February 2011 Notable Toys — All

A SwaggerTag is an identification tag that reflects your personality and helps you keep track of your gear. By customizing your SwaggerTag with your own photo, image or logo, you let everyone know it's your stuff. You decide what personal information to include and your SwaggerTag reveals the hidden information only if it is opened. Water, weather and impact resistant, with strong attachment points and ties ensures a SwaggerTag will stay with your gear. Available in six distinctive colors.

This new worldwide hit television series is about eager young engines Wilson, Brewster and Koko as they learn to become working trains in the land of Chuggington. In these six episodes, the trainees find fun and excitement as they get lost in a deserted town, handle an important responsibility in the safari park, and discover that the repair shed isn't such a scary place after all. There's plenty of action and laughs along the way with lessons about overcoming fear, responsibility and problem solving, all while discovering social-readiness values like friendship, teamwork, courtesy and more. As the trains practice their skills and complete daily tasks, they learn to ride the rails of life.
— Christine Osborne, co-owner of Wonder Works Toys in Charleston, S.C., said Chuggington was her best-selling licensed line of toys. "It's selling great without a display table set up," she told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 11 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Engaging characters; teaches positive peer interaction; bright and interesting graphics. Cons: Some reviewers wished it had been longer; the theme song is almost too catchy.

Wow! Wow! Love is in the air! Watch Wubbzy, Widget, Walden and Daizy in these Valentine-themed episodes full of friendship and appreciation! What happens when Wubbzy uses Cupid’s bubble-blower to bring together Wuzzleburg's oddest couples? Can Wubbzy and friends find the fastest way ever to make their own valentines?

Douglas Company extends their Sassy Pet Sak™ line to include two new Fairy Sassy Saks™ and two new Princess Sassy Saks™. “Princess and Fairy Sassy Saks™ are designed to appeal to every girl,” Erika Radich, marketing manager of Douglas Company told TDmonthly. Princess Sassy Saks come with an Auburn or Blonde princess doll in a ruffled, pink and red satin purse. Fairy Sassy Saks contain an Auburn or Blonde Fairy doll in a purse of lavender and pink. The purse can be used on its own as a fashion accessory, or to carry around the doll inside.

The Connectors are the new "Connectable and Collectible" silicone string bracelets that can interlock to form various fashion accessories. Made from stretchy, hypoallergenic silicone, kids can use these 7 inch long multicolored strings alone or connect several together. The Connectors come in packs of four in a variety of colors and patterns. Variations include translucent Crystal Connectors and Team Spirit Connectors in all color combination that show team pride.

The Chairman of the Board has gone missing - presumed dead. A new Chairman must be appointed. Each player has the opportunity to become Chairman, to do so you must first acquire 100.000 company shares from the outer square. This is done by the decisions you make with the cards you hold and those you discard. With 100.000 company shares you may enter into the Promotion inner circle, you must now become a Manager and then "wheedle" your way to become a Director. Now you are ready to make the final move and become Chairman of the Board. All the time your opponents will try to outsmart you, take your personal shares, block you with a Veto card or trick you with a Joker card. They too want to become Chairman of the Board and will show no mercy. They will sell you out or buy you out on their way. You may have to trade or bargain with them - you must have a strategy and you must never lose sight of you goal. You will become Chairman of the Board. For 2-6 players. Playing time: approx. 45 minutes.

A team of vampire hunters, with its leader Doctor Van Helsing, prepare for a fierce fight with Count Dracula. Explore Dracula's castle to find the equipment necessary to properly outfit the team. Watch each other's backs and beware Dracula; he is able to disappear and appear suddenly. Should he catch you unawares, he can turn you into a vampire and have you join his side. Van Helsing is the latest release from Frederic Moyersoen, designer of Nuns on the Run and Bacchus' Banquet. In Van Helsing one player plays Dracula, moving through his castle searching for his brides. The other players play Van Helsing and his associates. They move through the castle trying to avoid being bitten and searching for weapons and equipment that will help them defeat Dracula. Players bitten by Dracula become his minions and try to help him catch the other players (so no players are ever out of the game). Will Van Helsing and his brave team of vampire hunters stop Dracula before he can return his brides to his coffin or will them become his minions?

Build your own customized checker set. These “I Built It!” checkers let you choose any of your favorite pictures and add them right into every game piece, making for a personalized game. Each game comes with 12 red and 12 black checker pieces made of durable yet lightweight plastic. These jumbo sized checker pieces are each 2 3/4 inches around, so there is plenty of room for pictures. Also included in each game are a picture sizing stencil, an instruction and idea sheet, and a 24 inch square red and black game board, This oversized game board folds down to fit in a 12 by 12 inch box.

This chess set features jumbo trading card size chess pieces so that one can customize every piece with wallet-sized photographs, trading cards, artwork, or any other images to create a personalized chess set. These jumbo sized chess pieces have a base 2 1/2 inches wide, are made of durable yet lightweight plastic, and come in the traditional colors of black and white. Also included are a picture sizing stencil, an instruction/idea sheet and a black and white game board. The game board is 23 ½ inches square, made from heavy duty cardstock that folds to fit in a 12 by 12 inch square box.

Build your own customized game of Memory Match and Tic Tac Toe that can change as often as a child's imagination. Add your favorite pictures into all 18 game pieces to play a memory matching game. The pieces are in black and white, allowing for a game of Tic Tac Toe as well. You can use photos, stickers, cut outs from magazines, or colorful crayons, glitter and glue. A sample coloring sheet is included so you can quick start your game by coloring in the matching pairs of ocean themed pictures and adding them into your game. More coloring sheets are available as free downloads on the I Built It Games website. Every game comes with 18 mixed black and white game pieces and a 20" game board. Each game piece is 2 3/4 inches around.

With its colorful, rounded pieces, the adorable Countryside set will provide toddlers with hours of fun. Set includes three figures, countryside landscape with a bridge, horse-drawn carriage, cows, sheep, kitten, rabbit, and many other accessories.

The PLAYMOBIL House has colorful, larger, rounded pieces specially designed for toddlers, and it is the perfect set for children who love to play house. The set includes a two-story house with furnishings, five figures, baby stroller, and slide. The sides of the house can be folded up.

Load the PLAYMOBIL passengers onto the 1.2.3 Animals Train. The set’s adorable, rounded pieces are perfect for toddlers. The train carts, which can be separated or linked together, come in the shapes of a chicken, cat, and dog. The set also includes three figures.

Hurry to help the animals board the My Take Along 1.2.3 Noah’s Ark. The set’s colorful, larger, rounded pieces are specially designed for toddlers. The deck of the ark is removable and the hull has plenty of space for storage. The set comes with a handle so it can be taken anywhere, and the ark can float on water. The set includes two figures, lion and lioness, and pairs of giraffes, zebras, elephants, and birds. It measures 12.2 x 7.1 x 7.1 inches (L x W x H).  

With four interactive function keys and six different animals, the PLAYMOBIL Interactive Play and Learn 1.2.3 Farm is ideal for toddlers. The set’s interactive features help children to learn colors, to identify animals and the sounds they make, and to learn numbers. The roof of the farm also comes with a sorting function to help identify shapes. The set includes a figure, cow, chicken, sheep, horse, pig, puppy, and other accessories. Select between eight language choices. It measures 14.6 x 10.6 x 8.3 inches (L x W x H).

Diary of a Wimpy Kid has become a phenomenon.  It started online and then moved to the The New York Times best-selling book series by author/illustrator Jeff Kinney. The first of two 20th Century Fox movies was released in early 2010, with a second due out in spring 2011. Wimpy Kid Greg even flew fly high in the 2010 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time. In this latest book, Greg Heffley is having second thoughts about growing up fast. Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased responsibilities, and even the awkward changes that come with getting older—all without his best friend, Rowley, at his side. Can Greg make it through on his own? Or will he have to face the “ugly truth”? Hardcover, 224 pages.

This environmental friendly wooden Double Sided Domino is made of wood from FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soy-bean ink. It's designed for preschoolers to learn numbers, counting and matching, plus develop motor and cognitive skills. The pieces can be stored in the sturdy drawer box that comes with the toy. It's been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.
Awards: 2011 Parents' Choice Recommended Award

This environmental friendly wooden Rainbow Numbers Game is made of wood from FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soy-bean ink. Kids can learn counting and numbers. Color coded matching provides helpful hints to minimize frustration. The game helps develop motor and cognitive skills. Store the pieces in the nice and sturdy drawer box which comes with the toy. Tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.

This environmental friendly wooden Flower Counting Game is made of wood from FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soy-bean ink. Kids learn colors, numbers and counting with this attractive flower with a happy smiley face. The game helps develop motor and cognitive skills. It includes 60 pegs for counting. Store the pieces in the sturdy drawer box that comes with the toy. Tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.
Awards: 2011 Parents' Choice Approved Award

This environmental friendly wooden Double Sided Matching Game is made of wood from FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soy-bean ink. Learning ABCs is very important for kids while growing up. These 52 double sided wooden pieces will help kids learn their ABCs while playing. Develop motor and cognitive skills. Match the upper case letter with the corresponding lower case letter, each pair has a unique way to fit into each other to minimize frustration. Flip the pieces and you have a different set of matching game for extra fun. Store the pieces in the nice and sturdy drawer box which comes with the toy. It's been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.
Awards: 2011 Parents' Choice Recommended Award

This environmental friendly wooden Double Sided Alphabet Puzzle is made of wood from FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soy-bean ink. Learning ABCs is very important for kids while growing up. These 26 double sided wooden pieces will attract kids to it so they can play and learn while developing motor and cognitive skills. By sorting the capital letters in the right sequence, kids can assemble a beautiful picture. On the reverse side, a long caterpillar helps kids learn both upper and lower case letters. Store all the pieces in the nice and sturdy drawer box which comes with the toy. The toy has been tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards.
Awards: 2011 Parents' Choice Recommended Award

Why trust your hard-earned coins to a greedy pig? Feed an UGLY and get paid at the end of the day. These ceramic banks will cheer you up even when they're empty.

Cookie jars to hide your favorite cookies. If you're going to get caught with your hand in the cookie jar, you might as well do it UGLY.

The UglyPillow assortment is perfect for those rare leisure times when you need just a little more company. Should you ever decide to go ahead and sit on your couch to play electronic games or watch something on the VCR, be sure to have all four UglyPillows around to keep the large space between you and the next person seem less obvious. just watch the cookie crumbs.