New Toys for New Folks (0 to 4 Years)

Very stylish and full of mischievous charm, 16” Les Dollies toddler dolls, with their bright bold outfits — and hair — are sure to delight budding fashionistas. Les Dollies have soft cloth bodies, vinyl faces and hands, fixed eyes and rooted hair. Launch date: 2006.

Forever looking for a treasure is Käthe Kruse’s little Pirate Boy, who is always in a good mood and loves to play. His hand-embroidered face has fun little freckles and his red hair is made of genuine wool. Standing 7” high, this handcrafted doll is dressed in cropped, red pirate pants, while a white shirt with pirate logo and black cap complete his pirate look. Wherever he goes, he always first places his flag. He is stuffed with 100-percent sheep wool and covered with cotton stockinet. Käthe Kruse Waldorf dolls are individually handcrafted and not mass produced. They are “little individuals that stimulate the child's fantasy and imagination,” Marion Hohmann of Europlay told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2007.
— “[My customers] love Waldorf school philosophy,” said Kristen Pollard, co-owner of Mud Puddle Toys in Marblehead, Mass.

Each animal stuffing kit is individually packed, complete and ready to deliver to a child. It includes a high-quality unstuffed animal skin, a packet of stuffing, a custom imprinted T-shirt, a heart and a birth certificate. There are 20 animals in the collection. Launch date: June 2007.

The Pink Speedster is of a heavy gauge steel body with plastic fenders to protect walls and furniture. The pedal-free working steering wheel controls the steel wheels wrapped in rubber tires. Custom graphics are also included. This vehicle is Toy Safety tested and approved. It is chip and rust resistant, safe for a child, and has non-toxic powder coating paint. Adult supervision and assembly required.

Schoenhut's bright red, wooden, 25-key tabletop is the perfect choice for a toddler's first piano. Both fun and educational, it is an ideal instrument for developing eye-hand coordination and encouraging musical creativity. Chromatically tuned, the lovely chimelike notes are produced by little hammers striking precision-ground, German steel music rods. The tone never changes nor will the piano ever need tuning. Schoenhut's patented Learning System, with its play-by-color teaching method, makes playing simple and fun. A removable color strip fits behind the keys to guide small fingers from chord to chord. The chart also works on adult keyboards, since keys on Schoenhut toy pianos are of corresponding width. This teaches children proper finger placement from the very beginning. The accompanying Songbook contains a collection of familiar tunes. This Learning System has been specially designed to build a child's confidence and develop basic playing skills. It comes in red and white. Launch date: 2005.
- This model was Schoenhut's best seller for 2010. It was also the model given away by TDmonthly's Charitable Kid, Kimberly (then 14) of South Carolina -- 100 times over! As a reward for her charity and careful selection of institutions to receive the toy pianos, Kimberly was given a number of other high-quality Schoenhut instruments, many of which she shared with her younger sisters.

This interactive pirate ship play set features an anchor that can be raised and lowered, a cannon ball launcher, a telescope to keep watch and a plank that extends out over the edge of the ship. Wheels on the bottom of the ship simulate the movement of sailing on the ocean. The set includes Pirate and First Mate characters, a removable treasure chest and a Sound Book. Toddlers and preschoolers will love constructing their own version of Play Town from these imaginative play sets. Play Town’s chunky design and bright primary color palette are visually appealing, and the natural wood pieces signify a quality playset that will stand up to the rough and tumble world of preschool play.

This album with 20 pre-designed pages allows users to simply slide in their pictures. It even comes with an archival-safe pen and double-sided mounting tape to adhere photos. A girls’ version is also available. “You do not have to try and cut your picture down to fit in the space provided,” CEO Lisa Lee told TDmonthly. “Plus, the pages are beautifully designed. … They have the look of scrapbooking without the hours and hours of work.” Launch date: November 2005.

This 4' dressing room features graphics on the inside and a back door entrance. The front entrance has curtains that open and close. When a child steps through the doorway onto the red carpet, the runway lights up and music begins to play. As the child continues down the runway, the crowd begins to applaud. Shock-corded PVC poles make set up and storage simple. Orders must reach a minimum of $250. Launch date: July 2007.

This updated version of the classic kid-powered car includes a high seat back and rear storage. The front wheels enable a small turning radius to make the car very easy to maneuver. The car’s additional features, such as a clicking key and a fully functional door and horn, increase its play value. This product is a Dr. Toy Spring 2007 Best Products Award winner.
— For Gary Timmerding, manager of Johnny’s Toys in Covington, Ky., this item was the best-selling ride-on toy in his store. The store sells “probably ten a month,” Timmerding told TDmonthly.
— “The longevity and durability of this product have allowed it to become one of the most recognizable on the market,” Little Tikes Inc. Public Relations Coordinator Reagan Holmes told TDmonthly.
— The coupe is available in other versions as well, including Ride & Rescue and Princess.

Bendominos play like classic dominos, but with a twist: The curved domino pieces must not only match, but also fit. A new pattern is created each time the pieces curve and twirl around the table. “Bendomino Jr. is an all-wooden game with lovely icons in bold colors in place of pips,” Adeline Bertrix, sales manager at Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. “The tiles take on a new arrangement every game.” This product is a winner of the 2007 Creative Child Award Seal of Excellence Award. Launch date: February 2007.

