December 2009 New Specialty Toys — Educational

The Adventures of Tommy the Tomato is an alphabet book geared towards ages 4-9. It follows Tommy the Tomato through his days in school where he learns from his classmates as well as his teachers. When reading "The Adventures of Tommy the Tomato", children go on an educational adventure alongside Tommy the Tomato. Throughout the book, Tommy encounters other fruits and vegetables, all of whom explain how they are beneficial to Tommy, and in the same breath, to the child reading.

Kimochis are small pillows with a feeling (happy, sad, silly, brave) printed on one side and a corresponding facial expression on the other. Each Kimochis plush character comes with a set of three feelings and a how-to Kimochis Feel Guide. The characters — Cat, Huggtopus, Cloud, Bug and Lovey Dove — have a special pocket where kids can store their "Kimochis" or feelings. Using the characters and their Kimochis, kids can get in touch with their emotions through puppetry and play. “Getting back to the basics by playing and communicating with Kimochis™ is a simple, yet powerful way to teach children how to: be aware of feelings, choose how to communicate in emotional moments, and redo mistakes. Children will be drawn to the fun, adorable, accessible characters. Parents will be drawn to the high-quality craftsmanship and the valuable educational content," Susan Schroeder, director of marketing and communications for Plushy Feely Corp., told TDmonthly. Awards: 2009 Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence, Best Vacation Products by Dr. Toy, and Kaboose.com's Top 13 Amazing Toys for Preschoolers. Launch date for Lovey Dove: 2010.

Ever wondered if the light in the fridge stays on when you close the door? Fiber optics can light the way. It may sound like some supercomplicated electronic technology, but the basics are quite simple. Author Jim Becker helps kids understand what’s going on as they use the power of light to build 10 high-tech electronic projects, including a burglar alarm, an electronic rooster, and a flexible flashlight. The kit includes two preassembled workbenches (transmitter and receiver), three optical fiber rods and a connector, 26 hookup wires, two LED couplers, 12 activity cards , and a 12-panel fully illustrated booklet. "The retail feedback we have received tells us that there is not a similar product on the market," Darcy Morris, Director of Sales & Marketing, SmartLab Toys, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 30, 2010.

This family board game celebrates the important heritage of American county fairs. Designed for two to four players ages 8 to adult, the illustrated game includes many of the fun activites, contests, events and livestock featured at county fairs from coast to coast. "The game appeals to all reading ages and can be played several times in a row; its base idea is national and new and attracts men, women and children alike," Joanne Zwingler Farinacci, owner of J. Bell-Jones LLC, told TDmonthly. Awards: Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award 2009. Launch date: August 27, 2008.

Developed by Del Visionaries, the Little Green Money Machine is a gateway learning system designed to teach children lifelong skills, in addition to building confidence and self esteem. The book and storefront stand can be used at home, in the classroom, and with youth groups and fundraising projects. This system teaches children about money management and business, and lays the foundation to learn about entrepreneurship. The interactive book, "The Little Green Money Machine: Kids in Business Around the World," offers content, ideas and exercises to give children ages 7 to 14 the tools and know-how to run a business, set goals, and pursue their dreams. The storefront is an all-purpose business stand where children can set up actual business ventures and fundraisers and apply what they have learned in the book. It includes adjustable-height upright posts, five magnetic and dry erase banner areas for marketing and increased visibility, built-in cupholders, a built-in money tray with lock and key, a solar-powered calculator, and a storage area for marketing materials, such as brochures, fliers and business cards.

Children like to create and to construct. MOOV Education kit is entirely adapted for educational use for example on primary schools and childcare. MOOV is a unique full-size construction toy for children aged 5 to 12 years. Children can construct MOOV by themselves without use of any tools or help from a teacher, educator or pedagogue. This playing concept stands for learning by playing. With the special MOOV educational build and play activity set children are able to train and improve their technical, creative and physical skills. Above this they improve their social emotional skills. Activity Set includes A4 size ring binder, 10 activity sheets and overview, 4 dividers, and MOOV certificates (50 pcs).

