April 2011 New Specialty Toys — All

Children can carry along their own electronic tablet with the ABC WordPad, a compact electronic learning device that looks and feels like a little tablet. It features include five different learning activities: Letter Learning Fun, Word Learning Fun, Find It!, Spelling Practice Fun and Music Fun. This portable playbook requires two “AA” batteries (included). Launch date: May 2011.
Awards: 2011 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award; 2011 Dr Toy 10 Best High Tech Products and 100 Best Children's Products.

New from the Les Classiques collection is Bebe Amour, a huggable baby dressed in a cute corduroy dress, print blouse, striped leggings and knitted hat. Like all Corolle dolls, she's softly scented with vanilla.  Launch date: 2011.
— While the latest high-tech toys offer new ways to amaze and sometimes educate children, the fundamentals of doll play have been around for centuries,” said Liza Grando for Corolle. “Whether it's dressing it, styling its hair, or having a conversation, these tasks allow children's creativity to flourish, offering them a constant companion and creating memorable play that will last a lifetime.”
— In a summer 2011 survey, Rebecca Goblish, owner of Picayune Toys in Dunwoody, Ga., told TDmonthly that Corolle Dolls are her best-selling line of collectibles.

Some people don’t realize that the dragonfly is a friend. It eats up a lot of mosquitoes in the summer. In this cooperative board game, one to four players maneuver the dragonflies to catch as many mosquitoes as they can. Cooperative games teach kids to work together to achieve a goal.

Ditto is a soccer star. He comes in a window box that transforms into a play set for him and his Pet friends. Launch date: Summer 2011.

This Mini Eni in pastel colors can be manipulated to create interesting patterns. Or, place the numbers in the correct order to solve the puzzle. Launch date: February 2011.

This edible fingerpaint was created in 2007 with babies in mind, adhering to baby safe ingredients which are organic. The paint is also vegan, wheat-free, sugar-free, and contains no preservatives. Babies and toddlers can start expressing themselves artistically earlier, without parents having to worry about them ingesting harmful chemicals and dyes. Fantastic Finger Paints come in 5 colors. Purple/Blue with REAL blueberries, Red/Pink with REAL beets, Orange & Yellow with REAL pumpkin and green with REAL spinach. CPSIA Compliant. Made from Organic Fruit & Vegetable powders, rice cereal and rice flour. Paints come in 6 oz. convenient tottle bottles which have powder in them. Just add the water, shake and create. Makes over 12 oz. of paint per bottle (refill bottle with water and get more paint). Must be refrigerated after water is added.
Awards: A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011; TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: This paint is extremely eco-friendly, and encourages parents to introduce their children to art and painting as soon as possible, without having to worry about their child being harmed by ingesting the chemicals in non-organic, non-plant based paints. This means kids can start learning forms of creative expression from a younger age.

This game is easy enough for first time game players and the game can be made infinitely more challenging simply by adding more owl tokens into the game. This allows the game to age with the child or for older kids (or even adults) to play with younger kids. Like in Candyland, kids practice color recognition and moving tokens. Unlike Candyland, Hoot Owl Hoot is a cooperative game, meaning all players are playing for the same outcome together. A cooperative game eliminates stress, builds self-esteem, and teaches kids that playing together can be fun. Kids learn to work together, they share in the game play, and they practice cooperation. The object of the game is move all the owls from start to the nest before the sun rises. Players take turns, but work together. Launch date: May 2011.
Awards: A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011; 2011 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award; 2011 Parents’ Choice Major Fun Award; 2011 Disney FamilyFun magazine Toy of the Year (T.O.Y) Award.
— As of 05/23/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 10 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Teaches kids to work together; difficulty can be increased as players get better; eco-friendly.

Playspaces come in a decorative envelope but become a 3-D play scene. Two sturdy interlocking boards create four areas to populate with pop-out characters with stands. The reclosable envelope measures 9-3/4 x 15" and has a string closure. 100% recycled paper is used for the product greyboard. Playspaces are designed for children ages four and older. They have small parts, and are a choking hazard for children under 3 years of age.
Awards: A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011

The My Natural Ballerina is a 12", earth friendly rag doll made from natural (unbleached, unprocessed) cotton and colored with miYim's proprietary PureWaterWash process that uses plants and minerals in soy water for the dye bath. Her pink dress, hair bow and toe shoes are sure to please dancers of all ages.
Awards— A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011

Owl jewelry is hot for Summer 2011! Each pendant measures 2.25” in height, and hangs on an adjustable black slider cord necklace.

