January 2011 Notable Toys — Developmental Toys

Wimmer-Ferguson infant development toys are designed with your baby’s interest in mind. Studies show that high-contrast patterns and images prove to be more stimulating than brightness or color alone. Each Wimmer-Ferguson toy is specifically designed for infants through each developmental stage to meet the best stimulus level. Launch date: January 2011.

This is one of Manhattan Toy's seven new Mod Baby toys that feature soft fabrics and textures in every design. Each unique piece provides engaging entertainment. Launch date: January 2011.

This is one of Manhattan Toy's seven new Mod Baby toys that feature soft fabrics and textures in every design. Each unique piece provides engaging entertainment. Launch date: January 2011.

This is one of Manhattan Toy's seven new Mod Baby toys that feature soft fabrics and textures in every design. Each unique piece provides engaging entertainment. Launch date: January 2011.

This baby photo quilt measures 4 feet by 4 feet and features a baby-safe mirror and peek-a-boo flap. The mat also crinkles, alerting parents that baby is crawling.

With the help of WordGirl and Captain Huggy Face, kids twist the rings to learn how to use consonants and vowels to build new words. Line up a letter on the left, and twist the next ring to find letters that make words from two to six letters long. Rings can be removed and rearranged. In addition, letters have numerical values, so kids can work on their math skills as they find words with bigger scores.

With the help of Clifford and his Friends, kids can twist the rings and match everyday items with their proper category. For example, line up the word "winter," and twist the rings to line up earmuffs, warm hat, scarf, gloves and snow boots. Helps develop logical thinking as well as motor skills.

These colorful mix and match activity sets stimulate creativity, and imagination. This durable play set comes in a sturdy gift/hold all box, with four 'Look at my Creation' display boards. "With this product offering 4 different display boards to go with the different pieces this product offers a very large variety of options to children, allowing them to be more imaginative with their creations," Jack Wiggins, sales executive at Meadow Kids, told TDmonthly.

These interactive kits offer introductory creative craft to children. They encourage step by step design, crafting skills and a creative sense of achievement. "Once assembled, the 3 different hand puppets can be used to create stories and play many other imaginative games, giving the product a much longer lifespan and room for creative play," Jack Wiggins, sales executive at Meadow Kids, told TDmonthly.

These interactive kits offer introductory creative craft to children. They encourage step by step design, crafting skills and a creative sense of achievement.

DoodleMark™ allows children and parents to interact with books together. Whether practicing sight words, working on vocabulary, learning to write letters, bookmarking their progress or just doodling a funny picture, this product is designed to help build a child's confidence in their reading and writing. It can be used as a classroom tool, at home to reinforce what's being taught in school, and as an incentive for reluctant readers. "DoodleMark is the world's only bookmark and drawing pad that clips to a book," Jennifer Kendra, VP sales and marketing at ReMarkable Reading Concepts, told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2010.

This high-quality, durable and easy-to-assemble wooden ride-on toy encourages the development of  balancing skills and stimulates the imagination. It's been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.

This easy-to-assemble wooden workbench is perfect for pretend DIY projects. It comes with 13 geometric shapes, 4 wheels, 14 screws, 6 nails, 12 nuts, 4 square nuts, 1 hammer, 1 screwdriver and 1 wrench. Build whatever you like, use your imagination, the sky is the limit. Instructions for 5 construction projects included. It's been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.

All kids like pretend play, particularly kitchen and cooking. This 4-sided wooden kitchen is equipped with oven, stove with clicking knobs, fridge with working door, blackboard with 2 pcs of chalk for "menu of the day" and a clock for learning how to tell time. Accessories include a pan with lid, stove with lid, 3 vegetable magnets, 2 pcs of chalk, and a spoon. Perfect for mom and daughter bonding. No assembly required. It's been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.

This high-quality, durable and easy-to-assemble Activity Table will engage children in hours of wholesome play. The exploring, learning and fun elements include shape sorting, stacking, hammer game, bead coaster and zigzag maze. Kids can develop problem-solving and fine-motor skills, as well as learn colors and shapes. It's been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.

A new addition to the Colours Collection, this little bear has stacking rings, a rattle in the head, crinkle in the paws and many tags to rub. Stacking rings encourage repeated play and hand-eye coordination.  Ages 6 m+.

This baseball plush is sized for little hands to play catch with or bring to the ballpark Children will have fun while learning cause and effect, an important part of a child’s development. 5" Diameter.

The memory cube is available in the TAGGIES Colours Collection. With fun and colorful patterns, cute pals and easy picture pockets to hold special memories, every side offers comforting playtime. An engaging way for baby to remember loved ones near and far.

Taggies pillowcases are a transition to make the "crib to bed" adjustment a smooth and secure one. The soft pillowcase has a full row of interactive, colorful tags right at the fingertips to keep young children comforted all night long. Available in pink or blue. 30" x 21"

The Drum Therapy® Kit, designed to help autistic and special needs children and adults develop retention, coordination, self-esteem, fine motor skill, sensory integration, social skills, and physical and cognitive functioning, can also help children get better grades in school, and make homework much easier. "[Used by] Doctors, School Systems, and Therapists throughout the world," Pat Gesualdo, President/CEO of DAD, told TDmonthly.

Two five-foot long, 30-piece colorful cargo train puzzles: one teaching color, counting and number recognition and one teaching the alphabet. One puzzle features a train of cabooses with numbers on the side, while the other features the alphabet.

This Brain Quest write and erase format is geared to give the earliest learners a leg up on writing, reading, and using number. Featuring an attached pack of 40 large, write-on, wipe-off cards plus a dry-erase pen, each deck teaches a critical skill to help children learn to read before kindergarten. These are practical lessons that are also fun, entertaining, and informative. Phonics teaches early reading with fill-ins for long and short vowels and basic consonant sounds, letter scrambles, complete-the-words, and more.
— ''We just got [the Phonics write & erase sets] in, and we sold 18 last month,'' said Gwen Bowden, manager of Doodlehopper for Kids in Springfield, Va.
— ''Brainquest work books and cards go the fastest,'' seconded Susan Blanton, owner of Pufferbellies in Staunton, Va.
— In a November 2011 survey 2 out of 12 retailers said that Brainquest was their best selling educational item. “Brain Quest (Workman Publishing) has always done well for us," Chris Lowe, owner of Beanhead Toys in Sandy Springs, Ga., told TDmonthly. Mike DiAndrea, manager of Hardware Toys in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly that sell about 30 units of Brain Quest each month.

Word Wheels are fun, educational, toys. They are intuitive, hand held, and promote learning through reading, manipulation, and understanding. To a child they are toys, but to a parent or teacher, they are learning tools. They engage the mind, are quiet, and enhance learning through stimulating comprehension. "Word Wheels play like a toy and teach like a book," Tim Irwin, president of Paradigm Devices, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2011.
Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products