March 2011 Notable Toys — Preschool

Constructed of durable, lightweight foam, Big Grips Frame is a big, soft protective case for iPad that is easy to grab, comfortable to hold and very grip-able. Big Grips Frame mounts snugly into Big Grips Stand in portrait or landscape orientation for watching movies, working at a desk, or surfing on the couch. Made from the same material as Big Grips Frame, Big Grips Stand is sturdy and stable—even on soft or uneven surfaces. Big Grips Frame and Big Grips Stand are available separately for $34.95 and $24.95 or as a matching set for $49.95. They come in four colors: Fresh Green, Electric Blue, Carnation Pink and Steel Grey
— As of 10/01/2012 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 14 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Easy to grip; thick protective material. Cons: The cover makes it difficult to charge the iPad or plug in headphones.

All-in-one pillow+mat+blanket. An easy solution for daycare, Preschool, travel, Grandma’s house or just any time a little one needs to relax. This easy to carry mat that is colorful and versatile. Easy to roll up, has Velcro closures and a carry handle. There is also a name tag included. Comes in three different styles.

Are you ready for big-kid fun? Join BJ, Claire and Jade as Barney teaches them that even if you're not big enough to do all the things your friends are doing, there are new friends to meet and new games to play right now. Discover that big-sized fun is waiting every morning, and every day is loaded with Tee-riffic adventures. Includes two bonus features. Total running time 58 minutes.

Sweet Dreams is a new, eight episode collection from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.  Join Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam, Barney, Bob the Builder, Kipper, Angelina Ballerina and newest HIT family members Roary the Racing Car and Timmy Time as they tuck in for some sleepytime good viewing. Join Thomas as he lights up the tracks for an evening concert and see how Angelina discovers the importance of a good night's sleep during her sleepless sleepover. Then, watch as Barney shows you the magic of nighttime and Bob the Builder lights up a football field for a nighttime game. Total run time is 87 minutes. Release date: May 24, 2011.

Give a kid a camera and they'll want to take pictures of everything they see, everywhere they go. That's why this real digital camera is designed to be tough enough to stand up to the ways kids play and the places they go. This 1.2-megapixel, drop-resistant digital camera has a rotating lens so kids can even take pictures of themselves. Launch date: July 2011.

Give a kid a camera and they'll want to take pictures of everything they see, everywhere they go. That's why this real digital camera is designed to be tough enough to stand up to the ways kids play and the places they go. Features child-friendly controls, viewfinder for ease of use, stores 1000+ digital images, 4X digital zoom, enhanced low-light performance, and photo editing software to download. Requires 4 AAA batteries.

These shoes, available in sizes 12-18 months and 18-24 months, are treated with a special clear coating to help protect them against scuffs, dirt and frays.  Also designed with a slip resistant sole. Though practical, the shoes are also fashionable. The Mi Mica line comes in eight popular styles for children 12-24 months.

Start your engines and chuff along to the ultimate playdate!  Thomas and all his railway friends welcome you aboard for three exciting DVDs. Adventure is full steam ahead as the engines attend Sodor’s Winter Festival, race along with a new jet engine, visit the construction site of the new school, track down a possible monster and much more!  The Set includes these 3 DVDs: Thomas and the Really Brave Engine, Thomas and the Jet Engine, On-Site with Thomas. Bonus features include 4 singalong songs and 7 DVD games.

Ready, Set, Play!  It’s a party on the playground with everyone’s favorite purple pal Barney in the all-new, 3-disc gift set Barney PlayDate Pack.  Come along for some tee-rific fun as Barney and his friends build their own airplane for a tropical island adventure, put on a musical game show and visit Barney at home. The set includes these 3 DVDs: Let’s Pretend with Barney, Can You Sing That Song, Come On Over to Barney’s House. Total running time is 146 minutes. Launch date: April 5, 2011.

Includes 5 colors of soapy finger paint, a fish-shaped sponge for clean up and a hand-shaped palette to hold the paints. Safe, clean and fun for kids.
Awards: Dr. Toy’s Best Classic Toys for 2011
— In an April 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Paint in the Tub is one of their best-selling bath toys.

Kids spin the spinner, squeeze the matching colored acorn with their Squirrel Squeezers, and place it in their log. The first to fill their log with delicious acorns wins. But players need to look out - they could spin "steal an acorn" or "lose an acorn."

A delightful combination of wooden and felt pieces that have been graphically-enhanced to help youngsters pull of a pretend healthy lunch. Educo does it again with silk-screen graphics on the veggie and fruit pieces that fit with lettuce and cheese in felt to tuck in a whole wheat pita pocket. Just what the new food pyramid suggests. Launch date: February 2011.

