December 2011 Notable Toys — All

Dedee bath organizer stores toys and other items, keeps bathtubs tidy and comes with tote bag for outdoor use. Launch date: March 2012.

A lightning fast shape and color recognition game for kids, families and gamers alike. In Ghost Blitz, five wooden items sit on the table waiting to be caught: a white ghost, a green bottle, a cute grey mouse, a blue book, and a comfortable red chair. Each card in the deck shows pictures of two objects, with one or both objects colored the wrong way. With all players playing at the same time, someone reveals a card, then players grab for the "right" object - but which object is right? The first player to grab the correct object keeps the card, then reveals the next card from the deck. If a player grabs the wrong object, she must discard one card previously collected. Once the card deck runs out, the game ends and whoever has collected the most cards wins. Launch date: 2011.
Awards: 2011 Deutscher Lernspielpreis "6 years and up" Nominee; 2011 Golden Geek Best Children's Board Game Nominee; 2011 Spiel des Jahres Recommended.

18 inch doll table and chairs. Quality crafted wood construction. The round table has Victorian double profile, baluster legs. The chairs are Amish Wheatback and  complement the table. Includes two chairs. "Our doll furniture is embellished with many of the same design elements that distinguish adult and children's quality furniture," Scott Cahill, CEO of Laurent Doll, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2011.

12 new cubes and new cards for the FauxCaublary Game. Launch date: February 2012.

216 new categories and an extra timer to add to kids' Word on the Street fun. "Word on the Street is great for spelling practice, but is also a party game," Leah Sugar, VP of marketing at Out of the Box Publishing, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2012.

Charmtastic is a jewelry line for young girls featuring bracelets and necklaces that can be personalized with clip-on charms. The charms are available in the following themes: Amazing Animals, Awesome Activities, Birth Stones, Bling, Incredible Icons, Tween Talk and Tween Treats. Offered at an affordable price, Charmtastic adheres to all safety standards. The Charmtastic 4-sided spinner offers a unique assortment of 80 charm styles and 6 bracelet styles. Janlynn also offers a 2-sided spinner. "The extensive charm options and affordable price points make Charmtastic highly collectible and accessible to young girls," Thomas J. Lonergan, executive vice president of the Janlynn Corporation, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2010.

eeBoo's Pom Poms are lovely to look at, incredibly soft, and as light as air. They come in packets of 36 fluffy bunches - 4 extra large, 4 large, 12 medium, and 12 small. Back label includes project ideas. "The perfect add-on or beginning to any arts and crafts project," Regina Gelin, sales & marketing manager at eeBoo, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2012.

Three of eeBoo's favorite illustrators - Kevin Hawkes, Lizzy Rockwell, and Melissa Sweet - share their love of art in this new collection of "How to Draw" Art Books. They begin with the Rockwell's intro "Learn to Draw Simple Forms in the Home & Garden"; followed by Sweet's "Drawing Book" and its clever ways of teaching children about form, light, and perspective; and finishing off with Hawkes' "Learn to Draw Animals" with his funny approach to drawing animals without fear. "Kevin Hawkes, Lizzy Rockwell, and Melissa Sweet are well-known children's illustrators who bring their love of drawing and design to these easy-to-follow instruction books," Regina Gelin, sales & marketing rep at eeBoo, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2012.

Sparkling crystals grow right before kids' eyes. Grow a collection of 13 sparkling crystal specimens in four colors: Emerald, Aquamarine, Citrine & Ruby. 5 Crystal Clusters; 4 Goedes; 4 Single Crystals.  Plus, kids will learn how to connect their own battery circuit. Contents: crystal growing chemicals, geode mold, casting plaster, crystal growing containers, lids, stirring rods, 48 page Space Age Crystals booklet, instructions, and a multicolor LED base.  Pack size: 17" x 11 ½" x 2 ¼". Launch date: September 2011.

The Kalista has a 4 position adjustable frame and a 4 position adjustable seat. The Kalista is a classic model that grows with a child. With the fixed front wheel the pedals will always rotate, which in turn will teach children the motion of pedaling, as well as build strong leg muscles. Launch date: March 2012.

Piperoid is a paper craft robot designed and produced in Japan. The robot is made out of just paper pipes with pre-drilled holes and marks to cut, fold, and connect the pipes without the need of glue or tape. All kids need is a pair of scissors, and with minimal assembly they can bring their own Piperoid to life. Launch date: April 2009.

Explore flights of fancy with five fantastical butterflies you build yourself. With this kit, kids get a close-up look at the fragile, fluttering creatures living in butterfly gardens. A one-of-a-kind tool allows kids to create oversized butterflies for their bedroom walls. "Wallscapes Butterflies includes a unique device that allows for 3D butterflies to be created easily by anyone. This interior decoration kit provides a social occasion to craft pretty, cheerful and fun projects that can be hung on a bedroom wall, placed inside a locker at school, or gifted to a friend," Nancy Storment, marketing & PR rep at SmartLab Toys, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 2012.

