August 2010 Notable Toys — All

With their tan and chocolate brown faces, and light pink ears and cheeks on a light blue background, these cute chunky monkeys are designed to make kids go bananas. The socks are available in sizes 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 1-2 years and 2-4 years. They are also "eco-friendly and made in the USA!" Rock-a-Thigh Baby President Jennifer R. Dutcher told TDmonthly.

Kids can find out what the future holds with these fortune tellers. The book includes 24 fortune tellers and eight sticker sheets, and features a colorful lenticular flip cover. "Not only are our activity books fun and hip, they are produced with the lenticular technology. The front covers flip from one colorful image to another," Iscream Prepress Manager Leslie Montalbano told TDmonthly.

This 96-page activity book lets kids create lists that are all about them. "Not only are our activity books fun and hip, they are produced with the lenticular technology. Our covers flip from one colorful image to another," Leslie Montalbano, Iscream prepress manager, told TDmonthly.

This 90-minute, award-winning instructional handwriting DVD uses video modeling to teach modern manuscript letters. It supports D'Nealian penmanship programs and has breaks that show how to draw using select letters and Look2Write breaks to develop reading and writing skills.
Awards: 2010 Creative Child Magazine Media of the Year; Dr. Toy Best Vacation Products 2010

Every child can be Santa's Little Helper with this holiday cookie kit. Users can combine their favorite cookie recipes with the Curious Chef cookie cutters and utensils to create a unique holiday treat. "These are REAL cooking utensils designed to meet the unique needs of small hands, not toys. This means they actually work!" Shelly Schumacher, Curious Chef communications manager, told TDmonthly.

PhotoStory includes the complete cost of a professionally produced, full-color hardback photo book. A unique kit number is provided to help kids make a book online with user-friendly website. The bonus photography guidebook will teach kids how to use their camera. "Kids are getting digital cameras at very young ages and have no outlet for thier photos besides social networking sites. While there are many photobook options, we are the only one with a focus on this young market. We have hundreds of preloaded stickers and backgrounds which can be added to layered pages and are designed around what kids are photographing," Chapelle Brunk, Marketing Specialist, Creations by You, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Creative Child Magazine Kids Product of the Year

These organic toys come in three styles, including a three-page Pumpkin crinkle book, a bat rattle with crinkle wings and a cuddly ghost finger puppet. Each toy features knots and stitched details designed for safe teething, tugging and hugging. The stuffing material is natural corn fiber filling, so these toys are machine washable. Prices range from $9.99 to $12.99.

These winter toys come in three cheerful velour snowman styles: a puffy plush friend, an oversized crinkle book, and a cuddly blanket. Each toy features knots and stitched details designed for safe teething, tugging and hugging. The stuffing material is natural corn fiber filling, so these toys are machine washable. Prices range from $14.99 to $19.99.

The Nano Christmas Dome with real motion includes a miniature decorated Christmas tree illuminated with 20 LED lights and surrounded by meticulously hand-wrapped color foil packages. A tiny train moves on an elevated oval track around the holiday tree, and the high-quality, hand-blown glass dome rests securely in a recess on a resin base to provide dust protection.
Awards: 2009 USCA San Diego Award in the Professional Engineers Category

This kit includes all the art materials a child needs to create. The plain brown paper exterior allows kids to personalize all sides. The set includes 18 colored pencils, 12 oil pastels, eight watercolor cakes, a paintbrush, a sharpener and an eraser. It measures 9.75" x 5" x 1.75" and has a rope handle and closure.

This 5.5" vintage mechanical pencil has a matte charcoal finish with chrome accents, a push button that advances lead .125" at a time, and a built-in pencil sharpener at the top. The tube of "fat" leads includes one each of pink, red, blue, brown and green, along with two graphite. "Our Chubby Mechanical Pencil is the perfect gift for artists and draftsmen of any age!" Emily Meluch, Xonex art director, told TDmonthly.

This set includes everything needed for Kit's birthday party. It comes with a printed linen tablecloth, two napkins, a bright bouquet in a ceramic vase, two pink glass plates, sherbet cups with make-believe sherbet, utensils, and two glasses of pretend punch with a pink glass pitcher.

Felicity can practice serving tea with this exquisite ceramic tea set. Included are a teapot, two cups and saucers, a sugar bowl and a creamer, all in a lotus flower motif, as well as two spoons, a metal tray and a wooden tea caddy.

This set features a bright kitchen table, plus everything needed for a party, including a pretend fondue pot, faux fruit skewers and gelatin dessert, cloth napkins, ceramic plates and textured glasses, and a printed vinyl tablecloth.

Dave the Monkey toy is an 8" electronic monkey plush toy made to sit one's shoulder and interact with friends and passers-by. Designed to look realistic, he has the look of a small squirrel monkey, with a black body and a white face, hands and feet. Dave clips to the owners jacket and is controlled using a small wireless remote. He can also act automonously, and is equipped with a wide range of emotions - he even gets "scared" when shouted at.

Each of these 2.5" blind-boxed plastic figures features a weighted bottom and built in chimes.

This 6.5" designer waffle plush has a cute character face.

This limited edition figure measures 6" and is made of rotocast vinyl and ABS plastic.

This limited edition figure measures 6" and is made of rotocast vinyl and ABS plastic.

This novelty action figure portrays BP CEO Tony Hayward.

This iCarly doll comes with two outfits that can be mixed and matched with those of other Switch dolls.

Girls can style this 10" iCarly doll with funky fashions and hairstyles, and press Carly's necklace to hear her chat.

This playset appears to "transport" figures to and from remote areas. Kids can beam their action figures in and out and watch them actually disappear and reappear. This highly detailed replica of the transporter features authentic transporting lights, sounds and effects.

This 3.75" figure is based on the original Spock character as played by Leonard Nimoy in the original series and the 2009 remake.