November 2008 Notable Toys — School Supplies

Disguised as a clown, this set is composed of a pencil, a pencil sharpener, and an eraser.

These backpacks take the image of either a dog, frog, or pig on its design. With playfulness in mind, these colorful backpacks are water resistant and simplistic.

These non-toxic oil pastels come in ocean-themed packaging decorated with bright fish and other sea creatures.

This interactive cloth wall chart helps children learn about a subject that fascinates them — the human body. The hanging activity center comes with 16 soft, stuffed, self-sticking organs, and 15 embroidered labels, for hours of science fun. Children love to play with the beautifully detailed, self-checking pieces as they learn about the organs and where they are located in the body. It includes a giant cloth charge (38.5” x 19.5”) with grommets, 16 self-stick organs, 15 self-stick labels and an activity guide. Launch date: January 31, 2008.

The Fossils Collection includes nine different fossils in a handy storage tray, an informational guide, a four-color insert card of photographed fossils, and a die-cut sheet of circle labels for the fossils. Fossils included are brachiopod, bryozoa, crinoid stem, gastropod, colony coral, ammonite, shark's tooth, fossil fern and petrified wood. Launch date: January 31, 2008.

Marko the Pencil shows students how easy it can be to understand and remember science concepts. They can learn about the solar system, weather, water cycle, geology, properties of minerals, volcanoes, plate tectonics, weathering, topography, erosion, energy resources and energy conservation. The approximately 58-minute DVD is an excellent preparation tool for any earth science tests and meets National Science Education Standards. Launch date: October 2008.

Boogie Wipes are the first and only saline-enhanced wipes designed especially for kids’ runny noses. Developed by moms searching for a better way to wipe, Boogie Wipes combine pediatrician-recommended saline with a soft, sterile, moisturizing cloth strong enough to handle the tough job of baby boogies – better known as mucous. They are extra soft, hypoallergenic, alcohol-free and gentle enough for all ages. Boogie Wipes were named as a finalist for the 2008 Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) Innovation Awards. "Saline is the No. 1 way pediatricians recommend treating kids’ stuffy noses, but they hate the process of squirting it up their up their noses," Mindee Doney, director of marketing and product development at Little Busy Bodies, told TDmonthly. "Adding it to the wipe makes it easier to remove stuck-on mucous and the added moisturizers (Vitamin E and aloe) prevent chapping." Launch date: December 1, 2007.

This child-sized water bottle has a connected twist-on top and a “North Pole, Alaska” snowy pole design. It makes a great stocking stuffer when filled with treats or special goodies. Launch date: 2005.
— The custom water bottle is a best-selling item at Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, according to Operations Manager Susan Miller.

This child-sized custom metal lunch box makes a great gift container. It includes a photo of Santa writing a letter on one side, and says “Santa Claus House” on the other. Launch date: 2005.
— It’s a best-selling item at Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, according to Operations Manager Susan Miller.

Measuring is more fun than ever with these brightly painted wooden rulers. Six styles available: Monkeys Rule!, Ladybugs Rule!, Poodles Rule!, Dinos Rule!, Kids Rule! and Teachers Rule! "The colors are great and the measurements are easy to see," said John Gallagher, manager of Rich Frog. Launch date: 2007

These scissors come in two adorable varieties. One cuts zig-zags and the other cuts waves. They are distinctive in the market because they're "durable and in very bright colors," Manager John Gallagher of Rich Frog Industries told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2004.

Six No. 2 pencils come in a box covered with quotes about art from famous artists. The product is made in the USA. Launch date: 1999.

These 12” wooden rulers have inches on one side and chronologies of famous people on the other. Twenty six styles are available, and all are made in the USA. Launch date: May 1994.

Trampoline®’s colorful posters featuring theme-based Spanish vocabulary and phonetic pronunciations can be used to complement a Spanish program. Posters come in 23 themes, including Alphabet, Days of the Week, Months of the Year, Shapes, The House, Transportation, Numbers 1-20, Numbers 21-100, Opposites 1 and 2, Colors, Parts of the Classroom, School Supplies, Family, Food, Fruit, Vegetables, My Body (1) – The Face, My Body (2) – The Body, Clothing, Weather, Animals (1) – Farm/Pets and Animals (2) – Zoo. "Spanish words with phonetic spellings make second language acquisition a possibility in ANY classroom," Angelica J. Menefee, president of Trampoline Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 30, 2008.

