TDmonthly's August Staff Picks

Arnold Grummer's Papermill turns household wastepaper into stationery, cards, paper ornaments and more in just minutes. Easy to use, set up and clean up, this kit makes 5.5" x 8.5" paper and comes complete with supplies needed to form, press and dry paper. All supplies are high quality and reusable. Individuals can learn how to use botanicals and paint with pulp in Arnold Grummer's Guidebook, a step-by-step guide with three decorative techniques, directions for six projects and tips on product care.

The 2 ½’-high gas pump is made of steel on the main body and the base and globe are made of plastic. The hose is made of vinyl and has a nozzle attached at the end along with a "Lead Warning" label on the side for a touch of authenticity. A bell rings when the crank is rotated. The front opens up for storage of items with a lock and key included.

Tot-a-Doodle-Do! “Crafty Kids” Craft Kits include craft materials to follow-along with Crafty Kids, one segment of the Tot-a-Doodle-Do! 30-minute DVD included in each Craft Kit. It's two activities in one: a Craft Kit and 30-minute DVD with six segments that directly target key developmental skills of children aged 3 to 7: Crafty Kids, Imagination Station, On Our Block, Molly Manners, Super Snack and Hop N Bop. The kits also integrate special needs children through techniques to demonstrate values of inclusion, acceptance and self-esteem. Launch date: September 2007.

Marita has sculpted the cutest 10” baby twins, "Sugar and Spice," in silicone/vinyl. Each is small enough to carry  or to give as a gift. Both are part of Marita’s Little Loves collection. Each has a cloth body with fully sculpted arms (above the elbow) and legs that are directly attached to the cloth body. The little girl has brunette rooted hair with blue eyes, and the little boy comes with blond hair and blue eyes. Each wears an adorable layette and a cloth diaper and coordinating diaper cover. They also have their own little blanket. Each is a Numbered Edition based on one month’s production. (Please note that Sugar is shown with blond hair but will come as a brunette.)

Mary wears the simple clothing of Biblical times and is jointed for relative play.  Mary’s hands and fingers bend to meet for prayer and more.  Press Mary’s waist and she will recite the entire text of Luke 1:46-55.  The 12” figurine is made from PVC with hand-painted detail.  Launch date: August 2007.

Each high-quality, washable Adoptable Kinders rag doll is designed by famed artisan Aranza Zamora. The 26-doll collection is themed as an active group of kindergarten friends with different personalities, and the name of each character begins with a different letter of the alphabet. Each doll comes with an Internet key-code that allows children to register online at the “Adoptable Kinders School,” where they can play educational games. A child graduates to the next grade when all the games for one grade level are completed. The dolls are about 18” tall.

Promotional Balls are made in your choice of colors and have your company logo or organization name on them. If you are looking for a fun and unique promotion product, a custom Yackle Ball is the ticket. It is guaranteed to get used many times for years and be seen by a large number of people. Everyone wants to know what a Yackle Ball is and how to play all the numerous games. Imagine all this excitement with your company’s own colors and logo stamped right onto the ball.

The MooCoo Clock is one in a collection of clocks with a delightful twist. Every hour, on the hour, a cow pops out with a "moo" sound. Available in nine varieties, these funny clocks are ideal for any child or anyone who is a child at heart. “For nighttime, a light sensor automatically shuts off the character when the room becomes dark,” Dan Koval at HeadsUp Design Company Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 1, 2007.

This kit allows kids to create colorful chemical brain corals, magically levitate objects using density gradients, and defy gravity with chemical “hoopla rings.” Kids will learn all about crystals, gels, suspensions and more while creating a “coral reef” and watching coral trees grow branches right before their eyes. Each kit contains enough material to fill two completely different tanks with plenty left for experimenting. This product is exclusively distributed by Toyops Inc. Launch date: July 2007.

Abalone is a fast-paced strategy board game that has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. Players compete to push six of their opponents’ marbles off the board. The game can be learned in one to two minutes, and the game itself lasts approximately 15 minutes. Each purchase order comes in a carton of six games. This game is a winner of Europe’s Game of the Decade Award.

In this observation game, players race to get the farm animals home by calling the animals by name (“Pig! Cow! Duck!”) or by making the animals’ distictive sound (“Oink! Moo! Quack Quack!”). The adorable tri-colored farm animals all coincide with different combinations of the three dice. All the components are made of quality wood and are housed together in a wooden carrying box. “The wooden box makes a nice addition to the kid’s room and the cotton pouch is convenient for carrying Quack Quack wherever you go,” Blue Orange Games Sales Manager Adeline Bertrix told TDmonthly. This product is a winner of the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, the 2007 Dr. Toy Best Product Award, the 2007 Parents’ Choice Foundation Parents’ Choice Recommended Award and the 2007 Creative Child Award Preferred Choice Award. Launch date: February 2007.

