October 2012 Notable Toys — Educational

The Sounds Like Fun ABC Clappers are 3 brightly painted, hand crafted wood castanets with handles in graduated sizes and sounds. One side is labeled 1, 2,3, and the other side is labeled A, B, C. For color, number, shape and letter recognition, beginning pattern making, and hearing high and low sound changes. Includes a parent/teacher friendly activity guide for ideas on using the clappers to encourage child development. Launch date: 2005.

Kids (and grown-ups) love to learn and say silly-sounding words—not to mention impressing others with them—so we’ve created Big Word Flashcards, featuring some of the coolest multisyllabic terms in the dictionary. With fun definitions, child-friendly phonetic pronunciations, and playful illustrations, these cards will introduce youngsters of all ages to the joys of loquacity. Launch date: January 2012.

Little ones love defining what it is that makes them so special, and so do we. This fun activity book encourages kids to explore their own imaginations and preferences—treehouse or fort? Pirate or ninja? Filled with whimsical illustrations, playful prompts, and awesome stickers, This...or That? gives kids the power of creative decision making. Launch date: June 2012.

Combat a universal childhood affliction—exercise resistance—with our Kids’ Passports. Featuring fancy sticker “stamps” as rewards, this official-looking booklet will trick even the idlest of youngsters into making an adventuresome, interactive game of moving and grooving. Launch date: January 2012.

Combat a universal childhood affliction—picky eating—with our Kids’ Passports. Featuring fancy sticker “stamps” as rewards, this official-looking booklet is sure to convince even the fussiest little eater to make an adventuresome, interactive game of trying new foods. Launch date: January 2012.

Kids will discover a world of intrigue and adventure right under their noses with our Scavenger Hunt Pad. More active than any techno-gadget, this pad keeps young’uns busy and ignites their imagination as they search for “treasure” around the house (or hotel room, backyard, etc.). Launch date: January 2012.

Encourage budding creative geniuses to showcase their skills with the I’m an Artist Pad. More fun than television and less expensive than art school, this inspiring pad fuels kids’ imagination in a celebratory format that’s just as enjoyable for parents as it is for tots. Launch date: January 2012.

Players must turn over a category card then roll the letter dice. Everyone tries to match the letters with something related to the category. If they’re looking for “Vehicles” — take the “T” and yell out “Truck!”, then keep on looking for more. The first player to get 20 points wins.  For 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up. Contents: 7 dice, dice cup, 30 category cards, score pad, rules. Launch date: June 2012.
Awards: 2012 Family Fun Toy of the Year T.O.Y. Award

Yuko-chan and the Daruma Doll, a gorgeous book by author/illustrator Sunny Seki, takes readers on a journey into ancient Japan and the story behind the famous Daruma Doll. Yuko-chan, an adventurous blind orphan, is able to do amazing things. She confronts a temple burglar in the dead of night, and crosses treacherous mountain passes to deliver food to hungry people. During her travels, Yuko-chan trips and tumbles down a snowy cliff. She discovers a strange thing as she waits for help: her tea gourd, regardless of how she drops it, always lands right-side-up. The tea has frozen in the bottom of the gourd. Inspired by this, she creates the famous Daruma doll toy, which rights itself when tipped—a true symbol of resilience. Thanks to Yuko-chan's invention, the villagers are able to earn a living and feed themselves by selling the dolls. Yuko-chan never gave up, no matter the obstacles she faced, and the Daruma doll is a charming reminder of the power of perseverance.

Peek into the underground world of earthworms and discover their earth-saving secrets. See how they turn waste into soil and dig tunnels to create drainage for plants. Perform experiments to demonstrate how worms live and work underground. Have fun with the "Super Squirmin" character cutouts. Made in the USA and Safety Approved. Double-sided viewing, Worm Facts and Anatomy Poster, experiment booklet, and 2 foot Super Squirmin worm cut-out with Superhero hats. Mail-in certificate (send $12.95) for live worms, soil wafers and starter food shipped Priority Mail year-round in the USA, excluding Hawaii.

Triple Talk is a fast-paced card game for improving vocabulary, comprehension, and reasoning skills by presenting students with words that may have different meanings based on their context. For example, one can swim in a pool, play a game of pool, or pool one's resources. Each of the 60 Word Cards in Triple Talk has three different corresponding Photo-Definition Cards (180 Cards). There are three levels of Photo-Definition Cards. Level 1 Cards have a definition most familiar to students. Levels 2 and 3 gradually increase in difficulty by using the words in contexts that may not be as familiar to students. The definitions present the words as simple nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

Developed especially for kids, Lexibook® Junior Tablet combine educational, multimedia and interactive activities, empowering children to play and learn using their very own tablet.  The double injection molded plastic casing is solidly constructed to hold up to kids at play -- even in the hands of its youngest users.  The easy-to-use interface can be intuitively navigated by all ages. The scrolling menu makes it easy for kids to access a treasure trove of apps, games, music, videos, cartoons and books. Launch date: October 2012.

Pair game develops memory/concentration skills and visual discrimination in a fun way. The 24 activity cards include: Early Learning, the Body, and the Animal World (6 cards for each area); It includes recognition of Shapes and letters; It encourages recognition of objects; It helps in teaching how to follow rules and respect others; It can be played individually or in a group; Big pieces for small hands. Launch date: January 2011.

