TDmonthly · Brand Spotlight · Meet the Maker · October 2026
The Winkel teether, the Skwish rattle and a soft doll that sits up on her own, plus the return of the yarn-haired fashion dolls a whole generation grew up with. Here’s what’s worth a look from the Minneapolis toy maker, and who each toy is really for.
By Laura N. Larsson · October 2026
Disclosure: Manhattan Toy did not pay for this article. We have not play-tested these products. This spotlight is built from the maker’s own pages, its parent company’s press release, Amazon listings, CPSC recall records and the public sources listed at the end.
Some toy companies chase whatever is trending this quarter. Manhattan Toy mostly makes the stuff that ends up chewed, hugged and dragged around until it’s threadbare, which is about the highest praise a baby toy can earn. We went through the maker’s 2026 catalog and Amazon listings and picked five: the Groovy Girls comeback, two baby-shower classics, a first doll and a fresh take on a rattle. Each one has its age grade, its safety notes, a dated price and what to know before you buy. The recall history is at the end.
Meet the Maker
Manhattan Toy has been making toys since 1978, the company says, and today it is based in Minneapolis. It is part of the Crown Crafts family of brands, alongside Sassy, NOJO and Neat Solutions. On its Our Story page, the company says its portfolio runs to more than 500 products for early childhood, sold in stores and online around the world.
Its best-known toys include the Winkel teether, the Skwish rattle, Whoozit and the Love, Stella dolls, and Amazon’s listing for the Winkel calls it a perfect shower gift. The company says its toys are tested to CPSIA, ASTM F963, EN71 and Canadian safety standards, and that its factory partners in China, Vietnam and Thailand are certified by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI).
The big news this year is a comeback. Groovy Girls, the soft fashion dolls Manhattan Toy first launched in 1998, had left the market by 2018. In 2026 they are back, redesigned with original Groovy Girls designer Cathy Dalebroux and Creative Director Krista Clement, and on sale since May 1 at manhattantoy.com and specialty toy stores.
Age grade: 3+ (maker’s product pages) · 5 dolls: Rose, Saige, Poppy, Iris and Daisy · $30 each
Safety: The maker lists these for ages 3 and up. Each doll has magnetic hands. We couldn’t see the box warnings online, so check the package label before gifting to a household with babies or toddlers.
Kid Hook
Five soft dolls with yarn hair you can actually style, clothes that come off and magnetic hands. Many of the accessories have magnetic spots that work with those hands. Each one comes with her own personality: Rose is the athlete, Poppy the top student, Iris lives in a pink tutu, Daisy gardens and Saige never stops moving.
Good to know
Ages: 3+ on the maker’s product pages. Parent company Crown Crafts says the dolls are crafted for ages 3 to 6.
The dolls are 100% soft, so they hug like a stuffed animal and play like a fashion doll.
The maker sells outfit sets ($10–$23), Petal the Groovy Dog ($20), Blossom the Groovy Horse ($40), a Butterfly Lounger ($20) and a Glamtastic Tent ($30). The Stylin’ Slumber Stackable Bed and the Rad-O-Riffic Rider showed sold out at our check.
Where to buy: manhattantoy.com and specialty toy stores. We didn’t find the 2026 dolls on Amazon at our check.
Pros
Soft-bodied like a plush, styled like a fashion doll
Magnetic hands add a new way to play
Five distinct personalities, with diverse skin tones and hairstyles
Price: $30.00 each at manhattantoy.com (Oct. 27, 2026, 4:40 PM PT; all five dolls showed available).
Age grade: 0+ (maker) · “Safety rated for newborns and up” (Amazon listing) · 5 x 4 x 3.5 in.
Safety: Amazon’s safety field reads “No Warning Applicable.” The listing says surface wash only and do not submerge in water. The maker says the loops are polyurethane tubing with no BPA or PVC.
Kid Hook
A tangle of bendy, chewable loops wrapped around a little cube that rattles. Babies can grab it from any side with one hand or two, and when gums ache you can pop it in the fridge for a cool chew.
Good to know
Ages: 0+ (maker). Amazon says it is safety rated for newborns and up.
Cleaning: surface wash only, don’t submerge it (Amazon listing).
Teething tip: the maker and Amazon both say it can be refrigerated for a cool chew.
At our check it carried Amazon’s Choice and “2K+ bought in past month.”
Pros
A classic that Amazon says has been soothing teethers for over 25 years
Easy for tiny hands to grab from any angle
Lightweight and diaper-bag sized
4.8 out of 5 stars (42,195 ratings) on Amazon, Oct. 27, 2026.
Price: $18.00 (Amazon, Oct. 27, 2026, 4:45 PM PT). Same price at manhattantoy.com.
Age grade: 0+ (maker) · “Safety-rated for newborns and up” (Amazon listing) · rubberwood rods, elastic cords, sliding beads
Safety: Amazon’s safety section for this listing reads: “SAFETY WARNING: Do not heat or microwave. Burn hazard.”
