Mesh walls allow for close-up viewing of butterflies and insects. A sliding plastic door makes catching and releasing easy while avoiding pinched fingers, and a carrying handle makes it portable.
— With warmer weather approaching, these backyard exploration critter cases were on the top-10 best-seller list at My Club Tabby in Lake Charles, La., in spring of 2010. Owner Natalie Comeaux reported in March that the kits had been selling well for more than a month.
— June Hargrove, co-owner of Black Forest Books & Toys in Charlotte, N.C., told TDmonthly that they sell 24-30 of Toysmith's Critter collection each month.

Young bird watchers can get in on the fun with this kit for building and painting a birdhouse. No hardware is required, and the kit includes everything needed to create and paint a 5.5” x 7” x 7” birdhouse.
— With the eagerly anticipated arrival of spring around the corner, birdhouse kids were popular items at My Club Tabby in Lake Charles, La., in March 2010. Owner Natalie Comeaux reported that they had been selling well for over a month.

This kit comes in various colors and includes a pair of jersey knit garden gloves, a trowel, a rake, a shovel and a metal watering can.
— Spring items were very popular in March 2010 at My Club Tabby in Lake Charles, La. Owner Natalie Comeaux reported that the kids watering can kit had been selling well for over a month.

Toysmith’s Paint a pot craft garden comes with everything a kid needs to grow a mini flower garden. Children can paint their own design on the pot, plant the seeds, and watch them grow. The set includes marigold seed mix, organic soil, six acrylic paints, two paintbrushes, a terra cotta planter, planting instructions, and a booklet with ideas for decorating.
— At My Club Tabby in Lake Charles, La., Owner Natalie Comeaux reported in March 2010 that spring items such as the Paint a Pot Craft Garden had been selling well for over a month since everyone was anticipating warmer weather.

Pop, pop, pop. This snap-together jewelry features fashionable colors and distinctive shapes for playtime and party fun. Launch date: 2010.

Available in various “flavors” of ice cream, this 7” cone has a button that, when pressed, pops out the soft, spongy ice cream ball that’s connected to the cone by a string.

Available in a variety of shimmering shades, this 65mm glitter ball is fun to bounce and features colorful effects on the interior.

The Green Science - Soda Can Robug is an imaginative way for children to explore mechanics and electricity. The kit includes a plastic mechanic body, wire wings, wire legs, motor with wires, screws and detailed instructions.
— In a Fall 2013 survey, Gary Green, owner of Toy Box of Asheville Inc in Asheville, N.C., told TDmonthly that the Soda Can Robug from Toysmith was one of their best-selling science toys.

These colorful rubber bands function like traditional bands  but feature fun animal shapes when not holding something together.
— "We got 270 packages on Thursday and were sold out by Saturday morning. High school, middle school and elementary school kids are all buying them," Katie Rook, owner of Be Beep A Toy Shop in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly in fall 2009.
— Editors Note: This item is very similar to the Animal Rubber Bands by Eastern Accent Int'l, first reported by TDmonthly in 2005.

What kind of mermaid can’t swim? These mermaids are fully submersible for bathtub or swimming pool fun. They come with either magenta or purple hair that can be combed.

This classic noise-making prank measures 7.25” in diameter and becomes quite the shocker when sat on after inflated.
— Two of 38 retailers told TDmonthly in late summer 2009 that whoopee cushions are a favorite novelty item among their customers. “They’re always very popular,” commented Karen Leppmann, owner of Finnegan’s Toys & Gifts in Portland, Ore.

This wooden storage box with a sliding lid holds 41 colorful wood pick-up sticks that each measure 9.75” long.
— Two of 38 specialty retailers said in late summer 2009 that this long-loved classic game is a best-selling novelty at their stores.

The mirascope utilizes concave mirrors to project 3-D images of an item placed inside. Kids can stick their finger right through the illusional image that appears.
— The 3-D Mirascope “always attracts people’s attention,” Mike Lane, manager of Hobbytown in Cumming, Ga., said in late summer 2009.
— The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., sells about 20 per month of this item, David Ekwall told TDmonthly in 2009.

