TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Construction Product Category

UBERARC™ 1200—Empire State Building by UBERSTIX

The ÜBERARC™ 1200 Empire State Building is part of the architectural series, designed for students, architects, engineers and anyone else who just loves to build. Using full-scale authentic blueprints, builders create a foundation and representation of the Empire State Building. Builders apply for a building permit online that will show the seismic and wind loads for their proposed ÜberArc Empire State Building location. They can even pinpoint the location on a map and create their own unique building name displayed to other ÜberArc builders. This architectural dream set will teach basic building techniques to create load-bearing walls, curves, arches and more. The completed UberArc Empire State Building is more than 4' tall. Launch date: August 2008. This set is a JCPenney exclusive until January 2009. ( Watch Video) 8/19/2008 (Price: $129.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Twig by FAT BRAIN TOY CO.

When precision wooden shapes and vibrant color meet, expect nothing less than masterwork. Twig features natural wood, carved with care and colored with brilliance. Light plays its way through the windows of Twig - illuminating lines, contours, space and arrangement, opening the mind and imagination to new exercises in visual spatial development. Each Twig set consists of 72 wooden pieces; all are compatible with one another. The interactivity between components means limitless combinations in open-ended play. Launch date: February 2009. ( Watch Video) 8/5/2008 (Price: $59.95)

MEGA Bloks WordWorld Barn Word Build Construction Set by MEGA BRANDS

This 49-piece set comes with a "WordWorld" DVD, featuring material from the PBS Kids program, and has pieces that teach the words barn, rake, rope, tractor, pail, corn and fence. 7/2/2008

Minuta 2 by LEARNING MATERIALS WORKSHOP

The collection of modular boxes increases perceptual and motor skills, stimulates language development, provokes mathematical thinking and nurtures aesthetic ideas and imaginative play.
Children recognize that these beautiful little boxes are perfect for storing their special collections, building high towers or long slinky roads, framing their pictures and photographs and much more,” Learning Materials Workshop Sales and Marketing Director Meg Walker told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008. 5/30/2008 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mythmorphs Silver by RIVER DOLPHIN TOYS

The set comes with 60 rugged, plastic pieces that kids can snap together easily to form endless poseable creatures, with hinged jaws. Kids can create a dragon, Pegasus, a phoenix, Wyvern, Golden Boar, Capricorn or their own unique creatures. Several extra pieces are included, to make creatures even more poseable. All Zoomorphs sets are interchangeable. 5/21/2008 (Price: $25.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Skeleflex Powerflex Lab by WILD PLANET

Bring custom creatures to life with this ball-and-socket building system composed of bone-shaped pieces and flexible joints that attach to a motorized platform. A step-by-step guide is included. “After you build your creation, you can bring it to life by hooking it up the motorized lab,” Wild Planet Media Relations Manager Kim Bratcher, told TDmonthly. “Connecting bones and flexible joints to form a dinosaur, alien or other fantastical creature is fun – but adding the mad scientist aspect of connecting the lifewire to its spine and controlling the speed and direction of the model’s movement is beyond what standard building sets offer.” Launch date: Fall 2008. 5/21/2008 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Quercetti Skyrail Suspension Rollercoaster with Elevator by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC

The 200-piece marble run set features a vortex chamber, a large, double-entrance funnel, two exclusive spiral tracks, real marbles, extra long bridges for building larger structures and base pieces for sturdy construction. Launch date: February 2007.
— Jennifer Dees, assistant manager of Harbour Town Toys in Hilton Head, S.C., told TDmonthly that, "If it's in the window," they sell 4-6 units of this item each month. 5/19/2008 (Price: $49.99)

Quercetti Super Marble Run Vortis by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC

The 224-piece marble run set includes two exclusive double entrance funnels, three exclusive spirals, real glass marbles, base pieces for sturdy construction, extra long bridges for building larger structures and more. Launch date: April 2003. 5/19/2008 (Price: $54.99)

Quercetti Georello 3D Gear Tech by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC

Kids can build exciting technological structures using the 270-piece gear set’s pillars, six-way axles, connectors, extenders, interlocking plates and meshing gears. The exclusive Universal Joints allow for greater freedom during construction. The set also includes a “chain” and “elastic belt” to transmit rotary motion to distant gears. Launch date: February 2004. 5/19/2008

Quercetti Tubation by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC

The colorful toy comes with 40 pieces of tubular construction, each made of unbreakable ABS plastic. There are four different types of interlocking pieces that can be combined and recombined in a variety of ways. Launch date: July 2001. 5/19/2008 (Price: $19.99)

LaQ Free Style Pallet by LaQ USA, Inc.

