TDmonthly's October Staff Picks

Little Soles Urban Infants Collection is designed to suit early walkers in size 3 to 8. The shoes are free from harmful dyes and toxins, feature premium Leathers sourced specifically to surpass the standards in footwear testing set by Health Canada or the CPSC, and are tested for the following: European Council directive 2002/62/EC testing for AZO colourants or Dyes, formaldehyde content and seven toxic elements (lead, arsenic, antimony, barium, mercury, cadmium and selenium). A full leather upper, inside and out, allows for optimal comfort and breathability, and the soft, flexible outsole is suited to pre-walking and early walking. The shoes also offer heel counters for support, a padded ankle collar and a cushioned heel. They are sold in a reusable designer gift box and received a 2009 iParenting Media Outstanding Products award. Launch date: April 30, 2009.

The hilarious parody of the government bailout where When You Lose, You Win. In this role reversal of the classic board game; debt is king.

Players compete as rival banks (Bankruptcy O’ America, Worth Farless, No Cashvia, Liquidation Brothers, Greedy Investors of America, or Washed Up Mutual) who must make risky investments to lose it all and get a Bailout.

Don't think this is going to be easy. You have to earn this Bailout!

As you follow the money trail, you will be forced to undermine the competition, endure the uncertainty of the stock market, avoid hostile takeovers, deal with the instability of the housing market and your bank may even be forced to take a bank holiday.

This strategic game provides both elements of skill and chance; every action you take compounds upon the next creating a unique outcome every time you play.

Be the bank, lose billions, get a bailout!

Numbers of Players: 2-6 | Ages: 14 to Adult | Play Time: 30-60 min.

Made in the USA

Visit www.bailoutthegame.com for more information.

Coursing Around's first edition offers 15 activity courses using sidewalk chalk. Designed to motivate kids to get off the couch and be active outside, it also offers an educational dynamic by helping kids learn their shapes, colors, numbers, and lefts and rights. Coursing Around received a 2009 iParenting Media Award in the Outstanding Product Toys and Games Category. Launch date: 2009.

This set of four 8" melamine plates features a different robot on each against a bright, patterned background. The plates are dishwasher safe and coordinate with the company's robot juice cup and bowl set for kids.

After rolling the special dice and flipping the timer, players race to list words containing the three letters shown on the dice. Only words listed by a single player score points, so players are rewarded for their speed and creative thinking. This game is adjustable for different skill levels and ideal for varied group sizes. Launch date: April 2009.

This kit contains everything needle to make two cute stuffed owls, right down to the stuffing, scissors and needle. The owl pattern is printed onto unbleached cotton fabric, making it easy to cut out and simple to sew together the owls. The box is printed on the inside to cut it out and recycle it into glasses for your owl. Launch date: January 2, 2009.

The painted wooden Torii Gateway, built in the traditional Shinto style, is a classic and beloved icon of Japanese architecture. This model is 1/100 scale and measures 9.4" x 5.1" x 6.7" when assembled. Launch date: July 15, 2003.

Rocket Pockets features floating super balls and an inflatable, multi-color target that can be used in the pool, at the beach or in a back yard. It is designed for one to eight players and points are scored by landing the super balls in the colored pockets. The game may be used for birthday parties, ring toss, fun learning activities and, for adults, party pong and chipping golf balls. Each game includes one inflatable target, four floating balls, four non-floating super balls, a patch kit and instructions. It is "great for teaching hand and eye coordination, letter recognition and number recognition," Gary Hoskins, creator and inventor of Rocket Pockets, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2004.

Designed to make a little girl's birthday a touch more special, these tees features cupcake appliques made with soft, fuzzy fabric. They are available in a variety of colors and patterns. The company also offers designs for boy birthdays. "All of our appliques are cut and sewn in our offices in Fountain Valley, [Calif.]," Chis Jannuzzi, co-owner of Jannuzzi, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008.

These ergonomic snow gloves for kids are snugly designed with a zipper that originates over the back of the hand and zips down past the wrist for quick and easy on-off use. There's elastic gathering on the inside of the wrist, and the gloves feature a water-resistant shell and a soft fleece material on the forefinger for nose wiping.

The Radio Flyer Push, Pull & Ride offers three interchangeable modes: stroller, ride-on and pull wagon. The large, easily removable bucket encourages children to build cognitive skills by loading and unloading objects, while the free-rolling wheels permit easy forward and backward motion and encourage active play. Toddlers can push their favorite toy in the stroller mode, scoot across the floor on the back in foot-to-floor mode, or pull their favorite treasures in wagon mode. It is a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval winner. Launch date: July 2009.