This soft foam pirate saber will make a little blackbeard feel like the king of the seas, without causing any harm.

Kids can whittle down their waists by keeping this hula hoop going. It comes in various colors and sizes to suit all shapes and sensibilities.
— Syd Clarke, owner of Ali-Cat in Carrboro, N.C., sells about 30 hula hoops per month. She attributes the fad's resurgence to increased interest in countering childhood obesity with exercise. She also noted that a woman in her neighborhood now offers a hula hoop class for adults.   

These flexible hand puppets will let dino-buffs take their play to a new level. Assortment of three, approximately 8” long.

Featuring a board made from the renewable resource bamboo, this game, a version of the ancient Mancala, challenges players to collect the most pieces.

Kids can recycle a soda can into a silly, walking, wobbling robot. The kit includes all the parts needed, right down to the googly eyes, except for the two AAA batteries that are required. Launch date: 2008.
— “The Tin Can Robot is a huge hit. It’s from their Green Science series, which has been doing great,” Jennifer Schneeweis, owner of Izilla Toys in Seattle, told TDmonthly in late August 2009. Two of 40 retailers mentioned the brand when discussing best-selling educational items in fall 2009.
― “Right now we have the Tin Can Robot for 8- to 10-year-olds and that's doing well,” said Marlene, manager of Kits & Kaboodle in Carmel, Ind., when asked about her best-selling item for tween boys. Seven of 39 retailers surveyed in October 2009 said science kits are their top sellers for tween boys.
― “It's a good price point and an excellent product.  It sells all the time,” Priscilla Moore, owner of Mr. Fub's Party, Toys and More  in Yellow Springs, Ohio, said of the Tin Can Robot and other 4M science kits in spring 2010.
— In August 2010, seven of 43 retailers told TDmonthly that Toysmith is a best-selling science and nature brand. Two retailers named Tin Can Robot as a top product.
AWARDS: 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller

Kids can learn about renewable energy by building this functioning wind generator. When the blades turn, they create electricity that powers an LED light, demonstrating renewable energy from the wind. Users just add a recycled plastic bottle and the kit provides everything else they need. No batteries required. Launch date: 2008.

These kits are designed to offer everything kids need to learn about the basics of robotic science while constructing fun machines. There are four styles: Robotic Bird, Robotic Ball Collector, Robotic Bubble Blower and Robotic Beeper. All parts snap together with easy to follow instructions. Each kit requires 2 AA batteries, not included. Launch date: 2009.

When placed in water for 30 seconds, this compact package expands into a 12" x 12" cotton towel.
— “Toysmith offers lots of small, inexpensive toys that go out the door consistently,” Steve Melody, owner of Melody’s Choices in Fayetteville, Ark., told TDmonthly in spring 2009.

This little duck in an inner tube is designed to make bathtime fun for kids.
— "I sell a couple of dozen a month" of the Bath Buddies, Fran Anaya, owner of Golden Aspen Toys in Flagstaff, Ariz., told TDmonthly in May 2009.

Powered by baking soda, this classic 1950s toy submerges and resurfaces over and over again.
—  “I sell around 25 a month,” Molly McMullin, owner of Twirl in Taos, N.M., told TDmonthly in March 2009.
— Five of 64 retailers named products by Toysmith when asked about best-selling bath toys in spring 2009.

This colorful, translucent ball rattles when bounced.
— "I like that they have such a large selection of merchandise. They have a low level for free freight,” Fred Gross of Multi Kids Toys Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., said of Toysmith in fall 2008, when 19 percent of 52 retailers named the company as one of their favorite vendors.

Kids can flip this 2.25”-diameter Poppin’ Hopper inside out and watch it launch into the air.
— Three of 52 retailers mentioned Toysmith novelties when asked about popular Halloween items in their stores, in fall 2008.