August 2012 Notable Toys — General Toys

Look, see, play and score...a lot. Add cards to a grid, making sure that color, shape, and number are either all the same or all different across the line. Sounds easy but as the grid expands, so do the possibilities. Whoever sees the opportunities will seize the win. Iota – The pocket-sized game that’s big time fun. Launch date: September 2012.
Awards: 2012 Mensa Select
— In a Fall 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Iota was their best-selling card game.

A toy chest that will be treasured as much as the treasures it holds. A lizard and dragonfly accent this playful toy chest, made of birch veneer and finished in colorful lime green and orange stains. Wave-shaped lid is made of solid hardwood finished in green stain. Safety hinges and gap under the lid prevent little fingers from getting pinched. Larger than most toy boxes, this sturdy chest measures 32”L x 18”W x 17”H. Launch date: June 2000.
Awards: 2002 Pinnacle Award, ASFD "Best Children's Furniture Design"

Designing Star Magnetic all in one Locker Wallpaper kit comes with: 1 magnetic laser zebra printed pencil cup, 3 sheets of our fully magnetic laser zebra printed locker wallpaper, 1 Round Magnetic Gem Mirror, and 4 magnetic heart shaped clips. Our kit comes in 3 different laser printed colors — pink, purple, and silver.  Available in 3 color combinations: Purple zebra, Pink zebra, and Silver zebra designs. Launch date: June 2012.

Putty Peeps is a new kind of putty which has unique properties no other putty has. When the putty is played and heated from the warmth of your hands, it will act as a solid and can be stretched, shaped, squished, snapped and bounced. When the putty is left to rest it will immediately begin to take on a liquid form and will seem to melt like ice cream however the putty will not be wet or sticky.    In addition to the unique properties of the putty, Putty Peeps adds extra play value by providing high quality realistic color eyes. Children can insert the eyes into the putty to make the product come alive. Kids can now create countless Putty Peep friends to shape and twist them in their own unique ways, strengthening a child’s imagination  Putty Peeps include the following lines; Metallic color line (Red, Blue, Green, Purple and Silver). Glow in the Dark line (Glow Blue, Glow Green, and Glow Yellow). Heat Sensitive Color Changing line (Green to Yellow, Purple to Blue, Orange to Yellow, Purple to Pink). Launch date: February 2012.

Stand them up and knock them down. Make your domino Topplers tumble, swing, and wind along a colorful obstacle course track. Turn and connect the printed tracks to form over a hundred possible routes. Combine the tracks with plastic obstacle “stations” like bridges, teeter-totters, and slides. Use the kit to develop fine motor skills, exercise concentration and coordination, customize your own domino obstacle course, and build dexterity and creativity. The Topplers Domino Obstacle Course includes 100 Topplers, 21 printed tracks, and 8 obstacle stations. Launch date: September 2012.

The Play Clay Gift Pack includes 6 wonderfully scented Play Clay rolls in Blueberry Blast, Cherryberry, Pineapple Punch, Orange Sherbet, Grape Bubblegum, & Sour Green Apple. Made from organic ingredients, Play Clay is the dough that moms love because there's no crumbly mess or staining. Approx. 2 lbs.
Award: 2012 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award

Children's quartz watches feature: 3 Dimensional bands; some are teaching time dials, other have minute increments; Battery good for approximately 2 years (can be replaced); Bands are available in several hundred designs; Moving disc on dial.  "We have several hundred designs in stock including some that have teaching time dials," Ricky Wilhelm from Solo Time Ltd. told TDmonthly.
— Karen Laroche, manager of Kid's Ketch in Lews, Del., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2013 survey that they sell 15-20 Solo Time watches each month, making them a best-seller in the jewelry category.
— Shirley Reilly, owner of Let's Play in Hillsboro, Ore., told TDmonthly in an October 2014 survey that Solo Time watches were her store's best-selling jewelry and accessories item.

Make a seed blossom into a beautiful flower. This set includes all the tools kids need to build a flower: seed, soil, watering can, shovel, garden shears, stackable stems, 2 leaves, and 4 interchangeable flower petals. Launch date: August 2012.

These classic pull string tops are made of wood and painted with multicolored stripes. $24 for bucket of 12. Launch date: 2012.

