October 2008 Notable Toys — Interactive

UbiPetz Monkeyz plush come to life on a favorite Nintendo DS Petz video game. The soft characters come with a secret code that allows them to come alive right on a DS game screen. Kids can collect multiple characters and have them all interact on the Petz Monkeyz House game, plus name their exclusive characters on the Petz Website, print out their personal profile, and download free stuff. Launch date: October 15, 2008.

UbiPetz Catz are the only plush toys that can come to life on a favorite Nintendo DS Petz video game. These adorably soft characters come with a secret code that allows them to come alive right on a DS game screen. Kids can collect multiple characters and have them all interact on the Petz Catz Clan game. They can also name their exclusive characters on the Petz Website, print out their personal profile and download free stuff. Launch date: October 15, 2008.

UbiPetz Dogz are the only plush toys that can come to life on a favorite Nintendo DS Petz video game. Kids can take home one of these adorably soft characters that will allow you to unlock a secret code, and watch as your character comes alive right on the DS gamescreen. Children can collect multiple characters and have them all interact on the Petz Dogz Pack game, plus name their exclusive characters on the Petz Website, print out their personal profile and download free stuff. Launch date: October 15, 2008.

Legacy Interactive’s award-winning "Pet Pals: Animal Doctor" is now available for the Nintendo Wii. It gives animal lovers and aspiring animal doctors the chance to assume the role of a veterinarian. The simulation videogame is comprised of 30 true-to-life medical cases where players treat and nurse all the adorable animal patients brought in for minor problems like sunburn, cuts and infections, to more serious ailments, such as diabetes, tumors and snakebites. Launch date: November 11, 2008.

Each player receives a card that lists three secret challenges to be carried out during the play period in front of other players without getting caught. With family or during a party, players then try to expose other players in order to win. The small box takes up little counter space and is easy to take along. Launch date: March 2008.

This fuzzy frog gives kids the chance to register a star with the International Star Registry ... and name it, too. In the Shining Stars virtual world, owners of Shining Stars pets can play games, send e-cards, and define their pet's personality with different character traits.

My Meebas are plush toys contained in an electronic tube that allows girls to play games with the My Meebas character and watch it grow. Over time, the character grows to full size and the tube pops open, revealing which Meeba has been hiding inside.

This fluffy white horse comes with a special code kids can use to access Webkinz World online.
— Kathy Mabry, owner of The Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., told TDmonthly that Webkinz continue to be a top seller for her store. She reported sales of hundreds every month in early fall 2008.
— “Ganz’s Webkinz — they're still selling well here,” said Linda Laramy, owner of Cracker Jacks in Easton, Md., when asked about best-selling items for tweens. “They’re still very popular.”
— Webkinz was on the top-10 best-seller list at Pun’s Toy Store in Bryn Mawr, Pa., in October 2008. “Although not the sellers they were before, they still present the greatest play value in our industry,” Owner Joe Berardoni, Sr., said.

Combining physical play with educational activity, this pony connects to the television via a wireless IR device so that toddlers can interact with scenes and lessons on-screen while they ride. Once in the saddle, a child can select from three play levels and bounce and spin while also rolling the ball on the handle bars. More interaction results in increased on-screen activity, which includes animation, sounds, songs, and lessons about shapes, letters and more. The pony can also play music and sounds when not connected to the television. Launch date: 2008.

This striped character comes with an Internet access code that gives kids the freedom to explore Webkinz World online with the virtual equivalent of the plush pet. The tiger’s special item in the virtual world is a rock ledge bed.
— “Webkinz are still selling,” Owner Randy Austin of The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., told TDmonthly in summer 2008.
— “We move probably 100 to 150 per month,” William Meredith, owner of Learning Express in Cary, N.C., told TDmonthly in August 2008.
— Twenty percent of 64 retailers named Webkinz as their top-selling collectible toy in summer 2008.
Six of 63 retailers named Webkinz as their overall best seller in September 2008.

KooKeys offers a line of plush animals with online, interactive digital counterparts known as the Virtual Koo. Each plush KooKey comes with a special key that unlocks the online world for children to explore, interact, play, and learn.

This fashionable poodle is one in a line of plush pets featuring interactive computer play. Using a special code specific to the pet, kids can log onto the Webkinz website, meet the pet’s online counterpart, and build special rooms with points gained from answering trivia questions. Online, this pet’s special item is the Poofy Poodle Chair, and its special food is Licorice Canepés.
— Terry Myers, owner of Kaledioscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, told TDmonthly in July 2008 that her store sells about 350 Webkinz per month.
— “[We sell] about 100 per month,” said Donna, owner of The Perfect Present in Suwanee, Ga., who also named Webkinz as a best-selling gift item for girls.
— Eleven percent of 66 retailers polled in summer 2008 cited Webkinz as their top-selling girl gift.

Champ, one of Animaland’s most popular stuff-your-own-plush, is dressed in a varsity jacket and offers an interactive experience that is excellent for school fundraisers. Animaland plush is stuffable on any standard stuffing machine or by hand. Animaland offers more than 150 styles of animals and over 100 outfits, making the interactive experience unique and personal for each customer. Launch date: February 2008.

