June 2012 Notable Toys — All

96502WE Jada Toys Bigtime Kustoms - 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Pickup Truck. 1:24 scale diecast collectible model car. This Ford F150 SVT Raptor Pick-up is an 8.75"L x 3.5"W x 3"H die cast with openable doors, hood & tailgate. Rims: Raptor Baja. This Ford F 150 SVT Raptor Pick up is manufactured by Jada Toys. 4 pcs per display in assorted colors. 12 pcs per inner box. Launch date: April 15, 2012.

23100 Jada Toys RoadRigz - Peterbilt 379 Model Tractor Trailer Cab. 1:32 scale diecast collectible model car. This Peterbilt 379 is a 10.75"Lx 3"Wx 4.75"H die cast metal car with openable hood & doors. Free wheeling. This Peterbilt 379 truck is manufactured by Jada Toys. Individually packed in a window box. Box size: 12"Lx 4.75"Wx 7"H. 23100 is in BLACK color with flames. Launch date: April 15, 2012.

1800803 Acme - California Hot Rod Reunion 20th Anniversary Rat Trap Dragster. 1:18 scale diecast collectible model. This Rat Trap Dragster features cloth seatbelts, poseable streering, plumbed & wired engine, and serialized plate. This Rat Trap Dragster is manufactured by Acme. Individually packed in a box. Box size: 12"L x 6.75"W x 6.25"H. Limited edition 1 of 600 pcs. Launch date: April 15, 2012.

100 piece GLOW IN THE DARK building block set. The building fun doesn't have to stop when the lights go off. Safe and non-toxic glow paint adds a new dimension to block building. Set includes 70 glow blocks and 30 natural color blocks. Building guide included.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Baby's first book unfolds for a zoo full of surprises. Pull their tails and tug their ears—these animal friends don't mind. Unfold each zoo animal's page and find multiple tactile activities, with embroidered letters, textures, flaps, a mirror, teether and more.

Go green with a new and innovative approach to building. Don’t toss out newspapers: recycle them to build incredible geometric sculptures. Tape the included tubes to both ends of a sheet of newspaper. Roll up the newspaper and secure with tape to make a connecting paper rod. Includes durable plastic connectors that fit into the rods. Follow the step-by-step instructions in the guide to make a triangular pyramid, a square anti-prism or design kids can design their own creations in the classroom, gymnasium or playground. Includes guide. 36 connectors, 200 rod-tubes.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Liz the Fairy and Josephine the caterpillar adorn this teething rattle. It also features a bright orange teething ring to sooth sore gums and a nicely decorated tag with which to hold the child’s own dummy. The smart, red corduroy with ribbons attached offers a selection of textures to entertain and educate.

The fun and educational drawing and coloring toy for ages 4 and up. Create endless colorful pictures and effects without any paints or crayons – and no mess. Create effortless works of art by just gliding the tool across the Magic Drawing Board.

This dual-sided sand shaker allows kids to sprinkle or pour sand. Works at the beach or in sandboxes.

XaXa (pronounced "Ksa·Ksa") is designed to stimulate the senses. It's for playful, curious people, jugglers, dancers, performers – for kids of all ages. The adaptable balls invite kids to experiment and explore: Fill them with different objects to change their sound or weight and mix or match colors to get the look they like. The core of XaXa is made of shock-resistant, clear plastic that is protected by a super-elastic rubber skin. This soft skin makes the balls pleasant to touch and easy to catch. It is so stretchy and durable that the core can easily be popped out of one of the holes.

The ultimate Giant "Space Dome" is ready for hours of uninterrupted solar system adventures. Our futuristic "pod" design has ample room for an entire crew of explorers. This new design folds "flat" in seconds and opens just as easy. This stealth flaps, several mesh observation ports, roof top portholes for telescopic viewing and "stuff" pouches for all that space gear. This modular has its own self contained floor, so it can withstand spills and wet grass. Set it up indoors or out. Be prepared to connect the "Space Dome" together with "Lunar Tubes" and additional "Space Domes" for a colony of super play fun.
— As of 06/06/2012, this item was the #3 best selling tent in the Kids' Furniture & Room Décor category on Amazon.com.
— As of 05/18/2012 this product has 4.4 out of 5 stars from 62 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Easy to put up and take down; much larger than most tents for kids. Cons: Some users reported difficulty with the zippers.

