Top-10 New Toys at the WTHRA Show

Companies Stress Innovation to Get Attention

By Alison Marek
April 2011

The WTHRA Show in Long Beach this year was marked by innovation. From plastic potato-chip-shaped pieces that can be used to build kickable balls and sets of armor to a dollhouse that folds into a small cardboard box to a doll that mimics parents, the toys were surprising, fun and of a greater variety than previous shows.

Take a peek at the top-10 picks of brand new toys and games from the TDmonthly staff, then look at the full video article to see what else graced the floors at this year's WTHRA:

Dollhouse by ALLWALLS DOLLHOUSE

Dollhouse by ALLWALLS DOLLHOUSE These expandable, retractable dollhouses are designed to fit in any room, large or small. The dollhouse can be folded up into its small box, or expanded to turn an entire room into a dollhouse for fashion dolls 12" and under. No tools required for setup, no small parts. Set-up time- Approx. 10 minutes. Expands up to 108"W x 72"D, Weighs 5 lbs. Made in the US of recycled materials. ( Watch Video) 3/24/2011 (MSRP: $59.99)

Wear Me Puppets by ANATINA TOYS

These puppets are hand-made in Bolivia. Kids slip their hands and feet into the puppet, so that their motions make the puppet move too. There are 5 different characters to choose from, including four animals and one clown. ( Watch Video) 3/29/2011 (MSRP: $29.99)

Monsters in the Closet Ludo by I BUILT IT GAMES

This fun variation of Ludo lets kids kick those pesky monsters out of their closet and move them around the board to send them back to a cave where they belong. But players must watch out- if another player's monster catches up, the first player's monster will go running back to hide in the closet all over again. Kids get to draw and color their own fun monster pictures to create their very own game pieces. ( Watch Video) 3/24/2011 (Age: 3 and Up)

Beandolls by LALEI LLC

Beandolls by LALEI LLC One 23" green Beanpod fits four Beandolls, including one pink Beandoll (named “MeiLin”), one red Beandoll (named “Bahiya”), one orange doll (named “Adora”) and one green doll (named “Oris”). The Beandolls are soft and cuddly and the Beanpod can be hung from a loop on its end. Each Beandoll represents a different cultural theme and has a special symbol on it (the meaning of which is explained on its tag). Also sold individually or in pods of two. ( Watch Video) 3/29/2011 (MSRP: $32.99)

Space Chips by MONKEY BUSINESS SPORTS

Space Chips by MONKEY BUSINESS SPORTS Each set consists of soft, flexible pieces in various colors that slide together and lock to create an endless number of different shapes or random creations. Watch Space Chips: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010
Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: The pieces are small, flat and flexible, so they won't break if Mom or Dad accidentally steps on them. Kids can play with the toys they make with the Space Chips— balls are both throwable and kickable. And though they were designed to create traditional building structures, kids have used their imaginations and turned the flat clips into suits of armor and costumes. ( Watch Video) 2/17/2010

NoodleBlox by NOODLEBLOX LLC

NoodleBlox by NOODLEBLOX LLC This product connects pool noodles together. The Link, the End, and the EL shaped links allow kids and adults to create many different combinations of pool noodle shapes- chains, squares, seats, and more. Each shape comes in a pack of four. ( Watch Video) 3/29/2011 (MSRP: $9.98)

Piggy Wiggies by PIGGY WIGGIES

Piggy Wiggies by PIGGY WIGGIES Each member of the Piggy Wiggies family comes with a name and a lovable little story. Each Piggy is a hand-crafted plush made from socks. There are also mini Piggy Wiggies. Launch date: February 2011. ( Watch Video) 3/22/2011 (MSRP: $13.50; Age: 3 and Up)

Squishable T-Rex by SQUISHABLE.COM INC.

Squishable T-Rex by SQUISHABLE.COM INC. This particular T-Rex is more adorable than it is scary. Squishables makes giant, round, fuzzy stuff animals. Aaron Glazer of Squishable.com, Inc, told TDmonthly that the T-Rex "wants only to cuddle and maybe nibble on your nose." Launch date: December 2009. ( Watch Video) 4/2/2010 (MSRP: $39.00; Age: 3 and Up)

Animails by MARKY SPARKY TOYS

Miniature versions of the popular Wahoo toys from Marky Sparky, kids can write messages on these pthalate- and latex-free animals, affix postage directly, and mail them to someone special. No packaging is needed. ( Watch Video) 3/25/2011 (MSRP: $10.00)

Parent Dolls by PARENTAL MEDIA LLC

Parent Dolls by PARENTAL MEDIA LLC Parent Dolls are Mom and Dad's real life face and voice- parents upload their photo and snap the image onto the head of the doll. Then, parents can record their voices and when the child presses the doll, the parent's voice comes out. Includes four re-recordable mailboxes with almost 8 minutes of total recording time, so parents can leave different messages in order to connect with their child, even when they are apart. ( Watch Video) 3/31/2011 (MSRP: $69.95; Age: All Ages)