes 60 Crayons, 24 color pencils, 24 oil paint tubes, 24 watercolor cakes, 3 mixing pallets, 2 sketch pencils, 2 paint brushes, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 eraser, and 1 wood carrying case with drawer. This set includes everything needed to satisfy any budding artist. This item is notable for "The quantity and quality of the products used for the price. This set also includes a drawer for greater aesthetics and functionality," Alisha Kennedy, sales coordinator at Art 101, told TDmonthly.