Fun way to learn essential math skills about money. Each set includes 3 game series - total of 18 full color activity cards to reinforce visual recognition and discrimination, and actual size plastic bills and coins (14 bills and 24 coins).  Activity Dollar includes actual size and accurately designed play money, as well as 3 matching games to: - reinforce recognition of each coin and bill (dollar bingo), - market games to support the values of each bill and coin to arrive at the correct price and - comparison game to introduce the concept of greater and less than. Launch date: January 2012.

Hannah will introduce students to habitats including deserts and tundra, ocean and river habitats, colonies, nests and more. The book also includes fun activities and a thought-provoking science fair project. Hannah hunts for Habitats is a reproducible, colorful and fun book with hand-on experiments, a science fair project, metric conversions, the scientific method and a glossary. This book covers the exciting careers, many inventors, and actual tools and equipment with a touch of humor. Launch date: 2008.

Quick Quick is a delightful game of observation and rapidity. Outfox the other players by correctly matching the animal with its fur.Players must act quickly to collect cards, but can’t be hasty as it may cost them their hide. Launch date: 2012.

It’s time to catch some Butterflies. These beautiful creatures are spreading their stunning wings and flitting from flower to flower. Follow a simple legend and add sparkling jewels and foam tiles to decorate these special oversized mosaics. Hang these magical Butterflies on your walls for some whimsical décor. Launch date: October 2012.

SET Junior is two games in one box. Its two-sided game board allows kids to start playing as young as age 3. Side one is just matching. Match each tile to its square on the board using colors, shapes and numbers. Players earn point chips for each SET they complete. When ready, flip the board over and race to find SETs on their own. On side two, there are no turns and no luck. This game is fun, competitive and educational. Launch date: July 2012.

A high-energy educational Spanish & English class in DVD that will stimulate kid's musical & language development and captivate their imaginations. We believe that children's interest will peak after watching this special video. Children from 3 years old and up learn the name of many farm animals in the "Repeat After Me" segment. Includes "Numbers 1-30", "Sentences", "Opposites", "What Color It Is?", "Insects", "Puzzle Time" and "Time To Eat". The show ends in a fancy gelato shop learning the ice cream flavors. Songs, music, illustrations, and real farm animals are part of this wonderful video. Launch date: January 2012.
Awards: 2012 Best of Show Dealer Favorites; A “must have” item from the 2012 NSSEA Organization Ed Expo recently held on March 23rd in Baltimore, MD

It's time to "Play bal!" when Christina, Grant, Mimi, and Papa take a tour of baseball's most famous places and slide head-first into a mystery. Launch date: January 2012.

What do a brother and sister do when their sort-of-mad scientist dad takes them along the San Andreas Fault, to new Madrid Missouri and other earthquake prone places? What child can resist learning about the power of mother-nature and the tools to stay safe as these interested kids confront nature head-on. Launch date: 2007.
Awards: 2007 iParenting Media Award

Mimi, Papa, and their grandchildren- Christina and Grant- fly to Paris aboard Papa's red and white airplane, The Mystery Girl. As soon as they land at Charles de Gaulle Airport and meet their pen pals, Jean-Luc and Marie, the mystery begins. A famous statue is missing from the world-famous Louvre Museum. A mysterious woman in black is following them. So is a pigeon, dropping clues and more along the way. Launch date: 2006.

Discover with Dr. Cool turned this classic science experiment into the ultimate hands-on volcano experience. First you'll decorate the 7" ceramic volcano with the brush and paints included in the kit. Then kids'll make the volcano erupt over and over with the eruption powder and red lava coloring also included. Plus they'll get to examine 3 genuine volcanic specimens including: a real geode, an obsidian arrowhead, and a floating piece of volcanic rock called pumice. The information guide will teach kids all about their specimens as well as how volcanoes form and why they erupt. Also included is an activity booklet with 10 fun games, puzzles, and challenges to complete. Because everything is included in the kit, kids won't need to run to the store for additional supplies. If they're doing this project for the science fair, they'll love how nice the ceramic volcano looks-it's way better than the paper mache volcanoes. This is the perfect science kit for anyone interested in geology, earth science, or volcanoes. Launch date: August 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval, 2012 Kids Product of the Year,  Creative Child Magazine; 2012 Gold Award, Family Review Center;2012 Seal of Approval, Family Review Center.

Excavate 3 genuine fossil specimens just like a real paleontologist. Buried inside the ammonite-shaped digging brick young paleontologists will uncover a real sliced and polished ammonite, a clam fossil and a gastropod specimen. This hands-on kit includes an excavation tool, brush, magnifying glass, full-color information guide, and an activity booklet with 10 fun games, puzzles, and challenges to complete. These 3 genuine specimens are each millions of years old. The info guide was written by teachers so that kids will improve their knowledge of science. Plus, there's an activity booklet with 10 fun games, puzzles, and challenges to complete. Launch date: September 2012.
Awards: 2012 Seal of Excellence - Creative Child Magazine; 2012 Preferred Choice Award - Creative Child Magazine