Kid Hook
Squash it flat and it springs right back. Wooden rods strung on elastic cords make a shape babies can squeeze, shake and chew, while beads slide along the rods and rattle.
Good to know
Ages: 0+ (maker). Amazon says it is safety-rated for newborns and up.
Made of rubberwood and elastic cords, so it is light enough for little hands.
Amazon’s listing says Skwish has been a favorite for over 30 years.
The Amazon listing’s part number (200980) matches the boxed version on the maker’s site.
Pros
Squishes and springs back, which babies find endlessly funny
Wood rattle that looks good enough to leave out in the nursery
Cause-and-effect play from the very first months
4.8 out of 5 stars (4,680 ratings) on Amazon, Oct. 27, 2026.
Price: $18.89 (Amazon, Oct. 27, 2026, 4:45 PM PT; list price $23.99). The boxed version is $24.00 at manhattantoy.com.
Age grade: 1–3 years (maker) · “safety rated for 12 months and up” (Amazon listing; manufacturer recommended age 12 months – 6 years) · 12 in.
Safety: Amazon’s safety section for this listing reads: “SAFETY WARNING: Do not heat or microwave. Burn hazard.” The pacifier attaches with a magnet.
Kid Hook
A squishy baby to hug, change and tuck in. Stella sits up on her own thanks to a weighted bottom, her pacifier clicks on with a magnet, and her clothes and diaper come off with hook-and-loop closures that toddler fingers can handle.
Good to know
Ages: 1–3 years on the maker’s page. Amazon says it is safety rated for 12 months and up and lists a manufacturer recommended age of 12 months to 6 years.
Size: 12 inches head to toe (Amazon listing), a good fit for small arms.
Removable clothes and diaper with hook-and-loop closures help with early dressing skills.
There are more Love, Stella looks: in 2026 the maker added versions with pigtails.
Pros
Made for toddlers: 100% soft with embroidered features, and she sits up on her own
Magnetic pacifier stays put during play
Thousands of Amazon ratings at 4.8 stars
4.8 out of 5 stars (5,513 ratings) on Amazon, Oct. 27, 2026.
Age grade: 0+ (maker) · 4.5 in. diameter (Amazon listing) · bead-filled center ball
Safety: The center ball is filled with tiny beads that rattle (maker). Amazon’s listing says it passes all appropriate safety tests for newborns and toddlers. Clean with baby toy wipes (Amazon listing).
Kid Hook
Twist a handle and it clicks. Shake the ball and the beads inside cascade. Bright colors and a black-and-white polka-dot center give new eyes something to lock onto.
Good to know
Ages: 0+ (maker).
Size: 4.5 inches across (Amazon listing).
Cleaning: baby toy or pacifier wipes, sold separately (Amazon listing).
A new listing on Amazon, so it has only a handful of ratings so far.
Pros
Two kinds of sound (click and rattle) in one toy
High-contrast pattern for young babies
Soft plastic handles that are easy to grab
4.7 out of 5 stars (5 ratings) on Amazon, Oct. 27, 2026.
A soft, huggable cactus with an embroidered face and 4 magnetic flowers that stick to magnetic spots on its body, so kids can rearrange the bouquet again and again. No prickles, as the maker points out. Ages 3+ (maker). $34.99 at manhattantoy.com, where it showed available on Oct. 27. We didn’t find it on Amazon.
For a new baby, the Winkel is the safe bet: $18, tens of thousands of Amazon ratings and a shape tiny hands can actually hold. Skwish is the one that looks nice on the shelf between chews, and Click Clack Colorpop is the newcomer. For a toddler, Love, Stella is a first doll built for real toddler life. For kids 3 and up, and for parents who grew up with the originals, the new Groovy Girls are the headline act, sold at manhattantoy.com and specialty toy stores. Every card above lists the age grade and the safety notes the maker or Amazon gives.
Safety check: On Oct. 27, 2026 we searched the CPSC recall database (saferproducts.gov, updated through Oct. 22, 2026). It lists 18 recalls of Manhattan Toy products from 2000 to 2024, announced under the Manhattan Toy and Manhattan Group names and, once, by sister company Sassy Baby. Seventeen involved choking hazards from parts that could break or come loose. One, in 2008, involved lead paint on a Groovy Fashions doll pajama set. The most recent, in July 2024, covered about 3,000 Brilliant Bee rattles (model 166700 CQ, sold May–June 2024). Manhattan Toy’s own recall page still posts that notice. In 2017, certain lots of the Winkel Colorburst variant (206880 DH, EH and HH; 206871 EH; sold May 2015–September 2016) were recalled because the tubes could turn brittle and break. None of the five products in this spotlight, including the classic Winkel, is named in a CPSC recall, and we found no Manhattan Toy recalls from 2025 or 2026.
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