July 2011 Notable Toys — All

This colorful rattle comes in a twisted barbell design. The transparent plastic ends hold colorful balls that rattle when baby shakes the toy.
— As of 05/31/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 58 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lightweight; bright colors; easy for small hand to grab; not overly loud.  Cons: The plastic is hard, and one parent complained that their child kept hitting itself in the face, and needed a softer rattle; one reviewer said her baby liked a different rattle that was easier to hold.

This kitchen set comes with 18 pieces for kids to bake, decorate and display their royal treats. The set works with all Magic Rise toys and is designed to easily fit the Disney Princess Magic Rise Oven (sold separately). The burners light up when the heart gem is pressed.

The Intex Mushroom baby pool features a built-in mushroom shade for added comfort on hot days. It has a soft, inflatable floor that allows for gentle play. Adult supervision required at all times.
— As of 06/02/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 12 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Shade keeps baby protected from sun; easy to blow up; inexpensive. Cons: One customer said one of the floats that came with the pool had a hole in it; if you aren't kneeling next to the pool when the top is on it's hard to see the baby in the pool.

BrushyBall is an interactive toothbrush holder and  timer.  A sink top 'follow-the-leader' toothbrushing game, BrushyBall, guides children through brushing their own teeth for two minutes.  BrushyBall coaches young brushers with an adorable voice and pearly white teeth which light up in six sequential sections.  BrushyBall was specifically designed to motivate young brushers, captivate short attention spans and teach complete brushing of all teeth. BrushyBall also holds up to four toothbrushes for open air drying and offers 900+ brushing sessions on two AA batteries (included). Launch date: Fall 2011.

Zeven Card Zombie is like a Rummy game, but with Zombies and more interaction between the players. The object of the game is for players to lay down a matching hand of Seven Zombie cards first. Five cards are dealt, ten brain markers are given to each player, and during game play two cards are always picked up and discarded. Players play Zeven Card Zombie and collect cards to keep the brains of victims, while using the military Commando Team to rescue them from their opponents. Beware the Zombie Hunter as she will slay the minions on the spot- but don’t worry, for the wretched Grave Digger can always get what players need. Launch date: August 2010.

Colorio is a strategic game of memory and daring. Each round, players have to remove some of the caps to reveal the colored discs beneath. But players must be careful; if they reveal five discs of the same color they are out of the game. So, players must try to remember where the colors are placed and dare to remove more and more caps to trap their opponents and push them into making mistakes. Colorio is a simple game that is quick to learn, fast to play and offers challenges to players of all skill levels. Launch date: February 2011.

In Ponder, players must race to get their frog to the other side of the pond. It’s the annual Frog Race and the distance is one English pond; the aim is to get one''s team over to the other side of the pond before everyone else does. However, the frogs are not very fit, so they need the lily leafs to step on to cross the pond. The pond is crowded and one may only move as the cards dictate. Ponder is a fast and strategic race game for the whole family. Set in a beautiful pond with floating lily leaves, sun shining and a summer breeze; lazy frogs included. Launch date: February 2011.
Awards: 2010 Golden Dice Family Game of the Year, Sweden.

Repello is a game of grasped opportunities. The aim is to push as many Repellers and opponents as possible off the board. Objects pushed off the board are worth points and the player with the finest collection at the end of the game is the winner. There is one basic rule in Repello: All objects repel each other, and players decide which object pushes which. In a single move one may set off a chain reaction that will spread over the entire board, sending valuable Repellers, or opponents, over the edge. Master the pushes and bounces; see the possibilities in each moment and one stands a very good chance of winning. Launch date: February 2011.
Awards: 2010 Golden Dice Game of the Year, Sweden.

Skateboard Madness is a board game of skateboarding. The object of the game is to win the X Games Championship in skateboarding while meeting the four Madness professional skateboarders; Andy Macdonald, Corey Duffel, Tony Mag, and Ron Allen. Along the way, players must collect sponsorship cards from the official Madness sponsors.The game includes an extensive trivia section and random action for skateboard enthusiasts. "There is nothing on the market like it," Monica Lucas, VP of Operations at Mindtwister USA, told TDmonthly.

Fandooble is a party game filled with dragons, knights, wizards… and a scoundrel named Fandooble. Opponents must race against one another to steal all of the gold from the fearsome dragon and possibly some of the other players. Taking turns, players roll the four dice, pushing their luck to see how much gold they can get. Rolling as often as they want, taking treasure from the dragon or their friends and foes alike, it’s the luck of the dice- but if a player rolls three dragons, they are eliminated. Three of the dice have treasure and dragons. The treasure gets players gold; the dragons foil their spoils. Three dragons rolled and a players' stash goes back to the dragon’s pile; if those dragons are red, the player loses the stash from their turn and all the gold in their bank. The other die has wizards and knights to help along the way. It also has the rascally scoundrel Fandooble; he’ll steal players' hard stolen gold and give it to someone else. Fandooble is for 2-6 players, and game time last from 10-30 minutes. "Easy to learn, simple to take with you on the go," Monica Lucas, VP of Operations at Mindtwister USA, told TDmonthly.

Kids will amaze their audience by rehearsing and performing 25 awesome chemistry experiments in their own science show. Whether they’re moving particles with their magic wand, creating self-destructing bottles, sparking fireworks from an orange, or watching mystical black snakes grow from a pile of power, this kit is sure to educate and entertain friends and family of all ages. Includes lab equipment, materials, chemicals, cue cards with stage directions, and a 64-page, full-color, comic-book style manual. The kit "Provides young scientists with the tools and instruction to create their own science show instead of watching one," Kim Hammann, sales & marketing manager at Thames & Kosmos, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.
— In a November 2011 survey about hobby toys, Mary Porter-Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly, "We sell lots of science kits — the best selling ones are chemistry sets from Thames & Kosmos."

