October 2011 Notable Toys — Creative Activities

KooKoo Puzzles come in three different themes: Musical Animals, Flying, and Classic Fairytales. Each box comes with 5 different puzzles. Kids need a delicate hand and keen eye to place the puzzle cards together at the right angles to solve the puzzle and form a continuous image. The five sets of puzzle cards in each theme can be flipped over, and on the back there are different images to put together into one large 24-piece puzzle using all of the cards. Also available in a three-pack for $35.95.

Barbie and fashion are made to go together. Style and design clothing, accessory and beauty looks for Barbie with the Fashion Design Super Sketch Portfolio! Use the removable plastic stencils to trace the perfect clothing, accessories, and hair and make up looks. 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 your beautiful designs with the stickers included in the large spiral bound portfolio book. This sketch portfolio includes 40 Barbie formatted sketch pages featuring 5 different scenes, 4 removable plastic stencil sheets with 162 stencil designs, 164 stickers, and instructions. Launch date: 2011.

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.

Take the Lalaloopsy dolls on a day of imagination and fun! Each tin consists of 2 characters printed on the tin, activity card to be used on the tin and 1 sheet of magnets.

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.

Volcanoes are one of the most awesome forces found in nature. They can shoot rocks and gases miles into the air and their lava flows can outrace a speeding car.  Now kids can try that at home.  In this kit, everything is included to create a volcanic blast.  Volcano really explodes and lava flows, and the kit includes cool science that explains how volcanoes form and why they explode.  Volcano erupts up to 10 times. Launch date: August 2010.
— In a September 2011 survey, three out of 13 retailers said products from Scientific Explorer were their bestselling science & nature toys. Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Brynn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly that "Scientific Explorer's line features colorful, good sized boxes and some great titles."

With this kit, kids can investigate crime scene clues and learn about how science plays an important role in solving crimes.  They'll also learn how to make & match DNA, analyze mysterious fingerprints, decode secret messages, and more. Launch date: August 2011.

With this kit, kids can make gruesome fake cuts, burns, and bruises, just like in the movies, use tricks professional make up artists use, and learn the science behind the movie make up. Launch date: September 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.

Jurassicmorphs #14: Jurassicmorphs, new for 2011, is part of the Zoomorphs pop-together building system. The child can build animals that exist or have existed in nature; or easily pop the pieces apart to make all sorts of friendly, poseable fantasy creatures. There are six characters in this set:  Diplodocus, Pilosaur, Coelophysis, Rhamphorhyncus, Pterosaur and Triceratops All sets are interchangeable.  All animals have hinged jaws.  Also available: Junglemorphs #15. There are four characters in this set:  Tree Python, Bird of Paradise, Tiger and Tropical Beetle.  All sets are interchangeable.  Some animals have hinged jaws.
Awards: Family Fun TOY of the Year

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