December 2011 New Specialty Toys — All

Donkey - It’s a Kick! is an all-play, action-packed, process of elimination card game (with plastic components) that will have up to 8 players (ages 8 to adult) engaging in simultaneous social interaction while at the same time sharpening their hand-eye coordination skills with every round of play. In addition to the playing cards, the "Kicker Cards" present group challenges for each round of play; this not only adds diversity to each round, it creates a platform on which players feel "safe" and "eager" to show off their unique creative talents. "Donkey It's a Kick! is the only game that makes “losing” FUN!... The losers get to stay in the game and wreak havoc on the remaining players!  Although the game will only produce one champion, everyone walks away feeling like a winner," Jayne Cleveland-Kolesar, secretary at Cleveland Kids, LLC., told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.
Awards: 2011 The Toy Man™ Seal of Approval, 2011 The Toy Man™ Award of Excellence, 2011 The Toy Man™ Recommends Award, 2011 The Toy Man™ eChoice™ Award.

Chaotic Connections is a brand new board game that takes players on a chaotic cross-country road trip without them leaving their living room.  Each player is dealt four cities on the map and attempts to connect the roads to the cities as quickly as possible. The first player to connect all four wins. However, there will be road blocks, detours, extra cities and other obstacles along the way.  Chaotic Connections can be played with 2-6 players and will enjoyed most by players ages nine and up. Launch date: August 2011.

Wangle is a picture themed game where Wangle Sticks add an exciting and fun twist.   Wangle is frantic play with all players in motion, at all times. Players build their hand, then try to be the first to sneak a Wangle stick. Launch date: October 2011.

Cosmic ConneXion is an entertaining and educational word search card game created to familiarize players with the Greek alphabet and objects of the cosmos. The deck consists of 2 sets of cards, letter cards and celestial point value cards. The letter cards consist of all 24 letters of the Greek alphabet from Alpha to Omega. Each letter card displays the name, uppercase & lowercase Greek letter, along with English equivalents and variants. The letter cards are played in a diamond arrangement to create words. The celestial point value cards consist of 28 objects of the cosmos from our local solar system to the constellations of the zodiac along with wild cards of the cosmos. For each word formed, a player acquires a celestial point value card from the draw pile. The object of the game is to acquire as many celestial point value cards as possible. However, after all the letter cards have been played, the player who has acquired the sun card during regular play has a final opportunity to score additional points during the bonus round by forming a grammatically correct sentence from the words formed during regular play. The player with the highest point value wins. "The greatest benefit of playing games with these cards is to increase player's familiarity with the Greek alphabet. The Greek alphabet is widely utilized in many fields of math & science, yet not widely recognized to the general public," Joseph Bongiorno, president of N.E.T. & Computing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2011.

The Everythingland Mailbox is a kid-sized mailbox that will fit standard cards and letters.  Made from sturdy 275# corrugated cardboard with white paper linerboard the mailbox can be decorated using paint, markers, crayons, glued on paper, fabric, photographs, beads, stones, seashells and sculptural media. The mailbox is made personal and important to them and when the art project is complete the mailbox is a great prop for pretend play or daily family communications. "The design details of our product sets us apart; material selection, shape, fit, scale and function separates our toys from other corrugated cardboard toys as well as other toy mailboxes," David Berglund, president of Metamorphic Toys, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2011.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys, 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20

18 inch doll armoire. Quality crafted wood construction.  Classic details like inset panels, rounded knobs and arched top give this piece an elegant presence.  Can hold up to 6 doll dresses on hangars. Can also store doll accessories in drawer.  Measures 18"x9"x6". "Details such as inset panels, finials, arched tops, and baluster legs set our products in a category of their own," Scott Cahill, CEO of Laurent Doll, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2011.

18 inch doll bunk bed. All hardwood construction, quality-crafted in a Cape Cod style, this bunk bed comfortably sleeps 2 dolls up to 20".  Include two mattresses and pillows.  Measures 24"x18"x12" "Unlike other doll furniture on the market, the Laurent Doll line is manufactured in the same styles a child would find in their room.  The designs are based upon classic furniture styles including amish, windsor, cape cod and victorian," Scott Cahill, CEO of Laurent Doll, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2011.

The Monster Eater book and plush animal was designed by a mom to help other parents who are dealing with a child who is convinced there is a monster in their room and won't sleep. The story helps show children they are empowered to defeat the monsters themselves with the aid of a Monster Eater. "There are plenty of stories out there who tell of monsters - none are stories about helping the children to overcome their fear to sleep in their rooms; and all night. Comes with a handy 'Monster Repellent' spray bottle," Wendy Lasater, CEO of Dandy Innovations, told TDmonthly. Separately,  the book is $8.99, the Monster Eater plush doll is $24.99, and the bottle of Monster Repellent is $2.99. Launch date: October 2011.

This two-in-one mini sleeping bag will keep kids' favorite stuffed toys warm and snuggly. Cushy and convertible, these durable sleeping bags serve as a perfect slipcover to keep plush toys ultra cozy and ultra clean. Launch date: November 2011.

A combination slipcover, outfit and carrier, Petjamas accessories for kids' favorite Pillow Pets. This super soft, super cute and super cleanable cover acts as clothes or a carrying case for plush companions and a pillow case for children. Launch date: November 2011.

MathTwister is a brand new competitive card game for kids (eight years and older) to practice and enjoy the four basic computations of arithmetic. Educators and parents observe their students thinking, organizing and self-correcting their mental math concepts to form equations, as well as watching as students encourage others to demonstrate their math ability. MathTwister makes effective practice of mathematics fun. "Through a healthy level of competition MathTwister gets kids thinking mathematically, challenging them at their own ability level, sharpening fluency with basic arithmetic operations and developing comfort with numbers," Benjamin Bosley, creator of MathTwister, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2011.

