August 2009 Notable Toys — Arts & Crafts

Similar to the TravelKiddy for ages 6 plus but with activities selected for the younger user.  Designed to keep the young kids occupied during the long car rides and plane trips. Wipes, tissues and bandages are included in every TravelKiddy to take care of minor mishaps along the way.  Included also is a foam core board so there is a hard surface on which to color or do crafts.

Contains age appropriate crafts, stickers, activity books, 3-d puzzles, small toys, crayons in a durable container, doodle pad, pencil, tape measure, pre-stamped design-your-own post cards and more.  Each easy to carry, durable bag is designed to provide over 7 hours of entertainment. The return kit is separately packaged so the TravelKiddy can be refilled with new toys, crafts and activities for the trip home.

Packaged in a purple box, this craft set includes a mirror fit for royalty, stickers, gems that sparkle, and both craft and glitter glue.

Complete with photos, drawings, footnotes and diagrams, this guide boasts 300+ entries, including how-tos such as “How to Do a Wheelie” and “How to Really Annoy Your Older Sibling.” The book received a National Parenting Publications Gold Award.

An update on our classic Sticky Mosaics® Jewelry Box design, this product features a beautiful fairy and flowers to decorate it. It includes one numbered Jewelry Box and more than 1,000 sticky foam and jewel pieces. "While there are many other Jewelry Box kits on the market, ours stands above. Our easy to use number-to-color matching system creates perfect results every time, providing a child with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment," Damien Crocker, sales and marketing representative for The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2009.
—John MacDougall listed Sticky Mosaics as best sellers in his store, Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., in summer 2009.

Kids can create four fabulous designs with this kit, which includes numbered templates and a number-to-color matching legend designed to make it fun and simple. It comes with four templates, four wall hangers and more than 3,000 sticky foam and jewel pieces. "Our number-to-color matching system ensures a perfect picture every time. A child does not need to be artistic to create their own masterpiece to give as a gift or hang on their wall," Damien Crocker, sales and marketing representative for The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 15, 2009.

This kit is designed to make it easy to create six stunning tiaras with sparkling jewels and foam stickers. Ideal for birthdays, slumber parties or make-believe, the kit includes six tiaras and more than 1,000 sticky foam sparkle, foil and jewel pieces. "Twinkle Tiaras represent a new take on the make-believe market. It allows children to create their own tiara to help them rule over their very own magical kingdom. Not only does this product help promote creativity, but also provides a huge sense of accomplishment," Damien Crocker, sales and marketing representative for The Orb Factory Limited, told TDmonthly. Launch date: June 15, 2009.
— "[It's] great for a party activity or just [to] wear around the house," Elisabeth Dahl of Calico Cat Toy Shop in Bainbridge Island, Wash., told TDmonthly following the 2009 ASTRA trade show.

Just the right size for a variety of tiny treasures, jewelry or other extra-special keepsakes, this miniature craft kit from Melissa & Doug comes with four pots of paint, a brush, glitter, white glue, and glittering gems to decorate the lidded, heart-shaped box.
— “It's a party favor. A cute and fun activity,” Linda Rocco, owner of Gummy Lump Toys in Medford, N.Y., told TDmonthly when asked about top-selling activity kits in spring 2009.
— Seven of 49 retailers surveyed in April 2009 listed Melissa & Doug as a top-selling activity brand in their stores.
— Bill Sartain, owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah, told TDmonthly in a May 2014 survey that items from the Melissa & Doug "Decorate Your Own..." line are their best-selling activity kits.

With My Giant Busy Box, kids can craft and create with two frames, four animal punch outs, 10 colors of dough, two peel-and-stick tissue art pictures, plenty of tissue paper, and glue. All the supplies come in a handy storage box with an easy tote-along handle.
— “It's awesome,” said Vicki Davis, owner of Children's Prep in Atlanta, Ga. In an April 2009 survey of best-selling activity kits and playsets, Davis reported sales of about a dozen per month.
— About 10 percent of 49 retailers named Alex as a best-selling activity kit line in spring 2009.

Hear it crackle and feel it crinkle while you make animals, decorate frames and pencil cups, or roll it into a real bouncing ball. This special sculpting mix dries by itself, turning your idea into a fun work of art or keepsake. Foamfetti™ sticks to itself, to unfinished wood, and to paper. It’s easy to make all sorts of cool stuff with Foamfetti!

Includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, white, and black.

Hear it crackle and feel it crinkle while you make animals, decorate frames and pencil cups, or roll it into a real bouncing ball. This special sculpting mix dries by itself, turning your idea into a fun work of art or keepsake. Foamfetti™ sticks to itself, to unfinished wood, and to paper. It’s easy to make all sorts of cool stuff with Foamfetti!

Includes red, blue, yellow, green, and orange.

From Original Life-size Painted Ponies to best-selling books and figurines, The Trail of Painted Ponies have become the most beloved collectible in America. It is now our pleasure to let the sun shine across the country and around the world with The Trail of Painted Ponies Art Glass. Each Painted Ponies piece is hand-crafted with exquisite attention to detail and is a dazzling work-of-art. This art panel is 19.25"x14.25"

These colorful, non-toxic crayons do not need sharpening as they simply twist from the bottom to expose more crayon. The package measures 5.5” x 3” x 1”.
— The Hello Kitty brand is a consistent top seller at Melody’s Choices in Fayetteville, Ark., Owner Steve Melody told TDmonthly in April 2009.