December 2009 New Specialty Toys — All

The Risas y Sonrisas Songs to Learn Spanish CD includes 39 original and entertaining songs designed to teach students Spanish vocabulary and phrases. A booklet with colorful song lyrics is included. These songs can also be rehearsed using the illustrations and lyrics found in the Risas y Sonrisas program from the Student Book and the interactive CD-ROM.

This set comes with 150 bright, interlocking pieces that are flexible and can form a farmhouse, a rooster and a 3-D baby chicken, as well as various other imaginative designs.

Available in various “flavors” of ice cream, this 7” cone has a button that, when pressed, pops out the soft, spongy ice cream ball that’s connected to the cone by a string.

Available in blue, pink and yellow, baby paper is a soft fabric that makes a paper sound when babies touch it. Baby Paper is machine washable.

With a future-retro design, and connectable, interchangeable parts, this sleek toy vehicle can fit in the palm of a hand. Automoblox Minis received a TDmonthly Top Toy Award 2007.
— Automoblox has been a best-selling line, according to retailers surveyed by TDmonthly, since 2007.
— "That little three-piece Automoblox set sold extremely well. I've sold about 40 of them in two months," Janet Gregory, owner of Over the Rainbow in Anchorage, Alaska, told TDmonthly leading up to Christmas 2009. Two of 44 specialty retailers named Automoblox as an overall best seller in late 2009.
— In a February 2012 survey about wooden toys, two out of 14 retailers said that Automoblox were their bestseller in the category. Pam Byrd, manager and buyer at The Little Cottage Toy Shop in Franklin, Tenn., told TDmonthly that "Automoblox is still strong."

Where to Buy: Blue Turtle Toys; Camelot Kids; The Satin Button

Available in a variety of shimmering shades, this 65mm glitter ball is fun to bounce and features colorful effects on the interior.

This pair of elephants is outfitted in baby clothing. Sweet Ellie loves to be around her family, and Evan has tons of energy and loves to play outside.

Designed with a realistic appearance, this soft, plush panda measures 8.5” H.

This see-through tube features a collection of small river animals, all of which are phthalate free and sized from 1.5” to 3” H. It includes a beaver, bald eagle, snapping turtle, salamander, frog, snake, river otter, alligator, mallard and cottonmouth snake.

This zebra is part of Schleich’s extensive collection of wild animal figurines. Launch date: January 2009.

Darth Vader pilots this vehicle that first appeared in Episode IV: A New Hope. The original LEGO model debuted a decade ago, and this mold incorporates a new style, coloration and firing action. Includes Darth Vader and 250 other pieces.
— Two of 44 specialty retailers named LEGO when asked about overall best sellers leading up to Christmas 2009.
— Star Wars Legos are top sellers at the Toy Shop of Concord in Concord, Mass., Owner David Hesel told TDmonthly in late 2009.

Every time a player passes Go, he builds and watches a city come to life. Players choose what to build and compete as they collect rent like traditional Monopoly.  It features 80 3-D buildings and includes a game board, six movers, 22 District cards, 25 Chance cards, six Reminder cards, one Rent Dodge card, two dice, one money pack, one trading unit and instructions. It requires 2 AAA batteries (not included) and is for two to six players.

Rocky, “the hardest working truck on the block with the most engaging personality,” not only hauls like a dump truck toy; he also tells jokes and dances. Headlights light up and sensors allow him to interact with kids. Batteries are included.

This talkative dump truck says over 40 phrases and sounds. Sound recognition cues him to roll his tires when he's called, so that he starts moving when children want him. A storybook and batteries are included.

Battle Strikers combines hand skill and strategy to a game of defeating other players' tops. The eight-piece starter pack includes a Turbo Launcher, a magnetic Controller, and a Striker (top). Batteries are included. There are 16 different Strikers in the set. Extension packs with additional pieces are $4.99.

With a brand motto of “Be True! Be You!” the Moxie Girlz doll line pushes individuality, self-expression and courage to follow dreams. The Jammaz line shows the four key girls expressing themselves through music. There's a website the characters live in that provides more play opportunities. Launch date: Aug. 15, 2009.

This gun has the highest dart capacity of any toy Nerf has produced. The drum magazine holds 35 darts and has a clear window so the user knows when it’s getting low. Single or multi-shot modes allow variations on how it fires. It also includes an adjustable shoulder stock.

From the day the baby crawls through the archway to when she's walking up to it, there are plenty of activities. Shapes and objects can be counted, sorted, flipped and spun. Many activities trigger sing-along songs, lights, sounds and phrases. It requires 3 AA batteries and is suitable for ages 6 months and up.

This product is designed to teach children about music as well as art. As a child colors, music is played that matches the strokes of the crayon in speed. There's salsa, swing, country or rock tunes, plus toddlers can add layers of trumpet, guitar, piano and drums over the music.

Girls can decorate their dolls and the loft they live in. They drop colored PixOs onto the toys and spray them, making their styles permanent. The set boasts plenty of variation fueled by a child's creativity. Launch date: Fall 2009.

Surah, the lost one. Fate separated the sisters Surah and Sera, as one calamitous night Surah fell into the clutches of the princess of darkness.
— Schleich figures are top sellers at the Toy Shop of Concord  in Concord, Mass., Storeowner David Hesel said in December 2009. “They just put in a beautifully backlit displayer [at the end of October], and business has gone up 40 percent since,” he told TDmonthly.

Kids can make five shaggy canines with this kit that includes pipe cleaners, novelty yarn and materials for decoration, as well as instructions, style and grooming tips, and punch-out dog carriers. The book was written by Theresa Hutnick and Megan Smith.
— When asked about the best-selling arts and crafts items in her store, Amy Barrett, owner of Lasso the Moon Wonderful Toys in Helena, Mont., told TDmonthly, “Klutz books are definitely up there.”
— “All of the Klutz kits do really well,” said Julie Vaughan, manager of Village Toy Shop in North Easton, Mass., when asked of their top selling craft kits in January 2010.
— “Klutz books are still really, really popular,” said Steve Ellerhoff, manager of Finnegan's Toys and Gifts in Portland, Ore. Ellerhoff was one of five retailers, out of 48, who listed Klutz as their top-selling craft supplier at the beginning of 2010.

Wearing a soft, two-piece pastel outfit, Baby Stella has embroidered facial features, a belly button and a round tummy. She comes with a pacifier that magnetically attaches to her mouth.
― “I sell a lot of Baby Stella. She's so darn cute,” said Jean McCullough, owner of Children's Store Inc. in Boise, Idaho, when asked about best-selling dolls during a May 2010 survey.
― Four of 43 retailers told TDmonthly in late spring 2010 that Baby Stella is one of their best-selling dolls.
― Donna Frederick, owner of The Play House Toy Store in Durham, N.C., told TDmonthly in a May 2012 survey that Baby Stella is their best selling doll. "This is a good first doll for kids. They come in different skin tones, and they're not awfully expensive," she said.

The Pocket Laser Light Show has been designed for home use or take it outdoors — it's wireless. It's so portable it fits into the palm of your hand. Simply turn it on and watch as a spectacular array of laser light designs perform on your walls or ceilings. The most portable laser light show ever, the Pocket Laser Light Show is so small it can fit in your pocket. But don't let its size fool you; the Pocket Laser Light Show™ creates giant-sized light shows.