June 2012 Notable Toys — General Toys

There are six Sweet Puppies in the kennel including PJ the Black Lab, Tootsie the Beagle, Patsy the Golden Retriever, Gi-Gi the Yellow Lab, Button the Bernese Mountain Dog and Abby the German Shepherd. Each adorable pup is created of the softest mohair fur and obediently sits at 10-inches. Each wears a cute red webbed collar.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval
— In a May 2012 survey about best selling plush and puppets, Lisa LeStrange, owner of Lucky Duck Toys in Wayne, Pa., told TDmonthly that they "sell about 175-200 pieces" of Douglas plush each month.

Douglas, known for their classic breeds, recently introduced five new 12" Standing Cats. These kittens have cattitude as they strike a pose with their classic cat gestures. They have that take-me-home-look about them and are irresistibly endearing and uber soft. Each one stands straight and alert seeking love and attention. Even their tails are perky in a happy-go-lucky way. Zipper the Grey Tabby, Tiffy the Orange Tabby, Midnight the Black Cat and Scooter the Black and White Cat are all new for 2012.

Flingin’ Frogs is for one or more players, and play involves catapulting 12 miniature frogs onto five tiers of lily pads, worth varying levels of points. Children can play by themselves or challenge their friends. The lily pad play piece conveniently turns into a storage and travel case too. Big Little Games are available in three titles: Flingin’ Frogs™, Spurtle Turtle™ and Super Shooter Basketball™. The games’ small size makes them perfect for birthday gifts, Easter basket stuffers and small rewards. Launch date: May 2012.

Introducing the world-renowned Sydney Opera House. This masterpiece of expressionist architecture is the vision of young Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, whose unique interlocking vaulted ‘shell' design beat 933 competitors from 28 countries to win an international design competition held by the New South Wales Government in 1959. Combined with the beautiful setting of Sydney Harbour, the opera house has become a true symbol of late modern architecture and one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century. This LEGO Architecture series interpretation of the Sydney Opera House was designed by US architect Adam Reed Tucker in collaboration with the LEGO design team.

Comes in four assorted colors. Fabric pattern features fun entwined loops and curlicues. Pattern is inspired by art motifs crafted by henna artists. Wide selection of sizes and fabrics. Soft and cuddly Fiesta stuffed animals and plush toys soothe, comfort, and encourage creative play.

Another stone building set from Anker Blocks, made of natural ingredients, these shapes of stones will allow kids to create endless forms. It contains 20 sample cards to fire kids' imaginations. With 36 stone building bricks made from the original Anker stone material kids can construct creative buildings and let their imagination run riot. There are countless possibilities to build mosaics, aesthetically appealing puzzles and edifices using the stones of the New Stone Age. Made in Germany of chalk, quartz sand, pigments and linseed oil.

A rolling pin, cookie cutters, and felt "dough" make baking seem real. Flip the shapes over and they're already decorated. Made of Wood, Water based paint, Felt, Aluminium alloy.

The Gazillion Bubble Hurricane is Gazillion’s number one bubble machine. Year after year, this bubble machine cranks out thousands of bubbles for kids of all ages. Each Bubble Machine comes with an 8 oz. bottle of a "top secret" non-toxic Gazillion Bubble solution, just pour the solution into the reservoir attached to the Bubble Machine to continuously feed the wands creating a storm of colorful bubbles. Requires 6 "AA" batteries, not included. Works with core solution. iParenting Award Winner.

Giddy-Up!! Sevi's award winning design on this Pull Along Cowboy is sure to set children's imaginations soaring. When pulled the cowboy and horse have a realistic gallop and clickity-clack sound. Along with various fabrics and smooth quality hardwood, this little wrangler will surely become a toddler’s best friend. Sevi is Europe’s’ oldest wooden toy maker – since 1831 – using only vegetable-based paints and smooth hardwood.

The Void is puzzling to comprehend because there’s a hole right in the middle of it. Consumers can literally put their finger right through the center of the Void. The object is to solve each side, much like one would a standard Rubik’s Cube, but that’s where the similarities end. The Void has different colors, rounded edges, and requires a different solution. Launch date: February 2012.
Awards: 2012 ASTRA Best Toys For Kids Nominee

This Millennium Falcon shaped case is home for 23 LEGO Star Wars Minifigures, each in their own pocket and holds at least 200 LEGO bricks. The detailed artwork creates an awesome play experience and playmat on the inside and outside of the case. Race through space and dodge the pursuing Tie Fighters, all while keeping figurines neatly tucked away. Ages 3+. Weighs less than half a pound and wipes clean with a damp cloth.  ZipBin Products - Keep it Together™.  © 2012 The LEGO Group.© 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.
— As of 03/16/2012 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Makes organizing fun for kids; can be used for storage or as a toy; contains individual pockets to carry 23 minifigs and has a handle. Cons: A little too small for storage of other LEGO pieces.

