July 2010 Notable Toys — Educational

Kids can fire up this "power drill," grab some bolts and create a mosaic masterpiece. Designed to build coordination, the kit includes a power drill, screwdriver, wrench, three interchangeable drill bits, 20 bolts, an 11.5" pegboard and 20 idea cards.

This tranquil kinetic sculpture features "magic" jellyfish that bob and swim through a stylish mini-aquarium. The product includes multi-colored LED lighting, a "magic fish" bag, "magic fish" food, two plastic containers, a spoon, a siphon, a magnifer and instructions. It measures 9.7” x 7.3” x 2.5.”

Where to buy:
NORTH WEST

This kinetic sculpture features an underwater volcano. The product includes motion Beads, multi-colored LED lights, an A/C Pump and a power adapter. It measures 9.7" x 7.3" x 2.5."

Where to buy:
NORTH WEST

This complete drum set for preschoolers comes with two drums, a metal cymbal, a guiro and two drumsticks. The drums are made of hardwood topped with durable latex drumheads. The set stands 13" tall and is designed to help children develop an early sense of rhythm and music.
— In a December 2012 survey, Peg Scholtes, owner of Capitol Kids LTD in Madison, Wisc., told TDmonthly that PlanToys brand instruments were her bestselling musical toys.

Miracle Pounding is designed to add excitement to a traditional ball pounding activity. When children hit the ball with the wooden mallet the toy pushes out a different ball, ready to pounded again.

Young children can create colorful mosaics with the Fantacolor Junior peg board set. The set includes eight pattern cards, a clear peg board and 48 colorful pegs that are large enough for preschool-age children to handle. This toy is designed to help children develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

This award-winning, snap-together block allows individuals to make spherical shapes from toy blocks. LaQ Basic 650 is a 650-piece kit consisting of all seven types of LaQ blocks in red, blue, yellow, green, white, and black parts to make 16 interchangeable models. Easy to follow instructions show steps to make an Airplane, Boy, Butterfly, Bulldozer, Christmas Tree, Crawfish, Dog, Ferris Wheel, Formula Car, Helicopter, House, Sailing Ship, Snake, Traffic Light and Tree.

This award-winning, snap-together block allows individuals to make spherical shapes from toy blocks. LaQ Hobby Kits are 260-piece kits designed to make various interchangeable models. The Hobby Kit Beetle has instructions to make a Beetle, Wood Louse, Spider, Bee, Ant, Butterfly and Ladybug.

With LaQ, kids can make spherical shapes from toy blocks. LaQ Mini Kits are 175-piece kits designed to make various interchangeable models. The Mini Kit Chameleon has instructions to make a Chameleon, Giant Tortoise, Crocodile, Frog and Japanese Bush Warbler.

LaQ Mini Kits are 175-piece block sets that can make various interchangeable spherical models. The Mini Kit Shark comes with instructions for building a shark, rhinoceros, elephant, kingfisher and shoebill.

Do Tell is designed for parties, couples, friends and girls' getaways. By inspiring players to participate through words and actions, Do Tell acts as a natural icebreaker and a tool for connection and communication. Players never have to play the card they are given or reveal more than they are comfortable with. Do Tell aims to keep players curious, interested, engaged and rolling in the aisles. "We’re about expansion, diversity, compassion, understanding, coming out of our box, acceptance, love and laughter," Geoff LaPlace, president of Do Tell Enterprises, told TDmonthly.

Kids can wrangle backyard creepy-crawlies into this mini funhouse, catching crickets, ants and beetles with the handheld bug catcher, then watching how they behave in the 5” x 3.5” x 3” plastic playground. The Bug Playground comes with a 12-panel fully illustrated booklet written by insect expert David George Gordon.

Each turn, one team flips over a category card and team members quickly brainstorm words that fit the category. The team agrees on a word before the time runs out and then pulls each letter in that word one lane closer to their side of the street. The first team to pull eight letters off the street wins. Word on the Street Junior is designed to encourage vocabulary development, creative thinking and teamwork, and is "great for all ages and all group sizes," Out of the Box VP of Marketing Leah Sugar told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Mensa Select; 2010 Major Fun; 2010 Oppenheim Gold; 2010 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Product; 2010 Parent's Choice Silver
— Verlina Adema of What You Reading Now played Word on the Street Junior with her three children and enjoyed that the game required teamwork and brainstorming. As a homeschool mom, she appreciated that “This game incorporates visual, auditory and tactile learning styles so there is something for every child!”
— The Board Game Family described Word on the Street Junior as the perfect party game because “every time we play it, we can’t stop with just one play…But that’s just great because the second game is always louder, more energetic, and lasts longer for a lot more fun.”

