August 2010 Notable Toys — All

World of Warcraft: the Board Game is a fantasy adventure board game for two to six players, based on the popular Massively Multiplayer Online Game from Blizzard Entertainment. Players adventure across Lordaeron, vanquish monsters, gain experience and power, and earn honor for their faction — whether Horde or Alliance. Players select one of 16 heroes from nine classes and eight races, advance their character and gather treasure, battle 13 different types of monsters, and ultimately challenge one of three invincible Overlords to determine the fate of Azeroth. The games includes a rules booklet, a game board, 135+ plastic figures, seven double-sided character sheets, two single-sided character sheets, more than 460 tokens, 450+ cards, three overlord sheets, two creature reference sheets, and 21 eight-sided dice.

In A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, three to five players take on the roles of the great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros as they vie for control of the Iron Throne through the use of diplomacy and warfare. Based on the best-selling "A Song of Ice and Fire" series of fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones is an epic board game in which it will take more than military might to win. Through strategic planning, slick diplomacy, and clever card play, players must spread their influence over Westeros to finally claim the Iron Throne.

Tannhäuser puts players in the middle of a alternate timeline, where World War I never ended and the forces involved have chosen new ways to break the stalemate. Featuring the Pathfinding system, a revolutionary way to mark line of sight, Tannhäuser gets players in the thick of the battle quickly. Each side has unique characters and equipment, and must outfit figures to best advantage in order to win. Each force has a multitude of equipment and weapon options for customization. Tannhäuser is packaged with everything required for two to ten players to begin playing in the u-chronic Tannhäuser universe. The game includes a rulebook, a double-sided map board designed for use with the Pathfinding system, 10 finely detailed pre-painted miniatures, 10 illustrated character sheets, two 10-sided dice, and 162 game counters.

Squishlanders are fun, 3/4" rubbery animals in a plastic capsule that can be found in more than 300,000 vending machines around the world.  The squishie characters were first introduced 4 years ago as Pet Friends, and more than 55 million of the little creatures have been sold since that time.  Each Sqwishlander comes with a code for access to a new kid-friendly virtual world, www.Sqwishland.com.
— Squishies pencil toppers were on the top-10 best-seller list at Totally Thomas Toy Depot in San Diego in July 2010. “They are the hottest trend in Southern California as of this spring,” President Cynthia Wyatt told TDmonthly. “’Regulars’ and ‘Rares’ — they collect them all!”

Take-n-Play Thomas diecast railway models are high-quality replicas that measure 3” to 5” long. They are compatible with the discontinued Take-Along Thomas trains.
— Take-n-Play Thomas items were top sellers at Totally Thomas Toy Depot in San Diego in summer 2010. “Hiro is still the most sought-after engine since last year when the Great Discovery movie came out,” President Cynthia Wyatt told TDmonthly.

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)

James likes to think of himself as a really splendid engine. This can occasionally lead to grandiose ideas about the sort of work suitable for such a noble creature, which invariably lands James in trouble. This engine measures 6” x 1.5” x 2”.
— Items from the wooden railway system were top sellers at Totally Thomas’ Toy Depot in San Diego, Cal. in the summer of 2010, according to Cindy Wyatt, president. “Since the Misty Island Rescue Movie is just making its debut, we expect to see our sales soar on Dash the Logging Engine and his buddies Bash and Captain,” she said.
— Thomas is a big hobby for little kids. Though she doesn't sell a lot during the year, ''I bring it in at Christmas time,'' said Jeanne McCullough, owner of The Children's Store in Boise, Idaho.

Candy dispensers shaped like your favorite train are ready for loading up with sweet treats.
— Thomas & Friends Pez candy dispensers were top sellers at Totally Thomas Toy Depot in San Diego as of July 2010, according to Cynthia Wyatt, president. “Yummy and collectible,” she said. “The perfect treat for any Thomas fan.”

With a wingspan of 30” and height of 31”, this nylon jet stunt kite features a fiberglass airframe and includes Skytails, a line and a dual-control handle. The wind rating for this style is 7 to 15 mph.
— “A personal favorite of mine are the Blue Angels Kites. Our store is down the road from MCAS Miramar (formerly Miramar Naval Air Station). Many military people live in our community and we see military aircraft regularly, so this kite is really popular. In general, our Brainstorm kites outsell all our others. They’re priced well and have some really fun styles,” Cynthia Wyatt, president of Totally Thomas Toy Depot in San Diego, told TDmonthly in July 2010.