Children like to create and to construct. MOOV Education kit, which contains more than 200 construction elements, is entirely adapted for educational use for example on primary schools and childcare. MOOV is a unique full-size construction toy for children aged 5 to 12 years. Children can construct MOOV by themselves without use of any tools or help from a teacher, educator or pedagogue. The wooden parts, rings, shafts and frames are multi-functional. The holes in the wooden parts are specially designed, so you can easily remove the rings from the shafts. Storage is simple with the durable roller box for the large pieces and the durable cotton bags for the smaller parts.

This beautiful Pearl Princess Cape (51915) is made with shimmer organza on one side and reverses to a shiny bridal satin on the other side. The collar has a lined scalloped finish with satin ties. This gorgeous cape is trimmed in silver with a scalloped bottom edge and it’s adorned with hand stitched pearl drops. Transforms any little girl into an instant Princess.

This Renaissance Gown (32305) is the most deluxe costume in the Great Pretenders collection for Creative Education of Canada. With a two-tiered tulle fixed to the lining, the skirt has all the volume fit for a real queen. A gorgeous layer of shiny bridal satin in a beautiful magenta color makes this dress a dream come true for any little girl. The puffy sleeves are lined and are finished with an extravagant double ruffle. The top of the dress is made with stretched steamed velour, which allows for flexible sizing.

StoryPlay Cards is a deck of storytelling and playing cards designed to delight, inspire and intrigue kids of all ages. The card deck has 90 illustrated cards along with a carrying pouch and two guidebooks. Children can use these cards to tell stories, play card games like Spoons, Poker, Sets and Concentration, or use them to engage in thoughtful conversation by choosing the card or cards you are attracted to and talking about what they mean to you. Launch date: Feb. 14, 2010.

ThinkFun a-ha! Brainteasers are designed to inspire special a-ha! moments for novice and seasoned problem solvers alike. A player will need all his brainpower for this one. The goal is to fit all four cubes into the box so they sit flush with the rim. Expert, Level 4. Launch date: 2010.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va, told TDmonthly in a July 2013 survey that ThinkFun Brainteaser Puzzles were among her store's best-selling puzzles.

ThinkFun a-ha! Brainteasers are designed to inspire special a-ha! moments for novice and seasoned problem solvers alike. Can you “shoot” the arrow out of the front of the tray without removing the three planks? Hard, Level 3. "[It's] another brainteaser to add to ThinkFun's collection of best-selling brainteasers, which teach pattern recognition, abstract thinking and problem solving," Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

For novice and seasoned problem solvers alike, the object of the Star Burst is simple, the solution is elusive. Just take the Star Burst apart and put it back together again. Simple. Or is it? Medium, Level 2. Launch date: 2010.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va, told TDmonthly in a July 2013 survey that ThinkFun Brainteaser Puzzles were among her store's best-selling puzzles.

This “cousin” of the best-selling Gordian’s Knot is designed to be elegant but cunning. Untangling Zig-Zag Knot is not as easy as it looks. The player slides each piece in the correct sequence of 37 moves to take the Zig-Zag Knot apart. With every move made, one or more pieces will move easily, but there’s only one right answer. The included guide shows the complete solution as well as full instructions for putting Zig-Zag Knot back to its original form. Launch date: April 2010.

This new and improved version of What’s GNU? may serve as a fun confidence-builder as it allows early readers to build their vocabularies. Two or more players slide the “Letter Getter” to reveal two letter tiles at a time, then use those tiles to create three-letter combinations on their Word Starter cards. The player who spells the greatest number of words wins. It now includes beginner and advanced Word Starter Cards and highlighted vowels for added learning. "ThinkFun has taken a best seller and improved it by including both beginner and advanced cards. Now the entire family can play!" Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: Jan. 15, 2010.

