June 2009 New Specialty Toys — Arts & Crafts

Made from recycled cardboard, this 100-percent biodegradable carriage is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. It comes with six non-toxic, washable markers, and could be used as a birthday party craft or as part of a school project. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This dinosaur is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard and 100-percent biodegradable, it comes with six non-toxic, washable markers and may be used as a craft for birthday parties and goodie-bags. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

The CALAFANT spaceship is designed to be easy to build, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard and 100-percent biodegradable, it comes with six non-toxic, washable markers. "[It's] easy to sell as a goody-bag item for birthday parties: It's a craft-activity and something for the kids to take home," Martina McConnon, owner of Creative Toyshop, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This camper van is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard, it is 100-percent biodegradable. It has six non-toxic, washable markers and could make an ideal craft for birthday parties and goodie bags. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

This little house is designed to be easy to fold, easy to color and great for play. Made from recycled cardboard, it is 100-percent biodegradable. It comes with six non-toxic, washable markers, and could make an ideal craft for birthday parties and goodie bags. Launch date: January 6, 2008.

"Our die-cut vinyl designs are superior to paper or cardboard pictures. The peel-off release paper can be 're-attached' to the sticky surface to create your own designs. All products are made in the USA," MaryLee Hanson, owner of ArtiSands, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Fun Stix garage door magnets are a fast, easy and cost-effective way to decorate for holidays and celebrations of all kinds. Most garage doors in the U.S. are made of polymer-coated steel, and Fun Stix are designed to stick to these doors with no effort at all. They're also weather resistant, UV protected, reusable , and won't interfere with the normal operation of garage doors. Fun Stix may also be used on refrigerators or office file cabinets, or in nurseries, daycare centers or classrooms. "Typical magnetic decorations are too heavy. As a result, they are too expensive. ... Fun Stix™ combine plastic die-cut sheeting and magnets to give customers a one-of-a-kind decorative experience saving time, energy and money. Dollar for dollar, customers can decorate four to five times more of their garage doors compared to typical garage door magnets of the same cost," John Delatorre, president of Fun Stix Magnets, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 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.

Incrediline's murals and mats are designed to take any kind of permanent or impermanent marker and wipe clean easily without water or cleansers — even months after Junior first scrawled his Hancock.

T-me Design-Your-Own is a do-it-yourself kit that includes everything a child needs to design his or her own wearable artwork. She can draw a picture using the markers and papers in the kit, choose her favorite T-shirt style from the enclosed catalog, and mail the drawing to the company in the pre-paid return envelope. In 10 days, she'll receive her very own wearable art. The kit's T-shirt-shaped packaging converts into an easel-style picture frame so kids can easily display their favorite artwork.

Designed to give children ideas for creative filming while using the home video camera, this book includes a slate to mark takes, outlines gimmicks and gags, and provides step-by-step instructions on cool techniques, such as staging disappearances or fight scenes (where no one gets hurt). The guide is authored by John Cassidy and Nicholas Berger.
— “It's the Klutz that sells best,” said Patti Tepper-Rasmussen, owner of Learning Tree Toys in Oklahoma City, Okla., during an April 2009 survey of best-selling playsets and activity kits. 
— “Klutz is probably still my No. 1 seller. They have lots going on,” Pat Jensen, owner of Northwind Kites in Anchorage, Alaska, told TDmonthly. 
— “I sell a huge amount of Klutz books,” said Amy Barrett, owner of Lasso the Moon Wonderful Toys in Helena, Mont., in spring 2009.

All Purpose Mats serve as a cutting board, placemat and workstation in one. There are four educational mats: three feature a country from the Handstand Kids Cookbook series and the fourth illustrates a kitchen scene. Maps of Italy, Mexico and China are featured along with language translations of cooking utensils and foods used in the Handstand Kids’ recipes (the Mexican map border shows an apple and below is the Spanish translation “manzana”). These lightweight and durable mats are dishwasher safe and phthalate free. "There is no other multi-purposed item like this on the market. The mats educate kids on geography [and] language, and empower them in the kitchen to have their own work space," Yvette Garfield, creator of Handstand Kids, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2009.

This kit includes printed cotton canvas, a doll pattern, scissors, needle, thread and stuffing so that kids can make their own dolly. Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy 2009.

Where to Buy: Creative Kidstuff

Batter up with Sticky Mosaics®! Complete four fun filled pictures with our foil and foam stickers, then hang them on your wall. Includes four templates, four wall hangers, and over 2700 foil and foam sticky tiles.

Bring your four favorite fairies to life with this shimmering decorate by number kit. Each picture is a different fairy to hang on your wall. Includes four fairy designs, over 3000 sparkling tiles and jewels, and four wall hangers.

My First Sticky Mosaics® bring all the fun of Sticky Mosaics® to pre-schoolers! Match shapes and colors to create your own mosaic masterpiece. Includes 5 templates, 5 wall hangers, and over 1000 sticky foam pieces.

This set of acrylic paints includes six classic colors in a tube-brush format. The paints may be used on glass, wood, ceramics and other surfaces.

This kit includes six, 4-oz. containers of handmade soft dough made with organic flour, sea salt, cream of tartar, canola oil, natural plant and vegetable colors, natural scent extracts and natural preservatives. The lemon, orange, lime, strawberry, cherry and grape dough varieties are packaged with several different play dough tools. Clementine Art products are available exclusively at Whole Foods stores through 2009.

Artists can make this action figure of President Barack Obama their own, having the creative freedom to paint, decorate and display him as they wish. The figurine stands 6" tall and has 8 points of articulation.

This birthday-themed Kids Color Tissue Box® kit features birthday party-related illustrations such as confetti, balloons, and presents for a child to color in. Each Kids Color Tissue Box® kit includes 2 Coloring boxes, 4 Crayola® Crayons, and 2 packs of Hankeez Brand facial tissues, each with 80 SuperSoft 2-ply tissues in each pack. The tissue box size measues 4 3/8" x 4 3/8" at the base, and 4 3/4" tall.

This educational-themed Kids Color Tissue Box® kit features educational items such as alphabets and shapes for the child to color in. Each Kids Color Tissue Box® kit includes 2 Coloring boxes, 4 Crayola® Crayons, and 2 packs of Hankeez Brand facial tissues, each with 80 SuperSoft 2-ply tissues in each pack. The tissue box size measues 4 3/8" x 4 3/8" at the base, and 4 3/4" tall.

This vehicles-themed Kids Color Tissue Box® kit features illustrations of different modern day vehicles such as cars, boats, and even helicopters for the child to color in. Each Kids Color Tissue Box® kit includes 2 Coloring boxes, 4 Crayola® Crayons, and 2 packs of Hankeez Brand facial tissues, each with 80 SuperSoft 2-ply tissues in each pack. The tissue box size measues 4 3/8" x 4 3/8" at the base, and 4 3/4" tall.

A rocketship made of sturdy and durable 2-ply cardboard. There are no staples or sharp edges and the unit folds up flat for storage. A completed rocket measures 65" high by 51" wide (fin to fin) by 32" deep. The product folds flat for storage. For ages 3 and up.

A playhouse made of sturdy and durable 2-ply cardboard. There are no staples or sharp edges and the unit folds up flat for storage. A completed house measures 48" high by 27.5" wide by 35" deep. The product folds flat for storage. For ages 3 and up.