January 2013 New Specialty Toys — All

Animal rescue rangers to the rescue! With this rugged safari truck, two cheerful people are ready to zoom across the savannah to help their animal friends. The alligator, zebra, rhinoceros, elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus and lion fit into the truck's sides through die-cut slots, so this exciting toy is perfect for imaginative play and fine motor skills . . . and much more! Lift and remove the cargo door to unload the colorful animals, then count, sort and stack the solid-wood pieces before loading the truck and securing the door in its track. One male and one female ranger fit in the cab of the truck, or come out to tend to the animals on the preserve. Play ideas are included to reinforce basic skills and inspire creative play.

The school bus is here! There's a friendly driver at the wheel and room for six happy passengers in this 10-piece wooden play set. With easy-rolling wheels and doors that open and close, this exciting set creates an interactive scene designed to inspire limitless play. Pieces are sized to fit with all Whittle World play sets and accessories sets.

The Confetti Ukulele is thoughtfully made of wood with blast-from-the past construction and quality. Fun, tune-able sound and a size that’s just right for a budding musician.
— In a December 2012 survey, Katie Rook, owner of Be Beep A Toy Shop in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly that they sold 40 of these ukuleles during the holiday season.

TDmonthly recommends looking at Schoenhut for similar, high-quality musical toys and instruments.

This high quality machine is versatile and super easy to use. It includes 40' of sticker tape, 80+ sticker designs - including velvet, metallic and glitter, color-in markers and sticker book. Kids can even turn their artwork and photos into stickers.
— In a December 2012 survey about bestselling toys, Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly, "This past holiday season we had great success with the X-treme Sticker Maker from Creativity for Kids. We sold several dozen from late Nov. till we ran out in early Dec."

Where to buy:
NORTH WEST

Playing with new foods encourages kids to try them. Watch a real sushi chef (Itamae) in action. Roll sandwiches or filled lettuce leaves into sushi shapes.

Encourage playing with friends as well as solo play. Listen to the stories a child will tell as they play with this bright and cheerful wooden doll house.

A peaceful slumber full of sweet dreams are on their way with the Baby Stella™ Dreamy Bedtime Set™. With a cuddly soft blanket, a plump pillow and snuggly little lamb friend, Baby Stella is sure to get a good night's sleep. The soft lamb is attached to an elastic strap that fits snuggly around baby Stella's wrist for easy attachment. Tuck Baby Stella in tonight with the Dreamy Bedtime Set and watch her slip into a simply serene slumber.

Smarty Pants Third Grade cards let kids test their smarts and load up on new facts and funny trivia. Designed for independent use (so a child can play alone or with a parent or friend), the cards are colorful, creative and packed with illustrated activities, including trivia quizzes, problem-solving puzzles, rebus puzzles, fun facts, creative story-building games and much more. Each educational card set is thoughtfully developed to suit the learning style and curriculum standards of each age range...then spiced up with fresh, lively design and an infusion of humor (including a whimsical pants-shaped case!) to keep kids giggling, engaged and excited about learning.

The Globe 4 Kids Globe by Replogle is a 10-inch Illustrated, illuminated globe that is perfect for kids of all ages. With its vividly displayed political diagrams and relief map it is an excellent tool to help teach children about various regions and their significance in the world. It also features pictures of a mixture of animals, landmarks, and even people to help teach where some historical figures are from.

Our Cupcake Stand with Cupcakes is a perfect kitchen accessory for any young chefs. ids will love putting the cupcakes on display for the whole world to see. 6 pretend cupcakes – mix and match the tops and bottoms to make new color combinations. Made of composite wood products.

Our bucket top mountain train set lets kids explore an entire world. When playtime is finished, storing this train set is a breeze – everything comes packaged in a convenient bucket. Molded mountain with two waterfalls and a lake – mountain doubles as the lid of the bucket the train set comes in. 61 pieces include fire truck and police station; airport with helicopter, helipad, airplane, and runway; townspeople, trees, and other accessories. Compatible with Thomas & Friends® wooden train sets and Brio® smart, sturdy construction.

Illustration adapted from old wood cut. Glow in the dark cover. 60 pages; Spiral bound.

Paint By Numbers appeal to kids who are interested in art and want to create a "masterpiece". These guided art activities with whimsical graphics and premium quality components create an exceptional experience. Set includes 8 Faber-Castell Color Grip Watercolor EcoPencils, real artist canvas (9" square), Numbered Color Guide, paintbrush, foam mounting board, and mounting tape.