Brand new for Spring 2011, this rhinestone crown necklace is a hot selling item. Enjoy an assortment of different colored pendants within each dozen, including clear, pink, and assorted. Many other crown necklace styles can be found on the Cool Jewels® website.

Brand new to the Cool Jewels® line, this mermaid necklace comes in an assortment of pink, blue, and purple within each dozen. Each pendant hangs on an adjustable silver snake chain necklace.

Each adorable turtle necklace hangs on an adjustable silver ball chain necklace. Rhinestones surround the pendant, and each dozen comes with pink, purple, and blue assorted colors. This item is perfect for any souvenir locations, including aquariums and beach shops.

Evie has been homeschooled by her counter-culture mother her whole life, but it's the beginning of her senior year and she's going to public school for the first time. Evie maks friends, but is puzzled by the new system of authority she encounters in her teachers, who she is shocked to see abusing their power and discriminating against their students. She and her friends start an anonymous blog to speak out against the injustice she sees, but it gets taken over and turned into a forum for online bullying- the last thing Evie wanted. The book examines freedom of speech, friendship, authority, and independence, as Evie navigates her new school and the blogosphere she helped to create. Hardcover, 315 pages. Launch date: May 2011

This hardcover picture book by Hallie Durand tells the story of Mitchell, who hates going to bed. Or at least, he does until he gets a license to drive there. Mitchell's car turns, honks, and can go really fast, but it's a little different than other cars- it's his Dad. This adorable story is illustrated by Tony Fucile, an animator who has worked on such films as The Lion King and The Incredibles. Mitchell learns how to drive his "car" and things go smoothly- until car and driver disagree on what sort of fuel they need.

Daisy Dawson is a normal girl, except for one thing- she can talk to animals. In this, the fourth book from Steve Voake about Daisy, she spends the summer at the beach.  Daisy makes friends with two rabbits and a crab, but when they band together to save a dolphin, it's Daisy and the rabbits who end up needing rescue. The 88-page chapter book will keep elementary grade readers interested with black and white illustrations by Jessica Meserve on every page.

With The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy, kids can explore the universe without leaving the comfort of their backyard. This galactic tool kit has everything kids need: a build-it-yourself telescope, a night-sight flashlight, star and moon maps, a no-batteries-required sundial, a mariner’s quadrant to steer by the stars, tons of intergalactic activities, and more.
Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: Who knew you could build a telescope with a book? Everything needed to create a spyglass for space is contained within the Guide to the Galaxy's pages. There are lots of facts about the universe, plus other projects that kids can build to help navigate this world and others. It's a great gift that will appeal to both boys and girls.

The Mashoonga! Cadet is a foam saber for young children. It is made of premium materials that will provide months of fun and vigorous play.  It is constructed to be safe and has a play pattern that promotes eye hand coordination, strategic skills and builds stamina.  It teaches children good sportsmanship by following rules of play and how to safely play a contact sport. It is an all season toy that can also be used in and around water play. "The Mashoonga! Cadet is a premium product made to last.  We replace it if it brakes under normal use," Jim Bogner, president of Revel King, told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2010.

With a little help from some crayons or colored pencils, and the included red and blue (cyan) 3-D glasses, the children (and adults) will discover a whole new world right before their eyes. While any child can appreciate the cool 3-D effect, the art books are very beneficial for children diagnosed with Autism, ADD, ADHD and Down Syndrome. Once the child sees the depth of these images, it almost ensures they will complete the task. Wholesale is sold in packages of 15. Launch date: March 2010.
Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: 3-D is no longer passive! This set of coloring books allows kids to feel their pictures have really come to life. Once they wear the special, included set of glasses, their work seems to pop off the page. It's a great toy for traveling or Dr.'s offices, and will be sure to keep kids and their spectators engaged for some time.

The Elephant Table is built on a inter-locking frame and will not tip over. The seats are part of the table so they don't get moved or lost. Strong enough for the kids to stand on — even when they are not supposed to.

This soft plush monkey with super sweet face is perfect for hugging. "Features velcro hands," Valerie Henderson, administrative assistant at Lambs & Ivy, told TDmonthly.

These unique Bath to Go gifts are perfect for baby’s bath. Each design includes a hooded towel with appliqué, three squirt toys, two wash cloths and a re-useable bath bucket. The terry cloth is 100% Cotton and the squirt toys are baby safe.

Meet brother and sister Momo and Mimi. These cute plush monkeys come together with Momo holding little Mimi. "The monkeys feature brightly colored striped socks," Valerie Henderson, administrative assitant at Lambs & Ivy, told TDmonthly.

Meet Sock the Zebra. With his super soft plush and sweet face, anyone is sure to love cuddling with Socks. Launch date: 2011.