July 2011 Notable Toys — Educational

In Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry, players create traffic chaos as they race to match the vehicles and their colors. This is a game for young kids similar in concept to Domino or Quirkle.

The Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy from Fisher-Price invites baby to learn through singing and playing; encourages baby to express love and friendship, enhancing a sense of security;
introduces baby to the alphabet, colors and counting; and helps baby understand the connections between words and actions. The puppy teaches parts of the body, ABCs/123s, colors, and features ten sing-along songs.
— As of 05/12/2011 this product had 4.1 out of 5 stars based on 526 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: Too sensitive- slight motion can cause it to switch modes too easily; voice is annoying for parents; parents complained that it turned on by itself at night.

This is a set of 8 interlocking Cubes arranged in a 2x2x2 cube shape. The puzzle challenges the player to transform the arrangement of the 8 cubes from one shape to any other shape, without disengaging any of the Cubes from each other. Cubes must be shifted by sliding along their faces. The Cubes can shift in all three dimensions: X, Y and Z, but each face slides in only one direction. The 8 Cube set introduces the player to this innovative new toy. The ultimate goal is to be able to logically understand how to shift from one shape to another in the fewest number of moves.  Other games can be invented by disengaging the Cubes and re-engaging them with the colors "flipped" on one or some of the Cubes, creating a "marked" Cube. The challenge is then to shift the "marked" Cube or Cubes into a specific position in the arrangement.
Awards: Dr. Toy Best Vacation Product of 2011

With these kits, kids can grow Fly Traps without soil. This complete kit comes with everything kids need to get started. A Hydro-Pump is included, which keeps the water fresh and the nutrients available to the roots of the growing plants. Each Complete Kit Includes: Sprouting and Growing Dome, Hydroponic Rack,Hydro-Pump, 4 Net Pots, 4 Rock-Wool Cubes, Fly Trap Seed Pack: 8mg, 3 Color Decals, 1 Bag Part A Nutrient: 1.5oz, 1 Bag Part B Nutrient: 1.5oz, 1 Nutrient Scoop, and Instructions.

Kbeau Mom has a baby in her womb who is ready to come out and play. Kids must find Kbeu Baby and help her be born. After, they need to cut her umbilical cord. Kbeu Mom can be fed colorful stones from the Silly Creature food bag. After a meal, kids can push the food through her stomach and guts, all the way to the rear end. Kids can help Kbeu Baby nurse from Kbeu Mom's teat. Kbeu Baby can also eat stones.

All the information kids need to solve the mystery is in the puzzle story; everything they need to deduce, reason and organize their thoughts is in the handy grid below. Grid Perplexors: Level A teaches kids a step-by-step process that keeps their thinking linear and focused. Great practice for standardized tests that reward logic skills. Paperback; 50 puzzles on 56 pages.

Children can carry along their own electronic tablet with the ABC WordPad, a compact electronic learning device that looks and feels like a little tablet. It features include five different learning activities: Letter Learning Fun, Word Learning Fun, Find It!, Spelling Practice Fun and Music Fun. This portable playbook requires two “AA” batteries (included). Launch date: May 2011.
Awards: 2011 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award; 2011 Dr Toy 10 Best High Tech Products and 100 Best Children's Products.

Kids love to role-play and the Shop and Learn Cash Register gives them the opportunity to play grown upShoppers. Three play modes encourage kids to shop, count, identify food and determine values. Thiselectronic talking register guides children through learning with encouraging words, amusing sounds and fun games. Kids can scan food, enter coins, slide the credit card and openthe cash drawer. The toy requires two “AA”
batteries (included).

The set comes with 26 capital letters and 2 side bases. The font base has pictures which relate to the alphabet. On the back are directions for writing the alphabet. Children can recite the alphabet, letter-names, and identify letter-sounding relationships, by spelling with words in the vocabulary. Helps children match the alphabet with the animal picture base. Teaches children how to write the alphabet correctly by finding the letters to spell familiar words. For example, How do you spell C A T? This toy is great fun and helps develop letter recognition and fine motor skills.
Awards— A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011

This game is set up as a reading race through the southwest. Players pick their cards, gallop around the board to round up all their words, and must giddy up home before the other players to win. Game features the top 25 building block words. Includes game board (16.5"W x 16.5"H), 50 word cards, and 4 game pieces. For 2-4 players.

Kids can grow their own organic vegetables, guaranteed. The pot, soil-less planting mixture, even the seeds- are certified organic. The interest in edibles has been soaring and is only increasing. All the plants are quick to sprout and easy to grow and will produce their harvest early. Sprout inside and plant the whole pot in the ground after a month or two and let the bountiful harvest begin.

The 3-in-1 All Terrain Robot is a multi-function tracked mobile robotic kit. Kids can utilize different track modules to create either a forklift, rover, or gripper. Using the wired controller, kids can command the robot to move forward, backward, turn, grip, and lift. In forklift mode, the ATR can lift up to 100 g in weight. The rover's tank-like treads can traverse all types of surfaces. In gripper mode, the ATR can grab and lift anything up to 100 g and move it to a new location. The kit can be taken apart and put together again many times. Contains 157 pieces; average assembly time of 1.5 hrs.

The Eco-Biker is a wind turbine toy that helps kids understand this form of alternative energy. Kids can clip it to a bike's handlebars or anywhere in the breeze, and watch as the fan powers a LED light. The stronger the wind, the faster the Eco-Biker pedals, and the brighter the LED shines. Eco-friendliness, sustainability, and energy-consciousness are the focus of this toy. Similar kits are purely for experimental purposes; but this small kit with a compact and highly efficient design makes it easy for kids to play and learn at the same time. 45 pieces; takes an average of 20 minutes to assemble.

It's Shavuot, a holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai. Avigail and Brosh want to stay up all night observing the holiday, like the grown-ups. But will they be able to do it? They try their best, along with the help of a dancing cow and their friends. Shalom Sesame is a brand new series of 12 episodes from the creators of Sesame Street. Grover and his friends explore Israel, its people and places, and learn new things. Launch date: May 10, 2011.

Our new Eco Plant Pals are fun and environmentally friendly. All these pet plants are easy and interesting to grow. The planter and dome are both made from a corn resin. Each kit comes with everything needed including a color decal, and collectible trading card. Different types of Pals come with names that reflect their unique personalities. There are 18 styles and a counter display available.

With The Klutz Guide to the Galaxy, kids can explore the universe without leaving the comfort of their backyard. This galactic tool kit has everything kids need: a build-it-yourself telescope, a night-sight flashlight, star and moon maps, a no-batteries-required sundial, a mariner’s quadrant to steer by the stars, tons of intergalactic activities, and more.
Awards: TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: Who knew you could build a telescope with a book? Everything needed to create a spyglass for space is contained within the Guide to the Galaxy's pages. There are lots of facts about the universe, plus other projects that kids can build to help navigate this world and others. It's a great gift that will appeal to both boys and girls.