A Fresh Cut of the Tree

Dino and his friends are true ride-along pals. “All of our items are designed in England,” President Rick Tomasco of Applepie Toy Distribution told TDmonthly, “and the design team over there is constantly working on really neat stuff to offer to the U.S. market.” Launch date: April 2007.

Bajo Toys USA is the recipient of the 2006 "Best Toys of the Year" Award, presented by the publisher of Child Magazine. Bajo's Baby Walker was selected to receive this prestigious award, and an article appeared in the November 2006 edition.
— “The entire focus of all the designs, regardless of what ages of children it’s for, is on the educational and learning aspect of the toy,” sales manager Ron Ranke said about Bajo Toys manufacturer Wojciech Bajor. “If he designs something, he wants it to have educational value.”

This game features a word board and letter cards that include letters for the complete alphabet with extra vowels and consonants. A child or teacher selects letter cards from the back to spell a word. To play, a child tosses the die to determine which color card can be turned to reveal a letter, and then has a chance to guess the word, playing until a word is guessed correctly. The game teaches children to mentally complete words with only partial information — an important reading sub-skill for developing word recognition and reading speed. Tag Toys are “unique and they can't be found in the mass market stores,” CFO Barbara Villafana told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2006.

Designed by architect Steven W. Hurd, these blocks are the first in a series of architecturally themed building blocks created for all ages. Each set is designed around a particular building type, but the unique pieces allow for creativity and imaginative construction. The blocks are carved from imported hardwood, and the set includes 145 pieces, 15 different shapes, a printed plan and instructions. Castle Blocks are also available. “The Cathedral shape offers a dramatic initial building project and the unique shapes allow for a different level of imaginative play than most sets of building blocks,” Hurd told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2006.

This versatile set includes 100 beautiful hardwood maple planks and a full color KEVA Guide Book. Children can play games of strategy, skill and balance with these perfectly cut, identical construction blocks that stack with surprising stability. Narrow towers can reach all the way to the ceiling. This incredible stability is achieved by cutting the planks with great precision.
— President Ken Scheel of Keva Planks pointed out that “the concept of using a construction set that only has one piece to choose from is very unique. … Each person can build with his or her own skill level and have lots of fun with it.”