This workbook covers repeated addition, skip counting, multiplication facts to 10 x 10, the inverse relationship of multiplication and division, commutative property of multiplication, identity property of multiplication, zero property of multiplication, and patterns and sequencing. "Just like our popular pre-school workbooks, Kumon Math Workbooks are based on the Kumon Method, a learning system designed to help each child reach his or her full learning potential. These workbooks are also correlated to state and national standards in order to ensure that the content is appropriate for your child," Adam Hennessy, in marketing and account management for Kumon Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 14, 2008.
— Though educational books are not a top seller in his store (he only sells about 12 per month), Kumon is the top line, said  Steven Levy, owner of Toy City in Keene, N.H.
— Gregory Sahagian, owner of Learning Express of Beverly in Beverly, Mass., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2012 survey that they sell 4-5 dozen Kumon books each month, making them one of their top-2 best selling educational products.

This book covers, counting, reading, writing and ordering numbers to 120, addition sums beyond 30, and patterns and sequencing, helping children to understand the whole number system. "While other workbooks try to cover a wide range of topics in each book, Kumon Math Workbooks tackle one skill set per book. We believe having one specific goal helps children focus on mastering one skill completely," Adam Hennessy, in marketing and account management for Kumon Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 15, 2008.

These write and wipe flash cards will help children learn to write their uppercase ABCs. Each card features the outline of a letter on one side with proper stroke order noted, and a picture and word illustrating the letter on the other. A dry-erase marker is included so children can write and erase letters over and over. "There are very few, if any, dry-erase flash cards on the market. The thick cardboard and their re-usability makes them a very solid investment for parents, as a single set can be used for multiple children," Adam Hennessy, in marketing and account management for Kumon Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 14, 2006.

These extra large and thick write and wipe flash cards allow children to count abstract objects (dots) and identify them with a numeral. Using a dry-erase marker and following the strokes in order as they are outlined on the card, children will learn not only how to count, but also how to write the numbers 1-30. "There are very few, if any, dry-erase flash cards on the market. The thick cardboard and their re-usability makes them a very solid investment for parents, as a single set can be used for multiple children," Adam Hennessy, in marketing and account management for Kumon Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 14, 2006.

The most informative calendar one will ever own, The 2009 Learning Calendar presents 17 full months of history and trivia that make learning fun. Two major themes abound, with Innovations, Inventions & Ideas, plus Best-Loved Toys. Science, geography, landmarks, sports, presidents, weather, music and more are sprinkled throughout. Large-size images, fascinating details, and time-capsule activities keep kids coming back to learn something new every day. "It's the most all-emcompassing collection of history available in one easily-accessible resource. [It] truly provides a 'mini' well-rounded education in every detailed date for more than a full year of excitement in learning," Shannon Wallingford of Fat Brain Toy Co. told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2008.

This colorful DVD shows how to write all "contemporary cursive" upper and lowercase letters in cursive, tips to remember letter connections, reminders on correct pencil grips and posture, and colorful graphics to not only show how the letters are written but to introduce cursive sight words to help children learn to read cursive writing. The DVD has received the following awards: 2008 Toy Man Seal of Approval and Editor's Choice Award, Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2008, 2008 Parents' Choice Approved Award, and 2008 Preferred Product Award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: Summer 2008.

This nationally acclaimed DVD, teaches children to write upper and lowercase manuscript letters on lined paper, teaches ways to remember the proper pencil grip, introduces the children to letter sounds and 100+ sight words to develop early reading skills, and even provides tips on how to avoid letter reversals! It includes fun drawing breaks using letters to keep kids interested.

Fitness and nutrition go hand in hand, and this CD offers both. Guided daily workout routines — warm up, aerobic exercise, cool down and brain-based moves to promote learning — are followed by fun and movtivating songs to help children make healthy food and lifestyle choices. Launch date: August 22, 2008.

Barker Creek's 4" Letter Pop-Outs are available in seven exciting designs that coordinate with Barker Creek's full line of classroom decor products. Each Letter Pop-Out set includes upper and lowercase letters, punctuation marks and numbers. The bright, hip designs appeal to all ages and can also be used for making eye-catching report covers, science project displays, scrapbooks, 4-H projects and more. Launch date: April 2008.

Bright colored and educational, this space-themed lunchbox from Crocodile Creek features a full-color illustration of the solar system on the zippered front pouch. The planets are named in large print on the lunch box's edge. Measuring 10" W x 7.5" H x 3" D, it can be hand washed in warm water with mild soap.
— “The best-selling is probably lunch boxes,” said Gwen Bowden, manager of Doodlehopper For Kids in Springfield, Va., when asked about top-selling school supplies in July 2008.
— Of 68 retailers surveyed, 7 percent named lunch boxes as their best-selling school supply item.
— “The new pocket in the front of the lunch boxes gives kids a great place for their silverware or their snacks, and parents like them because they can be easily wiped clean, they are free from PVC and phthalates, and … they conform to all U.S. and European safety standards,” Crocodile Creek’s Northwest sales representative, Jeff Saad, told TDmonthly.