TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Educational Product Category

Read and Play: Under the Sea by SILVER DOLPHIN BOOKS

With 4 chunky board books and a 6-piece puzzle that fit neatly in a frame for easy storage, children can dive into the deep with Read and Play: Under the Sea. Meet Turtle's new friends at the reef, play hide-and-seek with Octopus, join Clown Fish for her first day at fish school, and make a splash at the beach with Dolphin! For just $12.95, this fun and unique format that will engage children ages 3 and up. 4/4/2013 (Price: $12.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Animal Adventures: Rain Forest by SILVER DOLPHIN BOOKS

Animal Adventures: Rain Forest is a delightful play set designed to teach children ages 5 and up about the mysteries of the rain forest. With fact cards, 6 plastic animals, 4 press-out models of animals to assemble, a diorama play scene, removable stickers, and a 40-page book packed with intriguing facts, Animal Adventures: Rain Forest is a value at just $21.95. 4/4/2013 (Price: $21.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Build the T. Rex by SILVER DOLPHIN BOOKS

Discover the mysterious age of the dinosaurs with Build the T. Rex! Packed with colorful illustrations and fascinating facts about dinosaurs, kids can build their very own 2.5-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. At just $19.95, each kit includes an informative 32-page book plus 49 dinosaur model pieces that slot together--no scissors or glue required. Ideal for children ages 6 and up. 4/4/2013 (Price: $19.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Build It Series by SILVER DOLPHIN BOOKS

Silver Dolphin’s Build It series combines visual and kinesthetic learning. Perfect for ages 6 and up, each fact-filled title includes a 32-page informative book and pieces to construct a two-and-a-half foot model of the given subject. No glue or scissors are required for assembly! At just $19.95, these unique interactive guides cover everything from the human body and dinosaurs to sharks and rockets. 3/28/2013 (Price: $19.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Candy Scramble Squares® 9 Piece Puzzle by b. dazzle, inc.

Candies come in numerous colors and varieties and have a long history. The word candy began to be used in the late 13th Century, coming into English from the French "çucre candi." Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form a  syrup, which is then boiled until it reaches the desired concentration or starts to caramelize. The resulting type of candy depends on the ingredients and how long the mixture is boiled. As the syrup is heated and boils, the water evaporates, the sugar concentration increases and the boiling point temperature rises. A given temperature corresponds to a particular sugar concentration. In general, higher temperatures and greater sugar concentrations result in hard, brittle candies, and lower temperatures result in softer candies. The candy business underwent drastic changes in the 1830s when technological advances and the greatly increased supply of sugar reduced its cost and opened up the market. Confectioners no longer supplied candy only to the wealthy, but to children, as well. The village candy store became a favorite of children of the American working class. Penny candies epitomized this transformation of candy, and candy became the first product on which children spent their own money. For this reason, candy store owners often relied almost entirely on the business of children to stay in business.  Today the global sales of candy are about $60 billion. 3/20/2013 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

SmartGlobe Horizon by OREGON SCIENTIFIC

This is a new trendy desk SmartGlobe™ —the SmartGlobe™ Horizon explores the world through 30 activities in the comfort of your own home. There is a wealth of information to be discovered through 30 different educational activities. The entire family can join in on the fun with the multiplayer games—challenge one another and see who can identify the most country capitals in a minute. Have the choice to customize levels between three age groups, so learners of all ages can enjoy the experience. Use the wireless talking Smart Pen to interact with the product and hear about fascinating topics ranging from capitals, population, currency and even world leaders. To keep the information up-to-date with current events, simply link it to your computer via a USB cable and refresh the contents. Additional activities are available by connecting the SmartGlobe™ with the MEEP! tablet (also compatible with iPad®*). 2/20/2013 (Price: $99.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

PowerUp(TM) - Electric Paper Airplane Converstion Kit by TAILOR TOYS LLC

PowerUp - Electric Power Module will convert origami homemade paper airplanes from a glider into a soaring free flight airplane. Make a paper airplane from any 8.5x11 or A4 copier paper and clip on to it the PowerUp electric module. Quick charge and toss the airplane into the air. 3x1.5V AA alkaline Batteries and paper for the airplane are not included. This product is great for science classes and after school activities. It is lots of fun and challenging for both kids geeks adults and seniors. It could be used in science fairs and aerospace competitions. Launch date: July 2011.
Awards: 2012 ATA Best Toy Hobby of the Year Award 1/18/2013 (Price: $16.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Animal Puzzle Book by MELISSA & DOUG

