November 2010 Notable Toys — Pretend Play

Contents include:  Sixty finger-puppet cards featuring Shakespeare's most famous characters, including Hamlet, Lady Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, Shylock, and Falstaff.   Twelve stand-up sets of castles, forests, balconies, and battlefields.  A 96-page "folio" of classic scenes—from Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy to Romeo and Juliet's classic balcony serenade.  Once you've finished staging the Bard's entire canon, you can mix and match masterpuppets to produce your own Shakespearean mash-ups. Perhaps your Romeo will fall in love with Lady Macbeth.

Adorable Activity Gym with oversized, round mat surface has soft linen and patterned arches, includes a Tummy Time pillow and offers 17+ developmental activities.

This Busy Time Activity Center is the result of a collaboration between Parents, America's foremost family magazine, and Manhattan Toy. This lovely, wooden activity center looks as much like a sleek piece of furniture as it does a developmental toy, and every surface provides a different stimulating world to explore. The colorful bead maze builds motor skills and eye hand coordination; the xylophone teaches cause and effect, promotes a love of music, and provides auditory stimulation; colorful, lettered pockets with drop-in objects promote eye/hand coordination and accompanies kids on the road to literacy; and turning knobs and spinning balls capture babies' sense of wonder and imaginations.

This sturdy but stylish durable wood cart is brimming with built-in activities, lots of storage space in the heavy nylon pocket, and an anti-tip braking function for beginning walkers. Colorful bead-bars, chunky wood shapes with sorter, and space for teddy bears and toys make this a hands-on favorite for years.

Lift your child’s creativity to new heights with Color Blanks. Color Blanks allow your child to engage in creative fun by designing their own plastic haracters using stickers, mini markers and more. Using a blank canvas, you child can create their
character, play with it or display. This activity set features one or two collectable, poseable, plastic figures, various colorful stickers and mini markers.

Based on the movie Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue, Thomas and James must travel through the mysterious mountains of Misty Island. Build and rebuild to new heights as Thomas and James race on unfamiliar tracks from sea level to high up in the mountains.  Take Thomas and James through eerie tunnels to get to their destination. This set includes fun accessories such as a lake break-through barricades and rock slides.

This multi-dimensional playset allows little pirates to sail about the Seven Seas with a pull-along pirate ship that plays a magical buccaneer tune. It also transforms into a secret pirate hideout when the crew needs shore leave and to hide treasure from other brigands. The secret quick-release trap door keeps the treasure safe from thieves; as they step on the floorboard, it quickly releases and sends the brigands tumbling down to a holding cell. With all of the accessories a little buccaneer could ever ask for: a catchy tune, a crew, a real working cannon, a friendly shark and a treasure chest, the Pull-Along Musical Pirate Ship offers many options for hours of adventure and fun for your little captain.

This product projects 24 images on your wall or ceiling, and includes exclusive images of Clone Wars vehicles with a synchronized audio tour narration on CD.  Also features bright, clear projection with a focus dial, narration by Captain Rex.  Dimensions: Length: 8.5 "; Height: 6.0 "; Width: 8.5".   Product Weight: 2.0 Lb.
  — As of 10.25.10, this product was listed in the top 30 best-selling toys and games on Target.com.

Features include doors to open, friends to find beautifully illustrated animals from A to Z, loopty-loo routes for you to wind through, zigzag paths to race up and down, spinners to spin, and a beautiful display box with gift tag.
 —  As of 10.25.10, this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 20 reviews on Target.com and was listed in the top 30 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Durable and fun for infants and toddlers.

The New Loving Family Grand Dollhouse has a new design and an all-new unique fold feature, which allows the dollhouse to fold up for convenient storage.  Features include eight rooms that are deeper and wider for 20% more playable space, stairs to the second floor, mom, dad, twin babies, a complete dining room set, and a patio table with adjustable umbrella and two chairs.  Product box dimensions - inches(LxWxH): 15.875 x 9 x 23.375.  Fisher-Price Loving Mini-Van included in bundle.
— As of 10.25.10, this product was rated #1 in Walmart's Dollhouses and Furniture.

With the Imaginext Disney/Pixar Toy Story 3 Tri-County Landfill, you can open the furnace, spin the sorter and pick up figures and drop them to safety with the crane arm. The conveyor belt even carries junk to the furnace. It's a whole new adventure every time you play.  It also features three characters from the movie: Lotso, Buzz, and Three Little Green Aliens.
— As of 10.25.2010, this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 18 reviews on ToysRUs.com and this product was listed No. 15 in ToysRUs.com's best-selling toys.  PROS: Fun, easy assembly, durable  CONS: Parts often fall off.

