July 2012 Notable Toys — Developmental Toys

A fun and easy activity parents and children can do together. Kids will be delighted with colorful cards that promote gross motor development and alphabet recognition. Each card has a lower case letter on one side and adorable animal and action on the other. Players can have fun as they "Crawl like an inchworm" or "Roar like a lion." Children will practice letter recognition while improving flexibility and strengthening muscles. Trace the letter on the back of the card for reinforcement and handwriting practice. Launch date: 2011.

A fun and easy activity parents and children can do together. Kids will love these colorful cards that promote gross motor development and alphabet recognition. Each card has an upper case letter on one side and adorable animal and action on the other. Parents and their kids can have fun as they "Run like a Fox" or "Roll like an Armadillo." They learn to recognize the alphabet, improve flexibility, and strengthen muscles. Trace the letter on the back of the card for reinforcement and handwriting practice. A sturdy ring means they’ll never lose a single card. Launch date: 2011.
Award: 2011 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval award

This giant pad is filled with fun exercises designed to improve visual motor control and endurance, while building confidence. Kids have a great time as they connect the dots, navigate mazes, find hidden objects, and learn how to stay within visual boundaries. A sticker-based reward system will keep kids focused and motivated. Launch date: 2011.

This all-in-one kit is full of creative and challenging activities that help kids develop the critical fine motor skills needed for writing and other everyday activities. Kids build self-esteem and express their artistic side while they improve visual motor control, build muscle strength, improve concentration, and enhance eye-hand coordination. The handy carrying case makes this kit perfect for use at home or on-the-go. Launch date: 2011.
Awards: 2011 National Parenting Publications Awards Honors in the toy/game category, 2012 Seal of Approval from the National Parenting Center

This award-winning set of magnetic words makes it easy to practice writing complete sentences, master difficult grammar concepts, and enhance creative writing skills. The set includes 205 magnetic words, which are color-coded for grammar, and punctuation marks. By simply replacing a green word with another green word, your students can instantly see what a noun’s job is in a sentence. Repeat the exercise with verbs, adjectives, pronouns, etc. and watch their reading and writing ability soar. The words included in this set are a well-researched mix of the most commonly used words in the English language (from both the Dolch and the Fry word lists), sight words, rhyming words, and nouns that begin with every letter of the alphabet (great for teaching phonics and letter recognition). The individual magnets are large enough to be easy to handle (they measure 1" high and the lengths vary depending on the word but average about 2" wide) but small enough so you can write complete sentences on a 9" x 13" lapboard (see our wonderful magnetic-receptive Kidboards). We offer a complete line of color-coded word sets that can be used in combination with this set making our Learning Magnets line a very powerful, effective, and versatile tool. "Correlates to over 25 Common Core State Standards," Candi Thoresen, customer service rep at Barker Creek Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2012.

Updated classic stacking toy with a twist. 4 vibrant wooden rings, teddy bear ball topper, and base. Facilitates hand-eye coordination, learning colors and size relationships. Appealing feel and look that keeps children coming back. Red ball topper screws neatly onto the top of the stack. Made of PlanWood - sustainable material from leftover sawdust.

Our Activity Blankie is perfect for busy mothers as baby will stay active and engaged. It’s a blankie that’s snuggly, bubbly, squishy and squeaky all in one. The precious bear, star and moon will bring joy and delight to little ones. Launch date: March 2012.
Awards: 2012 Seal of Excellence - Creative Child Magazine

Putty Peeps is a new kind of putty which has unique properties no other putty has. When the putty is played and heated from the warmth of your hands, it will act as a solid and can be stretched, shaped, squished, snapped and bounced. When the putty is left to rest it will immediately begin to take on a liquid form and will seem to melt like ice cream however the putty will not be wet or sticky.    In addition to the unique properties of the putty, Putty Peeps adds extra play value by providing high quality realistic color eyes. Children can insert the eyes into the putty to make the product come alive. Kids can now create countless Putty Peep friends to shape and twist them in their own unique ways, strengthening a child’s imagination  Putty Peeps include the following lines; Metallic color line (Red, Blue, Green, Purple and Silver). Glow in the Dark line (Glow Blue, Glow Green, and Glow Yellow). Heat Sensitive Color Changing line (Green to Yellow, Purple to Blue, Orange to Yellow, Purple to Pink). Launch date: February 2012.

The Steps4Kids to Draw DVD provides approximately 90 minutes of video modeling to help viewers learn how to draw animals, people, shapes and things. Excellent tool to help children feel successful with art. Video modeling is shown at a pace that helps children learn how to draw animals (farm, house, water and zoo animals - total 20), people (faces, profiles, clothes), shapes (circle, square, triangle, rhombus/diamond, cube and star) and things (bike, car, flowers, etc.). Launch date: July 2012.

Soft, really cute and extra cuddly, these Elephants are full of discovery. As Baby/Toddler plays with them, surprises are revealed everywhere, including crinkly ears, squeaking balance ball, squeaking baby elephant, a discoverable baby safe mirror & hidden 'roller ball' spinning rattle (under the saddle). Parent and child elephants are meant to stay together:  when baby is pulled away, the parent's tail pulls the baby back and vibrates for added excitement & fun. Launch date: July 2012.

