March 2010 New Specialty Toys — Preschool

The Keester is a cushion specifically invented, designed, and engineered for the comfort of child. The Keester is a practical solution for the discomfort and lack of back support experienced by children on most automobile booster seats. The Keester is more than 2 inches of polyurethane foam for added comfort. The rear of The Keester is a semi-circular cut out that suspends the tail bone and reduces pressure on child's sensitive nerves, preventing numbness.

The Diggity Kids™ Neck Pillow slips on child’s neck and provides the support needed for comfortable rest or sleep. Props their head in the perfect position to prevent sore necks. Soft and comfortable, can be used in the car, on the plane, or in the stroller. Colors coordinate with The Keester® and the Diggity Kids Seat Belt Cover. Can be purchased separately or with the Diggity Kids Comfort Travel System. Machine sewn and hand stuffed with memory foam.

The Diggity Kids™ Seat Belt Cover for your child’s shoulder and/or lap belt is a comfortable, durable and lightweight seat belt pad. The Diggity Kids Seat Belt Cover prevents chafing and keep kids happy to be secured in their seat belt. Coordinate color with The Keester and The Diggity Kids Neck Pillow. Can be purchased separately or with The Diggity Kids Comfort Travel System. Made of soft micro-suede, and 100% polyester covering, it is machine washable.

The Diggity Kids™ Comfort Travel System is The Keester, The Diggity Kids Neck Pillow and The Diggity Kids Seat Belt Cover together in one set. The Diggity Kids Comfort Travel System is the comfort travel system marketed to children ages 4-10. Made in the USA, it comes in different design themes.

Created for family game night, this bowling set features six hand-cut and sanded maple wood kitty pins with carved facial features and coated in non-toxic paints. It includes a 2"-diameter bowling ball, a game play sheet, four score sheets, and a handmade cotton canvas bag for storage. "We love that they function to help develop hand-eye coordination for a younger child but will last for years as the child grows older," Sara, co-owner of Kitty Baby Love, told TDmonthly. Launch date:

There are four different Teach & Play Tiles set for the beginning learner. Set 1 has shapes and colors, set 2 includes animals and vegetables, set 3 makes story telling fun with buildings and vehicles, and set 4 reinforces counting skills with numbers and fractions. Each set comes with 12 tiles, printed on both sides with non-toxic inks. The tiles measure 2.25" wide, 3.5" tall and a slight 1/8" thick. Sets come with a cloth storage pouch and suggestions for play. Each set can be used for rudimentary learning at first and then grow with the child in expanding activities. The tiles may be used for matching and sorting skills, comparing and contrasting, categorization, story telling and math practice. Launch date: Summer 2010.

A simultaneous catch of a bumblebug leads Chameleon friends Willy and Wally into a big fight over the meal. After putting the peace of the forest at risk, will they decide to share? "A Delicious Bug" is a 32-page hardcover. Launch date: 2009.

This two-in-one kit for "Following Directions" and "ABCs and Simple Shapes" was developed by an occupational therapist and contains 20 hands-on games in a no-spill carrying case. It's designed to get children prepared for school through activities such as ABC fishing, letter building, turn taking, coloring on bumpy line pages to enhance concentration, and more. It comes with an illustrated guide for parents.

This small reading couch for kids comes with red or blue cushions and includes storage with tubs underneath the seating and slots to hold books along the back. The bench is 11" high and the couch is 18.5" wide, 42" long and 23.5" high. Launch date: February 2010.

Restickables are designed to help kids put their own clothes away. Simply stick them on drawers, bins, closets, etc. Pictures with matching words will help kids of any age learn to get organized. These fabric, waterproof and tear-proof stickers are created to peel on and off without leaving any residue and can be used over and over again. They come in three colors so each child can have his or her own set. "Easy Daysies ReStickables are the only cloth stickers out there helping kids put clothes where they belong! No minimum order!" Elaine Comeau, Founder of Easy Daysies, told TDmonthly in spring 2010. Launch date: March 5, 2010.

This starter set of 26 Tegu blocks includes cubes, long planks and short planks in a natural finish. The blocks are made of European Beech and contain small, embedded magnets that allow the blocks to stick together and be fashioned in a variety of ways not possible with traditional blocks.
Awards:  2010 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal.
— In a February 2015 survey, Terry Myers, owner of Kaleidoscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, told TDmonthly that puzzles from Melissa & Doug are her store's best-selling wooden toys.

This 3D board game is designed to sharpen memory skills as kids play with glittery ostriches. Each turn, a player removes an ostrich from the sand. If the ostrich’s head matches the color the player needs, he gets one step closer to winning. Launch date: 2010.

The goal is to be the first player to pack everything in your backpack and head out to the car and win. Children get the chance to move through the house game board to collect everything needed for vacation. It includes vacation item cards, children movers, backpacks and packing lists. Launch date: 2010.