Product features include five activation points in all, so kids can help the caped crusader complete his missions and save the day.  Kids can turn the figure to raise and lower the elevator, and open the portal.  Or they can press the button to launch the grappling hook.  Product folds for easy storage.  Playset is approximately 21 inches long x 6 inches wide x 16 inches high.
— As of 10.25.2010, this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 209 reviews on ToysRUs.com and this product was listed No. 7 in ToysRUs.com's best-selling toys. PROS: Durable, good for range of ages, encourages sharing  CONS: Gates won't close with all pieces inside.

The Melissa & Doug Wooden Slice and Bake Cookie Set lets children ages three and up pretend to bake, decorate, and serve cookies, all while practicing fine motor skills, learning number concepts, and more. The set includes a dozen wooden cookies, a dozen wooden decorating pieces, and toy wooden kitchen utensils.
— As of 10.25.2010, this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 81 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 22 on the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS:  Durable and fun.  CONS:  Recalled in Canada for barium in the paint.
— The Slice and Bake Cookie Set was one of only two wooden items that sells well for Tracie Meadows, owner of Whippersnappers on St. Simons Island, Ga.

This makes a great costume from the movie Toy Story.  Product includes set of inflatable vinyl wings.
—As of 10.25.2010, this product had 3 out of 5 stars from 19 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 3 on the top 100 best-selling toys and games. PROS: Good costume. CONS: Can leak air.

The Folkmanis turtleneck turtle puppet has a moveable mouth and two front legs.  It is 12 inches tall, 8 inches wide and 5 inches long (30.5 x 20.3 x 12.7 cm). This cute green turtle has a gray/green shell and a yellow turtle neck and underneath.

Features 14 distinct, real tools, with safety helmet included.

Made especially for Arab countries, Brickadoo has designed an extra large kit for this market segment, which is the Arab Mosque.  Brickadoo's water-soluble cement is an extremely safe and convenient adhesive. Safe because it is made from rice and contains no gluten. Convenient because the bricks stuck together with it quickly come apart when the structure is immersed in water.

The box contains two buildings: a farmhouse and a stable, but also includes the fencing and entrance gate.  Now that two horses have also been added to the set, this has become a great building and play set for kids. Using their imagination, girls and boys can expand their Brickadoo Cities with this set.

A push toy with lots of pretend possibilities.  This mower is designed for true walkers.  It is not weighted for toddlers that are looking for something to hold onto.  This is a prop that makes a pleasing sound when it's pushed.  The top of the mower comes off and doubles as a leaf blower. It has a crank and a see-thru window so that you can see the parts move. Not difficult to put together.
Awards:  Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Platinum, 2010.

A gender free red, white, and blue shopping cart. Scaled perfectly for toddlers and preschoolers. This is a favorite piece of equipment for pretend play. It can hold a doll, bear or other soft toy in the usual up front place. It has an open basket that is easy to load as well as a lower shelf for big items. The top basket has no openings for small items to fall through.
Awards:  Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Platinum, 2010.

This 15 piece tin tea set that comes with a wind-up tea pot.  Wind it up and then pour--it plays "I'm a Little Tea Pot".  The set comes with the tea pot, four plates, four cups and saucers and a tray--just right for pretend tea parties.  No batteries are required to get the tea pot to play-it just winds up like a music box. 
Awards:  Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Platinum, 2010.

This is a talking pot that speaks when you put its lid on and off. Sometimes it says "on" or "off" or switches to "closed" or "open." Toss the toy veggies into the pot and use the big grey spoon and it adds stirring and mixing sounds along with little factoids about the foods.
Awards:  Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Platinum, 2010.

Here's a water table with a theme that is bound to appeal to kids who like playing pirates. One mom from toyportfolio.com said: "The fountain in the middle was a big hit! I also like that the pump automatically shuts off after a couple minutes--The button is very easy to operate on the pump. Both my 23 month old and 3 and half year old had no trouble with it! They loved all of the characters that came with it and enjoyed putting them in the boats and having them go down the slide. Clean-up was very easy! Just pop the plug out and empty."
Awards:  Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal, 2010.

This is a great new assortment of authentic battery-powered steam and diesel locomotives hauling a variety of cargo and passenger cars. Kids will love the large, sturdy size of these trains as well as the realistic lights and sounds. Also included are the top ten railroading fun facts on back of packaging.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010