This soft and cuddly hippo is loaded with discovery for the young mind. Features attached legs (pull one the other retracts), a teether hand, a baby safe mirrored hand, a peek-a boo silky bellybutton (just got to poke it!) and an ergonomically designed teether tail which encourages gripping. When pulled, it makes Soft Hippo vibrate with excitement. Launch date: July 2012.

Baby Fitness Center. Baby sized innovative products to develop baby's fine and gross motor skills and strengthen core muscles. Includes Edu-Training Mat, Edu-Weights (only 1.5 ounces each), Power Stretch and My First Ball. A perfect gift set or each available separately. Launch date: June 2012.

This vibrant, wooden, bear stacker has 5 colorful discs and a playful bear head topped with embedded magnets for easy stacking and is suitable for kids 9 months and up. Stacker is painted with a non-toxic finish, and also features a wobble base for an added element of fun. Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Tiny Love’s new Soothe ‘n Groove Mobile will calm and entertain a child from birth through the toddler years. As a crib mobile, the Soothe ‘n Groove Mobile offers several innovations that parents will appreciate. Three brightly colored, friendly faced animals hang from the rotating mobile and the music box has the widest range of music currently available in any crib mobile. Eighteen different soothing tunes play 40 minutes of non-repetitive music from two high-quality built-in speakers. In addition to traditional nursery classics by Mozart and Bach, melodies from additional music categories can be played, including classical, world music and jazz, among others. Additional features include music shuffle mode, nature and “white” sounds, a calming night light, baby activation button and varied volume control.  As a baby grows, parents can detach the mobile arm and the music box can remain attached to the crib. The music box also has a carry handle for baby to use outside of the crib, and can also sit on a table top, which is convenience while traveling. Includes "eighteen different soothing tunes play 40 minutes of non-repetitive music from two high-quality built-in speakers," Audrey DeSimone, Executive Director of Public Relations at Tiny Love, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2012.

The Un-block is a system of interlocking blocks and connectors that stimulates both the left and the right sides of the brain simultaneously, improves gross motor skills, and challenges the pathways through which the mind relays information. Made of Ash Wood, kids can build anything they can imagine. "The Un-Block has a system of interlocking blocks and connectors that resist falling apart even when your masterpiece is knocked over, unlike ordinary building blocks that will fall apart if moved the wrong way," Joe Azmani, CEO/President of Aha! Concepts LLC told TDmonthly. Launch number: 2011.
Awards: Creative Child Magazine Top Toy of the Year 2012

Teach stacking and sorting with a colorful assortment of big LEGO® DUPLO® bricks as children learn to build basic animals.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

Lace up this skate. Tie a bow. Then push it on its way! Lacing Skate, blue is from the Early Explorers range of the Hape Collection.  Measuring 4.72”L x 2.36“W x 4.13”H, Lacing Skate, blue is age graded for children 3 Years +. The toy is beautifully crafted of FSC certified wood from sustainable forests and colored with safe water based paint. Launch date: July 2012.

Lace up this skate. Tie a bow. Then push it on its way. Lacing Skate, red is from the Early Explorers range of the Hape Collection.  Measuring 4.72”L x 2.36“W x 4.13”H, Lacing Skate, red is age graded for children 3 Years +. The toy is beautifully crafted of FSC certified wood from sustainable forests and colored with safe water based paint. Launch date: July 2012.

Lacing string adds even more color to this strutting peacock. Lacing Peacock is from the Early Explorers range of the Hape Collection.  Measuring 8.03”L x 1.46“W x 5.12”H, Lacing Peacock is age graded for children 3 Years +. The toy is beautifully crafted of FSC certified wood from sustainable forests and colored with safe water based paint. Launch date: July 2012.

A lace-up mane and tail lets kids customize their pony with color. Lacing Pony is from the Early Explorers range of the Hape Collection.  Measuring 6.50”L x 0.94“W x 7.91”H, Lacing Pony is age graded for children 3 Years +. The toy is beautifully crafted of FSC certified wood from sustainable forests and colored with safe water based paint. Launch date: July 2012.

The unique grippable texture of Tobbles Neo awakens touch. See those gentle, playful curves? They truly enliven tactile experiences. Young minds revel in stacking, toppling, and the discovery of endless ingenuity with Tobbles Neo. Six uniquely weighted pieces balance, neatly nest, and incessantly spin beyond your expectations. Includes 6 vibrant, weighted spheres & stacking base. Launch date: July 2012.

With over 90 different attachments the Nexus offers maximum play value. With attachments like wheels, a scoop, hands, feet, wings, springs and more, the possibilities for creations are endless. Build a flying Martian, a hovering robot, or objects that fly, drive, and spin. The Nexus includes 4 flexible OGOBILD balls for hours of fun, and increased variety.

How can kids move a ball into a target with 2 high walls from 2 feet away? Build a ramp? A catapult? A trampoline? A zip-line? There are no right answers and we provide no solutions--it's up to kids to use ZOOB pieces (and other materials that they choose) to build contraptions that solve the challenges. The ZOOB Challenge features 175 ZOOB pieces, string, wheels, a ball, rubber bands, a foam play pad, and 25 challenges based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) skills-skills that educators have targeted as essential to helping the US compete successfully in the 21st century.

Liz the Fairy and Josephine the caterpillar adorn this teething rattle. It also features a bright orange teething ring to sooth sore gums and a nicely decorated tag with which to hold the child’s own dummy. The smart, red corduroy with ribbons attached offers a selection of textures to entertain and educate.