November 2010 Notable Toys — General Toys

A lovely set of stackers that are made from recycled milk jugs, contain no BPA, Phthaltes or pvc, and if you want to feel even better the product is made in the USA. This is a great toy to explore with your older baby or toddler.  While you can stack them in "order", you don't have to- a nice feature.  Each cup has two small holes for safety purposes - so that your child can not create a suction over his face.  Even with the holes this is a fun set to bring into the bathtub.
Awards:  Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal, 2010.

This is a great new assortment of authentic battery-powered steam and diesel locomotives hauling a variety of cargo and passenger cars. Kids will love the large, sturdy size of these trains as well as the realistic lights and sounds. Also included are the top ten railroading fun facts on back of packaging.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

Now your child can go shopping with a colorful and sturdy Cozy Cart and put in a favorite toy. Push the cart around just like mom and dad do at the grocery store. The seat is big enough for a 12” doll or plush animal. Ample space in cart for toys and
other small items. Rugged construction lasts for many years. Easy assembly. No batteries required.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

A creative project allows your child to make many reusable Fuzzoodle combinations. Choose a Fuzzoodle, then pick some parts, twist it, bend it and build it.  The Fluffy Friends Large Kit includes 6 long Fuzzoodles, 4 short Fuzzoodles, 10 Fuzzoodle parts, and 1 idea booklet. Provides for fun and dexterity activity at the same time.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

The Strong Arm Fire Engine is a new free-wheeling vehicle with a multi-action trigger-lever built right in. Pull and rev up the lever and watch the sparks fly in the arm’s window as the siren wails. Squeeze the lever’s trigger to raise the fire engine’s ladder. This sturdy vehicle is kid-powered with plenty of playtime action.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

Kids can grow up to 300 Orbeez at once, and 2,500 total, in this gizmo. While the Orbeez grow, children can shoot them through the hoops. Once grown, they cascade down the spiral ramp into the collection tray and can be used for play with ideas from the included activity booklet.

The GloMate PLUS is a portable, rechargeable play and night light designed to fit perfectly into a child's hand. The built-in lithium-ion battery lasts over 10 hours on a single charge. The base features an LED ring that lights when charging and makes the it easy to find in total darkness. The GloMate PLUS lights up in blue, green, red or a rainbow mode that cycles through all of the colors. "The GloMate PLUS is designed as the perfect play friend. The multi-color LEDs make any child's adventure a colorful one," MOBI Technologies National Sales Manager Andrew Buckband told TDmonthly.

This 48-piece set includes solid colored pieces, along with pieces with holes, curved pieces, a magnetic door and a wheeled piece. Magna-Tiles DX contains 12 small squares, four large squares, six isosceles triangles, 10 right triangles, 11 equilateral triangles, a wheeled piece, and arch and three special shapes. An idea guide is included.
— In late summer 2010, five percent of 43 specialty retailers told TDmonthly Magna-Tiles are an overall best-selling product.
— In late Spring 2011, 25% of retailers mentioned Magna-Tiles as a best-selling construction toy.
— As of 05/12/2011, this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 23 reviews on Amazon.com.
— In a Summer 2012 survey, Diana Nelson, owner of Kazoo & Company in Denver, Col., told TDmonthly that Magnatiles were their overall best-selling toy.

This starter set includes one rare mutation Hexbug Nano Creature, two connectable curved pieces, and one easy connect hexagon piece.

Christa is dressed to impress and sparkles everywhere she goes. She looks radiant in her green shoes with poofs on the toes, snowflake stockings, a shimmery off-the-shoulder red dress and a green scarf, topped off with a red bonnet.

Holiday Hannah is ready for any holiday party. Super fashionable, Hannah wears red pompoms in her highlighted golden hair, a cozy winter Santa sweater, a shiny gold light bulb-embroidered skirt, candy cane striped stockings and fuzzy white boots.

This game set includes a wooden cribbage board, a deck of cards, five wooden dice and instructions for 12 different games. Twelve games are featured, but numerous other games can be played with the set.

George the three-headed monster has a soft, yellow plush body, bright white teeth and red accents on each of his heads and tummy. This puppet is designed to make children smile, chasing away fears of "scary" monsters.