Help each magnetic animal find its place and environment. This magnetic book with removable pieces is "bound" to amuse and educate with pet, farm, wild and undersea animal shaped magnetic pieces.
— As of 1/17/2013 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 21 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Good for travel; Easy enough for young children but challenging enough to hold their interest. Cons: Pictures begin to fade after a while.
— In a November 2013 survey, Joe Berardoni, owner of Pun's Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly that puzzles, especially from Melissa & Doug, are a best-selling education toy. 1/18/2013 (Price: $16.99)

Fun-to-Know® Puzzles: What Comes Next? by TREND ENTERPRISES INC.

Teach sequencing and ordinal numbers. Pictures on front, words and numbers on back. Format adapts to abilities and features self-checking pieces for independent learning. Two-sided, 3-piece puzzles. 15 puzzles/45 pieces. 1/18/2013 (Price: $14.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Romo The Smartphone Robot by ROMOTIVE INC

Romo is a revolutionary mobile robotic platform that uses your smartphone as its brain. When connected to any iOS device, Romo becomes a friendly robotic avatar that wanders around your home or school. Romo is the first personal robot built for everyone. He's small but sturdy, fast, and his behaviors evolve the more you use him. At Romotive, we believe everyone - whether you're 7 or 70 - should have a robot that loves you with every cog in his heart. Romo's simple to use drag and drop programming language lets even kids with no computer science experience create and share new behaviors and personalities for their robot. Romo teaches kids about science, technology, engineering, and math in a super fun, intuitive way - by given them their own personal robot pet to program. Launch date: January 2013. 1/8/2013 (Price: $150.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

USA PUZZLE CUBES by SMART PLAY LLC

A six-sided block puzzle that encourages kids to re-create familiar animals, landmarks and map of USA. Turn the blocks to make 6 different puzzles...mix and match for more creative fun. Great educational toy that challenges the cognitive skills in assembling the matching blocks. Large 2” Blocks are easy to hold and play with. Includes a slide-out tray and mini images of completed puzzles. Launch date: February 2013. 1/8/2013 (Price: $11.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Smart Play Pad by SMART PLAY LLC

Make early learning fun & exciting with the brand new electronic portable Smart play Pad. Little ones will love the cool looking tablet that’s easy to use and can play anywhere. More than 30 touch sensor keys teach language and pronunciation skills to help prepare your child for kindergarten. Four game modes are full of fun ways to discover letters, phonics, numbers, music and more. Bonus - Bilingual feature helps kids learn the alphabet and numbers in English and Spanish. Requires 3 AAA batteries (included). Launch date: February 2013. 1/8/2013 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Space Chips Glom Dron Builder's Pack by MONKEY BUSINESS SPORTS

Buckminster Fuller was an engineer, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society. He is best known for his many architectural designs, the best known of which is the geodesic dome, or "Bucky Ball"-Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know that talking about systems theorists is pretty boring, but without Mr. Fuller we wouldn't have the Space Chips Glom Dron set, so it all kind of evens out, don't you think? The Glom Dron is a set of 540 pentagon chips that can be used to build a Bucky Ball. 1/8/2013 (Price: $99.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Extreme Secret Formula Lab by SMARTLAB TOYS

Kids try their hand at mad science using a beaker, funnel, mix-and-measure scoop, squishy-lidded bubble test tubes, and an abundance of glow-in-the-dark powder to concoct 20 experiments that glow, ooze, and stink up the kitchen. From glow-in-the-dark alien blood to scratch-and-sniff stickers, young scientists will never have so much fun with custom-designed tools and commonly found household ingredients. 1/8/2013 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Smarty Pants - 3rd Grade Card Set by MELISSA & DOUG

Smarty Pants Third Grade cards let kids test their smarts and load up on new facts and funny trivia. Designed for independent use (so a child can play alone or with a parent or friend), the cards are colorful, creative and packed with illustrated activities, including trivia quizzes, problem-solving puzzles, rebus puzzles, fun facts, creative story-building games and much more. Each educational card set is thoughtfully developed to suit the learning style and curriculum standards of each age range...then spiced up with fresh, lively design and an infusion of humor (including a whimsical pants-shaped case!) to keep kids giggling, engaged and excited about learning. 1/4/2013 (Price: $12.99)