The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book includes more than 200 colorable illustrations designed to help teach children how to identify over 80 species of fish. Each illustration is accompanied by a complete description of the fish, with information about anatomical features, coloration, body designs, feeding habits and reproductive strategies. An overview of coral reef ecology is provided to help children understand the relationship between the fishes and the coral reef as well as the importance of conservation. This eco-friendly book is printed on recycled paper. "This book is often referred to as a coloring textbook or even coloring encyclopedia, because it is the most complete source of information about reef fish that you will find in a coloring book," Lucid Publishing Author Monika Mira told TDmonthly.
Awards: Summer 2010 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Children's Products; 2010 Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year Award

Why do cats' eyes glow in the dark? How do our ears stop us from falling? This close-up look at human and animal senses delivers clear and concise answers to the questions children ask.

Why do cats' eyes glow in the dark? How do our ears stop us from falling? This close-up look at human and animal senses delivers clear and concise answers to the questions children ask.

Children want to know "Why don't ships sink?", "Which is the fastest jet plane?", and "Why do cars need gasoline?" Climb aboard and discover the answers in this intriguing look at transportation.

I Wonder Why the Wind Blows answers all sorts of tricky and fascinating questions about Planet Earth, such as "How cold is snow?", "How hot are deserts?", and "Where do rivers end?" An entertaining introduction to our planet for budding scientists and beginning readers.

Discover the secrets of chemistry, and learn about the properties of matter and the ways in which they interact, combine and change. Chemistry is a compelling guide to a community of characters who make up everything around us.
— SimplyScience’s Shirley loved the book’s “funny (and accurate) introduction to the periodic table.” She imagined “the kid who is fascinated with science picking up this small trim-sized book, reading it, and showing it to all his/her friends.”
— Despite some issues with the book’s organization, Roberta Gibson of Wrapped in Foil found that the book makes chemistry concepts “fresh and interesting” by presenting the terms as characters. She loved that “The sections are written in the first person from that character’s point of view, and each section stands on its own.”

Meet Zero, a bubbly fellow who will dissolve you to nothing, and say hello to the all-action Units, who just love to measure. Get a load of greedy Multiply, a big guy who hoards numbers together, and stand amazed by mysterious Pi, who goes on and on and on ... to Infinity. Multiply your number know-how with Basher’s unique one-stop guide to the building blocks of mathematics. Packed with top tips and memorable characters, this is an essential book for students ages 8 and up.

With its lively, creative approach, this is a unique and highly memorable one-stop guide to using punctuation marks correctly. Each mark is each represented by its own character – from unassuming Semicolon to loud-mouthed Exclamation Mark – who explain in their own words what makes them tick and how they are used. “Do’s and “Don’t”s provide practical advice to help every child unravel the rules and regulations of the English language.

From Basher, the illustrator who showed the periodic table in a whole new light and gave us his fresh spin on physics, bioligy, astronomy and rocks and minerals, comes Planet Earth, a book that sheds light on this rock we live on, from its mountains and ocean depths to the storms that whirl around it.

Simon Basher is back with another zany primer to science. Rocks & MInerals is an in-depth look at the ground beneath our feet. Like his other titles, Basher presents these topics through charming and adorable illustrations and pairs them with basic information told from a first person perspective. He develops a community of characters based on the things that form the foundations of our planet: rocks, gems, crystals, fossils and more. And what's more, he makes it understandable, interesting, and cute.

Nature’s building blocks have never been more sociable than in this newest offering from the creators of The Periodic Table and Physics. From cells to DNA, from viruses to mammals, from chlorophyll to flowers and fruit, and including the human body’s parts and systems, Biology is a single volume BIO101 course. Distinctive characters, a creative pallette, and straight- forward text make it all clear—and fun.