The Bamboo LullaBag is a sleep bag that is specifically designed to help babies sleep through the night. With the Bamboo LullaBag, baby stays at a constant comfortable temperature, which greatly improves the quality and duration of baby’s sleep. Since the Bamboo LullaBag promotes back sleep and replaces loose bedding, it is designed as a safer way to put baby to sleep that reduces certain risk factors associated with SIDS. "The patented Bamboo LullaBag has a continuous dual-headed zipper that begins at the neckline and curves along the entire side and bottom of the bag. This unique two-way zipper allows parents to open the bag partially or completely in either direction, making overall use and late-night diaper and clothing changes very easy," Emily Chae, marketing associate for Cloud B, told TDmonthly. This product received a 2009 PTPA Seal of Approval. Launch date: July 2009.

This jacket and toy in one is made of pre-washed, blue denim with attractive pink stitching and a silky pink satin lining. Embroidered on the back of each denim jacket is a fabric doll. Kids can dress up the doll by applying the hair, dresses and various accessories to the doll's body with easy to use Velcro backings. Dress Me Jackets aims to make getting dressed an enjoyable activity for kids as they use their imagination, fine-motor and decision-making skills to create new looks with their jacket. Each jacket includes a denim purse to carry the 14 interchangeable accessories that create the two "Princess" and "Ballerina" characters. Launch date: November 2008.

In this game for two or more players, participants are confronted with interesting and, often, totally gross facts about the human body. One multiple choice question, for example, reads, "Most people fart about how many times a day?" It includes 130 question cards, 30 wild cards, six mover pieces, a game board that offers an intestinal look at the body, and a player guide. Launch date: 2009.
This game was formerly distributed by IMAGINATION ENTERTAINMENT.

Flowers will perk up when this Jr. Garden Fairy appears.  This lovely, shimmering green dress has a tulle lining and the back is a knit fabric for comfort.  Two beautiful floral appliqués and trim; plus the detachable gold-glittered wings complete the look.  Sizes:  2/3, 4/6 and 6/8.

Players do not have to be music buffs to enjoy and succeed at Consensus® Music Edition. It's not a trivia game — it's a game about opinions. Consensus® Music Edition takes about a minute to learn and requires only minimal knowledge of some of the most popular songs of all time. Consensus® Music Edition is as much about bonding as it is about friendly opposition, but most of all it is a wild and wacky game where players can learn how their friends and family view things by their taste in music.

This collection of five, eco-friendly stuffed animals is produced in a certified organic plush toy factory in China and made with organic cotton, natural silk, sustainably grown corn fiber, soy and hemp, and non-toxic plastics. Each animal (about 9" tall) holds a heart-shaped apple rattle and comes packaged in a round red box with a leaf and ribbon on top. Launch date: September 2009.

Themed like an oven with a painted stovetop on the top of the lid, cooking mits on the side, and oven timer and oven screen on the front, this 7.5" x 5" x 5" box holds recipes inside. The inside of the box features the phrase "What's cooking?" on the lid.

Mixis™ Culturally Inspired Clothing draws on influences from China, Japan, India and Central and North American. Each outfit draws inspiration from traditional, historical and modern fashion trends. (Doll not included).
Awards: A TDmonthly Classics Award for being an all-time favorite toy.

Illustrate an original book by combining gorgeous batik fabrics and fun ribbon, plus artist-quality paint and beads. With simple tips and lots of examples for inspiration, paint your favorite poem or story,  sew pockets onto a padded baby book, glue found objects onto a personal art journal or create anything else you can imagine!  Two bonus projects in every kit! Turn the box into a mailbox, birdhouse or special treasure box. The inner tray is perfect for framing your art. Ages 8 and up.

This assortment of 12 genuine die-cast replicas of real construction vehicles are each individually packaged in a collectible display case.

The Bumblebee Dress has a 2-tone ruched satin top trimmed with organza petals for a retro bumblebee effect.  The skirt is lined with a soft lining to prevent scratching, and it has 3-tier tulle trimmed with black satin ribbons. Paired with Wings and a Headband (sold separately) this set will have little girls buzzing for more.

A day by the shore and sea is what pleases Marina. She’s set her sights on nautical adventure and wants you to join her in her quest for fun on the high seas! This limited edition treasure is sure to be one of the hottest and in demand dolls for some time to come, so order now!

Design Your Own Sport Bobble Head Kits are real figurines that have not only a bobble head, but additional bobble features. Kits includes a multi bobble sports figurine and everything you need to personalize and decorate in your favorite sports team colors.