TDmonthly - TDmonthly’s October Recommendations

All the knights in all the kingdoms can duke it out at this magnificent castle … if they dare brave the treacherous moat. Residents of the castle can cross to the other side with the aid of a working drawbridge. The set also includes a king’s throne, a functional hoist and — for kids who are eager to impose their own “time-out” — a mini dungeon, too. Characters available separately.

This stately mansion gives Playmobil characters plenty of room to relax. It features an interlocking wall assembly system with workable doors and windows. Two large rooms on the first two floors and a sprawling attic allow kids to manipulate the space in a variety of ways. Whether peopled with modern or period characters, this home will surely be somebody’s castle. Characters and furniture sets are available separately.
— "We sell the Playmobil Grand Mansion," David Campbell, owner of Amazing Toys in Great Falls, Mont., told TDmonthly about best-selling play houses in his store.
— Two of 62 retailers who spoke with TDmonthly in spring 2007 said the Playmobil brand is a customer favorite for play houses in their store.
— “The Playmobil Grande Mansion, a five room house, offers hours of imaginary play. You can set up house, pretend to cook, clean and explore the world of dollhouse play,” said Michelle Winfrey, marketing and public relations manager for Playmobil USA.

This lacing set comes with a project book that will keep kids entertained for long stretches as they wind the pieces together to form designs that will surprise and delight them. The multi-colored laces fit easily into the zip-up case for fun on the run.

The pages of this book fold out and turn into extra-long full-color highways, complete with fallen bridges, flooded highways, forest fires, and other exciting impediments. Kids can flip the fold-outs over to reveal a new set of black-and-white playscapes that invite a lot of color-me-in time. Insructions are included for cool projects such as paper tube tunnels and shoebox bridges. Last but not least, of course, are the hard-working rescue vehicles themselves: a fire engine, police cruiser, tow truck and snow plow. These emergency rigs really roll and are ready to respond to the next urgent call. It´s an entire search-and-rescue team, table-top style.

Kids can paint with sweeping gestures when they use this generous-sized easel. One side is a chalkboard, the other´s a dry-erase board. Load a piece of paper into the paper holder and kids can paint and scribble to their heart’s content. Each side of the easel features a colorful tray that can hold paints, cups, chalk, erasers, clips and more. “Our Deluxe Easel has become one of our best-selling items because of its great value, high-quality construction and versatility,” said Rick Davis, part of the marketing team at Melissa & Doug. It has two adjustable boards that allow children of all sizes to enjoy painting and creating, and the easy-to-clean trays are removable in seconds.”
— This product has been making the TDmonthly Best-sellers lists since 2005.
— As of 1.06.2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 647 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 18 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games. Pros: Double Sided; easy to clean. Cons: Supplies must be purchased separately.
— "The Melissa & Doug Easel, hands-down, beats everything in terms of dollars. It's well-made and good value," was the praise given by David Campbell, owner of Amazing Toys in Great Falls, Mont.
— “Our easel, from Melissa & Doug, just blows out of here,” said Nishan Shepard, owner of Rockridge Kids in Oakland, Calif., in early 2010.
— Seven of 48 retailers named the easel as their top-selling art item in January 2010, reporting average sales of three per month.
— This easel has been a consistent best seller for Jillie Beans Toys & More of Westminster, Colo., since the store opened in 2006. (April 2010)

Voted one of Parent's Choice Foundation's "Best 25 Toys in 25 Years," Rush Hour puts players to the test, demanding thought and vision. As if the commute home isn’t enough, in these 40 beginner-to-expert challenges, players must navigate a red car through a traffic jam and gridlock to successfully leave the game board. Challenge cards fit neatly into a pull-out tray beneath the game tray. Watch video
― “Logic games are selling very well, particularly (those from) ThinkFun,” Amy Akin, manager of Giggles for Kids in Suwanee, Ga., told TDmonthly in early 2009.
― “We do really well with ThinkFun games — problem solving, like Rush Hour,” added William Bingham, owner of Firefly Toy Shop in Milford, Pa. When asked about best-selling item for tween boys in October 2009, Fred Meyer, owner of Meyer's Toy World in Battle Creek, Mich., told TDmonthly, “Rush Hour is great. We sell hundreds.” It was named a best-selling game by five of 38 retailers in Feb. 2010. During a summer 2010 survey of 40 retailers, two said Rush Hour from ThinkFun is their top-selling puzzle, citing sales of up to 60 pieces per month.
AWARDS: 2010 TDmonthly Top Seller

Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ... Read more articles by this author