November 2011 Notable Toys — Award Winners

If you can play business, you can learn business! Kids will have fun earning money while starting their first business with this unique mobile business stand. The Apprentice Kit includes a mobile business office, a fun illustrated activity book to get started, and customizable banner set. The business stand comes with wheels, dry/erase magnetic banner areas, built-in locking money tray, literature storage tray, solar-powered built-in calculator, hooks, keys, magnets, and dry erase marker set. Kids can choose a business from the book or come up with their own business to launch. The book is easy to read and teaches kids how to become young entrepreneurs. Launch date: November 2010.
Awards: 2011 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys; 2011 Oppenheim Toy Award; 2011 NAPPA Gold Award

Kids in Business around the World is an interactive workbook that offers FUN content, ideas, and hands-on learning exercises to give kids, tweens and teens the tools to start and run their own business or fundraiser. Chapters include information on goal setting, money management, and social entrepreneurship, determination and more. "This interactive workbook teaches kids, tweens and teens the foundations of entrepreneurship," Stephanie Lutz Paulauskas, marketing director at Del Visionaries, LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2010.
Awards: 2011 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys; 2011 Oppenheim Toy Award; 2011 NAPPA Gold Award

This NY Times Bestselling Book and Multi-Award Winning Activity Kit is an educational tool with a thousand uses. These bright colorful scarves stimulate the senses, encourage movement and teach and reinforce color recognition. Parents can use this book to encourage imagination and solo and choral reading. Dance to the music or use for dress up. These scarves are an open-ended tool, limited only by the users imagination. Launch date: June 2011.
Awards: 2011 Winner of Creative Child's Book of the Year and Media of the Year Awards

Obstacles is a journey along a path of hazards and barriers which are overcome by the collective cleverness of its players. Armed with an unlikely set of tools, imagination, and some silliness, players "cooperate" creatively to innovate solutions that let them get home together. "Obstacles is eeBoo's first "cooperative" game. It teaches the useful skill of creative collaboration and makes for a play experience that is positive and constructive as it promotes good feelings amongst players. It is a perfect game for parents, children, and siblings to be silly and imaginative together," Regina Gelin, sales and marketing associate at eeBoo, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.
Awards: 2011 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award - Platinum

The Worry Chest System opens the door of communication between parent and child. The Worry Chest System will bridge the gap that exists between a child's thoughts and the parent's awareness of their problems. Worries will be written down and addressed as soon as they occur so they won't snowball into stress and anxiety. Children quickly learn how to manage and control negative thinking. Through tracking their worries, children can emotionally bond to the understanding that most problems workout, and that we grow from the problems that are more challenging. The Worry Chest System teaches children how to think positive, both about themselves and eventually even about the problems they face. It's fun, and won't seem like "work" for a child. Includes The Worry Chest, The Worry Chest, Instruction Guide, Worry Slips, The Worry Tracker, WCS Gratitude Journal, Quick Start Guide. Launch date: 2010.
Awards:  2010 Grant from the State of New York; 2010 Creative Child Magazine Award Winner.