Produced since 1917, the gyroscope has been a classic educational toy for generations that continues to fascinate young and old alike with its mysterious force that seems to defy gravity. Gyroscope technology is used in numerous applications such as guidance and navigation systems in ships, planes and spacecraft. Instructions with several amazing enjoyable tricks available with each gyroscope. YouTube video link available to assist with selling. Manufactured in Indiana (USA Made). "Still a popular selling product after many years in the market. Our #1 selling toy out of over 450 products offered," Bob Sherman, sales associate at TEDCO Toys, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2010 Seal of Approval from Homeschool.com; Dr Toy's Classic Toy Award

Earth-friendly wooden play ball puzzle that exercises skills that prepare children for reading, math, problem solving and more. This 16-piece puzzle features four scenes of a boy playing sports. It's made of wood harvested from sustainable forests, and comes packaged in a handy carrying case to help keep track of the pieces.Launch date: July 2011.

Ten sturdy earth-friendly boxes to stack, build and nest with early-learning concepts on each side. Learning letters, numbers, shapes, colors and baby animals has never been so fun and easy. It's a "Classic development toy made entirely from earth-friendly recycled materials," Rich Hill, director of marketing at innovativekids, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011.

Players will be challenged to put their memory to the test in just five short seconds as they attempt to memorize a specific shade of color and then match it to the correct color wheel. Just the slightest difference between shade, tint or hue can completely change the game. The first player to fill their artist’s palette with six color chips and win the game. Fast-paced play combines with memory building, visual thinking and art.  Color guide provides extra learning material.
Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy Award, January 2012; 2011 Finalist for ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids
— Why it won: Unlike most matching games, which require players to remember and pair off images, this game challenges players to remember the exact shade of a certain color. They then must match the color they saw to a color wheel. An entertaining, challenging twist on the classic memory game.

"While there are several stacking toys on the market, none of them are circular and included the added element of balance.  Tobbles is a stacking toy which encourages children to explore and discover," Erik Quam, Director of Product Development at Fat Brain Toy, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2011 Finalist for ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids
— Melodie Ingwersen, owner of Creative Kids Inc in Columbia, S.C., told TDmonthly in an April 2012 survey about best selling infant & toddler products that they sell 2-3 dozen Tobbles each month.

Maple Landmark Woodcraft has had animal and vehicle dominoes for years, and now they have developed a colorful set of standard dominoes. This 28-piece, double six set is made from locally harvested hardwood maple. Each domino measures about 1 1/4" wide X 2 1/2" long and about 3/8" thick. The colorful dots are done in a very durable non-toxic ink. Each number is in a different color. The set comes with a drawstring cloth bag and a playing instructions and suggestions. "The dominoes are made in the USA," Barbara Rainville, marketing manager at Maple Landmark Woodcraft, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2011.

This 22 piece rattling building block set was designed specially for Little Builders. Shake, rattle, and build with these colorful blocks sized for little hands. Launch date: June 2011.
Awards: Dr. Toy 10 Best Toys of 2011

Dado Bricks are interlocking cardboard bricks, measuring 12 inches long x 6 inches deep x 3 inches high. Kids can use these stacking bricks to create kid-scale structures...walls, castles, forts, secret hide-outs, or even attractive room decor. Unlike other simple cardboard blocks on the market, the Dado Cardboard Bricks contain a protruding pair of square nubs along with a matching set of recessed square indentations. The result is a cardboard brick that when stacked, will not easily tumble and can retain a rigid structure. "The ONLY interlocking cardboard block on the market," Erik Quam, Director of Product Development at Fat Brain Toy, told TDmonthly.

This award-winning patented cloth pocket diaper is made with sturdy snap closures, which are made to last and require no maintenance. FuzziBunz diapers have no Velcro®, so they won't fray, collect lint or snag your baby's clothes. FuzziBunz come in a variety of sweet and fun colors and they fit snugly on your baby without the added bulk that  comes with most one-size diapers. They offer "Lots of adjustability with 30+ adjustable buttons and snap settings to adjust waist, leg casings and rise. It is the most adjustable one-size diaper," Ashley Boudreaux, marketing director at FuzziBinz, told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2007 Iparenting Media; 2008 PTPA Media; 2009 Best of Business Awards; 2010 Stevie Awards: Best New Product of the Year; 2010 Stevie Awards: Most Innovative Company

Players race against each other or work together against the clock to find the patterns hidden in the grid. Each time a tile is turned over, the pattern on that tile may be created by combining two or four of the tiles in the playing grid. Features 70 durable and vibrantly mind-bending pattern tiles, Acuity reinforces the importance of visual spatial skills and pattern recognition.
Awards: Parents' Choice Gold Award, 2010

Combination of game play, brainteaser, optical illusion.

The Classic Princess Dress is made of velvet stretch material, has a lace up ribbon corset with flowers and comes with a matching head wrap. This dress is available in either Pink & Fuchsia (PA105F) or Pink & blue (PA105B) in sizes (S) small, (M) medium & (L) large. It's an "Affordable, High-Quality dress," Rachel Scharfman, brand marketing manager at Almar Sales, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2011.

Experience Perfect Stride, the exciting horse-themed card game for 2-4 players ages 8 and up using our Junior/Basic rules. Players are riders who partner up with a horse of their choosing for a high-speed race across the countryside over a hidden course of jumps. Riders collect ribbons with each successful jump as they race toward the finish line. The rider with the most ribbon points wins the game. Launch date: September 2010.