Play with your favorite SpongeBob Squarepants™ characters in this 3in1 activity book. The activities include Magic Pen® Painting, Invisible Ink and Sticker Puzzles. The Special Pen reveals the invisibly printed pictures. The Special Pen also produces a rainbow of colors instantly. Unscramble the stickers to create a surprise picture. Each book includes 24 pages of fun, a special pen and 2 jumbled sticker puzzles.

Play and learn with your favorite Dora the Explorer™ characters. The activities include Magic Pen® Painting, Invisible Ink and Sticker Puzzles. The Special Pen reveals the invisibly printed pictures. The Special Pen also produces a rainbow of colors instantly. Unscramble the stickers to create a surprise picture.
Book 1: Each book includes 24 pages of fun and a special pen.
Book 2: Each book includes 24 pages of fun, a special pen and 2 jumbled sticker puzzles.

The Original Big Wheel Racer has a large 16” front wheel, a three-position “Grow with Me Seat” and sturdy plastic construction. Today’s kids can continue the tradition of Big Wheeling that previous generations grew up riding on, too.

This remote control helicoptecan be flown using an iPhone or Android app and includes a built-in camera that beams live feeds to the mobile device. "Spy" videos can also be recorded and uploaded to social networking sites.

A part of the company’s recently expanded "spy line," this role play toy includes a video camera operated by a remote control that enables kids to view their subjects from 250 feet away.

The multiple, award-winning 126-piece Superstructs™ Big Builder set provides everything you need to build detailed, hard working, construction vehicles. Build a working forklift, dump truck, crane, or utility truck with the enclosed step-by-step plans. And once you have mastered these, you can take them apart and use your imagination to build other great creations!

Each Crazy Cube comes with its own unique combination of shooter, marble and accessories to enhance game play. Every Crazy Cube comes with its own matching marble brain and collector card. Adding to the fun, the collector card doubles as a blocking wall or shooting target when combined with its included post.

Mini-collectible seashells that contain little "pets." The seashells are part of a larger universe of "play" that includes mermaid dolls and play sets. Fun for kids to collect, display, and trade with friends.

High-bounce Anti-Gravity Balls feature new Star Wars caricatures.

SqwowFish Collector Bank can be decorated with any soft ‘n squishy SqwishLand toys and helps kids save their pennies.

The Speed Stacks Competitor includes choice of any cup color, a Gen3 StackMat (Timer and Mat), the StackFast DVD and our Black Gear Bag for holding everything. peed Stacks® are specially designed high-tech Sport Stacking cups endorsed by the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) for competition. Speed Stacks are the only products approved for use in WSSA sanctioned events and each cup carries the official WSSA seal of approval.

A gentle alternative to rough-and-tumble playtime with fun-loving creatures that are not only specially designed, but also destined to "bounce back". Plush Cover, Machine Washable & Interchangeable. Charitable Donation to Wildlife Alliance. Stands 36" Tall When Inflated. Biodegradable, Free from BPA, Made in USA. Launch date: June 2012.

This line of retro stunt-show toys includes cars of three different colors. They can jump, do wheelies, and the driver figures come out to play. There's a human cannon ball for the play figures that can really be shot, and there are parachutes as well.

To begin, one card is randomly drawn from those not given to players. This is placed in the middle of the table, date-side up and is the starting point of a chronological line which will slowly be built by players. The first player then chooses one of their cards. If the player thinks that the invention on their card came before that of the initial card, the player places their card to the left of the initial card. The player's card is then turned date-side up. If the player was right, it remains on the table. Otherwise, the card is discarded and a new one must be drawn to replace it. Play proceeds clockwise. The more cards which are correctly played, the harder it is to correctly place new ones.
— In a February 2014 survey, Julie Steinbach, owner of Rainbow Toys in Falmouth, Maine, told TDmonthly that Timeline from Asmodee was a best-selling game at their store.
— David Stelzer, owner of Shananigans in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly in an October 2014 survey that Timeline was his store's best-selling tween item.
— In a February 2015 survey, two out of 11 retailers told TDmonthly that Timeline was their best-selling game.

Feeling the sand and moving it to expose the colors underneath stimulates the senses of young children. As their coordination improves, they will find new ways to manipulate the sand. Wooden sandbox comes with 3 tools and a clear acrylic bottom. Use the art on either side of the reversible lid, or your own art to create colorful pictures. Sandbox measures 16' x 12' x 2.75'.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys