December 2009 New Specialty Toys — American-Made

Mrs. Grossman’s Play Sets are a tactile way for children to create and tell picture stories. There are eight different play set designs that come with a simple, colorful background card and a sheet of animated, coordinating stickers. All the stickers included are part of Mrs. Grossman’s Chubby and Fantasy Girls collection and have been exclusively designed to work together in each play set. The assortment includes Undersea, Barnyard, Jungle, Car Town, Fairyland, Mermaids, Pegasus and Unicorns. "We are a company with a 30-year history and parents have come to trust our products, our philosophy and the way their children respond to our designs. We design and manufacture our stickers in the USA in our plant, have been green for more than a year and have a keen relationship with the adults who grew up with our stickers," Barbara Marino, PR manager for Mrs. Grossmans, told TDmonthly. Launch date: Jan. 25, 2010.

The standard Adorable Kinders rag doll is sold in a sturdy white box. The Box Cover Bed Ensemble converts the box into a 22” L x 10” W bed for the Adorable Kinders doll. The set includes a bed skirt, a fitted sheet, a colorful blanket, a sleeping pillow with removable pillow case, a large stuffed pillow sham, and 2 decorative throw pillows. The entire ensemble is machine washable and can be used with other conventional doll beds. The ensembles are available in assorted colors and prints. The product is made in the USA. Launch date: 2010.

These 20" jointed bears are made in America and designed with lifelike features and special fur colors and combinations that help make these bears look just like the real bears that inspired them. The realistic look of the Wildlife Bears is designed to help inspire creative play and lends itself to investigative play by older children. Just like all Vermont Teddy Bears, 20" tall Wildlife Bears feature signature "Born in Vermont" eyes and the "tush tag" confirming their unconditional lifetime guarantee.

This wooden set of two, 15” cubes is made in the USA of sustainably grown Baltic birch plywood and uses eco-friendly paints and finishes. The front panel can be customized from a variety of colors and shapes. The cubes can be connected in various ways.
— Through Via Toy Box and its sister line, Via Wine Cubes, KD PRODUCTS combines form and function into sensible storage solutions. The Via Toy Box line features modular cubes with a variety of openings that can be used to create fully customized storage. Shelves, casters, cabinets, and more can be added to the basic cubes for more possibilities. The units can also be rearranged to meet changing display needs. The cubes can keep floppy plush and difficult to stack items neat and orderly while the array of colors and intriguing shapes can draw attention to products held within. Since children tend to climb, it’s probably a a good idea to anchor the cubes to the wall for safety. The reviewer on Daddy Types ordered the product online and was thankful it “turn[ed] out to be good after all.”

Designed as an educational, fun and easy-to-use puppet making kit, SPP! Chinese New Year Edition puts the power of creation in the hands of the child. It provides a balance of structure and creativity as it leads kids through the process of creating five large, one-of-a-kind stick puppets with the Chinese New Year theme. It could be used for school projects or for parties or family nights. The kit includes five blank corrugated bodies, 10 blank arms and legs, five blank heads, five themed faces, five sticks, 20 fasteners, five sheets of decorative paper, 50ml glue, an informative synopsis of the Chinese New Year, and directions. Kids assemble the puppets, make the clothing, and complete the puppet characters with the included themed faces, photographs or hand drawings. The stick puppets stand 14" tall and have movable arms and legs. They are packaged in a 12” hang bag. This product is made in the USA. Launch date: October 2009.

These 18" soft-cloth rag dolls are American made and come with admission to an Internet cartoon eSchool where kids learn as they play fun educational games (grades Pre-K through 6th). The dolls and their clothes are washable, and there are 26 different characters and multiple outfits. The dolls are "made in [the] USA and not sold in mass-market retail stores," Greg Goodenbury, VP of GRANZA, Inc., told TDmonthly. Adorable Kinders have received the following awards: NAPPA 2009 Children’s Products Gold Award; Dr. Toy's 2009 100 Best Children’s Products Award; Dr. Toy's 2009 10 Best Toys Award; Toy Man Seal of Approval; Toy Man Award of Excellence; Toy Man Eco-Recognition Award; and Toy Man eChoice Award. Launch date: 2009.

Most Fact Pack collectible card sets include six unique cards, six colored pencils, 36 fun facts, six blue ribbon stickers, a pencil sharpener and a plastic travel case. The product is made in the USA and, through various subjects that are available, is designed to help children learn interesting facts about animals, holidays, music, states and more.

