July 2009 New Specialty Toys — Infant & Toddler

These colorful mugs are available in various names so that children can have their own special cup.
— “John Hinde name mugs and sippy cups are a consistent reorder,” said Steve Melody, owner of Melody’s Choices in Fayetteville, Ark., in spring 2009.

Tolo First Friends Lamb has a movable head and squeaky legs.

These pre-walker baby shoes featuring the Deglingos characters have soft, varied fabrics and Velcro adjustments in the front and back for a snug fit. They are available in four designs (Ronronos the Cat, Lapinos the Bunny, Milkos the Cow and BigBos the Wolf) and three sizes (6-12 months, 12-18 months, and 18-24 months). Each pair of shoes comes with a jute gift bag that says "Original Deglingos." Launch date: 2009.

Kerry the Fairy will flutter anywhere ..her portable clip means take-along fun "on the fly". This plush toy's interactive features include a multi-colored rattle and crinkle wings for endless discovery play. High-contrast patterns stimulate vision. Perfect for baby's first doll.

Mademoiselle Rose makes a perfectly snuggly first companion for Baby.

Coming to you from Africa's wild Okavango Delta, this jumbo cuddly croc's toothy grin is sure to warm a child's heart. Kojo is not only an adorable crocodile, but also a comfy pillow and super-soft queen sized blanket all in one. Perfect for lounging on or just cuddling in bed. Features include: Microbead stuffed head for ultimate squishibility; Large, super-soft coral fleece blanket inside: 90"x59"; Bumpy Green Plush Body Material; 100% polyester. Blanket detaches for easy washing. Launch date: 2008.

Going green takes a whole new hands-on approach with new Simply Natural plush.  Made using 100% all natural cotton, 100% recycled paper hangtag and vegetable dyes for coloring, what could be more eco-friendly... or fun. The Monkey is 7" tall.

Going green takes a whole new hands-on approach with new Simply Natural plush.  Made using 100% all natural cotton, 100% recycled paper hangtag and vegetable dyes for coloring, what could be more eco-friendly... or fun. The Hippo is 7" tall.

Going green takes a whole new hands-on approach with new Simply Natural plush.  Made using 100% all natural cotton, 100% recycled paper hangtag and vegetable dyes for coloring, what could be more eco-friendly... or fun! The Elephant is 7" tall.

This product offers hospital technology direct to oral appliance. It's designed to combat a growing fear of sickness, infection, and even death from antibiotic resistant germs recently found to thrive in micro-fissures and cracks in mouth guards, night guards, veneers, dentures and pacifiers. It also eliminates odors from used oral appliances. This battery operated product is portable and has an 8000-hour bulb life. "Incorporating ozone ions into the UV sanitizing process increases effective destruction of infectious germs that are harbored in and on oral appliances," Joseph Manzo, president of BRAIN-PAD, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2009.

Paci-Plushies are a pacifier holder that connects popular name-brand infant pacifiers with a super-soft and light plush toy using a patent-pending Hug Ring™. When a Paci-Plushie is attached to Baby's pacifier, the pacifier becomes easier for both Mom and Baby to find. Pacifers are fully removable, allowing for proper sanitation of both the pacifier and plush toy. Paci-Plushies are compatible with over 200 varieties of name-brand pacifiers, allowing for usability and versatility. The Nookums™ brand Orthodontic pacifier included with each Paci-Plushie is 100-percent BPA and Phthalate free. "Paci-Plushies are the only plush pacifier holder of its kind with the ability to attach to name-brand infant pacifiers," Stacy Dallman, president of Paci-Plushies, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 15, 2008.

This cuddly Zoobie is designed to be ideal for road excursions or just cuddling in bed. In addition to a teddy bear, it also serves as a comfy pillow and soft blanket — all in one. "We are the only company that turns a plush animal into a pillow and a blanket," CEO JC Smoot of Zoobies told TDmonthly. Bubba received a 2009 Top Fun award from Tillywig and a 2009 Best Vacation Children's Products award from Dr. Toy. Launch date: February 15, 2009.

This all-in-one learning kit for babies includes 15 teaching tools to give babies a head start. Babies can learn First Words, First Numbers, Self and Sounds, and Touch with four board books, five finger puppets, nesting blocks, one-piece puzzles, two-piece puzzles, mirrored flashcards, textured flashcards and more. Launch date: July 15, 2009.

Specially designed for bathtime fun, Tidoo is soft and posable and so light that it floats. It's filled with polystyrene "beads" that can dry. It has sleeping eyes and can even suck its thumb. 12" tall Tidoo baby dolls can wear any fashion from the Mon Premier collection.
— “Corolle Calin and Tidoo dolls, and most recently Corolle’s Lia doll, are top sellers,” said Candace Gooch of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine in spring 2009.

This 11" machine-washable puppet doll is designed to be soft and snuggly for baby.

Featuring a bright color palette, this 11" puppet is soft and snuggly.

This little duck in an inner tube is designed to make bathtime fun for kids.
— "I sell a couple of dozen a month" of the Bath Buddies, Fran Anaya, owner of Golden Aspen Toys in Flagstaff, Ariz., told TDmonthly in May 2009.

Suitable for babies 0 to 3 months and up, this teether and discovery toy features a contrasting spot pattern that offers visual stimulation, plus a squeaker for amusement. It is made of natural rubber from Hevea tree and colored with food paint. Sophie is distributed in the United States by Calisson.
— Retailers surveyed by TDmonthly have been naming Sophie the Giraffe as a best-seller since 2009.
― Nicole Boomhover, assistant manager of Learning Express in Cahaba Heights, Ala. told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that they sold between five and ten Sophies a month.
— In an April 2012 survey, three out of 11 retailers told TDmonthly that Sophie the Giraffe was their best selling infant & toddler product.
― “Sophie giraffe is a great baby product that we order over and over again,” Diana Nelson, owner of Kazoo & Company in Denver, Co., told TDmonthly in June 2010. “I can't keep them on the shelf,” agreed Keith Schumacker, general manager at Talbot’s Toyland in San Mateo, Calif.
― During a March 2010 survey of 39 retailers, seven said Sophie the Giraffe is a top-selling toy for infants. Sales averaged 24 per month.
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Learning Express of Cahaba Heights, Ala.
AWARDS: 2014 TDmonthly Magazine Top Toy Award, 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller

These trendy cowboys (and cowgirl) add a little twist to the classic rubber duck. Four designs are available.
— “We have Cowboy Rubber Ducks from Schylling. People like the cowboy theme in Wyoming,” Dalene Lockhart, owner of Toy Town in Casper, Wyo., told TDmonthly in March 2006. She said she sells about six per month of this particular line of rubber duckies.
— Four of 64 specialty retailers told TDmonthly in spring 2009 that rubber ducks are a best-selling bath toy in their stores.

Suitable for ages 6 months and up, this set of colorful garden squirters for bathtime includes a flower, snail, ladybug, bee and butterfly. The products are phthalate free.
— “Most of my bath toys are Alex, and their bath squirters do really well,” Elizabeth Ryan, owner of Tales & Toys in Venice, Calif., told TDmonthly in March 2009, noting that she sells four to six of the squirter sets per month.
— Two of 64 retailers noted strong sales of Alex’s squirters in the bath category in spring 2009.
— “I can't miss on my bath toys for toddlers … the Alex line,” Linda Hanzelko of Timmy’s Toy Chest in Lake Mary, Fla., told TDmonthly in June 2010, citing sales of 30 a month.

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 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.

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.