The kit allows anyone to create a variety of spheres. The unique shape and clever angles of the block pieces opens an infinite possibility for hours of creative fun for children and adults. Children will love the fun snapping noise when piecing the parts together. Various LaQ kits with moving parts are also available. Launch date: May 1, 2008. ( Watch Video) 5/19/2008 (Price: $70.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Giant Octopus by PLAYMOBIL INC.

The set comes with a giant octopus, two pirates, a treasure chest, a paddle, a raft that flats and more. The octopus can squirt water. Launch date: August 2008. 5/13/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Circus Band by PLAYMOBIL INC.

The set includes two clowns, a monkey, a saxophone, an accordion, a drum set, a trumpet and a tambourine. The sent also includes four sound effects. Two AAA batteries are required. Launch date: September 2008. 5/13/2008 (Price: $15.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Arc de Triomphe by PAPERLANDMARKS

This is a replica of the ceremonial arch standing at the top of the Champs Élysées, commemorate Napoleon's victories. The replica measures 6-1/2” x 3-1/2” x 6-1/2” when assembled. 5/5/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Villa Savoye by PAPERLANDMARKS

The Parisian family weekend house is a well-known architectural presentation of the international style. The model is made on a 1:200 scale and is available with either white or dark gray windows. The replica measures 8-1/2” x 7-12” x 4” when assembled. 5/5/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Ronchamp Chapel by PAPERLANDMARKS

This is a replica of the Notre Dame du Haut, a chapel designed by world famous Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier. The model is designed on a 1:175 scale and measures 10” x 8” x 5-1/2” when assembled. 5/5/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Rally by HAMA - MALTE HAANING PLASTIC AS

The set includes 4,000 beads, two large square pegboards, 11 bead supports, a color-printed design sheet, instructions and ironing paper. Kids can use the kit to create four cars. “Hama offers the best quality beads for ironing – [it] stands up to all safety tests!” Hama – Malte haanic Plastic A/S Export Manager Steen Fabian Jensen told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2008. 5/5/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pony Fun by HAMA - MALTE HAANING PLASTIC AS

The set includes 6,000 beads, three large square pegboards, a color-printed design sheet, instructions and ironing paper. Kids can create two large ponies, a girl and small accessories. Launch date: April 2008. 5/5/2008 (Price: $12.75) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Quili for Tots by JOHN PERRY STUDIO

The feet, hands and heads of the figures contain larger, stronger magnets, than the original Quili, allowing young children to build up the figures with ease. Launch date: March 2008. ( Watch Video) 4/24/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Robot Kit by ROBOTIS

The kit is designed for children, allowing them to easily create a variety of unique robots. Launch date: February 2008. ( Watch Video) 4/18/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

WePlay Brick Me by WEE BLOSSOM INC.

Brick Me is a large scale, lightweight, plastic interlocking building block set. The large size and bright colors encourage endless creativity. Building colorful creations will develop imagination, hand-eye coordination and motor skills. Suitable for ages 2 and up. 4/18/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Tub City by ALEX BRANDS

Kids can build, stack and play, creating a floating city right in the tub. The set comes with 41 double-sided foam pieces to make a variety of buildings, vehicles, trees and people.  A mesh bag with suction cups is included for drying and storage. Launch date: February 2008. 4/17/2008 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

LaQ - Powerful Car by LaQ USA, Inc.

The 180-piece kit can be used to make seven different vehicles: a dump car, shovel car, bulldozer, Hamacroid digger, F1 car, duck buggy and mini mini buggy. Launch date: March 2008. 4/11/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

LaQ Art and Hobby Construction Kit - Siren Car by LaQ USA, Inc.

The Car Series is one of the newest additions to the LaQ Hobby Kit Series. It is possible to make seven different vehicles from one kit for hours of creative snapping fun. The Siren Car kit consists of 180 regular pieces and 14 movable parts. “The basic square and triangle pieces are connected together by various joint parts with a fun snapping noise. Children love this snap, and it encourages them to know that the pieces are firmly fit together,” Mo Saeki of Yoshiritsu Co. told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 1, 2008. 4/11/2008 (Price: $20.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

LaQ Art and Hobby Construction Kit - Petite Collection by LaQ USA, Inc.

The LaQ construction system features colorful pieces that snap together to create flat, three-dimensional and spherical objects, as well as designs that have the ability to move.  The Petite Collection contains 27 to 28 pieces for first-time LaQ builders. An additional five animals — Bunny, Chimpanzee, Duck, Koala and Lion — will be available. “What makes LaQ a special toy is the possibility to create a sphere with the unique shape and the clever angles of the block pieces, opening a whole new possibility for block toys,” Mo Saeki of Yoshiritsu Co. told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 1, 2008. 4/11/2008 (Price: $3.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]