December 2009 New Specialty Toys — All

Ideal for decorating a large space on a budget, these 26, 5" x 7" cards give an individual freedom to space them as they'd like. "Our products introduce global exploration and environmental stewardship with stylish, eco-friendly and culturally diverse images full of whimsy. Each product is lovingly created with recycled papers, scraps and earth-friendly inks," Rebecca Peragine, Owner, Children Inspire Design, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 15, 2010.

These 95-percent cotton, 5-percent spandex, fingerless gloves have the look and feel of men's briefs. They can be slipped on underneath gloves for extra warmth and protection from chaffing, or worn on their own as a vaguely inappropriate fashion statement. Launch date: January 28, 2010.

Zatswho® is a set of six differently colored, sensory flashcards that work like flexible photo frames. The cards are soft, easy to hold, pliable, tactile and wipe clean, great for babies, toddlers and special needs children. Slip in a photo of your child’s faraway Grandma and they'll learn her face in minutes, keeping family connected. This interactive learning tool also helps to teach colors, shapes and more as the child goes from one developmental stage to the next. Zatswho® soft photo flashcards come in a little carrying tote, so it also makes a cute travel game.

Emerson House combines contemporary design with excellent play value. It has a fold-out design for play inside and out, sliding doors, and LED lights that run on solar-powered batteries. "The solar-powered LED lights are innovative, but it's the contemporary design that makes the Emerson House stand apart. There are a handful of "modern" dollhouses on the market, but nothing like this," Doug Rollins, Founder & CEO, brinca dada LLC, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2010.

Baltazar has always enjoyed hearing pirate stories from his grandpa. But did the boy know he was related to the legendary scaliwag Greybeard? The Captain of the infamous Corsairs does, so Redlocks travels to recruit young Baltazar and to locate long lost treasure. But now the amusement park "Treasure Island" sits atop their buried booty! Can a young adventurer successfully lead a motley crew that includes Long John Silver, Hook, and Black Bart through this fantasy land? Take a wild ride with pirates galore to discover where X marks the spot! "This storybook combines the timeless appeal of pirates and amusement parks, which make it ideal for kids who like Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirate Legos and the Cartoon Network TV series Chowder," Amy Ma of Immedium told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

Kids can create their own art and designs with LED lights. They just stick the LEDs into the rubber and they light up. No soldering or tools are required. There are hundreds of LEDs in eight different colors to create art, designs or signs. It's reuseable and portable. Launch date: 2010.

This toy looks like the real thing and is designed to be very sturdy. It is also lightweight, compact and portable. There are eight early learning activities in English and Spanish. The interactive bilingual toy teaches the alphabet, words, numbers, shapes and colors. Includes 3 AAA batteries. "The Ingenio line is affordable and innovative, making it attractive for the specialty market," Ilango Sankaralingam, President, Smart Play, LLC, told TDmonthly. Awards: 2009 Creative Child Toy of The Year. Launch date: October 2009.

This bilingual puzzle game is designed to help players learn the alphabet and spell three-letter words. It has bright colored letters and picture cards to captivate a child’s attention, and it grows with the child by starting with the alphabet and continuing on to spelling simple words. Children can play a self-checking spelling game and learn to spell three-letter words in both English and Spanish. It includes 22 spelling cards and 68 letters. "Ingenio is the first educational bilingual toy brand committed to bilingual learning. All Ingenio products are bilingual — product, packaging and website. This line offers parents a great opportunity to teach a second language to their child at an early age," Ilango Sankaralingam, president of Smart Play, LLC, told TDmonthly. Award: Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products 2009. Launch date: September 2009.

This set features three hand-painted, cold-cast resin figurines, bringing back memories of the days when Service Station really meant service. These three guys are ready to give the car at the pump the once over: Chuck is ready to fill 'er up, Johnny is making sure your oil is good and Lester is checking your tires. From the air gauge in Lester's hand to the oil-stained rags in their pockets, Full Service boasts the kind of authenticity the serious collector demands. Motorhead Miniatures resin and metal figures are individually hand painted and are all limited editions of 5,000 pieces. Launch date: May 2010.

Safety Check features three hand-painted figurines in cold-cast resin. Trooper Cheatem selects the cars for inspection. Officer Howe has her assignment to direct traffic and Officer Dewey is writing a ticket for a minor violation. The gguns, belts and uniforms are fashioned with detail. Shown here in 18 scale, but also available in 24 scale (G scale) and 48 scale (O scale). Launch date: May 2010.