For more than 40 years Charles Wysocki enjoyed his love affair with life and Americana, and through his imaginative and colorful artwork touched the hearts of millions worldwide."Chuck" felt a special kinship with puzzlers, who share in the creative process by building his paintings one piece at a time. This 1000 piece puzzle has a finished size of 26 3/4 x 19 3/4". Puzzle includes an 18 x 11 3/4" BONUS POSTER of the image. These puzzles are made here in the USA with 100% recycled paperboard at their factory in Buffalo NY.

A lively mix of party game fun and trivia challenge. It’s the game about putting famous and fun events into a timeline – though players don’t need to know any specific dates. Think mayonnaise was invented after the telephone - But was it before or after Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? Was Seinfeld’s series finale before or after Dolly the sheep was cloned? Guess right about where the event falls and the timeline grows, but a bigger timeline means it’s tougher to correctly place the next event. It’s a simple premise that’s deviously challenging. The first player to create a timeline of 10 event cards wins, and with more than 850 events and facts, the combinations are endless. Launch date: June 30, 2012.

The Funtrix Pois are one of the most simple but eye-catching juggling props. Pois consist of a string with a ball attached at one end. The colored ribbons attached to the ball create an amazing colored spectacle when the pois are twirled and swung. Launch date: March 2012.

Kids can hypnotize their friends and family with the 30+ tricks they can do with the Funtrix Cat's Cradle from Eolo Sport. Includes an instructional DVD filled with new tricks to master. Launch date: March 2012.

Learn to spin and balance with the Funtrix Spin Top from Eolo Sport. Store the rope inside the spin top. Includes an instructional DVD to help learn new and improved tricks. Launcher included. Launch date: March 2012.

Practice your throwing, catching and juggling skills with the multi-color Funtrix Diabolo from Eolo Sport. Includes an instructional DVD that will help kids to learn and enhance their trick skills. "Diabolo involves throwing, catching and keep spinning a double cone with the help of 2 sticks linked with a string. Originality and difficulty are the most valued features when performing tricks," Sophia Georgeo, US Domestic Sales Executive for Eolo Sport, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2012.

Clump-o-Lump is a line of super-snuggable plush creatures that zip apart into three whimsical pieces—head, torso, and rump—so they can be mixed, matched, and multiplied. With over 2,303 combinations possible, Clump-o-Lumps offer countless hours of fun, imagination, and super-swappable collectibility. The inaugural Clump-o-Lump family includes six characters: Frog-o the Frog, Bee-o the Bee, Shark-o the Shark, Bird-o the Bird, Tig-o the Tiger, and Squid-o the Squid. Just zip-and-match ’em to make ’em tall, small, or anything at all. Launch date: March 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

This set includes Two 5 1/2" Water Rockets; One 8 1/2" Water Rocket; 2 Fuel Funnels and Launcher; Rocketry Booklet.
— In a March 2012 survey about best selling outdoor toys, Mary Porter Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly that she sells about a dozen of this water rocket set each month.
— As of 03/08/2012 this product had 2.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com. Pros: Fun when pump is working properly. Cons: Many reviewers said the pump was not strong enough to jettison the rocket high into the air.

This is the official Wiffle Ball brand 32 inch bat in classic yellow with a 12 inch softball. This is the same ball, made by the same family that started the whole thing way back in 1952.
— In a March 2012 survey, Donna Frederick, owner of The Play House Toy Store in Durham, N.C., told TDmonthly that her best selling outdoor toy is the original Wiffle Ball and Bat. “It's all retro, and it's under $10. It's made in the USA, and it's a good outdoor family toy,” she said. They sell "A dozen a month, easily, not including extra balls people buy."

The original Hula Hoop. Promotes physical activity. Contains ball inside for the Shoop-Shoop Hula Hoop sound effect. Assortment of three sizes.
— In a March 2012 survey about outdoor toys, Mike DiAndrea, manager of Hardware Toys in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly that they sell 65 of the Original Hula Hoop each month.