As it streaks across the Alaskan wilderness, the McKinley Explorer treats passengers to breathtaking views of the spectacular scenery and wildlife in special vista-dome cars. Bachmann’s version features models of the train's bi-level dome dining-lounge cars. This ready-to-run train set includes an EMD GP40 diesel locomotive with operating headlight, three full-dome passenger cars (the Knik, Kenai, and Kobuk), a 63" x 45" oval of snap-fit E-Z Track, a power pack/speed controller and an illustrated instruction manual. "Our set has the newest models of the passenger cars," Bachmann Trains Communications Manager Debra Schiff told TDmonthly.

Eli is proud to be the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. Eli is little Eleri Eagle's senior and they love spending time together. This "beautiful eagle plush (features) super soft fur and a realistic look," Manhattan Toy Marketing and Sales Manager Julie Flann told TDmonthly.

Doozers live within Fraggle Rock and stand only 6" tall. The Doozers are small humanoid pudgy green creatures. They spend most of their time busily constructing small buildings out of a candy-like substance (that the Fraggles love to eat, which ensures a steady and constant work flow for the Doozers) made out of radishes and chanting marching songs. They use miniature construction equipment and wear hard-hats and work boots. No one but the Doozers themselves seems to understand the actual purpose of their intricate and beautiful constructions. "Doozers look just like the Fraggle Rock characters and comes in a puppet or plush," Julie Flann, marketing and sales manager of Manhattan Toy, told TDmonthly.

Traveling Matt is a brave and famous Fraggle explorer. He is also Gobo's uncle. Matt spends most of the Fraggle Rock series in "Outer Space" (his perspective of the human world) and sends postcards back to his nephew describing his adventures there. Matt prides himself on his bravery and resourcefulness, but also tends towards clumsiness, frequently falling backwards or tripping during his travels. This Matt toy looks just like the Fraggle Rock character, and comes in plush and puppet versions.

Sprocket is an intelligent sheepdog owned by Doc, the inventor of Fraggle Rock, and he proves the motto that dog is truly man's best friend. He spends much of his time in Doc's Workshop, where his bed and food dish are, observing Doc at work. Sprocket is very communicative and frequently talks to Doc by barking, making faces, or pointing to objects in a form of charades. Doc often relies on Sprocket to help with household chores, including repairs on the water pipes. This soft plush toy has furry gray hair, just like the real Fraggle Sprocket.

Kids can learn anatomy, teach posture, do illustrations or recreate Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man with this articulated stencil. The stencil measures 13.5” tall, is see-through and easy-to-clean, and pivots at 15 different points.

This simple to use, open-ended building set features five colors of 8" flexible straws that can be cut to accommodate different sizes. Users can construct cars, jets, castles and more. The set includes 400 pieces.

Press this pig for "eye-popping" entertainment. This silly pig measures 3" tall.

Press this cow for eye-popping entertainment. This silly cow measures 3" tall.

The Malta Knight figuring from Papo is detailed play figure ready for action. With his sword raised and helmet turned to face his assailant, he can stand alone or ride one of the man armored horses available in the line. The Malta Knight wears chain mail and a bright red tabard emblazoned with a white cross, finished with period inspired details like his shoes, helmet, and scabbard.
—“[Our best seller is] Papo action figures by Hotaling Imports. We can't keep them on the shelves,” said Kathy Burns, manager of My Favorite Toy Store in Downer's Grove, Ill., during a July 2010 survey of top-selling action figures.
— Nine out of 38 retailers said Papo is a best-selling item in their stores.
— Linda Laramy, owner of Crackerjacks Toys and Childrens Books in Easton, Md., told TDmonthly in a Summer 2011 survey that she sells "a couple dozen" Papo knights each month, making them her best-selling action figure.

This combination set includes double six Dominoes, a sliding lid cribbage board with pegs, a deck of cards, five wooden dice and a wooden box. Game Instructions are included for games including dominoes, dribbage, Dice 1000, One-O-Five, Three Dice Game, Twenty-One, Going to Boston, Chicago, Gin Rummy and Crazy 8’s. It comes in a handsome wooden box with a sliding lid.