Disc 1 provides fun baby activities on a yoga ball to enhance motor development for 0- to 6-month-olds. Disc 2 provides 19 core exercises for new moms using a yoga ball. In some of the mommy exercises, the baby is also working on tummy time and trunk stability, balance and sitting. "Moms can exercise and engage their new babies all at the same time. They can workout without ignoring their babies or leaving them at home while mom is at the gym. Both discs benefit baby development and bonding to moms," Judy Kang, president of spotlightbaby, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010. Watch DVD Preview

This hubless, human-powered ride-on features two wheels set in a straight line on a variable axis. The rider puts sets a foot through each wheel and self propels the Freerider. Launch date: January 2010.

Caillou’s parents go out, and Lisa comes to babysit. Caillou feels abandoned, but Lisa helps him overcome his distress. Ideal for little hands, this book has a padded cover and plasticized pages. Also in the series are "Potty Time" (best seller) and "Caillou Says No!" "Written with input from child psychologists, the Hand in Hand book series help children understand the new situations and feelings they are experiencing. By encouraging youngsters to identify with Caillou and using this series as a catalyst for communication, parents can defuse situations that might otherwise cause conflict in family life," Anne Paradis of Chouette Publishing told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2009.

This album unveils tender moments from Caillou’s first year. But once parents insert their own children’s photos behind the flaps, it becomes a lift-the-flap album where children discover their own story. Launch date: September 15, 2009.

The Dynasty Face Painting Assortment offers acrylic handled brushes with bright neon-colored filament. It comes with kid-friendly packaging with face painting suggestions included. "Face painting is the big buzz word for every tiny tot's party, be it Birthday Halloween or Religious. Today's parent is watching his/her budget and in doing that, is turning to the Internet to find fun and fast ideas to make their child's party unique. ... All they need is a little imagination and a little material from the local craft/variety store," Veronica Towey, Director of Marketing, FM Brush Company, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

Conceived by child literacy expert Dr. Brij Kothari, BookBox Series stories are designed for child entertainment while simultaneously improving reading skills. Using scientifically tested same language subtitling (SLS), children are assisted in the improvement of listening comprehension and reading and foreign language skills — while watching fascinating “Stories from Around the World” that bring cultural and educational values to children. The "Animal Stories" DVD features three stories: Based on an ancient Indian fable, "Four Friends" is about animal friends that work together to outwit a hunter and protect each other. "The Turtle’s Flute" is about a turtle that is a gifted flutist. When the turtle played her flute, everyone danced. One day, she is trapped by a greedy man. How will she escape? "Zippy the Zebra" is about a zebra that is bugged by a hide full of fleas. No amount of tail swishing or tree trunk scratching would give him any relief. Finally a pair of birds help him out by making a meal of his unwelcome guests. "This DVD helps children to read in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German or Italian. With three ways to use the program - Read to me, Let me read and Let me listen plus you can print the PDF of the book from a computer," Selina Yoon, President, Master Communications, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 6, 2009. Awards: Kids First, Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products, Dr. Toy's 10 Best Audio/Video.

This working, child-safe fan has lights that change colors and patterns on the fan as it spins. There is a lollipop in the handle of the fan. It's set apart because of "the unique design combination of a light-up toy that includes a candy treat. Kids can enjoy the light-up fan even after the candy is gone," Rebecca Raymond, customer service, Candyrific, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2006.

Little ones can push this wagon around and collect their toys inside. The front gate unlatches to open, allowing easier access for your child to load and unload his toys. Launch date: February 10, 2010.

This footbag features a patented design. Launch date: December 2009.

This entry level footbag and is one of the company's best sellers. It features four-piece, hand-sewn construction and a multi-color logo. Launch date: December 2009.

This hand-sewn footbag (aka Hacky Sack®) features two layers of cover material combining sand and plastic pellets on the inside, and it is slightly oversized for the beginner. Launch date: December 2009.

The World Cup Dirtbag® 32 is a hand-sewn, 32-piece footbag complete with the flags of 12 nations. Launch date: December 2009.

This Dirtbag offers glow-in-the-dark kicking fun. The Stellar Staller Dirtbag® is a handsewn footbag (aka Hacky Sack®) designed to be low tech and dependable. It uses glow-in-the-dark silkscreen ink and is washable.

"Eat A Bowl of Cherries" is from Rhythm Child, an award-winning family band and real-life "Partridge" family group of musicians. Featuring 10 high-energy songs, the CD is created to promote positive music and personal growth for kids by incorporating pulsating rhythms and movements that encourage parents and children to sing, drum and dance together. Launch date: August 2009.
— "Bowl of Cherries" single ranked #1 on SIRIUS/XM's Kids Place Live 13 Under 13 Countdown, and remained on the charts for 13 consecutive weeks (2009).