On this spoken-word album, the two-time Grammy award-winning humorist spins fantastical stories grounded in everyday life.

This internationally acclaimed jazz/world music artist teaches his Timbalooloo music classes to the children of Harvey Keitel, Naomi Watts, Edie Falco and Liev Schreiber. Wake Up, Clarinet! builds on Etkin’s Timbalooloo method of encouraging kids to internalize important musical concepts while exciting their creativity. The album, released on the Timbalooloo Records label and distributed by Motema, features performances by drummer Jason Marsalis and vocalist Charanee Wade. Awards: Parent's Choice Foundation Audio Award Fall 2010

This New York-based educator's  collection of catchy songs is designed to help kids build the vocabulary to express their feelings and needs. The lyrics were co-written with Lizzie Bicknell, an early childhood specialist. Madeleine Peyroux, Kirk Douglas (the Roots), and Leo Sidran also perform. A portion of proceeds benefits Kids Need a Melody, a nonprofit program that provides music lessons and concerts to kids in need. Awards: Parent's Choice Foundation Audio Award Fall 2010

In A Heart Pumping Adventure, Merrin wonders about her father's eating habits and the condition of his heart. Suddenly, Merrin and Pearl find themselves riding on a red, pillowy donut-shaped boat, floating through his bloodstream. This book includes 23 pages of educational activities, 44 color stickers and an audio story CD.
— “It is, to be honest, one of the most interesting and engaging human body learning tools I’ve come across in a very long time,” declared Robin Rivers of Our Good Earth.  Exploring the set with her daughter, Robin was surprised at “how much she took to the story, the lessons (eat healthy to have a healthy body) and the educational content that at times was a bit beyond her 5-year-old level.”
— The reviewer at One Zillion Books listened to the CD with her kids and noticed “that there were a couple of vocabulary- and concept-heavy moments, but overall the fun mood carried throughout the 15+ minute audio story.” She rated the set eight out of ten because “The story and characters were easy to relate to and led well into the activity book focusing of human anatomy and healthy living” while remaining “neither dull nor scary.”

In Battle with the Bugs, the girls find themselves in their cousin Max’s body, witnessing firsthand the immune system in action. This book includes 23 pages of educational activities, 44 color stickers and an audio story CD.

In The Lucky Escape, Merrin and Pearl are magically catapulted into their baby brother’s digestive system to help him extract a penny he swallowed. This book includes 23 pages of educational activities, 44 color stickers and an audio story CD.

This plush rabbit is designed to store pencils and other school or office supplies.

Made of printed cotton fabric, this shade features a sponge inside to keep eyes comfortable while helping kids sleep.

This colorful set of eight links comes with a large black and white ring to hold them all. Parents can use the links to help baby identify colors or even to link other toys together.

Moby is a spout cover designed to brighten up a bath while protecting baby's head from bumps in the tub. Its sleek design includes an adjustable fin strap that fits snugly on most tub spouts, and a tail that's also a handy hook, so Moby can hang around when bath time's done.

This swing features a comfort recline seat with two positions, quiet operation and a swing timer with three settings. It offers six melodies with volume control and auto shut off capabilities, along with a toy bar that pivots for easy access to two engaging toys.

This plush toy is designed to keep babies entertained. It features clinking rings, a tummy squeaker, a hanging banana and a knotted tail for chewing. The Monkey design includes a soft velour body and multiple textures and crinkles, along with a portable clip for on-the-go play.

This plush toy is designed to keep babies entertained. It features clinking rings, a tummy squeaker and a knotted tail for chewing. The Lion design includes a soft velour body and multiple textures and crinkles, along with a portable clip for on-the-go play.

This plush toy is designed to keep babies entertained. It features clinking rings, a tethered ladybug teether and knotted antennae for chewing. The Firefly design includes a soft velour body and busy wings with multiple textures and crinkles, along with a peek-a-boo mirror and squeaker.

This Jumperoo's comfortable rotating seat is designed to provide a safe place for infants to play. The colorful rainforest toys and lively music aim to stimulate visual and auditory senses and help develop motor skills.