May 2009 New Specialty Toys — Award Winners

Designed to spark a child's imagination, these natural wooden toys feature assembly that engages the child's mind and promotes learning a new skill in the coordination of mind and hands. Pairing quality and design, the VARIS LOCK system is created to ensure tight construction that derives from precise design of the single pieces. Launch date: July 2009.

This backpack looks like and is shaped like a front-loader digger. Unzipped, it becomes a construction zone. But when play is done, the Playscape™ becomes a backpack in a zip, capturing the toys inside for easy cleanup. It includes two die-cast construction vehicles. Launch date: 2009.

ZipBin Street Racer is a backpack that looks like and is shaped like a race car. Unzipped, it becomes a city street with drivable roadways. When play is done, the Playscape™ becomes a backpack in a zip, capturing the toys inside for easy cleanup. This set includes two die-cast cars. It received a 2008 Seal of Excellence award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: 2009.

ZipBin® Trucker is shaped like and looks like a long-haul truck. It’s designed as a creative way for kids to store and carry their trucks and cars. Unzipped, it reveals a side-by-side racetrack. When play is done, kids can capture all the toys inside. The set includes die-cast cars and is sized for travel. Launch date: 2009.

Unzipped, ZipBIn Mini Zoo becomes an animal habitat, complete with zoo animals. When play is done, kids can capture all the toys inside. This mini play set is sized for travel. Launch date: 2009.

Unzipped, ZipBIn Mini Aquarium becomes a reef habitat, complete with a sea creature. When play is done, kids can capture all the toys inside. This mini play set is sized for travel. Launch date: 2009.

Unzipped, the ZipBIn Mini Mansion becomes a fashion doll paradise, where dolls can sleep, cook, entertain, dance, or throw a garden party by the pool. Storage pockets are built in for doll accessories such as clothes and shoes. When play is done, kids can capture all the toys inside. This mini play set includes a mini doll and is sized for travel. "We make it fun to be neat!" Dee Farrell, VP of sales for Neat-Oh! International, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

This four-DVD set in the Scholastic Storybook Treasures collection features nearly five hours of colorfully animated, action-packed stories-on-video based on classic children's picture books. The series has won numerous awards. Many of the stories on both sets also feature an enhanced Read-Along function, making it easy for early readers to follow along. "The series features carefully crafted adaptations of classic children's story books that stay true to the original text and illustration," Beth Blenz-Clucas of Sugar Mountain PR/Foundry Communications told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 18, 2009.

This battery operated nasal aspirator uses Disposable Reservoir Nozzle Pieces. Thanks to the disposables, no clean-up is necessary after use; just toss away the disposable (one per day). The disposable reservoir protects the inside pump from germs to guard against germ spreading, making Cleanoz a sanitary solution. Replacement tips are sold in boxes of 10. This product received a Creative Child Magazine Award 2008 and PTPA Media Award 2008. Launch date: February 14, 2008.

Miss Rosa, as Vincent Beach called his mother, was known for her sayings, including the title of his heartwarming autobiography. Vincent left his native Jamaica in 1944 with little more than his parents’ wisdom, and this book tells the story of his life’s journey as a military bandsman, educator and family man. It received the 2008 Carter G. Woodson Award (secondary level) for “the most distinguished social science book appropriate for young readers that increases understanding of ethnicity in the United States." "An ordinary man by his own description, Vincent says he wrote [the book] because he believes life stories provide an opportunity to better understand the complexities of human beings and the realities of every day living," Sue Defabis, project manager at Five Star Publications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2007.

The Mini Excavator is made of precut pieces of wood that are designed for easy assembly. The product is created to teach the technology of the same machines seen in the construction site. No batteries are required. It was honored in the 2008 Creative Play Awards. Launch date: 2008.

Award-winning children's author Carole Marsh incorporates history, geography, culture and more in this White House Christmas Mystery. Each book includes SAT words, an Accelerated Reader quiz, the Lexile measure and the Fountas and Pinnell guided level. Launch date: June 2006.

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.

This DVD program features a full exercise routine coupled with mathematical concepts from lines to numbers. The exercise program is for kids of all ages, with math concepts ranging from 2nd to 5th grade. It was named 2009 DVD of the Year by Creative Child Magazine and one of Dr. Toy's 2009 Best Vacation Children's Products.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010