Toy Videos of the Day: 4-29-10

The game where players make up hysterical new lyrics to popular hit music. Are you witty enough to write a song about fast food, homework, doing the laundry or perhaps rabid squirrels? A good sense of humor is better than a great singing voice when you play Smash or Trash. Put your creativity to the test as you compete for top praise from the critics (other players) who will declare each song you write to be a Smash hit or just plain Trash.

This twist on the classic jack in the box features the king of the jungle in an intricate, wood-burned design on the rubberwood box. It is made from naturally sustainable rubberwood and organic cotton fabric. "At I Love My Planet Toys, we pride ourselves on offering eco-friendly toys that retain quality without compromising affordability!" Michael Daner, president of I Love My Planet Toys, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 7, 2009.

First launched in the UK, About Time USA edition has all the features of the original board game plus new American content. The objective is to be the team that guesses closest to the actual date (year) of an historical event. Categories include Heroes & Villains, The Arts, Everyday Life, Innovation, Word & Thought and State & Nation. It features more than 1,600 original questions on American history and culture and world events up to and including 2009. Player pieces are historical characters including Queen Elizabeth I, Napoleon and Shakespeare. The game is for two to eight players or teams and lasts between 25 and 90 minutes.

Inspired by classic stringing bead toys, this innovative collection of 10 books in various shapes develops motor skills while introducing color, shape, and pattern in a wonderfully playful way. Children will have hours of fun reading this set as books, playing with them as blocks, or stringing them as beads. WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD—Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

This linen-covered photo album features a cover print of a toddler girl in the rain, embellished with Swarovski crystals and completed with high-quality tassels in the binding.

These jumbo-sized, child-friendly wildlife wonders of the world are designed to be lightweight and soft to the touch. This series consists of a hippopotamus, tiger, giraffe, lion, zebra, rhinoceros, gorilla and polar bear. Each is finely hand painted, phthalate free and safety tested, and comes with an educational hang tag in five languages. Elephant size: 12" L x 10" H.

These are definitely not your father's dot-to-dots. With no clues given to the final image, numbers into the thousands, and amazing detailed pictures, The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Super Challenge provides a whole new level of challenge and intrigue. Author and artist David Kalvitis continues his Dot-to-Dot revolution by introducing a variety of brand new puzzle inventions such as "Arrows", "Compass" and "Alpha Dots" as well as double page spreads with over 1,400 dots.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5stars from 4 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: One user said that it was too challenging.

This portable play set has a handle at the top and a door that opens to store all the pieces inside. It contains 22 pieces, includes a couple of pirates, a skeleton, guns and other accessories, and even a cannon that really fires cannonballs.

High quality construction and accurate intonation make this 8-Note Handbell Set a great value. Each of the eight metal bells are marked with the proper note in the C-C range and corresponding number to help children learn the musical scale. Standing five inches tall, the long handles enable players to grasp the bells securely. Launch date: 2008.

The goal of this patent-pending, fast-paced game is for players to swing their ring onto their hook. One to four competitors frantically try to out-duel one another while tuning out the screams to focus on the perfect release. "Hookum is the first collapsible, multi-player Bimini Ring game," Joe Parrish, chief creative officer of 5mississippi, told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009. Watch Hookum: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010

Deep black with subtle green sparkles, this slightly stiffer Thinking Putty has a mind of its own. Near a powerful magnet it comes alive! Strong enough to defy gravity. It can even lift tacks and paperclips on its own after charging in a magnetic field. One would be mesmerized by the invisible forces at play.
— Candace Gooch, owner of At Once All Agog in Limerick, Maine, told TDmonthly in July 2010 that this product is one of her top-three best sellers. She cited sales of 12 in the last month and three in the last week.
— In a late Summer 2012 survey, three out of 12 retailers said Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty was their bestselling novelty item. Richard Gibson, owner of Learning Express of Newton in Newton, Mass., told TDmonthly that the putty brings in $5-6,000 a year, and "the best is the magnetic one."
— In a Fall 2013 survey, three out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty was their best-selling novelty toy.

Designed as a realistic replica of the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake, this serpent's moves can be dictated by the remote. It flicks its tongue and rattles its tail while on the move. The product requires 4 AA and a 9V battery (not included).
Awards: Creative Child Magazine Toy of the Year 2010

This robot construction kit includes pieces for children to make animals and figures that move via a one-geared motor.

This environmentally friendly wooden activity board is made of wood from an FSC-monitored source, painted with water-based paints, packaged in a box made of recycled materials, and printed with soy-bean ink. It is colorful, fun and has cute moving eyes, designed with a 1-year-old in mind. It teaches hand-eye coordination, colors, shapes, numbers and characters. It also works like a shape sorter and color-matching game as each of the different shapes has its own home (slot) and can be placed on the wooden pegs of the gears for added color matching and spinning fun. Tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards. Launch date: February 14, 2010.

Suitable for babies 6 months to a year old, this 7" x 7" book features a teddy bear touching his toes, nose, tummy and more. It's a touch-and-feel book with the highlighted body parts in set apart with some kind of fabric or fur. Launch date: May 2010.

Made from organic cotton and sustainable rubber wood, this mischievous monkey hangs from just about anywhere. Launch date: October 15, 2009.

This solo activity kit doesn't require reading and comes with 13 interchangeable parts for three spaceships, plus 60 decorative stickers. Awards: Parent's Choice Award 2010

At 5" long, this plaid puppy is a convenient wristlet, too, with a pocket sized to hold some lipstick and change. It has a leatherette strap and comes in a sturdy gift box.

Part of Terra Traditions' linen collection of home accents, these guest towels feature eye-catching, artistic baby prints and are adorned with Swarovski crystal elements. They come tied with a cream-colored satin ribbon, wrapped in plastic.

Encased in the hand blown glass dome is a mountain with tiny taxis and buses circling on an oval track. Propulsion technology moves the miniature pieces along a very narrow track; and in this case, Pseudo Random Electronics Control causes the vehicles to stop periodically and move at varying speeds. The product features a resin base with a burl wood finish, plus non-scratch felt pads.

Alfie has been taking care of the animals on the safari for a long time and they all look forward to seeing him come along with food and clean water.  Alfie’s best friends are Ozzy the orangutan and Gilly the giraffe, who often catch a lift in the back of the truck.  He has a strong friction motor so that he can cover all the long distances and the feeding station twists around to change from water to food. This toy features a friction-powered truck with realistic engine noises, click and turn animal feeder, a removable driver and two wild animals. Launch date: January 2010.
 

18 inch stuffed baby doll with blanket. Plain and striped soft poly knit fabric. Embroidered face and buttons. Double blanket consists of plain soft polar fleece and striped poly knit fabric. Laboratory tested. Hypoallergenic.