October 2008 Notable Toys — Arts & Crafts

This set includes glass and ceramic beads of various shapes and colors, and an instruction and design booklet, all in a wooden, hand-crafted case with a sliding top. The kit makes 8+ accessories.
— Jewelry-making kits are popular at The Toy Store in Atlanta, Denis Hofstetter said, because “they are a good price point [and] something that lasts.”
— “Jewelry items from Bead Bazaar” are popular buys for girl gifts at Sisters Kids in Springfield, Mass., Co-Owner Diana Gisolfi said. “Girls wear more jewelry in the summer.”
— Four of 66 specialty toy retailers told TDmonthly in summer 2008 that beading kits are top-selling gifts for girls.

This craft activity kit enables kids and adults to create handmade bag tags, key chains and more. The pack includes an Enchanted Kingdom poster, 32+ traceable images, oodles of Shrinky Dinks plastic, eight color ball chains, and a photo frame keepsake. Shrinky Dinks® is the amazing, shrinking plastic that you draw on, color in, cut out, and bake in the oven to create all kinds of crafty items such as jewelry, bag tags, charms, magnets and ornaments. Launch date: August 2008. Display Ideas: The product is designed to hang or sit on a shelf.

Crayola 16 Ct. Triangular crayons combine anti-roll design and a writing grip that is developmentally appropriate for students ages 5 to 7. Launch date: 03/03/2008

These scissors come in two adorable varieties. One cuts zig-zags and the other cuts waves. They are distinctive in the market because they're "durable and in very bright colors," Manager John Gallagher of Rich Frog Industries told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2004.

"Colorful Garden - A Feelings Coloring Book" takes the reader through several garden scenes with bugs and flowers displaying a variety of emotions to which children can relate. The rhyming verse and fun illustrations make the coloring book an entertaining product, but it also has great value in its ability to increase emotional intelligence and enhance a child's ability to express different feelings. It is ideal for developing communication skills, emotional vocabulary, creative expression, self esteem, and social skills in a fun and child-friendly manner. "This fun and engaging coloring book will help children recognize, identify, and talk about their feelings," said Lisa-Marie Arneson, Owner and Creator of Bright Spots. This product is a Dr Toy Best Vacation Children's Products Winner. Launch date: 09/18/2005

Kids can create miniature works of art that celebrate their four-legged family members. The kit contains four papier-maché shapes (star, rectangle, square and circle) and lots of colorful and shiny decorating materials (paint, brush, glitter glue, gem stones, gloss varnish, alphabet stickers). Kids can add their own photos and creativity to the included materials to personalize their pet ornaments. It is a fun and easy project that provides a creative way for kids to express their love for their pets. "Pet Ornaments are perfect for holidays or anytime," Co-President Mike Greenwald of BowWowMeow told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 20, 2008.

With this craft, children can have fun cutting, pasting and assembling their own personal pet (potty training not required). "Kumon 3-D Paper Craft workbooks are designed to help children develop problem-solving and spatial reasoning abilities, as well as fine motor skills," Adam Hennessy, in marketing and account management for Kumon Publishing, told TDmonthly. "Their extra-thick paper and colorful, engaging illustrations ensure that children will be able to create a sturdy and engaging paper toy that will provide an educational and entertaining experience." Launch date: January 10, 2006.

Housed in a charming deluxe metal box, this construction kit contains eight different models you can build yourself—each with at least one moving part. Included are perforated construction sheets for each paper toy with additional materials designed to individualize and enhance each figure, including wooden sticks, rubber bands, plastic beads, string and wire.  Each model can be built with ease using the detailed, step-by-step instruction manual and colored pre-punched motifs.  From an amusing bunny to a pop-up monster to a plane with propeller, the models have been lovingly created and include ingenious mechanisms: push the car, and the driver and his luggage sway amusingly from side to side; turn the stick, and the clown’s facial expression changes.

Barker Creek's 4" Letter Pop-Outs are available in seven exciting designs that coordinate with Barker Creek's full line of classroom decor products. Each Letter Pop-Out set includes upper and lowercase letters, punctuation marks and numbers. The bright, hip designs appeal to all ages and can also be used for making eye-catching report covers, science project displays, scrapbooks, 4-H projects and more. Launch date: April 2008.

Need more artwork for your Shrinky Dinks holiday baubles? The Christmas Refill Pack gives you ten full-size sheets (8”x10”) of Frosted Ruff n’ Ready shrinkable plastic, plus eight additional line art images for easy tracing.

This new "paint" by numbers kit consists of graphic designs with sticky backings and pots of brightly colored powder pigment made from recycled mat board. Kids simply dip their paintbrushes into the pots, then spread the pigment on the board to create a variety of bright and fun designs.

This activity kit from Laurali Collections was created to allow girls to bead their own straps, design their own trims and color their own jewels. The kit includes a pouch with velcro strip sewn on, beads for long or short straps, extra beads for bracelet or anklet to match the purse, findings to complete straps, 2 ribbons for trim, one ribbon for beading, beads for the trim, findings to complete trims, and rhinestone jewel. No sewing or gluing is required. Purse takes approximately one hour to complete.

Dark Horse Deluxe joins with Tara McPherson to design the "Somewhere Under the Rainbow Coloring Kit!" This fantastic "kit" comes in an easy-carry heavy-gauge clear vinyl bag with zipper enclosure, and includes: 96-page coloring book featuring 48 pieces of outstanding black and white art by Tara McPherson. This book has concealed spiral binding and stiff covers and includes unique box of 24 crayons in modern colors. But that's not all! Four color-them-yourself postcards, and a deluxe sticker sheet are included in the spiral bound book.

This 4,000-piece set lets girls create three trendy girls in cool contemporary outfits. Kids fill in the pegboards with plastic beads, then mom or dad uses an iron to fuse the pieces together to make a 2-D toy.

This 6,000-piece set lets girls create fashion dolls and outfits. Kids fill in the pegboards with plastic beads, then mom or dad uses an iron to fuse the pieces together to make a 2-D toy.

This 6,000-piece set lets kids create bear and squirrel characters to live on the illustrated playboards. Kids fill in the pegboards with plastic beads, then mom or dad uses an iron to fuse the pieces together to make a 2-D toy.

Sparkling snowflakes, glittery stars, and shimmering fish are just a few of the dazzling creations kids can make with new Sparkle PlayFoam, now available in a rainbow of colors! Like classic PlayFoam, the new sparkly foam beads are non-toxic, and won’t dry, harden, or stick to surfaces, making clean up quick and easy. Launch date: 2008.

This set includes four dinosaur designs that children can decorate by sticking colored mosaic squares in the appropriate numbered spot. It includes four plastic hangers and 3,000 sticky foam pieces.
— Sticky Mosaics have been “hot” at Pun’s Toy Store in Bryn Mawr, Pa., since last February, according to owner Joe Berardoni, Sr. “These craft kits are reasonably priced and have a tremendous attraction to kids ages 6 through 12,” he said in October 2008.
— "Combined SKUs surpass at least two dozen per week," Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toy Shop in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly of Sticky Mosaics sales in his store in early 2009.

Professor Pocket, Desi the Dinosaur and Chico the Chicken go on a bilingual musical adventure to Hawaii where they surf with the Big Kahuna (played by Parents Choice award-winning artist Billy Jonas), dance the hula, and visit a volcano!  A silly bilingual storyline, 6 original songs and a remake of the popular Latin American folk song, " Sana, Sana", are sure to get the whole family singing and speaking along in Spanish.  Includes a companion booklet with song translations. Launch date: June 4, 2008 .

Young equine enthusiasts will learn how to draw horses using two artist horse models (one adult and one foal), pastels, colored pencils, smudger, and other useful tools. Accompanied by a fully illustrated book featuring several different guided projects that stress a variety of techniques, treatments, and approaches for drawing realistic, cartoon, or abstract horses, there’s really no limit. Launch date: August 2008.