October 2009 Notable Toys — Educational

This kit includes 24, 18" x 36" rectangle, 100-percent nylon scarves in a variety of colors, an Instructional/Informational Insert, and a durable, reusable plastic bag for storage. It is made in the USA. Launch date: 2008.

With six, 27" square, washable nylon scarves in purple, lavender, royal blue, medium blue, kelly green and lime green, this set also includes an instructional/informational insert and IDEAS Primary Music CD along with a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 2008.

With six, 27" square, washable nylon scarves, in red, pink, light pink, yellow, orange and peach, this set also includes an instructional/informational insert and IDEAS Primary Music CD along with a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 2008.

With six, 27" square, washable nylon scarves in lavender, medium blue, lime green, yellow, peach and pink, this set also includes an instructional/informational insert and IDEAS Primary Music CD along with a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 2008.

This pack includes six, 27" square, washable nylon scarves, one of each of the following colors: purple, royal blue, kelly green, yellow, orange and red. It also includes an instructional/informational insert and IDEAS Primary Music CD along with a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 2008.

This pack includes 12, 27" square scarves, two of each of the following color combinations: red, white and blue. It includes an instructional/informational insert and a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 1996.

This kit includes 12, 27" square scarves, two of each of the following color combinations: purple, lavender, royal blue, medium blue, kelly green and lime green. It includes an instructional/informational insert and a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. "Our scarf kits contain high quality, 100-percent washable nylon scarves in vibrant colors. ... we also provide durable and reusable plastic bags for storage as well as Velcro to hang the scarves in a special place, where they can be put away easily and beautifully," Rosanne Jessen, marketing associate for arts education IDEAS, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 1996.

The Alphabotz Superphonic Decoder Cards jumpstart beginning reading skills by building lasting associations between sounds and the letters that represent them. The cards include a variety of games and activities that are designed to promote vital early literacy skills such as phonemic awareness and are geared toward children of various skill levels, making this product both an educational tool and a toy. "The ALPHABOTZ personify sounds in the English language. They help children visualize and build lasting associations between sounds and the letters that represent them. The letter/letter team on a character's chest and the icon on its head serve as constant visual reinforcements for the sound that is represented by that character," Nicole Sigsby, principal of Ideopolis LLC, told TDmonthly. Awards: 2009 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award in the Educational Products Category; iParenting Media; Mom's Choice; Tillywig Brain Child; and Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2009; 2009 Family Choice Award; 2010 The Toy Man Seal of Approval, Award of Excellence and Editors Choice Award. Launch date: July 2009.
— "Just when you thought it was not possible, here is another fresh approach to letter recognition.  Developed by an educator, Alphabots are for children at all developmental levels.  Use the 46 robot character cards in one of 12 fun letter and sound games to improve phonemic awareness. I love Alphabotz!" Jennifer Shuman, of 1SmartNoodle, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

The mirascope utilizes concave mirrors to project 3-D images of an item placed inside. Kids can stick their finger right through the illusional image that appears.
— The 3-D Mirascope “always attracts people’s attention,” Mike Lane, manager of Hobbytown in Cumming, Ga., said in late summer 2009.
— The Wooden Toy in Wethersfield, Conn., sells about 20 per month of this item, David Ekwall told TDmonthly in 2009.

Consensus® Junior Edition is an educational and parent friendly game. It is well suited as a family game. Consensus® Junior Edition is a game about opinions. Consensus® Junior Edition is not a trivia game, nor is it a strategy game. It is a game that allows its participants to express themselves as individuals and/or as part of a group.It has received the following awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Products 2009; Dr. Toy 10 Best Socially Responsible Products 2009; Major Fun Award 2009; Tillywig Laugh Out Loud Award 2009; Creative Child Magazine: Game of the Year 2009; Family Review Center Gold Award 2009; and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2009.
— Bernie DeKoven (Major Fun) proclaims that Consensus Junior Edition “is as much a tool for family harmony as it is a game for family fun.” With gameplay similar to Apples to Apples, Consensus Junior Edition challenges players to choose the noun card they feel best fits the revealed adjective card. Players who are able to come to a consensus and choose successfully move ahead. Everyone’s opinion matters, no matter their age, and even kids below the recommended age of 8 can play with a little parental help.
— At Toy House and Baby Too in Jackson, Mich., Consensus Junior Edition is a best-selling game, Owner Phil Wrzesinski told TDmonthly in November 2009.

