Toy Videos of the Day: 6-29-10

Telepathy is a game that combines strategy, logic and deduction. The game board consists of 18 squares by 18 squares which total 324. There are nine different colors and nine different symbols. Each row and column contains two of each color and two of each symbol. There are 81 different colored symbols and 4 of each colored symbols on the board. In this puzzle solving challenge of deduction, logic and intuition, players go head to head to see who can be the first to guess their opponent's secret square. Every action turn brings you closer to finding the hidden, ancient symbol.
Awards: 2009 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2009 Parents' Choice Recommended Award Winner

These 4” German Bavarian Bouncies come in many varieties of painted wooden animals and characters. They have a spring attached so that they continually bounce.
— Bavarian Bouncies were listed as a best seller at the Key West Toy Factory in Key West, Fla., in spring 2010 by Manager Katie Harris. “We carry over 20 different varieties,” she told TDmonthly. “Our favorites include the Pirate, Surfing Frog and Gator. They’re cute and unique items that you can’t find anywhere else, flown in from Germany.”

This 12" bathtime doll has soft light brown skin and an adorable headband. Her soft body is so light, she floats! Filled with polystyrene "beads" that dry quickly, Tidoos are a favorite playmate outside of the tub too!

Past videos: Product Demonstration

The Design a Heavenly Equestrian Wardrobe offers a fun twist on paper dolls. Girls can design and dress their two Fashion Angels “riders” and two horses again and again with their own one-of-a-kind creations. The kit includes two paper dolls, two paper horses, a jump, more than 100 clothing patterns, fabric, glitter glue, sequins and more. "Horses are very popular, and with this set, girls can design their own horse, just how they want," Sarah Koth, PR manager for Fashion Angels Enterprises, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

The wooden game will help children enhance their memory skills. The game invites children to guess which penguin is hiding which brightly colored egg. Each egg hides perfectly inside each penguin. Launch date: 2008.
— In late fall 2009, Sue Banducci of Games Unlimited in Danville, Calif., estimated sales of 150 to 200 Pengoloo games in December. Two of 44 specialty retailers named the game as one of their overall best sellers.

In this premiere edition of What’s a Dame to do?!, designed for two to eight female players, the answer is in the cards. Each player gets a turn in the spotlight, and participants try to earn points by correctly guessing players’ reactions to Dame Dilemmas. “What's a Dame to do?! is aimed at fun-loving, sassy adult women of all ages and lifestyles. This includes co-eds, 20- and 30-somethings taking it out for girls' night, at-home moms having a girls’ night in, and female family members playing together even with hip grandma. It's not a 'talk about your feelings and experiences' game like others out there,” Co-inventor Kerri Neubek of Sisters 2 Inc. told TDmonthly.

In this Movie Edition of Consensus®, launching in March 2009, the object of the game remains the same as in the original Consensus®, but the central theme of the game revolves around movies. Game play is driven by questions of opinion regarding movies.

In this game, three to eight players get the chance to be seriously rich but must beware of the Taxman. Participants fiddle in finance, dabble in real estate, or make millions in movies, and should be clear thinking, quick of hand and shout the loudest. There is no set order of play. Players simply shuffle cards according to the number of players, deal, then shout or trade their way to build up a full set of cards and make a billion dollar fortune.

Designed to allow practice and improvement for spelling skills, this 2- to 6-player game comes with a colorful game board, a tri-colored die, six bee playing pieces, 300 Buzzleword cards and 50 Buzzlebee cards. The spelling words are taken from actual school lists, and the adult version is ideal for family game night or play with friends. The game includes spelling words at three levels of difficulty.

This eco-friendly, 3D wall decor features soybean-based foam. It installs on flat surfaces with a Velcro patch.

This colorful crustacean is 7.5” W x 1.75” H (19 cm x 4.5 cm). Meticulously painted by hand, this replica is phthalate and lead free and meets or exceeds all safety standards. Each figure includes educational information in five languages and also name identification on its underside.

Made of washable suede cloth, this set includes a full hood with tassel and a velcro closure. The hat is lined with wool blend felt and is accented with pheasant and ostrich feathers.
Awards: 2009 Creative Child Product of the Year.

Kids can step into the kitchen for some child-friendly fun with food. The 40 recipes in this colorful, large deck are based around the five main food groups, and offer a healthy and exciting way to learn about cooking. Kids' Kitchen is written by Fiona Bird and illustrated by Roberta Arenson.

These fashionable barrettes come in a variety of colors and patterns and feature a silicone gel grip strip on the inside for no-slip wear. The clip is glueless, made with a special adhesive. The barrettes are made in Canada.

These fully adjustable headbands are designed to fit any head, from infant to adult (26"). They are made in Canada and come in a variety of colors and patterns.

This classic Princess hat has a special secret lining that keeps it standing tall! The perfect addition to any dress-up box. Matches all the Fairy Finery fashions — in boa or sequin trim.
—  "Girls like the princess hats from Fairy Finery," said Terry Myers of Kaleidoscope Toys in Round Rock, Tes.
— Peggy Sebert, owner of Becky & Me in Glenview, Ill., listed "Fairy Finery" as among her "strongest sellers" in costume accessories.
— Nine of the 67 retailers TDmonthly spoke with cited princess hats and accessories as favorites among the little girls in their stores.

These blocks were created for parents as concerned as their child's development as the environment they will inherit. They are made from 100-percent renewable bamboo, as is the storage box. They can be decorated by kids using non-toxic Be Block markers. The stencils are made from partially recycled polyester. All the paper and packaging is partially or completely recycled. The set comes with 18 blocks, eight markers, more than 100 stencils and an idea booklet. They're perfect for “people who want to design everything,” Founder Leah Hamilton told TDmonthly. A percentage of the proceeds funds arts education. Watch Be Blocks: Top-5 Video, Toy Fair 2010.

 

Hair Noodles feature a spiral design in multiple colors that create many different looks. Launch date: July 2009.

Les Mess is an organizational card game designed to encourage kids to pitch in when it comes time to clean and get rid of clutter. By completing one of the tasks on the cards, children earn a prize while making the home more organized.
— Jennifer from The Dirty tShirt tried the cards and found them simple enough for even her toddler. She recommended Les Mess “to everyone trying to teach their children the wonders of organizing their things.”
— Quiverfull Family’s Jennifer used Les Mess to get all of her children excited about cleaning and organizing. She said Les Mess is best “when approached with a light heart, and a fun-filled attitude.”

This world is almost too big to hug. The Orbis 16"-diameter EarthBall now has a big brother, the new 1 Meter EarthBall. This universal toy is the largest inflatable globe one can wrap his arms around. Perfect for children, schools, conferences, public events and parades, it features the same amazing NASA satellite imagery and glow-in-the-dark city lights. The 1 Meter EarthBall also comes with the same 16-page handbook, packed with games, activities and fun.