Globe 4 Kids 10" by REPLOGLE GLOBES

The Globe 4 Kids Globe by Replogle is a 10-inch Illustrated, illuminated globe that is perfect for kids of all ages. With its vividly displayed political diagrams and relief map it is an excellent tool to help teach children about various regions and their significance in the world. It also features pictures of a mixture of animals, landmarks, and even people to help teach where some historical figures are from. 1/4/2013 (Price: $74.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

El Burro Sonriente (Spanish Edition) by LUV-BEAMS

Un pequeño burro se presenta en la casa de un nino y se convierte en un valioso miembro de la familia. El día que desaparece, nunca esperan volver a verlo hasta que aparece una noche oscura y temerosa. 12/18/2012 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Smiling Burro by LUV-BEAMS

A tiny burro shows up at a little boy’s house and becomes a valued member of the family. One morning, he disappears and the family never expects to see him again. The story ends with a ghost encounter. 12/18/2012 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Bearly Learning About Water by LUV-BEAMS

Two bear cubs learn to hunt for food on their own. Sister loves fish but brother gives her a hard time because he hates water. Will he finally get over his fear of water? 12/18/2012 (Price: $9.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Mathological Liar Games by EDUPRESS

Students will love becoming math detectives. Players earn points for solving math mysteries in this entertaining and educational game. In each round, players read about a crime committed and each player receives a suspect’s alibi. Players must determine whether the math in their suspect’s alibi is correct or not. If the math is correct, the suspect is innocent; if the math is incorrect, the suspect is guilty of the crime. Each game requires players to use multiple grade-level math skills. Includes 40 math mysteries. The game can be played with 2-4 players and includes ideas for turning the game into a quick-and-easy math center. Set contains 200 cards and directions. Available in grades 2-6.
Awards: 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20 12/14/2012 (Price: $11.99)

Mirari myPad™ by PATCH PRODUCTS INC.

This 9.5" durable play tablet features 20 colorful light-up images and 40 fun sounds and phrases that activate when children press the arrow buttons. Children will have their very own learning pad to play with, and they’ll have fun pretending to be like mommy and daddy with their tablets. Pushing each button will activate two different sounds, including phrases and sound effects. For instance, they might reveal the sound of a choo-choo train or hear the phrase, "Balls are round!" For ages 12 months and up. 12/13/2012

Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives by THE TOOLBOX FOR EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ACTION

In Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives, players collaborate to found and run a democratic business. In order to survive as individuals and to strive for the success of their co-op, players make tough choices regarding big and small challenges while putting their teamwork abilities to the test. This is an exciting game of skill and solidarity, where everyone wins – or everybody loses. By playing Co-opoly, players discover the unique benefits, challenges, and operations of the cooperative world – as well as the skills needed to participate in a co-op. 12/10/2012 (Price: $40.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Pop Top Rockets by BE AMAZING!

Just add water, snap the lid shut and stand back. The bubbling action of the chemical reaction builds up pressure inside the can until the top POPS and flied through the air. Kids can mix up their own top-popping fuel mixture and put the Snap Cans to the distance test. Attach the foam rocket to the Snap Can and shoot the rocket high into the air. 12/5/2012 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Green Genius by BE AMAZING!

This kit uses a variety of visual and tactile experiments that introduce kids to the world of plant science. Each experiment is designed to teach kids a different principle about plants, including seed purpose and description, capillary action, water cycle, DNA, sprouting, horticulture, plant biology and natural product science. An exciting range of experiment types are used to represent or explain plant biology or to use plants in the experiment. 12/5/2012 (Price: $23.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Usborne Wipe Clean Activity Books by USBORNE PUBLISHING

These reusable books introduce the alphabet, letters and first writing skills.   Wipe-clean pages and pen offer lots of opportunities for practice.
— In a Winter 2012 survey, Teresa Derry, owner of Annie's Toy Chest in Cocoa, Fla., told TDmonthly that they sell 20 of this item each month.
— Mike Snyder, owner and manager of Cville's Hobbies, Games and Toys in Charlottesville, Va., told TDmonthly in a December 2013 survey that this is one of their best-selling books.
— Teresa Derry, owner of Annie's Toy Chest in Cocoa, Fla., told TDmonthly in a November 2014 survey that Usborne books are a year-round best-seller in the educational category. 12/4/2012 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]