Out of all the holidays, Emily Elizabeth and Clifford like Halloween the most. They play games, trick-or-treat in the neighborhood, and tell ghost stories. Best of all, they can wear costumes. Clown, witch, knight, or ghost—what will Clifford decide to dress up as this year?
— Lynda Blankenship from Smart Toys & Books in Knoxville, Tenn., told TDmonthly in a December 2011 survey about Halloween that, "any Halloween books with established characters, like Clifford or Fancy Nancy," tend to do well.

From the vast and colorful imagination of Mary Engelbreit springs a Mother Goose world bursting with warmth and humor. All the favorite time-honored characters are here - Little Bo-Peep, Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, Jack and Jill, and many, many more, along with such treats as a mouse running up the clock, piggies going to market, and children dancing round the mulberry bush. As complete as can be with one hundred rhymes in all. Launch date: September 20, 2005.
— As of 12/06/2011 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 52 reviews on Amazon.com.
— Maryalice Miner, co-owner of Miner's Doll & Toy Store in Ocean Springs, Miss., told TDmonthly in a December 2011 survey that they sell about 6 copies of this title each month.

Kids discover what makes the weather happen and how to predict what's ahead. Activities include making equipment to measure rainfall, wind direction and speed, humidity, and barometric pressure; recording measurements and observations in a Weather Log; and simulating weather events to demonstrate the science behind them. From foggy mornings to sunny afternoons to our changing seasons, weather forecasting is a year-round, practical science that children will have fun learning about. Perfect for budding meteorologists and science lovers. Launch date: January 28, 2017.
— In a December 2011 survey Mary Porter Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashton, Va., told TDmonthly, "We sell a lot of the science and craft books from Ideals Books - such as Science Play and Weather Forecasting. They are brightly colored with great graphics on the covers and full of simple projects for kids."           

A loveable monster with big puffy mitts has just flown in from Planet Tickle. His mission is to bring joy and laughter to Planet Earth. How? By tickling any child who happens to follow along in this book. Parents read aloud and do the tickling. The book comes with blue Tickle Monster mitts, with holes in the fingertips to make it easy for parents to instantly transform themselves into Tickle Monster and turn pages while tickling. Launch date: September 30, 2009.
— As of 12/06/2011 this product had 4.9 out of 5 stars from 81 reviews on Amazon.com.
— In a December 2011 survey, William Meredith, owner of Learning Express in Cary, N.C., said Tickle Monster was one of his best selling books. "It's a good infant item. You can buy it for a baby,” but it's also suitable for toddlers and preschoolers, he said. They sell about 10 copies every month.

Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of. The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays? Launch date: November 15, 2011.
— As of 12/06/2011 this book had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 58 reviews on Amazon.com.
— In a December 2011 survey about best selling books, Dean Smith, owner of JaZams in Princeton, N.J. told TDmonthly that they sold 36 copies of the book in the first month after its release.

Slooooks! is a new game that's a cross between eye-spy and a scavenger hunt. The rules are simple and all ages can play together ... and the game board folds up like a book so it can be taken anywhere. "It's never the same game twice," Kate Patterson of Ashare Patterson Design told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.

Ugh is the life of a caveman through the eyes of John Kovalic. In Ugh! players encounter the Stone Age life by pushing their luck against the deck and trying to lock in as many sets of cards as they can before they are abruptly shocked by a natural disaster… Ugh! Each turn players can flip over up to three cards, all of which are good options for their set. Contents: 110 cards, including 4 Wild Cards, 28 Ugh! Cards, and 78 Number Cards.

Players must trap their opponents' pawns in one of two games of escape and capture. In Bright Got 'Em! players must outsmart and corner their opponents through savvy card play, sly movement, and clever placement of blocking walls. In the still-casual but even-trickier Brainy Got 'Em!™ players toss aside card actions in favor of a purely strategic challenge. Both games share the same goal, the same exciting intrigue, and the same social fun. Contents: One game board,  The side with colored squares is used for Bright Got ’Em!, The side with white squares is used for Brainy Got ’Em!, 84 wall pieces, 55 Got ’Em!™ cards, 4 pawns.
Awards: Major Fun Award; 2011 Creative Child’s Seal of Excellence

Double Double Dominoes is a new approach to Dominoes. Players score points by matching up dominoes over key areas of the game board. Play a Double Domino and players double their score. Players can grab bonus points every time someone matches their position on the score track with a domino played… including themselves. Contents: Game board, 56 dominoes,  4 score pieces, Game rules.

Earth—friendly reusable drawing and magnet kits. Contains everything neessary for everlasting fun, learning, and creativity! Each kit includes a magnetic dry erase board, over 30 magnetic play pieces, five dry erase markers in assorted colors and a write on/wipe off activity book filled with lots reusable activities and games. Kids will create rough—and—tumble trucks and make up their own on—the—go adventures. Launch date: February 2011.

The Hub features new attachments, including the wheel and more imagination pieces, allowing kids to invent more complex structures. Build a go—cart, a rover, or a roaming character on a secret mission. Comes with over 60 attachments. Set Contains: 2 flexible OGOBILD balls, 4 wheels, 16 connectors, 11 joints, 5 wings, 25 imagination pieces.

Made of completely safe natural rubber and painted with vegetable—based paints, these teethers have a gentle, delicate squeak that won't hurt baby's ears. Molded and hand—painted in Morocco. 6".

MOGO Charms get clicked onto these Click Flops (the same charms that fit on MOGO Charmbands). Each pair of Click Flops is sold with 2 Bling Charms and come with a decorate gift bag to make an instant gift.