July 2011 Notable Toys — Arts & Crafts

Barbie® enjoys pampering herself with a day at the spa. Create a spa atmosphere and a line of beauty products to go with it at home using this Make Your Own Natural Beauty Products kit. Create sweet smelling body lotions, soaps, lip balms, and more with helpful hints and recipes from the full-color guide book. Finish off products with the prefect packaging by using the gift tags, stickers, containers and pink raffia. The best part of all: the recipes use ingredients found at a grocery store or home so they are totally natural and safe to use. This kit includes beeswax, 2 cosmetic tins, 2 bottles, 56 stickers, 16 gift tags, pink raffia, 16 recipe cards, and a guide book filled with recipes, beauty tips, ideas and more. "Young fashionistas love to experiment with make-up and what better way than with one of their favorite beauty icons, Barbie! They can customize Barbie's make-up using real tools and make-up items on the sketch sheets. The design guide is great for beginners to learn about how to apply make-up properly too," Sarah Malchow, PR Manager at Fashion Angels Enterprises, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2011.

Fun and easy to sew, colorful wool felt is perfect for making your own fuzzy caterpillars, dragonflies, ladybugs and more! With easy to follow tips and lots of examples for inspiration, use craft thread, beautiful ribbon and beads to make wings, eyes and antennae.  Make up to 7 creepy-crawly bugs! Two bonus projects in every kit! Turn the box into a mailbox, birdhouse or special treasure box. The inner tray is perfect for framing your art. Ages 8 and up
Awards: 2015 TDmonthly Magazine Top Toy Award; 2010 NAMTA (National Art Materials Trade Association) Best New Kids' Product

Designing a wardrobe for Barbie® has never been easier. This Barbie® Fashion Design Artist Tote features the Compact Fashion Design Sketch Portfolio and markers. Simply use the removable plastic stencils and markers to trace the most glamorous collection of clothing and accessories for Barbie®. The instructions provide tips and inspiration on how to color, shade, and add details to make each outfit perfect for Barbie®. Finish off and embellish the designs with the foil stickers included in the spiral bound portfolio book. When you’re done designing you can carry all your designs around in the stylish Barbie® shoulder tote. This kit includes the shoulder tote, 10 markers and the Barbie® Compact Fashion Design Sketch Portfolio featuring 40 sketch pages, 4 removable plastic stencil sheets with 52 stencil designs, 77 foil stickers, and instructions. Launch date: 2011.

Kids can make oodles and oodles of reusable Fuzzoodle combinations.  Just pick a Fuzzoodle Noodle, add some parts and pieces, and start creating.  Includes: 22 Fuzzoodles, 26 Fuzzoodle parts, and an idea guide.
Awards: 2010 Parenting Magazine Toy of the Year Award

Kids can create over 300 different color combinations with this set of Blendy Pens.  Just insert any 2 Blendy Pens into the fusion chamber, and click, twist, fuse.  Includes 12 original Blendy Pens, 12 Magic Blendy Pens, and 10 mini Blendy Pens, PLUS 20 bonus Surprise Art posters. Launch date: October 2011.

ArtiSands Flowers Mini Kit includes nine shakers of sand and eight pre-cut Sandesigns.

The new SmArt Studio 3D Shrinky Dinks Build-a-bot kit comes with 10 Shrinky Dinks Sheets and tracing sheets. Just follow the easy to use illustrated instructions and kids will be making their own  3D robots in no time in no time- up to 3000 combinations are possible. Smart Studios Shrinky Dinks are 100% Made in America. "These are the only Shrinky Dinks on the market that teach kids how to make real 3D figures," Andrew Tober, Director of Creative Development at BSW Toy, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.

The new SmArt Studio 3D Shrinky Dinks Pirates kit comes with 10 Shrinky Dinks Sheets and tracing sheets. Just follow the easy to use illustrated instructions and kids will be making their own 3D armada in no time. Smart Studios Shrinky Dinks are 100% Made in America. "These are the only Shrinky Dinks on the market that teach kids how to make real 3D figures," Andrew Tober, Director of Creative Development at BSW Toy, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.

Create locomotives, trains stations, train tracks and more. The new SmArt Studio 3D Shrinky Dinks Trains & Tracks kit comes with 10 Shrinky Dinks Sheets and tracing sheets. Just follow the easy to use illustrated instructions and kids will be making their own 3D train station in no time. Smart Studios Shrinky Dinks are 100% Made in America. "These are the only Shrinky Dinks on the market that teach kids how to make real 3D figures," Andrew Tober, Director of Creative Development at BSW Toy, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2011.

Bubber, the award-winning and lightest modeling compound on earth! This easy-to-use product feels great in your hands, and since it is so lightweight, you can mold just about anything. Bubber is a super-soft compound that leaves clean, sharp lines and takes amazing imprints. Bubber is non-toxic, leaves no stain or residue and never dries out, so you can play with it over and over. It is great for developing fine motor skills! Bubber is available in six beautiful colors.
Awards: ASTRA’s Best Toys For Kids - Creative Play; Creative Child Magazine Toy of the Year; Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products

These three-dimensional Sticker Town boxes are just right for that special childhood occasion. Each one of the five different Sticker Town boxes contains 4 strips of coordinating stickers. 2” x 2” x 3”. Point of Purchase display box with 20 Sticker Town boxes – 11” x 9” x 11”.

