May 2009 New Specialty Toys — All

Suitable for ages 6 months and up, this picnic set includes a soft, flip-top basket, plus colorful fabric and phthalate-free plastic accessories, including an ice cream treat, a bottled fruit drink, a watermelon wedge and a sandwich with removal ingredients.
— Linda Rocco of Gummy Lump Toys in Medford, N.Y., told TDmonthly in spring 2009 that her store sells about 20 units per month of items from the Fill & Spill series.
— Melissa & Doug was mentioned five times during a March 2009 survey of 64 specialty retailers about best-selling infant and toddler toys.

This cuddly infant toy features a peaceful duck face and decorative yellow ribbon ties. It measures 13” square and is machine washable.
— “I sell 20 to 30 a month,” Fred Rosenberg, owner of On the Park in Kingwood, Texas, told TDmonthly about the Lil’ Snugglers in spring 2009.
— Two of 64 retailers named this product as a best-selling infant and toddler toy in March 2009. Two of 40 retailers cited Lil’ Snugglers as a top seller for babies in June 2010.

These analog watches for kids come in a wide variety of colors and in more than 100 designs, such as penguins, sports, bugs, berries and monkeys.
— Children’s watches from Fantasia Gifts are best sellers at Green Frog Toys in Portland, Ore, Owner Patricia Fieldler told TDmonthly in March 2009. “They are great analog watches that help kids learn.”

This set of 12 wooden, sliceable cookies offers creative play for young bakers. The realistic-looking cookies come in a durable dough tube.
— The set was listed as a best seller in spring 2009 at Green Frog Toys in Portland, Ore. “The set is good for fun, educational and creative play,” Owner Patricia Fiedler told TDmonthly.
— This cookie set has been on the top-10 best seller list at Pufferbellies in Staunton, Va., for at least a year, Co-owner Susan Blanton told TDmonthly in fall 2009.

The Swing Pony is designed to make skills training more fun. Launch date: 2009.

Created in France, these well-crafted wooden car kits, designed to introduce children to the world of woodworking, give children a chance to build something fun for themselves. The kit comes with pre-cut wood, a hammer, sandpaper and glue and dowels for old-world construction, as well as acrylic paints in durable pots, plus two paintbrushes to personalize the project — one for broad painting and one for details. The set features "beech wood components, which is more durable than pine, and everything the child needs is included," Meghan Ristau, sales and marketing manager for Woodland Magic Imports, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2008.

Think-ets Deluxe "Teacher Edition" contains a distinctive assortment of 30 miniature trinkets specially selected for storytelling and imaginative play. Like the original Think-ets, there are 10 different games. The Teacher Edition comes with three formal lesson plans and more activities and applications. Think-ets Deluxe is the larger version of the Original award-winning Think-ets game, and may be used by teachers, ESL teachers, speech therapists, school psychologists, trainers and others. Think-ets utilizes "unique manipulatives from around the world [that] have many educational applications," CEO Randy Compton of Think-a-lot Toys told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

Think-ets Deluxe contains a distinctive assortment of 30 miniature trinkets specially selected for storytelling and imaginative play. Individuals can use them to play 10 different games, including the following: What’s Missing? (fun memory game); What’s Your Story? (hilarious storytelling game); Who’s Last? (challenging strategy game); What’s Moved? (keen observation game); and What’s Similar? (mind-bending categorization game). It is ideal for travel and use in restaurants. Think-ets Deluxe is the larger version of the Original award-winning Think-ets game. It "has enormous play value for open-ended play using miniature items for storytelling," CEO Randy Compton of Think-a-lot Toys told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

Think-ets Genius is a more challenging version of the Original award-winning Think-ets game. There are 12 new games and 15 new miniature items from around the world for creative storytelling and intriguing word games. Players can use the trinkets to tell a “Surprise Story,” a “Time Warp Story” or an “Interrupted Story,” or use them to play “Name That Word,” “Ghost” or “Killer Mouse.” Think-ets Genius may be used for creative family or group fun, or one-on-one parent-child time. "Think-ets Genius uses tiny treasures from around the world for imaginative play and critical thinking, all within a cool, portable tin," CEO Randy Compton of Think-a-lot Toys told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

This hand-painted figure has an intricate suit of armor and wields a broad sword and battle ax. Launch date: April 2009.

This hand-painted dragon is wearing armor and has fire coming out of its mouth. "Hotaling Inc. believes that in a world full of too many passive play options, children should be encouraged to engage in self-driven play. That's why they distribute simple and attractive toys with child friendly designs that encourage them to actively use their imagination and develop through active play, stimulation and, above all, fun," Brian Shackelton, operations manager for Hotaling Imports Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2009.

