Sensation Station

A mini Ferris wheel, the Sensation Station has four activities that spin and rotate on a center axis. The toy features the full spectrum of colors to appeal to the well-developed vision of a child 6 months or older. Lots of bold, bright patterns are designed to engage baby visually, too. A bright red bug with high-contrast eyes sends showers of beads in motion as it spins, making a pleasing sound. A cylinder is filled with colorful rattling beads and makes a cheery sound when baby bats at it. A textured disk is split in the middle, allowing the two parts to spin together or independently. Bumpy dots on the ridges invite exploration by finger and mouth. The toy is two-in-one: secured into the wide suction cup base, it is a high chair toy; when removed from the base, baby can grasp the black-and-white-striped, textured handle and play with the toy using both hands. "All the moving parts encourage baby to manipulate, explore and investigate this toy," Peggy Barrett, PR consultant for Barrett Marketing Communications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2009.