October 2012 Notable Toys — Construction

It's time for the final showdown with the Vampyre. He has gathered all 6 moonstones at his castle and is about to cloak the world in darkness forever so that his followers can roam free for the rest of eternity. Will our heroes Dr. Rodney Rathbone and Jack McHammer survive the castle's hidden spikes and traps to disable the moonstone device? Or will the Vampyre's bride and the manbats throw them into the castle dungeon? You decide. Includes 6 minifigures: Rodney Rathbone, Jack McHammer, the Vampyre, the Vampyre's bride and 2 manbats.
— As of 10/26/2012 this product has 4.5 out of 5 stars from 12 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Lots of pieces (949); detailed minifigures, including some that glow in the dark; lots of details. Cons: Some reviews said this set was not as sturdy as other LEGO building sets.

Get Christmas off to a galactic start with the LEGO® Star Wars™ Advent Calendar. Featuring 24 gifts, including iconic starships, minifigures, and accessories, this great advent calendar is the perfect gift for Star Wars fans of any age. 234 pieces total.

This set consists of 6 blocks Goodwood deconstruction blocks are a new system of innovative wooden blocks, designed to invite real creative play. The beautiful, precisely crafted blocks are intentionally packaged without instructions or other prescriptive guidelines, in order to cultivate open-ended exploration. Unlike most modern toys, this puts the child in complete control of the child-toy relationship, and encourages them to come up with their own ways to play. The different shapes allow for building outwards in every dimension, and the creation of structures which are both architecturally and geometrically interesting, as well as visually pleasing. They are suitable as a construction toy for children, and increasingly popular as a desk toy for design-minded adults as well. The ever-growing goodwood system currently includes seven original designs. Each set is designed to be fun and interesting on its own, and to provide new features when combined with the other sets as well. All sets come with pieces in six vibrant colors (water-based acrylic paint), made from forest-friendly rubber wood, and CPSIA tested. Care has been taken to ensure that the product reflects responsible social and environmental decision-making, and the developer's website provides a mechanism for purchasing discounted sets for donation into orphanages and kindergartens in the developing world.

Goodwood deconstruction blocks are a new system of innovative wooden blocks, designed to invite real creative play. The beautiful, precisely crafted blocks are intentionally packaged without instructions or other prescriptive guidelines, in order to cultivate open-ended exploration. Unlike most modern toys, this puts the child in complete control of the child-toy relationship, and encourages them to come up with their own ways to play. The different shapes allow for building outwards in every dimension, and the creation of structures which are both architecturally and geometrically interesting, as well as visually pleasing. They are suitable as a construction toy for children, and increasingly popular as a desk toy for design-minded adults as well. The ever-growing goodwood system currently includes seven original designs. Each set is designed to be fun and interesting on its own, and to provide new features when combined with the other sets as well. All sets come with pieces in six vibrant colors (water-based acrylic paint), made from forest-friendly rubber wood, and CPSIA tested. Care has been taken to ensure that the product reflects responsible social and environmental decision-making, and the developer's website provides a mechanism for purchasing discounted sets for donation into orphanages and kindergartens in the developing world.

Using colorful strings as tracks, players will aim to outwit their opponents by taking control of the playing area by strategically placing stations throughout, collect points and build the most profitable railway network to win the game. Launch date: 2012.

Space Adventure Mini includes over 45 block pieces to create one space vehicle and one Cube Figure. The same blocks can also be reused to transform the space vehicle into another robot or vehicle. Launch date: April 2012.

The epic struggle between Batman and The Joker continues with LEGO's Batwing Battle Over Gotham City set. Easy-to-follow instructions and 278 building elements help kids create models of 2 cool vehicles: The Jokers helicopter and the Batwing, armed 2 flick missiles and bomb release function. Comes with lots of great extras, plus a comic book.

Little horse lovers will have a great time helping prepare for a horse show with a LEGO horse trailer set. Children can put mini doll Emma in her horse Robin's saddle to practice jumping. Or they can groom Robin for the big show with her brushes. Then, they'll transport the pair to the big competition in the realistic trailer. Kids will have a blast at playtime, helping Emma and Robin prepare for their big day.

Bring the dead to life with ZOMBIE Mods. Mod are removable and repositionable stickers designed to fit plastic bricks like LEGO® and MEGA BLOKS®. They go on easy and can be removed just as quick. No sticky mess...Mods won't leave ick on your brick. Create a zombie apocalypse, WWII missions, a Medieval castle and more. Includes 44 removable/repositionable stickers. Made in the USA.
Awards: 2012 Creative Child Magazine Product of the Year Award

Inspire younger minds with this great LEGO Duplo Bricks & More Brick Box - Pink (4623). Designed especially for young girls, this cute starter set features rabbits, carrots, flowers and an assortment of basic LEGO DUPLO bricks in both pink and classic DUPLO colors. Comes in a sturdy LEGO brick storage box and includes an inspirational idea booklet.

The perfect foundation for creative LEGO® DUPLO® play. Kids can start all of their LEGO® DUPLO® creations on the right foundation with 3 brightly colored Building Plates in different sizes.

These magnetic flower pieces can be assembled into beautiful blooms. Compatible with other SmartMax building sets.

This castle features a grand staircase and a lot of rooms. The tower has a secret hiding place, and inside the castle there is a revolving dance floor. Includes a jewelry box, tiara, bracelet and ring for the child. Dimensions: 29.5"x 28"x 26" (L x W x H).
— Grafton Stine, owner of Toys on the Square in Hummelstown, Pa., told TDmonthly in a June 2013 survey that Playmobil dollhouses and furnishings are their best-selling furniture item.