The Crayola Dry-Erase Activity Center is a unique, dry-erase board designed for individual use by students. Students can slide blank or pre-printed template cards underneath the window and practice printing, cursive, math, dot-to-dots, etc., by tracing or following the guides with a Crayola Dry-Erase fine line marker. With one quick wipe, the board is clean to practice on again. "This is the only dry-erase board desingned for individual use by students at their desks that allows them to practice fine motor skills - such as handwritting development - with the ablility to easily erase mistakes and practice again without creating any waste," said Susan Tucker, PR specialist for Crayola. Launch date: 2008

Available in Horse, Pink Poodle and Monkey designs, these 14" puppets have wooden feet that make a clip-clop sound while they dance, and they are easy for small hands to control. The no-tangle marionettes have removable strings that can be lifted from the handle and replaced after untangling. New styles will be available in 2009. Launch date: 2008.
Display Ideas: The company offers a mechanical, plug-in display (see video) that accommodates three puppets and can be placed in a window to attract shoppers.

A cross-platform MMO game, Freaky Creatures allows players to build the ultimate, customizable creatures and then battle them against friends. The Freaky Creatures experience begins with a starter pack that includes 2 action figures and a 1 gigabyte reusable flash as the key to the Freaky Creatures universe with a random assortment of 50 parts, 20 powers and 4 lair objects that allows players to create more than 3 billion visual combinations. Booster packs add more to the customization. Once customized, players can enter the online world and interact with other players.
— Freaky Creatures bills itself as “the first player-customized, cross platform gaming universe you can take on the go.” Do such grandiose claims match the product itself? In short, no, but this does not mean Freaky Creatures should be ignored. Each starter pack contains two of the titular creatures rendered in action figure form along with a flash drive that unlocks a MMOG with exploration, character customization, and a simple battle system. Reviewers report the figures are nicely detailed and painted, especially for their size. KidsTechReview.com proclaimed the game “surprisingly well done.” Jacqueline Rupp of Common Sense Media recommended the toy for children ages 10 and up (not the advertised 8+), praising the online component for delivering fun game play while avoiding violence and adult content. With irresistibly grotesque figures and a solid online game experience, Freaky Creatures has genuine appeal. It’s not for everyone, but it can be used to reach older boys who spurn tamer and more traditional toys.

Tell The Tale Thumball has 32 Multi-colored panels, and is 4 inches in diameter. Each panel contains a story and an author, encouraging participants to retell familiar fairy tales, fables and modern classics to develop sequencing skills and oral expression. Inspires dramatic play, improvisation and cooperative team building. An ideal companion to Parts of A Story Thumball.

Parts of a Story Thumball has 12 Multi-colored panels, and is 4 inches in diameter. It helps teach key elements of stories including plot, setting, characters, conflict etc. Improves verbal expression and organization of thoughts. A Book Report on a ball that increases motivation and participation.

Sleep in the tree tops inside your very own “Tree House” bed tent. Between the leaves and branches, you will find warm colors and secret windows, making your new bed time “Tree House” a night in the outdoors. It’s like bringing the trees into your bedroom and sleeping under the stars, just in the comfort of your own bed.

When you can’t decide what color you like best, this multi colored Red, Blue, Yellow tunnel is the answer. Sturdy spring steel construction makes for long lasting fun. The Pacific Play Tents Find-Me Multi Color Tunnel excellent fun for developing cooperative play. Great for muscle development. Stimulate the imagination for creative playtime.

An adorable plush puppy, this Cocker Spaniel – like all of his Webkinz family – comes with a special code that grants access to the online Webkinz world. Kids can adventure with their plush pet, who is about 7” tall. Additionally, they can take their golden-furred buddy online to play games, care for their own virtual puppy, and explore the online world specially designed for children.
— “It's all about the Webkinz and things that can go on the Web,” said Donna Anderson, owner of Murphys Village Toy Store in Murphys, Calif., who told TDmonthly in June 2008 that Webkinz are her main seller in the plush category.
— “Ganz does an excellent job of … keeping interest; a lot of adults buy this product,” commented Pete James, owner of Brain Train in Burlington, NC.
— Thirty-one percent of the 62 retailers surveyed said Webkinz are their top-selling plush, with several stores selling more than 100 per month. Two of 66 retailers told TDmonthly in July 2008 that Webkinz are a top-selling gift for boys in their stores.

This 9.6V, 27 MHz remote-controlled boat can catch fish that weigh up to two pounds. Prop guards help prevent line tangles. Included are the RC boat and controller, telescoping retrieval hook, hook, botter and 2-lb. test line. A rechargable Ni-Mh attery and charger are also included.

His nightcap and sweet smile look cute and innocent, but this plush bear talks dirty: “I like it when you touch me there!” he proclaims when you squeeze his chest. Slightly less nasty than his cousins, he stands nearly 11-inches tall. Bedtime Teddy is the first-ever oversized Swear Bear ! Only 900 Bedtime Teddies are available.

Kids are invited to JumpStart Town! Inside awaits a colorful, musical place where there are exciting games, swimming, sliding and more, all contained in a safe 3D virtual world. While kids explore the land, JumpStart friends will provide encouragement and directions. Games incorporate the use of letter, number, shape and color skills so kids are learning while they play.