Three captivating, colorful activity sets insure hours of fun and imaginative play for kids. Each one of the different 3-D, thick stickers can be used over and over again. The activity set folds out into a reusable play board with a ‘match and learn’ interior storage area. Great for travel. 10 ¼” x 9 ¼”.

4ct. Washable finger paint set in primary colors. Bold colors formulated to wash esily from skin and clothing. Red, blue yellow and green.
— As of 06/08/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars from 28 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Washes off very easily, even after dry; squeeze top bottle is good for use with younger children; No reviews below 3 stars. Cons: Smells bad; washes off hard surfaces easily but may stain some clothing.

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.

Each pack of Twisty Stix Scented Erasers comes with four fragrant Twistys. There are six different scents to choose from, each with bright colors and a design on both ends. Scents include grape, watermelon, apple, banana, peach and strawberry. These unique erasers will last longer than other erasers- they are 6.5"" long, almost the same length as a standard pencil.

This set includes 60 Crayons, 24 color pencils, 24 oil paint tubes, 24 watercolor cakes, 3 mixing pallets, 2 sketch pencils, 2 paint brushes, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 eraser, and 1 wood carrying case with drawer. This set includes everything needed to satisfy any budding artist. This item is notable for "The quantity and quality of the products used for the price. This set also includes a drawer for greater aesthetics and functionality," Alisha Kennedy, sales coordinator at Art 101, told TDmonthly.

This pine bird feeder kit includes four paint pots, 5" brush and a chain for hanging. Birdseed not included. When kids have completed their creation, they can fill it with seed and set it outside for bird-watching fun.
— Michelle Bears, owner of The Toy Store in Highlands, N.C., told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that she sells 30 of these bird feeders each month.
— As of 05/20/2011 this product had 2 out of 5 stars from 1 review on Amazon.com. Pros: Fun to paint. Cons: The opening at the bottom of the feeder is too large, so too much seed spills out of the tray.

52 count bucket of sidewalk chalk in assorted colors. Sidewalk chalk features new crayon shape, embossed with Crayola logo and serpentine design. Clear storage bucket with purple handle for take along fun. To reduce breakage & dust, sticks will be shrink wrapped in 4 sets of 9 and 2 sets of 8.
— As of 05/20/2011 this product had 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com from 12 reviews. Cons: Breaks easily; the blue chalk can stain concrete. Pros: Great value; the chalk lasts a really long time as long as it doesn't get wet.

This magnetic board allows kids to draw designs using a plastic stylus that is attached to the board, making it an ideal travel toy. There is no paper or art supplies to clean up, and the attached stylus stays with the board at all times. This mini scribbler comes with thick and thin chunky pen, two pattern stamps and a "magic" wiper.

Kids can draw on this magnetic board with no big messes. The magnetic stylus reveals bright colors when used to draw on the magnet board. Board comes with stylus and two shaped stamps. Frame is 12 x 9 inches and features a 7.5 x 5.25 inch drawing surface.

Filled with premium artist quality Faber-Castell materials, this portable art studio is the perfect gift for young artists on the go. This 34 piece set includes Faber-Castell pastels, markers, chalk, a white board marker, colored pencils, a pencil sharpener, a sponge and a drawing pad. Multi-functional surfaces include: a chalkboard, white board and a drawing easel. Designed with storage in mind, all of the materials fit neatly inside when not in use.
Awards: Dr. Toy Best Product Winner; National Parenting Center Seal of Approval 2009

Kids can play games, create art, or just keep gear within easy reach with a portable, adjustable, mobile play center and organizer. Attaches to the rear of the car's front seat and folds down for easy access to supplies. Fold and zip up when finished. The perfect bag for travel. Measures 14'W x 12'H x 3'D.

This edible fingerpaint was created in 2007 with babies in mind, adhering to baby safe ingredients which are organic. The paint is also vegan, wheat-free, sugar-free, and contains no preservatives. Babies and toddlers can start expressing themselves artistically earlier, without parents having to worry about them ingesting harmful chemicals and dyes. Fantastic Finger Paints come in 5 colors. Purple/Blue with REAL blueberries, Red/Pink with REAL beets, Orange & Yellow with REAL pumpkin and green with REAL spinach. CPSIA Compliant. Made from Organic Fruit & Vegetable powders, rice cereal and rice flour. Paints come in 6 oz. convenient tottle bottles which have powder in them. Just add the water, shake and create. Makes over 12 oz. of paint per bottle (refill bottle with water and get more paint). Must be refrigerated after water is added.
Awards: A Dr. Toy Best Green Product for 2011; TDmonthly Top Toy Award, June 2011
— Why it won: This paint is extremely eco-friendly, and encourages parents to introduce their children to art and painting as soon as possible, without having to worry about their child being harmed by ingesting the chemicals in non-organic, non-plant based paints. This means kids can start learning forms of creative expression from a younger age.

These pencils are designed for children to use at home and in school: 33% thicker leads than regular colored pencils; 4mm lead is encased in a standard size barrel. Thicker lead means longer lasting pencils and smooth, rich color lay down. Leads are 20% more break resistant. New formula is stronger and has more pigment for brighter colors and easier blending. Leads will not fall out - SV-bonding means leads are glued the entire length of the barrel and glue is double applied for further reinforcement. 40% easier to sharpen - New radial cutting of wood slats aligns the wood grain for easier sharpening. Ergonomic - Triangular shape is easier to hold and gives better control and pencils will not roll. Eco-Friendly and Non-toxic - Pencils are made from reforested wood preserving natural forests and conforms to ASTM D-4236.