Tegu's patent-pending blocks cleverly incorporate magnets inside sustainably harvested wood, offering gravity-defying blocks that show no visible point of connectivity and enable multi-dimensional building experiences. Available in the following honduran hardwood finishes: natural, mahogany, tints and jungle. "We utilize eco-friendly hardwoods, making them both durable and friendly to the forest," a rep for Tegu Inc told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Parent’s Choice Award, 2010 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys and Children’s Products, 2010 Oppenheim Gold
— David Stelzer, owner of Shananigans in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that Tegu blocks were one of his store's best-selling eco-friendly toys.

Kids writing their first letters will get helpful up, down and sideways instructions via easy-to-follow arrows. A magnetic stylus pulls beads up to create solid lines. Erases with the tip of a finger. Comes in lower case, upper case, and numbers.
— Mike McCollum, owner of Learning Express in Hoover, Ala., told TDmonthly in a November 2011 survey that their best selling educational product is the Magnatab. "Parents like the way children have fun pulling the magnet around," he said.
Watch Video from Toy Fair 2011

Holding a cream-colored blanket, this beige soft plush bear will raise and lower his blanket to play a game of peek-a-boo when his foot is pressed.  The bear’s mouth moves as he says “Peek-a-boo, I see you,” to the child. Launch date: March 2011.

Mickey is decked-out in rock star gear. Kids can listen to him play a concert, or they can learn to play along with him. He sings, dances, and performs three classic rock songs. Launch date: September 13, 2011.

Kids can feed cookies to this plush Cookie Monster and watch as he counts out loud and happily gobbles them up. Retrieve the cookies from his backpack to start the fun all over again. Count N' Crunch Cookie Monster also likes to be tickled - press his foot repeatedly to make him giggle and squirm. Includes 3 cookies; requires four 'AA' batteries, included.

Dressed in a concert style tee, Elmo takes the stage singing and making music. Elmo comes with his very own microphone and two instruments, a tambourine and a drum set. Preschoolers can choose which instrument Elmo plays, and he recognizes which one he is given. Kids can also play along on Elmo's instruments. Elmo also interacts with other Let's Rock instruments (each sold separately); he knows when kids are playing the instruments, and plays along. The Let's Rock Elmo toy sings six songs. Requires six 'AA' batteries, included.

Shaun the Sheep is back for more wild adventures from the Oscar®-winning creators of Wallace & Gromit. Fun on the farm with Shaun and his barnyard buddies springs to life, from bouncing sheep and a super-sized Timmy to bagpipe buddies and a short-sighted farmer, there’s no limit to the wild things these animals will do. Shaun the Sheep™: Spring Shenanigans, features seven wacky new episodes from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.  Shaun the Sheep is the second fastest growing children’s brand in 2009 (Source: Nielsen), and a new preschool spin off series, Timmy Time™, featuring one of the characters from Shaun the Sheep, debuted in the U.S. on Playhouse Disney in September 2010.  Five minute shorts of Shaun the Sheep currently air in the U.S. on the Disney Channel, but full-length episodes are available ONLY on DVD. Launch date: January 25, 2011.

The Wonderworld Rapping Kangaroo Sound Producing Push Toy makes a rapping-snappin­g sound and bobs its head up and down when it is pushed. The handle and wheels are wooden and the rapping giraffe is plush.
— The Rapping Kangaroo is a best seller in the wooden toys category for Gwen Bowden, manager of Doodlehopper for Kids in Springfield, Va.

Let's get ready to read with I Spy! Players read the riddle on their gameboard, find the objects the riddle refers to, and punch them out. The game can be played in reverse by reading the riddles, naming the objects, and placing them back into your board. The game develops necessary pre-reading, verbal, and visual skills. "I Spy Ready To Read uses unique I Spy imagery and riddles to encourage kids into learning to read," Carol Comes, senior product manager at Briarpatch Inc., told TDmonthly.

This plush Curious George Storytime Pal features a stuffed animal with a child sized blanket folded inside. When the blanket is removed children can snuggle up and use the stuffed animal as a pillow. The blanket zips on and off and is machine washable; the Zoobie stuffed animal is held in shape by two velcro tabs.
— In late Spring 2011, 8% of retailers surveyed by TDmonthly mentioned Zoobies as a best-selling toy for infants & toddlers.
— In a May 2012 survey, one out of 11 retailers told TDmonthly that Zoobies were their best selling plush/puppet item.
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Magic Box Toys.

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?