This handpainted figure shows intricate detail, from its facial features down to the fierce ax in the tiger's hand. Launch date: April 2009.

This handpainted figure is decked out with armor and weaponry. "Hotaling Inc. believes that in a world full of too many passive play options, children should be encouraged to engage in self-driven play. That's why they distribute simple and attractive toys with child-friendly designs that encourage them to actively use their imagination and develop through active play, stimulation and, above all, fun," Brian Shackelton, operations manager for Hotaling Imports Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2009.

Creation By Design brings together the “greatest story ever told” with original, 3D computer-generated artwork and a fresh narrative voice. The cards are designed to relay the concepts and stories of the Bible without without preaching the ideas of any particular denomination, and may appeal to parents who want to minimize their kids’ exposure to violent video games and TV programs. The back of each card features three sections: Narrative, which relates a snippet of the story associated with that card in everyday language; Fun Facts, which relates trivia facts about the card topic, encompassing such subjects as art, literature, history, science and animals; and Timeline, which places the events of that card in relation to the other trading cards and world history, taking Bible stories out of the realm of myth and into fact and history. "Not only is the Bible the best-selling book of all time; it is [also] the best-selling book of the year, every year. Now, we have presented the stories in a manner that kids want to see and read," Steven Kaye, managing director of Creation By Design, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 7, 2008.

Each Vermont Teddy Bear is handmade in Vermont and comes with a lifetime guarantee. The company's core product is a jointed, 15" teddy bear available with dozens of outfits. Vermont Teddy Bear can personalize product and is also introducing a second major line of floppy, 15" plush bears that are made for hugging. MSRP ranges from $39.95 to $49.95. Launch date: 2009.

In this card game for two to eight players, players assemble sets of cards to make their army of knights and dragons. A player can include the magical breath weapon with his knight or dragon to destroy the knight or dragon of the same color. "You assemble the cards to make the image of your knight or dragon. The cards are in four languages, so there maybe some accidental learning," Dr. Daniel Sulliban, owner of Earwig Enterprises, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2009.

These funny looking glove puppets measure 9.5" H x 5.5" W. There are four varieties available colors: yellow, green, orange, and blue and red combo. The machine-washable puppets are made of cotton plush material and meet all CPSIA requirements. "Child can make-believe puppets are anything they want them to be," Mariann Wedel, sales manager for Children's Factory, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Floppy Bunny Rabbit is a 17" bundle of soft, cream-colored fabric. It's "innovative and works well as a puppet but looks like plush," Elaine Kollias, marketing director for Folkmanis, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2, 2009.

These small characters with removable clothing are poseable and have jointed arms and legs and heads that turn. The parents are approximately 3" tall, while brother and sister are 2.25" tall. The Wilder Panda Bear Family is comprised of Mother Penelope, Father Percival, Brother Phillip and Sister Priscilla. "This miniature animal family allows young girls ages 3+ to interact in imaginative play. As part of a larger line of Calico Critters, the Wilder Panda Bear Family can be combined with any number of other animal family lines, previous homes, detailed furniture environments and ready-to-play sets," Nicole Tiedemann, PR account executive for International Playthings, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2009.
— “International Playthings offers lots of consistent sellers,” said Steve Melody, owner of Melody’s Choices in Fayetteville, Ark., in April 2009.

Designed to teach children about the names of food and dining utensils, these plush toys have a suction cap on the back and can be hung from smooth surfaces. Kids can choose which food they want to eat the next day, and place it on a window before they go to sleep. The colorful pieces may also serve as decoration in a baby's room. Size is 4" x 3". Launch date: 2009.

Designed to teach children about the names of animals, nature and wild living things, these plush toys have a suction cap on the back and can be hung from smooth surfaces. The animal figures might be used to tell stories or teach kids about the food chain. Size is 4" x 3". Babies can pick up, drop and bite these toys easily. Launch date: 2009.

Designed to teach children about numbers, mathematics and calculation, these plush toys have a suction cap on the back and may be hung from any smooth surface, including windows. There are 13 pieces in this series, including – 0-9, +, -, and =. Launch date: 2009.

This product is designed to teach children the English alphabet, spelling and pronunciation. It has a suction cap on the back and can hang from any smooth surface. The colorful product has a small size of 4" x 3". Launch date: 2009.

Folkmanis’ whimsical Frog in Spaceship puppet is designed to be easy to operate. Kids can simply insert their fingers like putting on a glove and wiggle them to make the frog steer his spaceship and flop his legs. Frog flies a one-of-a-kind spaceship created from soft, shiny silver fabric. Launch date: January 2, 2009.