May 2010 Notable Toys — Musical Toys

The Tote Along Musical Mirror features straps on the back for easy attachment to cribs plus loops on the front to attach dangling toys, pacifiers and more. The faces on the tote light up one after the other in time with the music. The easy to operate switch can be activated by parent or baby for three modes of play: one plays soothing music for 10 minutes before switching off on its own, one plays stimulating music for ten minutes before switching off, and the other is activated by baby and plays short clips to encourage a reprise. This item is for use in cribs or alone on a mat and includes giraffe plush cuddle toy inside.

This high-quality wooden xylophone is designed with lifestyle colors, has a handle for easy toting and storage for two sticks. The baltic birch frame and maple keys and two sticks offer fun, safe early melodies. Robin Lehnert, Hape Marketing Manager, told TDmonthly, "A 10-month old begins with a rap and a tap. Who knows what could happen next on the very beginner xylophone." Launch date: February 2010.
— In a January 2014 survey, Cariad Owens Fichtner, manager of Out of the Blue, Ltd in Albuquerque, N.M., told TDmonthly that Hape Xylophones were one of the top-2 best-selling musical toys at her store.
— In a January 2015 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Xylophones were their store's best-selling music toys.

Youngsters can tap on both sides of this wood drum. One side is a classic tone drum and the other has a regular drum sound. The see-through drum surface allows children to trace beads inside in a secure maze. It comes with two drum sticks. Launch date: February 2010.

"Green Golly & Her Golden Flute" introduces children to classical music via a lighthearted embellishment of the tale of Rapunzel. Green Golly relies on her musical abilities to help unravel the mysteries of life in this engaging tale of romance and rescue. Elizabeth Waldman Frazier, President of Waldmania Public Relations, told TDmonthly, "Green Golly & Her Golden Flute brings a breath of fresh air to kids’ recordings, combining classical music, storytelling, and comedy." Launch date: May 11, 2010.
— “The music is gorgeous!” enthused Heather, The 24/7 Mom. Heather felt that “the story is absolutely hilarious,” and that “this CD is an awesome way to introduce children to classical music without them saying, ‘Mom!  Turn on Hannah Montana.’ “
— Sheri of This Bird’s Day incorporated the CD into her daughter’s bedtime ritual: “The classical music is soothing and relaxing, and it has the added benefit of a beautiful bedtime story to kick off Baby Bird’s nighttime routine as well as mine.”

Little Bloom's Sweet Sounds Lantern's beautiful colors and multi-fabric patterns make a lovely hanging display for baby's room. With just a pull on the little kitten, this musical lantern plays Brahm's Lullabye. This lantern features ribbons and a crinkle paper flower and will attach to most strollers and carriers. Launch date: 2010.

This handy accordion is a musical toy suitable for little kids. William Xie of China Toybiz told TDmonthly it is "good for practice and fun." Launch date: Feb. 20, 2010.

Snoop Dog Eat Dog Web Rapper music doll. Part of the WebRappers collection of plush gift and greeting toys that rap and record. They also wrap around wrists, gifts, cribs, vitamins, bottles, ankles, etc. The WebRappers website features hundreds of musical greetings and genres in multiple languages to choose from for friends and family.

High quality construction and accurate intonation make this 8-Note Handbell Set a great value. Each of the eight metal bells are marked with the proper note in the C-C range and corresponding number to help children learn the musical scale. Standing five inches tall, the long handles enable players to grasp the bells securely. Launch date: 2008.

The GummiBear character that has become an internet sensation is now licensed as a karaoke for children. With 50 built-in songs for kids, the microphone recognizes pitch and sync as they sing to the music, grading the child's performance along the way. Launch date: 2010.

These musical neckties are made of corrugated sheet metal and can be played as a musical instrument when strumming metal-capped fingers along it.

With “Lullaby Renditions of Journey,” Rockabye Baby! tells parents “Don’t stop believing in peace and quiet!” Screaming guitars are replaced by pinging xylophones and croaking frogs to transform the power ballads of Journey into peaceful lullabies. It’s designed so that tots and parents alike will enjoy rocking out and dozing off to the sweet sounds of these rock classics.

— Kristen of Goodie Goodie Gumdrops found it “almost impossible not to hum along” while listening to the CD with her little ones. She found the transformation of the Journey songs to lullabies to be “spot on” and recommended the CD as an attention-grabbing baby shower gift.
— Even without kids, music blogger Nick Spacek of The Pitch enjoyed the CD, though he claims he “had difficulty making it through to the end without feeling the need to curl up.”

Paper Jamz offers the same fun of playing music as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, without the video game console. The paper-thin, paper-based products in the Paper Jamz line are self-contained and designed to make and play real music. The one-inch thick stringless guitars are touch-sensitive, which means you only have to strum or tap the special circuit-embedded paper on the surface to get a professional sound. The electric guitar features three modes: Rhythm, Play and Freeplay. Three AAA batteries required. Launch date: July 2010.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

LOOPZ™ takes the timeless play pattern of memory games to a new level by adding light, music and motion. This interactive game is a test in rhythm and coordination consisting of four semi-circular rings with infrared sensors that light up to create challenging patterns players must follow. Seven different game modes allow players to play solo, head-to-head, host up to 4 players or even turn LOOPZ™ into a musical instrument.
—As of 1.07.2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars on Walmart.com and was the #2 bestselling item in the Games & Puzzles category. Pros: Seven different games; single player and multi-player options. Cons: Some levels are not challenging enough for older children.

Slinky Dog plays music and says 4 phrases from the Toy Story movie. Pet Slinky Dog and watch him walk and roll, or turn his bendable body to see him spin in circles. Launch Date: May 2010.

9.5" flute with eight keys, each with their own individual tone. Easy to play. Comes packaged in a 4.5"x12" poly-bag with header.

The Musical Fun Choo Choo provides more opportunities for fun as children take a whimsical ride complete with three instrument-playing characters, buttons and shapes for more combinations of exciting learning opportunities. The light-up smokestack adds fun play and an optional pull cord stores in the battery compartment.

Sing-a-ma-jigs are the new free-spirited, off-beat plush characters that love nothing better than to sing together. With each squeeze of their tummies, they offer up a little bit of chatter and then individual notes to a song. But the real magic happens when kids put the characters all together and squeeze their tummies one more time and the Sing-a-ma-jigs erupt into a harmonic chorus like none heard before!
― As of 9.21.2010, this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 43 on the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Entertaining, cute and interactive. Appeals to children and adults.