These 15"-tall rag dolls have distinguishing features of Down syndrome. Two skin tones and boy/girl versions are available. The dolls are machine washable and dryable.

On this album, they’ll enjoy Metallica’s biggest anthems without the pesky earplugs you didn’t bother to wear growing up. We’ve turned down the volume from an eleven to a two, and made the bed ourselves. Say your prayers little one. Tonight the sandman will be gently rocking you to sleep with these essential masterpieces of rock'n'roll.

Mini Kathy and Janet Christmas rag dolls dressed in Christmas velvet dresses in a mini Best Pals tote bag. The Minis are 5" each. Available September 2007.

These hand-held squeakers come in six fun animal shapes and squeak with the greatest of ease. They feature vivid colors and patterns and delightful soft velour heads and feet. The squeakers fit nicely into a diaper bag or purse, ideal for on-the-go entertainment. Launch date: January 2007.

This 10” African American doll has real black hair and brown glass eyes. She comes with a zebra and book called “Lalie and Zibi’s Adventures,” written by collector Zita Rivera. She’s a limited edition of 130 pieces. Launch date: 2007.

The soma cube is made from beautiful hard maple and finished with a light coat of polyurethane. This seven-piece puzzle features three-dimensional pieces that, together, measure about 2 ½” cubed. The solution is available on the company’s website. “The soma cube is available in single units, perfect for the small specialty store [that doesn’t have] a lot of room but wants to offer unique games,” Barbara Rainville, marketing manager for Maple Landmark, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2007.

The Shining Stars Christmas collection includes this adorable penguin, a reindeer and a snowman. When kids purchase a Shining Stars friend, they can log onto the Shining Stars website and use the secret code inside the plush’s hangtag to register and name a star with the International Star Registry. Children can print a star certificate that gives the exact location of the star, and the site also offers fun games and activities. Launch date: October 15, 2007.

This set includes one Asian doll and two outfits. Fashionable, yet practical, each of the outfits features a Velcro backing, which allows young kids to dress the dolls with ease. Other dolls in this line include a brunette, a blonde, an African-American and a bride. “They are unique in the “Easy-to-Dress” doll category because of their elegant, cloth, portable design,” May Grant of Pockets of Learning Communications told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2007.

MOZANIAC is a patented, expandable picture-puzzle system in which the same flat, modular puzzle pieces can make four or more pictures. Everything depends on how the pieces go over and under each other, revealing and hiding part of what is printed on them. Each completed picture holds itself together as an integral unit until it is taken apart to form the next picture. MOZANIAC is the most important development in picture puzzles since John Spilsbury invented the jigsaw puzzle in the 1760s, according to Daniel Young, founder of Paradoxy Products. MOZANIAC presents new visual and physical challenges of a very high order. The first series of puzzles makes four different pictures with the same six pieces.

Children can grow a zoo with this set of 10 colored beans that are marked with images of zoo animals using a patent-pending process. Magically, seedlings grow from the soil with the animal images still on them and then develop to yield edible beans. The featured animals are a zebra, monkey, flamingo, elephant, alligator, snake, giraffe, bear, seal and lion. The beans come in a poly bag.

The big, curious, blue eyes stand out on this loveable 14.5" plush kitty. His understuffed, extra-long body makes him incredibly poseable and huggable, too. He's made out of a silky, soft fabric that simply begs to be petted. Moe's friends in the Lanky Cat line from Manhattan include Iggy and Ziggy.
— "For a specific piece of plush, if people don't get the Lanky Cats, they actually get mad," said Jude Larene, owner of Izilla Toys in Seattle, about what customers are demanding in his store.

Eyela, the sublime one, is the last in the dynasty of the kings of the elves. She alone can save the land of the elves from doom. Launch date: May 2007.
— “Schleich historical and mythical figures do very well for us,” Tye Steinbach of Thinker Toys in Portland, Ore., told TDmonthly in May 2008.
— Over one-fifth of 55 retailers surveyed by TDmonthly in May 2008 named mythical action figures as a top seller.
— More than 23 percent of retailers named action figures by Schleich as best-sellers in their stores.

The Playful Chef set includes 10 kid-sized cooking tools, one toolbelt apron and five healthy hands-on recipes, all packed in a backpack for easy storage. The Chef gives children safety tips, color-coded measurements, 10-step instructions and 11 illustrated learning lessons. It also helps them learn how to plan a healthy meal, shop for nourishing ingredients and cook with the right tools. This cooking kit received a 2007 iParenting Media Outstanding Product Award and was selected for Dr. Toy’s Best Products Resource Program Spring 2007. Launch date: November 2006.
— Lots of companies make cooking toys and accessories, but Playful Chef was awarded a TDmonthly Top Toy 2007 award for giving kids a chance to try to their hand at the real thing. With authentic tools, recipe guides and a sturdy apron, this quality set prepares children for a true chef’s experience in the kitchen, including attention to safety.

Where to Buy: The Satin Button