Rip, wrap and wear trendy duct tape bangles. It's easy to make funky stripes with 5 skinny rolls of duct tape in bright colors and prints. Includes 5 rolls of duct tape, 6 plastic bangles in 3 widths and easy instructions.

With this kit, kids can design their own bag out of duct tape. Take the pre-sewn bag from plain to fab. It's so easy. Includes pre-sewn tote bag, 6 rolls of duct tape, non-stick paper, stencil and easy instructions.
— In a January 2014 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Duct Tape Totes were a best-selling arts & crafts toy.

The Duct Tape Party craft kit from Alex Toys includes 108 feet of brightly colored duct tape and all the supplies and instructions needed to make jewelry, bags, headbands and more.
— In a December 2012 survey about bestselling toys, four out of 12 retailers said that Duct tape kits from Alex were their bestselling Arts & Crafts toy. Kathy Mabry, owner of The Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., told TDmonthly that they sell more than 36 units of Duct Tape Party each month.
— In a May 2013 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Alex Duct Tape products were their best-selling activity kits.

Shen is Zylie the Bear's panda friend from her Adventure across China. Shen met Zylie and her silly little brother Theo in Chengdu, where he's from, and they had great fun journeying east across the country to Beijing. Shen loves rock & roll music, and is a drummer in a band about to go on tour. Shen practices martial arts, and is fascinated by other cultures, particularly their native music and instruments. Shen's Adventure Kit includes a leather jacket, cargo pants and cool t-shirt. He also has a backpack with drum sticks and a Chinese Passport, and the second book in Zylie's Adventure Series, "Zylie's Silk Road Adventure."

The Kiki the Koala Adventure Kit includes 18" jointed plush Kiki the Koala character, fashionable signature outfit, accessories, Australian passport and the third book in the Zylie Adventure Series, Zylie's Adventure Down Under. Part of The Adventures of Zylie & Friends collection. Marking the third chapter in Zylie's exciting adventure around the world, Kiki the Koala and the Adventure Down Under collection continues the awesome journey of a few unlikely animal explorers: Zylie the Bear, a young bear from Manhattan; her little brother Theo; their friend Shen the Panda from China.

Let your little ones imagination run wild with our New Cotton Canvas 8ft Tee Pee. This ginormous 8 foot tall Tee Pee is large enough for the entire tribe. Made of durable 100% Cotton Canvas, the easy to set-up Tee Pee can be used indoors. The 8ft Tee Pee features wooden poles for easy assembly and extra durability. The tie back dual front doors add to the hours of fun for your little ones.  The Tee Pee comes in its very own carry bag for easy storage.

Tooby Loops™ Fashion & Fun allows kids to turn colorful mesh tubing into creative crafts. Use the kit to create headbands, bracelets and more with Tooby Loops, chenille stems, beads, rhinestones and more – all included.
— Barb Stine, owner of Toys on the Square in Hummelstown, Pa., told TDmonthly in a January 2014 survey that Tooby Loops were a best-selling arts & crafts item.
— Joe Berardoni Jr., owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly in a May 2014 survey that Creativity for Kids is one of his store's top activity toy brands

Creature Bots combines the timeless popularity of monsters and robots into a clever craft. Build and customize the three movable Creature Bots that chomp, flap and grab. They’re named GrabBot, FlapBot and ChompBot and utilize TechCard Technology™ – simple push-fit components – for building. Technology, engineering and physics add an educational element to the kit.
— In a May 2013 survey, 3 out of 10 retailers surveyed said Creativity For Kids was their best-selling brand of activity kit.

The Black Light Message Board is a double-sided, dry-erase message board with a lighted station. The kit includes more than 50 glow-in-the-dark stickers for decorating the message board, 70+traceable designs and two neon markers for enhancing messages and drawings. After creating a message, place the board on the station, flip the light switch and watch the message glow. The Black Light Message Board operates on three AA batteries.

Fashion Macramé includes cord, belt rings, carabineers, a key ring, hair elastic, scissors, glue, pony beads and project instructions.

Glitter Glam Watch Bands let kids decorate five interchangeable watch bands with rhinestones and sticker accents. With the pop-in watch dial kids can change the look to fit their personal style or mood. Kit also includes three boldly colored watch faces.
— Mark Rosenblum, owner of Hobbytown in Fairfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in a May 2013 survey that Glitter Glam Watch Bands is one of their best-selling activity kits.