November 2011 New Specialty Toys — Preschool

Miss Lina’s ballerinas have all learned how to dance as a group. But now Miss Lina has a new surprise for them – a boy will be joining their class and performing in their end-of-year show. The girls have grand visions of dancing their first pas de deux with a prince. But when he finds himself surrounded by so much pink and so many girls, he turns quite shy, and dances his way out the door.

The fog in Foggytown was so thick that people bumped into parking meters . . . and streetlamps . . . and each other. So Joey and Chloe's parents decide it's time to move. But Joey and Chloe love their house. And as it turns out, their house loves them . . . and has a very special and utterly fantastic way of taking matters into its own hands. Comic- and picture-book star Mark Siegel has spun a delightful and compelling fantasy for young picture book readers, illustrated in a unique style that combines elements of traditional picture book, comic, and animation art.

In this multiplayer game, players must unearth dinosaur bones by excavating the mountain. But watch out- If more than one boulder tumbles off, if Tim is hit, or the big dinosaur topples over the turn is over.

Kids undo a latch, swing open the numbered door, and see the picture beneath revealed on this wooden play board. Build fine motor skills while learning colors, numbers, animals and more. Measures 15.7" x 11.7" x 1.6".
— As of 10/26/2011 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 130 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Helps develop manual dexterity; durable; pieces are attached and can't get lost. Cons: Sharp edges on latches; fingers can get pinched in the latches.

These playfully smart, multi-feature puzzles offer more than a standard shape puzzle. With surprise pictures under the pieces and pieces that can be mixed and matched, these playful puzzles fine-tune motor skills, entertain children longer and challenge creativity.

This set of 9 pattern blocks can be twisted and turned in different shapes based on the guide provided.  Shapes can also be open-ended and based on the child's imagination. Start from Basic (4 blocks), Intermediate (6 blocks), to Advanced (9 blocks).

These 5 stories feature narration by Mem Fox, David de Vries… and others. ONE ZILLION VALENTINES (Written and illustrated by Frank Modell) Two enterprising friends, Milton and Marvin, prove that valentines are for everyone. A LETTER TO AMY (Written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats) The wind spoils Peter’s attempt to mail a special invitation to his special friend Amy. GOGGLES! (Written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, narrated by Geoffrey Holder) Peter and his friend Archie call upon faithful dog Willie to outsmart a gang of tough bullies who want Peter’s goggles. WILFRID GORDON McDONALD PARTRIDGE (By Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas, narrated by Mem Fox) In this gentle, moving story about caring and sharing, a small boy helps a friend remember her past by sharing his own special items. WILL I HAVE A FRIEND (Written by Miriam Cohen, illustrated by Lillian Hoban, narrated by David de Vries) On the first day of school Jim worries that he won’t make any friends. Will he meet anyone who feels the same way? Launch date: January 10, 2012.

23 Award-Winning Stories in a 3-DVD collection. Caldecott award winners including Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day, Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling and Denise Fleming’s In the Small, Small Pond come together for the first time in Caldecott Favorites. Launch date: November 15, 2011.

Teach geometric shapes and reinforce fine motor skills as kids put the correct shape into the pegboard. Five shapes including square, circle, triangle, star and hexagon come in five colors. Large 1.5" x 1.25" pegs for easy handling.
Awards: 2005 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award
— In a November 2011 survey about best selling education toys, Martha Bimblich, owner of Twinkles of Bay Harbor in Bay Harbor Island, Fla., told TDmonthly that she sells 20-30 of these each month.  “I think it's a great manipulative toy for kids, especially if they're having trouble using their hands," she said.

CircaToys is a family business that designs and manufactures heirloom quality wooden toys that are handmade in Franklin, N.C. USA.  The company was founded in 2009 by Gary Murphy whose inspiration for the first toy "Wagon of Blocks" came from the original toy itself which he received on his birthday in 1942.  The original toy still exists, although beginning to show its age, having been played with by 3 generations. It is a simple toy made from basic wood shapes and threaded nuts and pegs that can be taken apart easily. It is a mechanical learning toy that opens the door for imagination building and hand eye coordination. Safety tested and approved for children 6 months and up. Launch date: January 2009.
Awards: 2010 Creative Child Magazine TopToy of the Year; 2010 Brain Child Tillywig

Parents can have fun with their child as they practice early learning skills with Water Magic™, an exciting new educational format by Beaver Books Publishing. This series of educational discovery books includes four colorful discovery scenes that are magically revealed with the Water Magic™ brush. The engaging activities presented above each scene reinforce the basics of each subject while keeping children entertained. Titles include Alphabet Zoo, Candy Counting, Bug Play: Matching, Circus Colors and more. Launch date: 2011.

Kipsy and the Magic Beans is a bedtime story about a special little gnome named Kipsy. He isn't very fond of bedtime, but after finding something magical in the forest, his feelings change. The story offers a time of bonding between parent and child and many times even helps children get excited about bedtime, instead of dreading it. Includes 13 pg colorful boardbook, the cuddly Kipsy doll, 5 magic beans and 5 prepackaged incentive toys. Launch date: October 4, 2011.