Sand funnel for detailed sand decorating for sand castles and other creations. Separate compartments for sand and water. Easy to hold handle for small hands. 6 1/2 inches.

Richard O'Brien was fascinated with toy soldiers from a young age and in the 1970s he had a chance to do some research into the history of American-Made toys. He became an expert in the field and had numerous articles on the subject published in magazines, all of which are very hard to find. Now he's collected the best of them into this 270-page book showing exactly what was published. It's a must-read for anyone interested in collecting metal or wooden toy soldiers. There are hundreds of photographs and facsimiles of old magazines.
BUY IT HERE: http://www.ramblehouse.com/researching.htm

Richard O'Brien was fascinated with toy soldiers from a young age and in the 1970s he had a chance to do some research into the history of American-Made toys. He became an expert in the field and had numerous articles on the subject published in magazines, all of which are very hard to find. He collected two "catalog" books that were very helpful to collectors and because of being out of print they are extremely hard to find and expensive. Not any more. Both of the catalog books are here in one volume.
BUY IT HERE: http://www.ramblehouse.com/barclaycatalog.htm

Polar Eclipse is an educational board game created to raise awareness about climate change and lifestyle choices. Published in 2011 by turn 4 turn llc. based in Park City, Utah, the game is created for global citizens 8 years and older. Designed, tested and re-tested with students who attend a Utah K-8 charter school, the game offers players the opportunity to add their ideas to the discussion and move toward their survival by doing so. The game board is a warm to cool, and past to future grid; a game about time and temperature. The object of the game is, as one of five species, to make it into the future and get cooler, to survive. If you hit 100 your species becomes extinct and you are out of the game. The motivation to create this game comes from the inventors background as an elementary teacher and the concern for the natural world. By playing the game, it is hoped that the mix of experience that sparks awareness, concern and stewardship to protect the natural world will expand. Knowledge is power. The game includes a die to set your place in time, 184 event cards to experience cause and effect, 64 arctic cards to offer open-ended and multiple choice questions, five players/species, the game board and a rules and reference booklet. Playing time ranges from twenty to forty-five minutes depending on the set of cards you play and number of players. Eight blank event cards are included to create your own events to add to the game. A secondary activity is to sort the event cards into sets of eight cards, by a symbol on the card, and assemble puzzles that make up the photographs on the cover and sides of the game box.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys

Hatch is a member of the Compact Line of Tegu Mobility. Deconstruct Hatch and click the wheels on and off to create any number of mobile creations. Magnetic connections make racing and crashing as fun as building. Hatch integrates seamlessly with the existing line of Tegu blocks. Made with beautiful Honduran hardwoods and safe water-based finishes.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys

Made from the new collection of PlanWood materials, the classic Dancing Alligator has been remade using this new sustainable wood to delight children. When pulled along, the alligator moves his head and tail up and down making a click-clack sound. Created to maximize the usage of the reclaimed rubber trees, PlanWood uniquely provides an even safer, higher quality and more affordable product, while maintaining the eco-minded excellence and unforgettable design consumers have come to expect from the PlanToys brand. PlanWood is made from the sawdust and wood chips left over from regular PlanToys production. By adding some organic pigments for color, mixing it with less than 1% of their non-formaldehyde E-zero glue and pressure molding the mix, a new safe and non-toxic material was born. Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys

Find & Make has added a new project kit that directs children to make their own original creations using Makedo connectors and packaging commonly found in the home. This product invites child to be resourceful by sourcing boxes and packaging from around the house and using them as the ‘building blocks’ . Once built, the Shop becomes the source of endless role-play fun. Through this experience, the child changes their perception of a box as something they would throw away. Instead it becomes an object of value. The child has learned about reuse and upcycling in a fun and playful way. Each Makedo Find & Make kit includes a safe-saw for cutting and punching through materials safely; re-clips and lock-hinges for connecting, themed decorative stickers, beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions and a gorgeous inspiration poster. The material contents and packaging has been kept to a minimum. The reusable nature of Makedo’s connectors means that the child is able to pull apart and reconstruct their shop over and over for new building and role-play experiences. Construction with Makedo also minimizes the use of virgin materials by directing the child to make their own toy rather than going out to buy something completely new.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval, 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys

The attractive colors and grinning conductor on this train set are sure to impress. Train cars connect via magnets. Toot, toot, the locomotive arrives at the station with its three wagons transporting an interesting load: two small stacking games and a drum with a little bell. The conductor and load are removable. Material: PEFC certified beech wood. Non toxic, water based stain. Made in Germany.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys
— Wooden trains and block sets were mention by two retailers surveyed by TDmonthly in February 2013 as best selling wooden toys.

This 65-piece set features five game ideas that introduce and teach shapes and objects with unique tactile game play. Little pirates will be ready for games like "The Sneaky Seeker", "The Blindfold Grab", matching games, and more. For a traditional favorite, flip the game board over and play a classic game of Checkers. Clean up is easy as the 18"x18" game board has a Velcro pocket for storage and play. The gameboard is also a great map for role play adventures. BeginAgain uses plant-based and recycled materials whenever possible. The treasure map game board is made from natural (unbleached, unprocessed) cotton and the 20 game cards and 20 matching game pieces are made from recycled paperboard and colored with water-based inks. The 24 treasure coins are made from natural rubber (from rubber tree).
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys

Salmon are anadromous, meaning that they migrate between freshwater and saltwater habitats, while their relative, trouts, remain in freshwater for their entire life cycle. Salmon is a popular food both because of its delicious taste and versatility and its high nutritional value. Consuming salmon is considered to be healthy because of the fish's high protein, high Omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D content. Salmon flesh is generally orange to red in color, although there are some examples of white fleshed wild salmon. The orange color of salmon results from carotenoid pigments that wild salmon get from eating krill and other tiny shellfish. The Salmon Scramble Squares® 9-piece puzzle is likewise adaptable. It is a beautiful, enjoyable and healthy activity for children, adults and seniors. The object of the Scramble Squares® puzzle game is to arrange the nine colorfully illustrated 4” x 4” square pieces into a 12” x 12” square so that the realistic graphics on the pieces edges match perfectly to form completed pictures in every direction.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys

This Bald Eagles Scramble Squares® puzzle, provides an appropriately awe inspiring depiction of this majestic symbol of the United States and America’s national bird. The Bald Eagle is unique to North America and is among the largest birds in North America, growing from 29” to 42” long, weighing 7 to 15 lbs., and possessing a dramatic wingspan of 6’ to 8’. Females are larger than the male Bald Eagles. The Bald Eagle is listed as a "threatened" species in the lower 48 states, its population having fallen from an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 in the early 1700s to levels of less than 500 pairs by the early 1960s. The object of the Scramble Squares® puzzle game is to arrange the nine colorfully illustrated 4” x 4” square pieces into a 12” x 12” square so that the realistic graphics on the pieces edges match perfectly to form completed pictures in every direction.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys, 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20

2 Birdie Banks™ is a new activity kit in the ALEX Eco Crafts series. Kids can save their money and at the same time help to save the planet! This all-in-one environmentally-friendly craft kit lets kids create 2 bird-shaped banks out of recycled paper molds. It comes with 2 makeshift banks (fashioned from recycled paper) that kids can outfit with coin slots and lids before decorating them with colorful squares. Using the included sponge brush, kids can easily affix the paper tape with glaze and wait a while for their creation to dry. Launch date: 2012.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys, 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20

Girls can help Polly doll tend her garden with this adorable play set, which includes lattice, flowers, and watering can. Each play piece incorporates a suction cup so kids can arrange them any way they want.
— Danny Givens, owner of Little Dickens Toys in Lynchburg, Va., told TDmonthly that their best selling licensed brand is Polly Pocket.