November 2011 Notable Toys — General Toys

MagnaMobiles are vehicles that feature an innovative, multi-faceted, connection feature called "rotating magnet technology." Put the pieces together and take them apart to create new and inventive vehicles. The blocks and pieces also make a clicking sound when joined together and rotated - adding another element of fun. These one-of-a kind vehicles are designed for kids to exercise their creativity.

The 150 piece set of Playstix allows kids to build a wide variety of models right out of the box, without the need for any additional or specialized parts. An Idea Booklet illustrates fun things to build, from a simple table and chairs to a two-story cabin. Each Playstix piece has grooves that interlock when one Playstix piece is placed across another. The different length Playstix pieces are color-coded, so it’s easy to see how each model is built.

BunkiMunki™ Keys are collectible trend merchandise kids can wear in unique ways to express their own style. When kids see other kids wearing the iconic key, they will recognize fellow members of BunkiMunki, an innovative social network that provides tweens a unique online experience. Kids create their own alias in the likeness of BunkiMunki™, the brand character, their own home space with realistic decor, and choose activities like journal writing, music creation, earning badges, games and virtual shopping. Launch date: October 2011.

Cotton Candy Cutesies are truly sweet plush characters with wispy hair that looks just like cotton candy. Each scrumptious Cutesie has a distinct personality based on their flavor - from rainbow cookie and orange cream soda to bubblegum and hot cinnamon.

Zip-Itz are magical and mischievous plush creatures that came to life after a mysterious machinery malfunction at the Zany Zipper Factory. Instead of zippered rain boots, purses, wallets and more, the machines spewed out colorful Zip-Itz instead. While no one is quite sure how they came to be, one thing is for certain - they make the very best pals. Adorned with rainbow-teeth zippers that open to reveal secret pockets, Zip-Itz are perfect for hiding all kinds of treasures. Each creature has a unique personality. The line includes 12 Zip-Itz Miniz and 6 Zip-Itz. Launch date: 2012.

Zip-Itz are magical and mischievous plush creatures that came to life after a mysterious factory machinery malfunction at the Zany Zipper Factory. Instead of zippered rain boots, purses, wallets and more, the machines spewed out colorful Zip-Itz instead. While no one is quite sure how they came to be, one thing is for certain - they make the very best pals. Adorned with rainbow-teeth zippers that open to reveal secret pockets, Zip-Itz are perfect for hiding all kinds of treasures. Each creature has a unique personality, fabric pattern, design and story based on what they were intended to become at the factory. The line includes six Zip-Itz characters. Launch date: 2012.

Bullseye is ready for Woody's next rootin' tootin' western adventure. But he's so excited he's ready to bolt at any second. Load him up with all the gear the gang needs but do it gently. Players will never know when he's going to jump up and take off.
— As of 11/14/2011 this product had 2 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Cons: The main piece of the game would not stay in place for many users; the game was not interesting.

Johnny is an airplane with friction-powered, rotating propellers, and a cargo hold with 3 secret compartments.
— Gladys Griffin, owner of Main Street Toy Shop in Columbus, Ga., told TDmonthly in a November 2011 survey that the Johnny Jungle Plane is her best selling aircraft/flying toy.

For high flying fun. Super flight performance with 7” wingspan. Soft foam with weighted nose for long glides. Hand or rubber band launched.
— Kim Emigh, manager of e-commerce at Growing Tree Toys in State College, Pa., told TDmonthly in a November 2011 survey that Hot Wingz are one of her top-2 best selling flying toys.

Stop the prisoners from escaping the police station through the pipe drain. They won't get far on foot. Use the police car to chase them down and transport them back to prison in the police van. Help keep LEGO City safe with this feature-packed set. The LEGO City Police Station (7498) features: Set Contains 783 Pieces; Includes 4 police officers, 2 robbers, a police dog and lots of accessories; Modular building make building easy; Includes police car, prisoner transport van, and bicycle; Station features 2 jail cells, command center with computers, helicopter landing pad on the roof, garage for two vehicles.
— As of 11/07/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 11 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Lots of accessories; fun to build; very detailed. Cons: Expensive; took one reviewer two days to assemble completely.
— As of 11/07/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 15 reviews on Amazon.com.
— Paul Sahagian, owner of Learning Express in Needham, Mass., told TDmonthly in a December 2014 interview that this Frozen Coloring book is one of the best-selling books at their store.

This is a "Twist on the Classic Four-in-a-Row Game." It's full of secret colors, sneaky moves and wacky wild tokens that make players Swivel. Just when one player is about to get four in a row, another player may have to twist a level of the 3-D board and change everything. Launch date: 2011.

WowWee Paper Jamz are affordable and innovative instruments that provide an instant rock star experience and open-ended play. The creative blend of technology and play is made possible with Active Graphics Technology circuit-embedded paper, which allows kids to play like a pro by simply touching the paper surface. With cutting-edge technology, this Paper Jamz Pro microphone lets anyone sound like a pop star. USB cable included. For ages 8 and above. Batteries 3 x “AAA” (not included).

The Nerf VORTEX NITRON Blaster features a cutting-edge acceleration trigger that propels a full-auto storm of discs toward targets with extreme range for an all-out assault. The Centerfire Tech electronic scope features pulsing targeting lights to help kids center their aim. The included 20-disc magazine and onboard magazine storage make reloading quick and simple. In addition to being fully automatic, the NITRON is fully customizable with the Tactical Rail System that is compatible with most VORTEX and N-Strike Mission Kit accessories (sold separately) for a fully customizable battlefield experience.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.6 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Appealing visual design; automatic. Cons: There is a lag when firing; takes lots of batteries, which is expensive.