Kids can bring classic tales such as Mother Goose, The Little Engine That Could, The Berenstain Bears and Where the Wild Things Are to life with colorful game boards, including three-dimensional accessories and pawns. Each game is an adventure, much like the ones children read about in books. "No other game brings to life cherished childhood stories in the form of a board game that children will love to play over and over," Mary Dolan, public relations coordinator at Patch Products, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2011.
Awards: 2011 Dr. Toy Best Picks Children’s Products; 2011 Creative Child Game of the Year, in the Kids Games, Learning to Share category; 2011 Parents’ Choice Foundation Parent’s Choice Recommended Product Award.

What do puppies love? Puppies love to run and play, puppies love to eat and sleep, and puppies love you. This over-sized board book with a unique sliding-panel format is designed to introduce youngsters to the delights of puppies. With colorful illustrations and adorable photographs of puppies under sliding panels, youngsters will love discovering what puppies are all about. Launch date: June 7, 2011.

This puzzleball from Ravensburger is designed especially for pre-school kids. Extra large plastic pieces support 3D comprehension and fine motor skills. The 24 piece puzzleball comes with an assembly aide for the little puzzle beginners. 24 curved plastic pieces fit together to form a perfectly smooth surface. No glue required. The finished puzzleball is a "picture-perfect" decoration for every kids room. Colorful and age-appropriate puzzle fun for children from 4 to 6 years. Each puzzle piece is numbered on the back so kids can puzzle by the image or by number – their pick.
— In a July 2013 survey, five out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Ravensburger was their best-selling puzzle brand.

This adorable soft-bodied baby doll comes complete with its own feeding bottle and soft bunny. Thanks to the mini picture book that is also included, little girls can learn how to take care of Bebe Do Mode just like a real mommy. Dressed in a bright new outfit for the new year, this classic 14" Corolle doll will be treasured for years to come. Launch date: January 2004.
Awards: 2011 Oppenheim Platinum Ableplay
― In a May 2012 survey about dolls, 5 out of 11 retailers said Corolle was their best selling brand.

This Little Helper Broom Set has three pieces, sized for kids. Includes a Broom, a Hand Broom and a Dust Pan.
— As of 09/09/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 91 reviews on Amazon.com.
— Ginger Milligan, co-owner of Fantasy Island Toys in Fairhope, Al., told TDmonthly in September 2011 that they sell 2-3 dozen of the Schylling Little Helpers Broom Set each month. “We sell those every single day. It's one of those things we're never out of,” she said.

With Teach My Preschooler, little ones can get Ready To Read, Print, Count to 100, Add & Subtract, all in one kit. Teach My Preschooler is the multi award winning, all-in-one learning system for preschoolers. The kit has all the educational tools necessary to help prepare preschoolers for kindergarten. The kit is divided into four sections – Ready to Read, Ready to Print, Ready for 1-100, and Ready for Math – each fully-coordinated with books, flashcards, posters, a print guide and magic drawing board. Developed with education consultant Judith Rowlands, M Ed., Teach My Preschooler is designed to give preschoolers a head start, develop fine motor skills, encourage parent/child interaction and increase school readiness skills. Launch date: September 2010.
Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy 100 Best; 2010 iParenting Media Award

SmartMax allows children to explore magnetism safely. The oversized pieces are specifically designed for handling by young kids as they learn about the effects of magnetic attraction and repulsion. Older children will have fun using the pieces to construct towers and bridges. The magnets are strong enough to carry up to 60 times their weight. Basic 36 includes long bars, short bars, large 1.8" diameter metal balls and a guide to build models. 25-piece and 42-piece sets are also available.

Cloud B’s Soothing Puppets have two functions in one product. They’re fun, cute hand puppets, but hidden inside is a removable gel pack. Heating the gel pack gives  kids a warming cuddle on chilly nights; cooling the gel pack helps keep kids cool on a hot summer night. Also good for boo-boos. Comes in four different plush characters: Sleep Sheep, Twilight Turtle,  Twilight Ladybug and Gentle Giraffe.

The Wooden Hamburger is a non-sequential educational stack toy that delights kids of all ages, from 1 yr to 101+. Hand/eye color coordination, finger dexterity, and non-sequential stacking capability, can all be measured with our stacking wooden Hamburger. There's no right or wrong way to stack it. Made of rugged Western Ponderosa White Pine. The colors are non-toxic stain-like impregnated finishes. Launch date: September 1980.

This new family music release is the follow-up to Alastair Moock's award-winning debut family album, "A Cow Named Moock." These Are My Friends features many of Moock's old musical collaborators, including Rani Arbo, Lori McKenna, Mark Erelli, Vanessa Trien, Kris Delmhorst, Jennifer Kimball, Anand Nayak, Rose Polenzani, Scott Kessel and Paul Kochanski. Launch date: October 2011.

Thisset of four paint & clay palm printers includes a variety of patterns, scribble design, concentric dots, star bursts, and a multi-sized dots array. Made of long-lasting hard rubber, each circular stamp has a 2” diameter surface area.  The handle easily slips onto a child's hand. Easy clean-up with soap and water.  For 3 years and older. Launch date: February 2011.

This set of 8 finger printers stimulates a child's imagination. Children can use finger printers with paint or clay to create designs and activities in countless ways. The diameter of each hard, rubber stamp is 1 1/8” and slips easily onto one or two fingers, depending on the youngster's hand size. Easy clean-up with soap and water. The patterns are concentric circles, branches, waves, overlapping ovals, dots, parallel lines, stars, and diamond shapes. Launch date: February 2011.