This adorable black lab is part of the Douglas 2007 Stand-Up Styled Dogs: Cuddle Toy Classics line. Onyx is 15" long and is accompanied in this line by friends Ellie, a border collie, and Lucky, a golden retriever.
— "For Douglas, I sell dogs — all different sizes," said Amy Barrett, owner of Lasso the Moon Wonderful Toys in Helena, Mont., when discussing hot-selling plush with TDmonthly.
— Eleven of 62 retailers said Douglas plush is a hot-selling brand in their stores.
— Sales of Douglas plush items varied with retailers across the country, ranging from one or two to as many as 200 a month.

This soft, warm and cuddly towel doll is made of the finest cotton, perfect for playing, cuddling or sleeping. The bright, fresh colors are stimulating to babies’ eyes, and the loveable ladybug head is hand painted. Many more characters are available, including a bear, bunny, mouse and frog. “Käthe Kruse towel dolls are made of [the] highest-quality natural fabrics,” Marion Hohmann of Käthe Kruse Puppen GmbH told TDmonthly. “They are the first friend to hug and play.” Launch date: January 2006.
— Jude Larene, co-owner of Izilla Toys in Seattle, said that the Käthe Kruse towel doll “is the best baby gift. As soon as you suggest it, most people will not look at anything else.”

This adorable teddy bear is accented with polka-dot ribbons. It is available in pink and blue for baby girls and baby boys, respectively. Launch date: September 1, 2007.

This 8”-tall soft and safe stacking toy with sponge fill is made of soft velour and all-cotton rings. It features a rattle in the head and a crinkly collar. “The foam-filled center post on the Stacking Toy is soft and bendable, making it very safe for children,” John Gallagher of Rich Frog told TDmonthly.

This pretty-in-pink Escalade is decked out with a working FM radio and rear speakers, open-and-close doors, see-through windows, chrome wheels, reverse-drive, a Power Lock® Brake System, and a 12-volt battery and charger. It has two forward speed settings: 2.5 mph and 5 mph.

The Hopscotch Gang is a new collection of eight 10”-tall whimsical characters with soft, low-pile fabric and fresh, distinctive, sculpted features. The collection includes a frog, elephant, moose, hound, giraffe, turtle, horse and penguin. Launch date: May 2007.

The Discovering Water Activity Gym is a soft play gym that creates a playful and musical ocean environment for babies from birth and up. This colorful and engaging activity gym includes a removable pat mat and a water-filled musical aquarium that plays six classical melodies and features dancing lights. Little ones will delight as they watch the "swimming" ocean animals inside both the aquarium and pat mat. They also will enjoy discovering the real-world sea creatures underneath the peek-a-boo flaps and on the tri-lingual plastic discovery cards. Bordered by soft, multi-textured fabrics, this ocean environment also includes a plush Baby Neptune™ toy, a star-shaped mirror and a prop-up pillow perfect for tummy time. The Discovering Water Activity Gym is sure to give your baby hours of stimulating fun.

This rosebud-colored, three-story dollhouse features a fully opening front and attic. The fully functional doors, windows and shutters and spacious staircases and rooms make it easy for children to arrange the rooms however they desire. A matching furniture set and doll family are available separately. Launch date: July 1, 2007.

This 7" doll features long, white, fur locks. She dons a gold-ribboned, white gown and wears a lovely chain studded with star pearls. The handmade doll is made of sheep wool and cotton stockinet. Launch date: July 2005.

Right-side up or upside down, this Alice in Wonderland/Queen of Hearts Topsy Turvy Doll brings the Lewis Carroll classic to life.  Eleven inches in length, the soft doll features Alice in taffeta and felt with the White Rabbit on one end, and flips to the Queen of Hearts and her pink flamingo charm on the other end.  Wholesale prices apply to minimum purchases of at least three pieces only.  Launch date: March 2007.

Little ones can sit and rock on this soft, yet sturdy, coffee-colored horse. Studded with a shiny red rosette ribbon, this rocking horse even makes little horse sounds. The horse features a classic design and a hardwood base.  Launch date: July 1, 2007.

Bonnie Lou wears her favorite jumper in lime green. She’s meeting all her friends at the playground for a game of jump rope. Her accessories include her pink backpack, her favorite rope and pink hair scrunches, along with her very own hairbrush. Bonnie Lou has long beautiful hair for hours of styling fun. “Terri Lee is recognized by grandmothers who remember her and loved by moms who find her wholesomeness appealing,” Gretchen McGinnis of Terri Lee Associates told TDmonthly. THIS PRODUCT IS SOLD OUT (11.09). Launch date: August 2007.

This durable and washable vinyl placemat features a scene of Santa Claus and his reindeer sailing through the sky over a snowy town on Christmas Eve. The mat comes with four non-toxic crayons and wipes clean with a dry tissue or cloth. “Scribble Mats is a great all-inclusive gift that provides endless fun with the signature surface ‘color on wipe off’ mat, crayons and tote bag. Designed for home, school and kids on the go, Scribble Mats is perfect for learning and having fun,” Arlene Tucker, assistant to the inventor of Scribble Mats, told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2007.