In 164 BCE, Judah Maccabee led his Maccabean army to liberate the land of Israel and reclaim the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. But the Maccabees did not have enough oil to light the menorahs to rededicate the Temple. Now players must lead a band of Maccabees and acquire enough oil to light the new eight-stemmed menorah called a Chanukiah. But beware, there are still remnants of the Seleucid Empire’s army roaming the lands trying to thwart these efforts. This board game is made in the USA and turns the basic game of dreidel into an adventure. The entire game is in English and Hebrew, so it serves as a tool for learning Hebrew. Launch date: September 2009.

A well-recognized throwback to yesteryear, Schylling's Mood Rings combine glossy, color-changing cabochons with silver-toned settings styled with the 1960s in mind. The “stones” in the rings sense the mood of the wearer and change accordingly from anxious orange-black to content jewel-tone blue-violet. Styles are assorted, and the metal rings are made in the USA.
― “We sell dozens of mood ring pick-ups at the counter,” said Joe Berardoni Sr., owner of Pun's Toy Shop in Bryn Mawr, Pa., during an October 2009 survey.
— In a September 2010 TDmonthly survey, seven of 44 retailers named mood rings a best-selling jewelry and accessory item, with one claiming sales of 43 a month.
— In an October 2011 survey about best selling jewelry and accessories, 4 out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that mood rings were their best sellers. They sold an average of 2 dozen each month.

Babies and their folks on the go can all have smooth, supple skin thanks to this travel pack of Mayron's Good Baby goods. Developed by Melanie Mayron of thirtysomething and her chemist Dad, the included 2-oz. sizes of Cheek Balm, Barrier and Diaper Creme, Body Oil, Body Mik and Body Wash are all full of natural ingredients such as essential oils and vitamins. These products are never tested on animals; they're tested on actress's babies! A portion of the profits go toward women's health research.

Jukem is a fast game that can be played in 20 minutes or less. The game lasts two times through the deck. No prior knowledge of football is required.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

The Cover-Me is a fully adjustable strap that attaches to any baby blanket, converting it into a secure nursing cover. The Cover-Me is compact enough to fit in mom's pocket. "The Cover-Me is the only breastfeeding essential that can be used for other purposes! The Cover-Me creates a secure bib using a cloth napkin or cloth diaper [and] it keeps a blanket secure over baby in a stroller or front carrier," Natascia Carr, owner of Little Carr, LLC, told TDmonthly. It received an iParenting Media Award in 2008. Launch date: February 9, 2007.

A vintage novelty fabric of playful kitties is accented with peppermint stripes and black and white polka dots. The three-piece set includes a bumper with grosgrain ties in French pink, a fitted crib sheet and double crib skirt with 17" drop. The top layer of the skirt is fully lined with 200-thread count artic white cotton fabric. The accent of black ric rac is just the right touch to the bumper and crib skirt made in the USA of 100-percent cotton. "The vintage and fun prints as well as the price point for the double skirt that is fully lined" set this product apart, Molly McLean, owner and designer of Ella & Bee, told TDmonthly. "The price point is just below other American-made crib sets with this type of quality." Launch date: March 14, 2009.

Parents can protect baby in style with this infant cover that has an over-the-handle design to create a tent-like enclosuret. The hole in the top allows for a secure grip on the handle, a view of baby inside, and allows air into the baby. The all-around elastic keeps the cover securely in place. It's designed to protect babies from the sun, wind, rain and nosy strangers, and creates a cozy nap-time environment. When it's time to feed baby, Sprout Shell becomes a nursing cover to give a little added privacy on the go. At the store, Sprout Shell becomes a shopping cart cover to keep those nasty germs away from baby. It is made of 100-percent cotton corduroy and can be used for restaurant high chairs, too. It's "the only infant carrier cover that has multiple uses and can be used after baby is no longer in the infant carrier," Kirsten Reeder, co-founder of Sprout Shell, LLC, told TDmonthly. The Sprout Shell received a 2009 Baby Planner Seal of Approval. Launch date: September 12, 2009.

The Sophie Snuggler is a nursing cover-up made from 100-percent organic cotton, so mothers have soft, natural material next to them and their babies' skin. The cowl neck allows mom to position and check on baby. It is also incredibly discreet and stylish. The cover-up is durable and machine washable, and is made in the USA. Launch date: September 2009.

These nine-piece puzzles are easy to play, but hard to solve. They feature original artwork, plus educational facts on the back of the travel-size package. Interesting fact:  In 1964, the general manager of Pontiac, John DeLorean, created the first “muscle car” by approving the installation of 389 cubic inch, 6.3-liter engine in the Pontiac LeMans, adding the designation “GTO” that had been a name first used by Ferrari, Europe’s leading sports car company.