February 2015 Notable Toys — Creative Activities

Create your own custom paint colors in minutes! Use the mixing guide to create your color or make up your own. This interactive kit provides everything you need to make 15 unique paint colors. Whether you experiment with colors or keep things simple, this kit guides you through every step of the process!
Awards: 2015 TIA Activity Toy of the Year, 2015 TIA People's Choice Award, 2014 Time to Play Media, Parents' Choice, National Parenting Publication, Toy Insider's Top Toys for 9+years/Tweens, The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval and Toys R Us Holiday 2014 Hot Toy List Award Winner.

Make 6 stylish textured outfits! Rubbing onto sticker sheets means you don’t have to color in the lines. Just peel and stick your perfect shapes! Sticker sheets lock onto rubbing plates so it is easy to hold. Includes 10 textures on 5 rubbing plates, 6 fashion scenes, 256 stickers, 8 crayons, and easy picture instructions. Launch date: Spring 2015.

Build a musical instrument with this 24-piece set. Includes 2 mouthpieces, 2 trumpet ends and twisting tubes. All components are made of unbreakable ABS plastic. Compatible with Tubation.
— David Stelzer, owner of Shananigans Toy Store in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly in a January 2015 survey that the Saxoflute is one of their store's best-selling musical toys.

Let your child discover and explore the sounds of music with our Confetti range of musical instruments. Our role play toys are brightly colored and so much fun to play. Whether you have a soloist in the family or an entire band, music can benefit your child in so many different ways. Music can 'boost your child's brain power, improve your child's memory, help them be more social, build their confidence, and even teach them a little patience.'
Awards: Oppenheim Platinum Seal Best Toy Award
— Taka  Andrews, owner of Miller's in Mamoroneck, N.Y., told TDmonthly in a January 2015 survey that they sell a handful of Janod Guitars each month, making them the store's best-selling musical toy.

Entertain the crowd with our 16 hole harmonica! Comes packaged in a durable cardboard box with pop up lid. Measures 5.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 in box. Ages 3 & up.
— In a January 2015 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Schylling Harmonicas were their store's best-selling music toys.

A complete pattern workshop for creative children to teach them how to make beautiful Art Nouveau motifs. Designed for older children, this kit will engage their artistic sensibilites while teaching them a classic art form. The kit comes complete with highest quality pigmented felt tipped brush pens in eight colors, multitudes of stickers and 4 colorful card "canvasses".
Because play is essential to a child's development, Djeco creates toy collections that are always entertaining, educational and imaginative. Staying faithful to their philosophy of incorporating art into play, the passionate and inventive Djeco creative team includes unique illustration and bold graphic design into all of their toys.
— Taka  Andrews, owner of Miller's in Mamoroneck, N.Y., told TDmonthly in a January 2015 survey that DJECO art kits are their store's best-selling arts & crafts toys.

Girls can create cool collages in seconds with these super cute chipboard picture frame sets that stick to the wall. With 3 frames that fit any standard 4x6 photo, 3 double-sided matte designs, and repositionable foam tape in each set, girls can display their favorite photos faster than they can snap a selfie. It’s so fun and easy…just pick a favorite photo, pick a matte, pick a frame and stick them to a wall. Girls can even create endless designs by mixing and matching with multiple packs!
Sugar Lulu encourages girls to express their creativity, individuality, and style through the unique collages that they create.  The matte theme packs include: Urban Rose, Vintage Blues, Country French and Sea Breeze.

With this kit, create 8 sparkling, transparent flowers using liquid stain glass paint. Bend the frame rods into petal shapes and place them in the mold. Squeeze the paint color of your choice into the mold and wait 2 to 3 hours for the paint to dry. Assemble the petals and complete the flowers with pistils made from the "Patarev" supplied. A great kit for young girls who love decorating their room.

These easy to use sets feature a distinct and unique method that makes painting by numbers obsolete. The painter has complete control. Unique embossed picture cards absorb paint in some areas and repel it in others creating intricate, detailed works of art that even the youngest children can achieve. The vibrant colors provided in these superb painting kits are extremely appealing to children, Parents describe Aquarellum as captivating and relaxing for both themselves and their Children. The Aquarellum have three boards and 9 washable inks to create 1000's of exciting color combinations!
— David Stelzer, owner of Shananigans Toy Store in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly in a January 2015 survey that Aquarellum painting kits were one of his store's best-selling STEM toys.

These easy to use sets feature a distinct and unique method that makes painting by numbers obsolete. The painter has complete control. Unique embossed picture cards absorb paint in some areas and repel it in others creating intricate, detailed works of art that even the youngest children can achieve. The vibrant colors provided in these superb painting kits are extremely appealing to children, Parents describe Aquarellum as captivating and relaxing for both themselves and their Children. The Aquarellum have three boards and 9 washable inks to create 1000's of exciting color combinations!

My Perfume Maker is a classic among educational kits. Eight natural essences or fragrances from the world’s most beautiful sources allow children seven years or older to create more than 100 different "eau de toilette." My Perfume Maker uses the highest quality fragrances available on the market, and many have found that the resulting bouquets are also very enjoyable in the bath. The kit includes a perfume guide that makes creating perfumes a fun and educational activity.