The Weplay Pedal Walker works like a quadricycle. It has two balancing pedals and one pair of detachable handrails. It allows a child to move forward by exerting their own body weight and distributing it across the pedals of the walker. For the more experienced user, the handrails can be removed to encourage higher levels of balance and coordination exercise. Dimensions: 15" x 20" x 22",  Pedal - 11" x 4". Weight  Limit: 110 lbs. Launch date: January 2010.

Steadily place the Weplay Up On Top on the head while standing or walking. According to different ability levels, the players can stack 2 or 3 on the head to create a balancing game. Dimensions: 6” x 6” x 5” (l x w x h). Contents: 1 each (Blue, Green, and Orange). Launch date: December 2011.

This Weplay Team Walker set includes 4 colorful pairs of walkers. Each walker set can be used alone or firmly locked together with the other sets to create a teamwork activity that enhances coordination and improves individual motion development. The adjustable rubber straps allows the item to fit the feet with ease. This item is wonderful for schools and daycare centers. It can be used indoors and outdoors.  Dimensions: 16" x 5" x 1". Maximum Weight: 177 lbs. per pair. Launch date: 2009.

The Weplay Rocking Bowl is a new addition to the Weplay family. This item allows kids to climb, hide, rock, and balance in a safe and inviting way. The wave designed edge provides children with areas to grab without the threat of being pinched. The patterned inside gives the product an anti-slip area and a visual focus. The bottom is designed with a smooth curve to allow the bowl to rock in all directions. The bowl is large enough for one to two children to play with it together. Maximum Weight: 88 lbs. "This bowl is large enough for two kids, and the scalloped edges and textured bottom make it safe!" Lynn Toves, marketing & sales rep for Wee Blossom, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2012.

This adventure kit comes included with all the necessary tools to explore the amazing world of Bugs 3D. The kit contains a 3D book, 3D cards, magic costume card, software and Popar Reader. Kids will have an unforgettable experience as they grow wings and watch their favorite bugs leap from the pages or cards. "Popar® Toys use Augmented Reality (AR) technology to create an immersive reading experience that will allow the user to see incredible virtually “real” 3D objects and animations that will pop off the book or card," Scott Jochim, President of Popar Toys, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2011.
Awards: 2012 Best of the Toy Fair - The View; 2012 National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval.

Watch the helicopter as it zooms around the tracks in this delightful interactive book. Pull back the helicopter, place it on the tracks and let it go. Launch date: January 2012.

Patented Limited Turn Radius reduces tipping. Patented Quik-Adjust frame to easily adjust the size to fit different aged children. Features Tubeless air tires on sealed ball bearings for a smooth and quiet ride. Attached the included Push-bar and take a stroll through the park. Launch date: March 2012.
— In a March 2012 survey, 2 out of 12 retailers said trikes from Kettler were their best selling ride-on toys.

Space Adventure series is an extension of Cube Figures where each of the three packages (episodes) include two Cube Figures along with over 90 blocks to create two space crafts for them to go in and fight the evil. In addition, the package contains a Manga (Japanese-style comic book) which outlines the background stories of the characters and links the three episodes. The instruction booklet included details the steps needed to build not only the two space crafts but also the mega robot which can be assembled by collecting all three packages. Launch date: October 2012.

Find your sea legs with this floating tug boat, with detachable life buoy. Perfect for any skipper’s bath time. Available in Green, Red or Blue. Launch date: January 2012.

Old-school and new-school technology collide in this plug n' play portable speaker dock kids build themselves. Rock the house or take the show on the road. Kids learn basic electronics by investigating how speakers and amplification work. Docking station works with iPod, iTouch, and other audio devices. Launch date: September 2012.

Featuring five squishy innards-including a tongue-this anatomically correct model of the king of dinosaurs will amaze and enlighten through a journey of building and fun.  The Squishy T. rex has detailed anatomy, inside and out, with removable squishy organs.  Kids learn all about the T. rex through the accompanying book, The Mighty T. rex by Dennis Schatz. Launch date: September 2012.

Containing 72 soft felt triangles in 9 colors, a flocked game board, and 50 illustrated cards, teach color, form, and design to kids without their knowing that they are learning the fundamentals of design. The instructions offer increasing challenges, from Elementary Figures to Negative Space to Perspective to Translucency and Representational Imagery. "Mosaics offers a highly sophisticated introduction to the basics of art and design for children," Regina Gelin, sales and marketing rep at eeBoo, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2012.