This educational card game is great for teens. Launch date: 2009.

In this book written by Linda Glaser and illustrated by Daniel Howarth, a lovable family of bunnies explores the traditions of Hanukkah, including the lighting of one candle on the menorah each night. Launch date: September 2009.

These bilingual puzzles teach children words in both English and Spanish. Varieties include "ABCs," "Addition and Subtraction" and "My Body." Launch date: 2009.

This kit includes 24, 18" x 18" square, 100-percent nylon scarves in a variety of colors, an instructional/informational insert, and a reusable plastic bag for storage. Launch date: 2008.

This set icludes three 9' x 9' square, 100-percent washable nylon scarf canopies, one each in red, white and blue, along with an instructional/informational insert and a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 1996.

This pack includes six, 27" square, 100-percent washable nylon scarves — two each of red, white and blue. It comes with an instructional/informational insert and the IDEAS Primary Music CD along with a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 2008.

In this game, players are Gypsies trying to earn as much gold as they can and bring it to the Big Gypsy Gathering. They need to finance the various festivities of weddings, baptisms, meetings, feasts and entertainment before border checkpoints are closed, preventing them from traveling and earning a living. Players have only two rounds of events to accomplish their goal of raising money for the Gathering. The game includes a 17" x 22" board, four movers and matching caravan cards, 26 colored wagons, 24 trades, 24 gold payments for trades, 56 events, and rules for regular and advanced games. In this cooperative game, individuals play together, not against one another. Launch date: August 2009.

This pack includes 12, 27" square scarves — two of each of the following colors: red, pink, light pink, yellow, orange and peach, and includes an instruction/informational insert and a reusable plastic hanging storage bag. Launch date: 1996.

Rocket Pockets features floating super balls and an inflatable, multi-color target that can be used in the pool, at the beach or in a back yard. It is designed for one to eight players and points are scored by landing the super balls in the colored pockets. The game may be used for birthday parties, ring toss, fun learning activities and, for adults, party pong and chipping golf balls. Each game includes one inflatable target, four floating balls, four non-floating super balls, a patch kit and instructions. It is "great for teaching hand and eye coordination, letter recognition and number recognition," Gary Hoskins, creator and inventor of Rocket Pockets, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2004.

Kids can explore the systems of the human body — skeletal, nervous, muscular, circulatory, urinary, respiratory and digestive systems — in this 52-minute DVD that meets National Science Education Standards. Created for grades 4 through 8, it also covers the five senses and offers a bonus segment on healthy nutrition, exercise and MyPyramid. Launch date: October 2009.

Led by D.J. Doc Roc, positive lyrics, cool rap music and high-energy action characterize this educational DVD. Sums up to 18 and differences from 18 are covered in these "add and subtract songs." This product was named one of Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2009. Launch date: August 25, 2009.

Kids can join the Banana Slug String Band in their rollicking concert and as they travel with a group of children to their favorite habitats. Mr. Dirt talks nutrition and fun food facts on the farm, Nature Man leads the way to the ancient redwoods, and Marine Mark holds class in the tide pools. "The catchy songs fit perfectly into teachers' lesson plans for topics including nutrition, ecology, and the water cycle," Monica Woelfel, administrator for Banana Slug String Band, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2006.

This 100-piece puzzle features bright artwork and three embedded gemstones. Launch date: 2009.

This apple-shaped pouched with a soft, zip-closed top includes 110 tiles with red capital letters that may be used to play three different games. In Appleletters, for two to six players ages 5 and up, players alternately add tiles to the first or last letter of a word in the middle of the table, creating a continuous "snake" of new words. Apple Turnover, for two to four players ages 7 and up, is similar to Appleletters. However, each player begins with 21 tiles instead of nine, and may actually replace an opponent's word with a longer word. The goal is to be the first player to get rid of tiles. In Applescore, for two to four players ages 7 and up, players build words as long as possible in crossword-like fashion and get bonus points for length, palindromes and going out first. Launch date: 2009.