Follow simple steps to learn basic French Knitting techniques and sew your own chubby owl doll. Contains 1 set of pre-cut coloured felt shapes. 24-pronged French knitting reel, crochet hook, yarn, stuffing, ribbon, glue, plastic needles and detailed instructions. (Makes a 12cm tall chubby owl doll). Made by 4M, distributed by Toysmith in the USA.
Awards: 2014 TDmonthly Magazine Top Toy Seal of Approval

Easy-to-do. Learn basic embroider stitches and create beautiful embroidery with outline stencils. Contains 1 set of embroidery hoop, 6 spools of coloured embroidery floss, 3 sheets of embroidery canvas, 2 outline templates, 2 plastic needles, pillow stuffing and detailed instructions. Makes a 14cm X 14cm mini pillow or a mini bag. Made by 4M, distributed by Toysmith in the USA.
Awards: 2014 TDmonthly Magazine Top Toy Seal of Approval

Build your own dynamic wind-up robots. Wind them up and watch them twirl and move on the table top! Contains Cardboard robot templates, 4 wind-up gears with wheels, 4 plastic holders, double-sided foam tape and detailed instructions. Robot size : 6cm to 9cm tall. Made by 4M, distributed by Toysmith in the USA.
Awards: 2014 TDmonthly Magazine Top Toy Seal of Approval

The magic of the New York Times bestseller Press Here is now available in game form! Hervé Tullet has reimagined his groundbreaking book in an entirely new dimension. Players take turns completing color sequences by placing red, blue, and yellow playing pieces on one of twenty-five fabulously designed game boards. What seems like a simple choice is likely to lead to animated discussion as players come to understand the visual logic at the heart of the game. With two levels of play to choose from—so that it's easy enough for a toddler to grasp, but also complex enough to challenge older siblings and adults—this engaging game delivers hours of entertainment for the whole family.

Get "blown" away creating stencil art with blow pens and colored pencils! Children can experiment with fun blow pens to create brightly colored artwork in their sketchbook using the stencil spinner, chipboard shapes and colored pencils. Blow pens are BPA-free and safe for children. Practice mixing colors, creating "negatives" with the chipboard shapes, or using the stencil spinner - choose from a variety of shapes and letters. When the fun is over, everything stores neatly inside the package.

Explore the outer limits of your creativity with various patterns to choose from. This set includes 1 handle with 2 interchangeable rollers, 3 various pattern designs, a rolling pin and a dough cutter.

The easy make and bake eraser kit where you can shape your very own eraser. The Creatibles DIY Eraser Kit is easy as 1,2,3. You build it, bake it and erase with it. Make all sorts of amazing eraser creations with this Do It Yourself kit. Creatibles comes with 12 pliable clay colors that can be mixed for an endless amount of hues. Create any kind of cool shapes, characters or whatever you want your eraser to be. Follow the baking instructions and you'll have an amazing eraser all your own. And it comes in a nifty reusable case. It's fun to make and fun to erase.

String Art was originally invented to make math concepts more accessible to kids, but it isn't just for squares (or triangles or circles) any more. With our crystal-clear, step-by-step illustrated system you only need to learn three simple techniques to make all the kids art in this book, including a fun fox, a darling dandelion, a cute cat, an awesome owl - you can even spell your name. The final results may look intricate, but we include an only-from-Klutz pin-pushing tool so even a string-art newbie can create awesome art with this classic craft. And our pin-pusher solves string art's prickliest problems by making sure that every pin goes in straight and at the same height. With instructions for 20 projects and enough materials for six, kids will be making amazing art in no time. Comes with: 60 page book, 360 feet of craft thread in 8 bright colors, 550 sturdy pins, 6 project boards, 10 decorative sheets of backing paper, 5 sheets of tracing paper, pin-pushing tool.
— In a May 2015 survey, two out of 11 retailers told TDmonthly that Klutz was their best-selling brand of activity kits.

Kids can enjoy hours of creative enjoyment with this Moose Toys Beados Quick Dry Design Station. It is a fun all-in-one crafting set. With this bead making kit you can easily create, spray your unique designs. It also features a quick dry fan to swiftly dry in half the time, as well as plenty of pod storage. A design tray, scoop pen and 500 Beados are included with this kids' bead kit. This item requires assembly and it comes complete with everything you need to get started. You can make a variety of different shapes and objects in any color. Make a bright, colorful world out of beads with the Moose Toys Beados Quick Dry Design Station.

Now girls can start sewing in a safe and creative way! The Sew Cool Machine is a revolutionary threadless device that's perfect for a first time experience. It has everything you need to start sewing right away. Create nine projects from start to end. This threadless sewing machine includes patterns and pre-cut shapes for purses, pouches, characters and more. Encouraging imagination and hand eye coordination, young sewers will love it because they can do it by themselves. Start creating today with the threadless miracle that's Sew Cool!

Set includes 1.5lbs of colored Sands Alive!, Brick & Pebble Rollers with interchangeable handle, 2 Sculpting tools and convenient Play Tray!

The artist and writer sets are designed to inspire young artists and writers, these all-in-one sets contain everything girls need to get creative whenever they’re in the mood! With a thick pad of paper and plenty of writing/drawing utensils in one beautiful case, these sets open up a world of possibilities!

Say it Proud Writer Set includes a removable writing pad, cool pencil, pen and a chunky shaped eraser in one sweet book that writers  can take anywhere.

Draw With Your Heart Artist Set is perfect for every sweet artiste, this ultimate artist’s set includes a thick, chunky sketch pad, 6 colorful felt tip markers for drawing, sketching, doodling or designing any way they want. Marker colors include: Red Carpet Red, In the Clouds, Purplicious, Green Goddess, Bubblegum Pink, Black Licorice