May 2010 Notable Toys — All

Baseball Guys packs an entire stadium into a handy plastic storage bin. Each box contains 26 2 1/2" players from red and blue teams, an umpire, a felt field and an adjustable scoreboard.
Awards: iParenting Media
— Katie from Katie’s Nesting Spot felt that the Baseball Guys made a great way for fathers and grandfathers to bond with their kids over baseball. She appreciated the comparatively large size of the figures and the included stackable carry case, though she remarked that the container lid did not stay shut when moved.
— Rhea of Mommy23Monkeys reported that her eldest son disliked having to switch between figures posed in “hitting” and “running” poses while acting out games. Her more imaginative sons thoroughly enjoyed playing with the figures, both in baseball and non-baseball themed play.
— In a May 2012 survey about best selling toys, Mike DiAndrea, manager of Hardware Toy Center in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly that they sell 10 of this item each month.

The fronts of the 26 colorful cards from the Under the Sea set feature marine life illustrations from Janell Genovese. The backs of the cards include facts about the animals so kids can learn on the go.
— Laurie of Double Bugs liked that the flash cards encourage thinking and imagination. She said, “My boys have a blast with these and even made the animal noises to match.”
— Dee from Two of a kind, working on a full house found that within a week her son was remembering what he learned from the flash cards. She felt this would give him an advantage when he started preschool.

This natural wood teether is also a colorful infant rattle. The rattle inside is designed to entertain infants while the natural wood soothes sore gums. Made of ECO rubber wood and machine-washable polyester, the rattle's pieces separate for easy cleaning.

This stacking toy has endless variations allowing toddlers to build their very own playmate. The stacking features are intended to fine-tune hand-eye coordination and strengthen manual dexterity as they teach children about size and proportion. Eight felt accessories stack in between the wood pieces to become arms, legs, clothing or even a super-hero’s cape.

Simple shapes make this puzzle suitable for early developmental stages. The creative variations and mixing features are intended to fine-tune hand-eye coordination and strengthen manual dexterity as they teach children about size and proportion.

These birds nest inside each other and are designed to teach the fundamentals of size and shape while engaging reasoning skills. Children can rock and balance the birds to learn spatial awareness and to fine-tune hand-eye coordination. These functional features combined with bright colors and natural wood create a playfully educational nesting toy.

This full-view periscope allows stealth viewing around corners and over boulders, high bushes and backyard fences. Three rugged, lightweight sections telescope for a reach of over 4'. Kids can flip the Mega View Periscope upside down and a full 16" is submersible for under-water viewing.

The Super View Mega Magnifier is a clear, super-sized lens in a rugged frame. Its sure-grip hand-holds allow for a wider-than-wide view at any angle, and it floats. When dropped onto any water surface, this mega lens gives an up-close look at creeks, streams, lakes or tidal pools.

These wooden stamps are available in two sizes. The large sized stamp measures 2 3/4 x 2 3/4. The medium sized stamp measures 1 1/2 x 2 3/4. Each size comes with 6 assorted designs.

Lilly Bean's play food line is made of super-soft fleece and velour, with stuffing made entirely from recycled soda bottles. The Market Sandwich Lunch is American made and features two slices of wheat bread, one slice of lunch meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, a carrot and a cream-filled cookie. "Our play foods are more life-sized than play foods currently available in the market. We believe that it makes our product more fun, safe and easy for little hands to play with," Lilly Bean Owner Hilary Karnatz told TDmonthly.

Eco Stars are 100-percent recycled, star-shaped crayons collected from children across the country by the National Crayon Recycle Program. This set of 10 Eco Stars comes in environmentally friendly packaging made from renewable resources.

This wooden set contains the Amtrak F-40 engine and two Superliner cars. All Whittle Train toys are designed for use on Brio and Thomas track systems. "Our products are crafted with the highest quality of artwork and components. Attention to detail and safety are hallmarks of the Whittle Toy Company and these principles are incorporated into everything we make, right here in the USA," Owner Mike Whitworth told TDmonthly.

This 74-minute DVD, featuring six artists with diverse talents and backgrounds, aims to inspire young viewers to make art. Activities use simple materials and techniques for projects including Found Object and 3D Sculptures, Self-Portrait Relief Prints, Abstract Art and Folk Art Paintings, Murals and Stained Glass.

This refrigerator, stove and sink set provides generous storage space. The sink features a realistic pull-out "sprayer," and the "burner" stove has wood turn-button controls. The four-piece set includes an additional cupboard, and each item is available for individual purchase.

This set includes a corn broom, push broom, whisk broom, dust pan, and two wet mops. The unit is 11" x 11" x 18" and features an ultra-violet KYDZTuff finish that "is as tough as a gym floor and allows marks from common items to be simply wiped away," Jonti-Craft Marketing Associate Melissa Gustafson told TDmonthly.

The Imagination Station features a stage, store and drive-up window. Shelves in back can hold toys, puppets and other play items. Wooden braces are attached for stability. A curtain rod is included, but optional curtains are sold separately. Available with a Write-n-Wipe, Flannel or Chalkboard front, the station measures 49"x15"x49" and features an ultra-violet KYDZTuff finish that "is as tough as a gym floor and allows marks from common items to be simply wiped away," Jonti-Craft Marketing Associate Melissa Gustafson told TDmonthly.

Children can rock their dolls in this roomy 14½" x 27" x 12" cradle. The head and footboards are made of sturdy Birch plywood and the side rails are made with rich Maple wood. The cradle features an ultra-violet KYDZTuff finish that "is as tough as a gym floor and allows marks from common items to be simply wiped away," Jonti-Craft Marketing Associate Melissa Gustafson told TDmonthly.

Young puppeteers can hang their puppets on the 16 branches of this puppet tree. Each branch is 8" long, allowing for maximum puppet storage. The unit is 11" W x 11" D x 48" H, and is made of rich maple and sturdy birch wood. The puppet tree's ultra-violet KYDZTuff finish "is as tough as a gym floor and allows marks from common items to be simply wiped away," Jonti-Craft Marketing Associate Melissa Gustafson told TDmonthly.

Big, bold and colorful, the Dinosaur Mobile is fully assembled in the United States, using quality archival art board and printed in lead-free non-toxic colors. An informative fact sheet is included.

This 1:18 scale RC model is designed to look just like a real Ferrari 599XX, and is fully functional. It includes working headlights and tail lights, as well as a rechargeable battery pack and charger.

Skyflight's whimsical mobile is designed to entertain infants with its constant motion. The mobile is made in the United States from archival art board, and is printed in lead-free, non-toxic colors. An informative fact sheet is included.

This realistic kitchen and dining counter has a dual-sided design for multi-child use. Its modern features include a "stainless steel” oven, refrigerator and serving utensils. Also included are a 39-piece accessory set, lots of storage, two electronic sound features, and a deep sink.

This novelty hat is made of 100-percent cotton velvet and has a foam interior for durability and support. "BZany hats are unique and adjustable. The inner velcro and elastic strap makes it easy to change the size of the hat to fit either children or adults," BZany Operations Manager Sara Henig told TDmonthly.

Inspired by the blue sea of the Riviera, the Portofino set is made from silky, lightweight jersey cotton. The white short sleeve tee has Riviera blue stitching and snaps at the shoulder. The matching drawstring pants are Riviera blue with a white strip at the leg.