With a BEYSTADIUM™ arena to fight in and exclusive battle tops and launchers, kids can start their dueling practice as soon as they're set up. Customize the BEYSTADIUM with three battle cores: the Zip Core forces straight-line movement, the Chaos Core brings chaos to the tops' movement, and the Deflector Core brings craziness because it affects right-spin and left-spin tops differently. With the tournament grids and official rule book, kids will be ready to do battle . Set up the exclusive GALAXY PEGASUS™ and METEO L-DRAGO™ tops for a launching, spinning attack.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Fun; good starter kit. Cons: Expensive.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.5 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Bey Media L-Drago is is a left-spinning top and is great; beys come assembled. Cons: not very durable; top has to be set just right before spinning, otherwise it won't go.
— In a Summer 2012 survey Deran Muckjian, owner of Catch a Falling Star in Lexington, Mass., told TDmonthly that they sell 40 Hasbro Beyblade figures every month.

The classic oven has been updated to be light bulb-free and comes with yummy mixes and pans for cooking up all kinds of sweet treats. Oven comes with baking pan, cupcake pan, pan pusher, chocolate chip cookie mix, red velvet cake mix, pink frosting mix, rainbow sugar crystals package, paper cupcake wraps and instructions/recipe booklet.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 4 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Easy, fun.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.9 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: No assembly required; very easy;  Cons: Does not include many mixes; mixes make small quantities of food; extra mixes are expensive.

Blast through the droid ambush with LEGO Star Wars Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter! With quad flick missiles and the reliable R8-B7 astromech droid to navigate and repair damage, Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter will be more than a match for the tactical droid TX-20 on his Separatist speeder.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 14 reviews on Google Product Search. Pros: Mini Figures are great; lots of details and extras included. Cons: Many similar sets have been made.

Moshi Monsters love collecting Moshlings. Now kids can bring home Moshlings of their own with a Moshi Monsters 3 pack. Inside they'll discover 3 cute Moshlings and 1 secret code. The next time they log online,  they can use the code to retrieve 1 special item for their Moshi Monster. It's the perfect mystery gift for a Monster. Colors and styles vary. Three moshi monsters are selected at random at time of shipment. The Moshi Monsters 3-Pack Figures includes: 3 Moshling Figures; 1 Code for 1 Special Item; and a Bonus 3 Day Premium Trial Membership.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on ToysRUs.com.

Fly the LEGO Ninjago Lightning Dragon Battle (2521) to rescue Sensei Wu. Frakjaw and Kruncha have captured Sensei Wu and stole the nunchucks of lightning with their helicopter. Help Jay and the fearsome Lightning Dragon to rescue him and retrieve the golden weapon before they escape into the Underworld.! Beware of the helicopter's snapping jaws and flick missiles.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Dragon is durable; mini figures are great. Cons: Helicopter is not very durable.

Crayola Super Tips Markers have unique, durable tips for drawing thick or thin lines. Use the sides for coloring in large areas and the tips for adding details. Super Tips are great for school projects, doodling, and coloring fun.These markers use ink that's formulated to easily wash from skin and most children's clothing. As an added bonus, these sets include some Silly Scent markers. The set of 50 contains 12 markers with silly scents.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 3.9 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros:  Very washable; scented markers smell good. Cons: Yellow marker is actually orange; colors aren't true to their cap colors.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 16 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Glides smoothly; good color variety; comfortable grip. Cons: Messy; two reviewers said that the markers were not, in fact, washable.

Battle for control of the four Spinjitzu weapons has begun. Sensei Wu, Kai, Zane and Nya need help to keep Lord Garmadon and his evil skeleton army from taking the ultimate Spinjitzu weapon – the Dragon Sword of Fire. As the temple splits into two, the fearsome Fire Dragon emerges to protect the sword by spitting fire at Lord Garmadon. Set also includes Samukai and Kruncha figures, all four golden weapons and 14 other weapons. 1174 pieces. Launch date: Summer 2011.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 3 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Helps build fine motor skills and logic skills; challenging. Cons: Finished structure not very durable.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Very detailed; lots of moving parts.

Kids can transform, configure, and manipulate Block Builders for endless building and perpetual design. Fold and unfold the six distinctively hinged blocks to create skyscrapers, modern art sculptures, geometric marvels - just about anything imaginable. Includes 50 puzzle challenge cards. Block Builders puzzle challenge cards range from beginner to expert. Look at the design on the front of the card and recreate the shape using the indicated number of blocks. The solution is provided in an exploded view on the opposite side of the card.

This Pigeon plush toy, from Caldecott Honor Award Winning Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, has a bean-filled body of soft chenille with embroidered eyes, and velour feet and legs. Squeeze Pigeon and hear him plead "Let Me Drive the Bus!!!"... in author Mo Willems' own voice.
— As of 10/14/2011 this product had 4.3 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Cute; good for kids who are fans of the book. Cons: No off switch.

Includes 24 blue and turquoise magnetic rods & 20 chromed steel spheres. Magnetic rods combined with non-magnetic spheres transform into thousands of geometric forms.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Products For Kids

Kids can send marbles down the wooden 99-piece Quadrilla Twist & Rail Set. Curved rails, straight rails, and a big twist make up this set.  50 marbles are included along with a cloth bag for safe storage.
Awards: Dr. Toy's 10 Best Toys - 2011