This game gives kids the chance to take a moveable shopping cart and a shopping list, and race along the supermarket aisles to collect fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. By paying at the end of every turn, players get closer to winning. This brightly colored game board comes with a supermarket shelf, four shopping carts with moveable wheels, 36 coins and six shopping lists. "The Chimp and Zee line of preschool specialty games that have been developed with the help of teacher and parent input. In 2010, an array of new games and puzzles will be added to the award-winning Chimp and Zee line that was introduced last year," Stephanie Meyering, Account Coordinator, G.S. Schwartz & Co., told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

This collection is designed for Magformers to transform into hundreds of creative construction vehicles. Each set includes emergency lights and engine sound, plus an attachable, poseable figurine. Launch date: June 2010.

This giant floor puzzle is full of colorful, adorable dogs. Each puppy has style, attitude and class. The puzzle is 2" x 3" when completed.

No More Monsters! A Light In the Night™, created by a mother to comfort her oldest son when he moved to his big boy bed, is a gift set which includes an adorable light-up creature and beautifully illustrated board book. Just one soft press of the tummy emits a bright glow which proves once and for all there’s nothing “going bump in the night.” Each nighttime guardian is available in bubble gum pink, mint green or ice blue. Each gift set includes a Light Up Creature, Children's Board Book, Display Box, and online access (register A Light In the Night online and receive an official "Certificate of Bravery").
Awards: Creative Child Magazine 2010 Preferred Choice Award, Storybooks With Character category

This realistic-looking barbecue set features a hood that opens and a collapsible side table. It includes red knobs to pretend adjusting the heat during play, and wheels to roll it around to different locations. Primary materials are plywood, MDF and non-toxic paint. It measures 47 cm x 37.5 cm x 60 cm.
— This BBQ set was one of the top-two products mentioned by specialty retailers during ASTRA's Share the Fair event at Toy Fair 2010.

These wooden, magnetic dolls come in a box with multiple clothing options and include stands for playtime.
— Five of 38 retailers told TDmonthly in February 2010 that Melissa & Doug magnetic dress-up items are a best-selling wooden toy in their stores.

Kids can use the icing tube-shaped dry-erase markers to color four wooden cupcakes that come with a baking tray, cupcake sleeves and decorative wooden candles. The package measures 10.5" x 13.25" x 3.13".
— Play food sets and cutting food from Melissa & Doug were named as a best-selling wooden toy by seven of 38 retailers in February 2010. "The Melissa & Doug cupcake set did really well," Lesa Smith of Whiz Kid Toys in San Luis Obispo, Calif., told TDmonthly.
― Michael McCollum, owner of Learning Express in Hoover, Ala., told TDmonthly in spring 2010 that the Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set is his best-selling playset. “One of my employees absolutely loves it,” he said of what helps drive sales.
― “All year, [the best seller] is food sets from Melissa & Doug,” said Bill Rayment, owner of Toy Crossing in Harbor Beach, Mich., when asked about his top-selling playsets and activity kits during an April 2010 interview.
― Six of 43 retailers listed Melissa & Doug as their top supplier of playsets in April 2010.

This 24-piece wooden jigsaw puzzle features an attractive palette of dinosaurs and scenery. It measures 0.4" x 11.75" x 15.75".
— Eight of 38 retailers named puzzles by Melissa & Doug as a best-selling wooden toy in early 2010. Jamie Burdette, owner of LB Toys in Media, Pa., told TDmonthly his store sells about 36 a month of assorted styles.

This small purple engine boasting red wheels and gold trim is labeled with the No. 14 and prides himself on mischief and adventure. It measures 3.5" x 1.5" x 2".
— Ten of 38 specialty retailers named Thomas & Friends as one of their best-selling wooden lines in February 2010.
— Mike Lane, manager of Hobbytown in Cumming, Ga., told TDmonthly in early 2010 that his store sells about 3 dozen Thomas trains per month.

Chester Raccoon and friends are devastated at the loss of their friend Skiddel Squirrel and, at the suggestion of Mrs. Raccoon, plan a special memorial service for him at the pond. This story is designed to help children understand and cope with funerals and the trauma of losing a loved one, encouraging them to create special memories. It's authored by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Barbara Gibson.

TDmonthly Review:

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This multi-paneled portable play space can be toted around as a book but opens up to reveal themed scenes that create a large, personal play area for children. Kids can fold out the panels all around them and play with toys and accessories inside the impromptu play area.The cardboard and paper is made from 100-percent recycled material, and the glossy, UV-cured outer layers are designed to prevent fading and offer a dry-erase surface. The Castle Edition has 15+ panels with a suggested retail price of $39.99 to $42.99. Launch date: May 2010.