The Tinkertoy® Transit Building Set is designed to encourage young builders to play and learn. Builders ages 3+ can create a train, garage, bridge and more or accelerate their imagination with other ideas. The colorful guide provides a variety of ideas for all building skill levels. The Tinkertoy® Transit set includes 150 durable, plastic pieces including spools, straight rods, bendable rods, wheels, eyes, two buildable figures and more. Comes in a durable box with lid for easy storage and portability.

The Tinkertoy® Animals Building Set is designed to encourage young builders to play and learn. Builders ages 3+ can create a fish, turtle, mouse and other familiar creatures or let their imagination go wild to make their own creations. The colorful guide provides a variety of ideas for all building skill levels. The newly redesigned Tinkertoy® pieces snap together and stay together for long-lasting play. The Tinkertoy® Animals set includes 78 durable, plastic pieces including spools, straight rods, bendable rods, eyes, ears, a buildable figure and more. Comes in a durable box with lid for easy storage and portability.

Kids of all ages can experience traditional holiday fun with the Fisher-Price GeoTrax Christmas Train. The train features working lights in each of the cars and automatically activates lights in the mini-sites as it passes. There are 2 moveable street lights, a bridge that plays holiday music, and a skating rink with spot lights. The Easy-Rail Station lighted features include: a 3-faced clock tower, 2 lamps, 2 street lights, and station windows. Pull into the station to unload passengers and listen as they are welcomed by a fun holiday tune. The station's lights and music can also be activated by pressing the button on the clock tower or either of 2 buttons on the track. This cool set includes 16 pieces of durable, Snap-Lock track, holiday decor that snaps onto the guard rails, street lamps, a bridge, a station, and signs that can be placed throughout the set. Compatible with other GeoTrax train sets.

Deck the halls with buildable cheer. Hang some holiday cheer anywhere with the LEGO Holiday Wreath (30028). Interlock the textured green bricks for a perfect circle adorned with red "holly" studs and 2 bells. Measures over 3" (7cm) wide and 3" (7cm) tall. Contains 50 pieces.

This new set of Smarcks Smart Blocks has 70 standard building blocks and four new smarter talking blocks. Each new Smart Block uses a higher capacity microprocessor and is equivalent to three of the original; so four blocks in this new set is equivalent to having 12 of the original. The new blocks have been programmed with a new progressive learning function to enable children, as they get older, to play differently as the blocks are programmed to react differently. Very young children can press the buttons in the blocks or stack them one block at a time. This is a discovery stage as they sing, play nursery rhymes, play sound effects, laugh, and talk about color and good manners. As children develop fine motor skills they begin to stack two blocks at a time. Play moves to a higher level as they sing nursery rhymes, like Old MacDonald, with 7 different animals and learn spelling, counting, math, and puzzle solving providing years of entertainment and learning.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys

Gibout Blocks are each hand-made with the most luxurious minky fabric available, and all sides are textured to stimulate a child's senses. These plush toy blocks are great for building, stacking, making forts, climbing on, making furniture, and whatever else a young mind can imagine. Until baby is old enough to stack and play with them, these work as nursery decor. With their soft interior and exterior, these blocks are safe for any age and will grow with  children as he/she finds new ways to play with them.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys

The LaQ Dinosaur T-REX is a clever and creative 4-in-1 kit with 300 standard parts, and 4 specialized parts. Build a ferocious looking T-REX searching for its prey, or an Ankylosaurus, Deinonychus, or Pteranodon. Clear instructions to make each of the dinosaur models are offered in a colorful 24-page instruction guidebook. A Starter’s Model building instruction page is included for beginners. This is a very simple, yet highly creative construction toy block set, which offers an infinite possibility of creation from just 7 types of block parts, including 2 types of base parts and 5 types of joint parts.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys

This set comes with a large tray and footing in which kids build the structure. The tray measures approximately 10 inches by 16 inches by 3 inches deep. The tray and the footing are both white. The footing has a grid of 12 holes for columns (4 x 3 configuration). Build the structure using the footing in the tray for the base, place the submersible pump in the tray, add water until it completely covers the inlet on the pump, and then enjoy reconfiguring the pipes, opening and closing valves and watching the action. When one takes the set down, all the parts pack into the tray, the plastic lid snaps on and it can be safely stored away for future use.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys

Meet the OgoBILD BITs. Part of the OgoBILD construction line, the BITs are flexible, secure and safe to play with. With imagination, the BITs come alive and are seeking adventure. Launch date: 2012.

You don’t have to be an engineer to create with nanoblock. With these micro-sized building blocks, 3D structures are constructed like never before. Watch as the beautiful Lady Liberty takes shape with over 700 assorted size and colored pieces. Includes detailed color instructions. Launch date: September 2012.
— As of 10/01/2012 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 1 review on Amazon.com.
— Joe Berardoni Jr., owner of Puns Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2012 survey that nanoblocks are one of their top selling hobby items.
— Rebecca Goblish, owner of Picayune Toys in Dunwoody, Ga., told TDmonthly in a May 2013 survey that for older kids, nanoblocks were her best-selling construction toy.
Awards: 2015 TDmonthly Magazine Top Toy Award

Leonardo da Vinci improved upon the already-established catapult design when he introduced his own vision the the age-old military launching device. This design uses a double leaf spring to produce a great deal of energy in order to propel stone projectiles or flammable materials over large distances. A hand crank on the side of the catapult was used to load the spring. The scientific genius of Leonardo da Vinci is brought to life through these 10 articulated models. The inventions that inspired these snap-together replicas are taken from the pages of Da Vinci’s priceless and awe-inspiring notebooks. All models are made of plastic and require no special tools. Manuals are very educational and teach how these inventions have evolved into what they are today.
— Priscilla Moore, owner of Mr. Fub’s Party/Toys and More in Yellow Springs, Oh., told TDmonthly in a late Summer 2012 survey that this catapult is one of their best selling Science toys.