Two or more players race to be the first to get the animals into the barnyard in this matching game. Focusing on image completion, players search their cards to complete a barnyard animal, then use the fun Barnyard Flipper to turn over the card and reveal the next image to be matched. Images help children match, while the writing on each card will help early readers make associations between the words and the image. Launch date: March 2010.

Zingo! now comes in a fun, portable package. Just shake the Zingo! Zoomer car to expose the two dice. Got a match? Turn over the corresponding traffic light on your game board. The first player that turns over a completed traffic light wins. With no loose pieces and a snap-together game board, this Zingo! is designed for family fun on the go. Launch date: April 2010.

With Zingo! 1-2-3, players must match their numbered tiles with the corresponding display on their challenge board. The first player with a full card wins the game by yelling “Zingo!” In this fast-paced game, two levels of play focus on image recognition and addition. "This is a line extension of the best-selling Zingo! game by ThinkFun. It now uses numbers and math skills as compared to of pictures and image recognition skills used in original Zingo!" Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: Jan. 15, 2010.
— Angie Knutson from My Four Monkeys:  the “easy to use” number dispensing Zinger was “the funnest part of the game” for her kids. “As with most ThinkFun games,” said Angie, “Zingo! 1-2-3 would also make a great preschool and kindergarten resource!”
— Ruth B. Roufberg and Parents’ Choice applauded the successful blending of number education and bingo as well as the game components and packaging for being “functionally designed.” Zingo 1-2-3 Number Bingo received the Spring 2010 Parents’ Choice Gold Award.
— Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award Winner, 2010

MAGNETIC PALS Alphabet blocks show capital and lower case letters with images that match, helping preschoolers learn what picture begins with what letter as they play. "All MAGNETIC PAL items are made in Oregon with USA manufactured products that meet the toy safety standards," Janice Gardner, Partner, Gardners Gatherings, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 15, 2009.

This interactive, web-enabled, financial education game is developed to help children learn what they should know about money. It includes fun and educational games for kids 6 to 12 years old to learn about saving, mathematics, foreign cultures, ecology and more. "This is the first interactive moneybox connected to an Internet gaming platform. This is also one of the best educational games that will make your kids money savvy," Jerome Bousquet, online sales and development, Ekomini Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

The CROCODILE STAGE PUPPET features an easily animated mouth and operable arms. Design details include soft-sculpted plush with molded claws and teeth that are lots of fun to snap. Awards: 2007 iPARENTING MEDIA Best Products Award, NAPPA 2007 Gold Award, 2007 CREATIVE CHILD AWARDS Preferred Choice - Puppets for Kids, CTTC BEST BET AWARD for TOY REPORT 2008. Launch date: 2007.

The award-winning Joe Rock and Friends interactive stories are now available on iPhone and iPod Touch. Featuring two languages (English and Spanish), original fun songs, 3D graphics, instant switching between languages, optional narration, and word tracking, these stories can provide a great reading experience for emerging readers (ages 3-8) and a great tool for language learners. "The multi-language features ... allow instant switching of any page between the two languages," Allan Crossley, CEO, BoggleNoggin Media Inc., told TDmonthly. Awards: 2008 Outstanding Product - iParenting Media Awards, Preferred Choice Award - Creative Child Magazine, June 2008, Editor's Choice Award - Children's Technology Review, June 2008 & Dec 2006, Recommended - Parent's Choice FOundation, March 2008. Launch date: September 2009.

The VirtueGame is a card game designed to bring out the best in people. It's a lighthearted, fun way for kids to learn about and practice virtues such as responsibility, compassion, thankfulness and trust. Can you be trusted with a treasured pet fish? Or name five things you have in common with the person next to you? Players should be prepared for silly fun. "The VirtueGame is the first Character Education game on the market. It coincides perfectly with our cultural trend towards things that matter and the renewed interest in family time and personal values," Anne Brunell, Founder, Virtue Toys, told TDmonthly. Awards: 2009 Best Practice Award, Character Education Partnership. Launch date: March 2009.

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.