November Staff Picks

Make carnival rides with Magformers. 144 magnets included in 46 magformers. Twelve triangles and twenty-four squares, two hexagons and eight additional triangles.
— As of 08/06/2012 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 4 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Well made, durable; encourages creativity.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

The 26 piece brightly stained But erfl y teaches children let ers with fun puzzle play. One side of this puzzle teaches upper case let ers and turn it over to learn lower-case. The But erfl y A to Z Puzzle is carefully craf ed & stained with child-safe stains. The But erfl y A to Z Puzzle comes packaged with an easy clean up storage box made from Beech wood. Made from Natural Rubber wood, stained with child safe stains, box made from Beech wood, manufactured in China.

Quirky and colorful, Under the Nile Scrappys are made from 100% Egyptian Organic Cotton Scraps left over from our clothing scraps. Wastefulness is not in our nature-any time we see a chance to upcycle, we’re going to. Measures 10" in length. Slim body design makes stuffed animal easy to hold. Made of 100% GOTS certified organic Egyptian cotton. Launch date: September 2012.

Spot it! Basic English boosts sight word recognition while having fun. This educational game features universal images and words for emergent readers, including sight words. There is always one, and only one, matching symbol between any two cards. Spot it to win. Players search for matches between a word and its corresponding picture, between two pictures, or between two words. While the repetition solidifies word recognition, the pictures support reading comprehension. A fun learning tool for kindergarten through second grade. Launch date: September 2012.

Douglas extends the Christine Clarke Collection with a flurry of new designer fashion accessories. One is this shoe shaped sak made of a unique, fun multi colored fabric with coordinating ruffles and embellishments in black and white gingham and hot pink polka dots. The shoe is a working purse with room for all the usual essentials, a plastic zipper enclosure, and a shoulder strap. 8" wide and 10" tall.

Because Amelia smiles as she skips down the street, her neighbor Mrs. Higgins smiles too, and decides to send a care package of cookies to her grandson Lionel in Mexico. The cookies give Lionel an idea, and his idea inspires a student, who in turn inspires a ballet troupe in England! And so the good feelings that started with Amelia’s smile make their way around the world, from a goodwill recital in Israel, to an impromptu rumba concert in Paris, to a long-awaited marriage proposal in Italy, to a knitted scarf for a beloved niece back in New York. Putting a unique spin on "what goes around comes around," David Ezra Stein’s charmingly illustrated story reminds us that adding even a small dose of kindness into the world is sure to spur more and more kindness. Launch date: September 2012.

Matisse's Red Studio was a breakthrough in modern art with its flood of vibrant red color and white sketch lines. The different perspectives Matisse used have been studied and debated by artists since the painting first debuted in 1911. The Red Studio Master Kitz includes all the tools children need to create their own masterpiece along with learning materials to deepen  their understanding of the Red Studio and its impact on modern art. Each Red Studio Mater Kitz includes: A sturdy, re-usable art tool box with magnetic closures; 1 re-usable stencil; 2 pieces of high quality art paper; 2 sticker sheets; 1 acrylic paint; 1 oil pastel; 1 foam brush; Fun, easy-to-understand Matisse learning materials; Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.
— Rebecca Goblish, owner of Picayune Toys in Dunwoody, Ga., told TDmonthly in a May 2013 survey that Snap Circuits are one of their best-selling activity kits.

The Tinkertoy® Transit Building Set is designed to encourage young builders to play and learn. Builders ages 3+ can create a train, garage, bridge and more or accelerate their imagination with other ideas. The colorful guide provides a variety of ideas for all building skill levels. The Tinkertoy® Transit set includes 150 durable, plastic pieces including spools, straight rods, bendable rods, wheels, eyes, two buildable figures and more. Comes in a durable box with lid for easy storage and portability.

In the land of Blue Clouds, anything can happen. The clear and beautiful voice of children’s music favorite Elizabeth Mitchell weaves musical landscapes that “seem like a patchwork of memories we’ve always shared,” writes Caldecott Award – winning author Brian Selznick in the liner notes. The dreamlike illustrations of legendary artist Remy Charlip illuminate the magical narratives of these timeless songs. Mitchell’s extended family band, You Are My Flower, including daughter Storey and husband Daniel Littleton, embrace us with sound in a celebration of family, imagination and love. 16 tracks, 39 minutes, 32 page booklet. Launch date: October 2012.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Aero Flixx is an indoor action disc game. The 4 inch discs contain cool 3D images on 1 side and a foam backing on the other. Initially, there are 40 discs to collect and trade. A rubber band powered target is available at which the discs are tossed and a direct hit propels the target 5 - 6 feet in the air. Play indoor disc golf, H*O*R*S*E, shooting gallery, or other precision games using Aero Flixx' 3D throwing discs, target and target launcher.

Together, these three DVDs will introduce kids to 180 Chinese (Mandarin) words and phrases. Using Little Pim’s unique Entertainment Immersion Method, Little Pim will captivate children by turning everyday activities into fun adventures. The DVDs combine animation and real kids, teaching simple words and phrases for everyday activities. Includes 3 Chinese DVDs (eating and drinking, wake up smiling, playtime); 8" velvety soft plush Little Pim panda, and a fun, see-through Little Pim tote bag.

Things really start to roll for little ones: the barrels, balls and rotating disks allow kids, in a playful way, to delve into the fascinating world of optics and discover impressive motion effects. Contents: 3 basic wheel chassis, 1 set of wheels, 2 effect balls, 1 spinning top, 6 color disks to stick on spinning top, 8 barrels, 1 ringing roll. Material: beech wood, polycarbonate.

Coloring meets crafting in the innovative, patent-pending COLORGAMI. It debuts with several thematic sets, including "Space Adventure," "The Red Carpet Collection" and the "Puppet Maker Activity Kit."  Each COLORGAMI kit includes markers, giant COLORGAMI design sheets with characters, accessories, themed environments and more. When the coloring is finished, the illustrations can be popped out, folded and constructed into a three-dimensional scene. Launch date: February 2012.

This 2 Ply Plush Blanket is generously sized at 30" x 30" and features the beloved Sock Monkey face. Perfect for any nursery. Launch date: January 2011.

Aurora's newest Fancy Pal lets kids carry their plush pet backpack style. This shimmery backpack with rainbow detail comes with a 7" cuddly unicorn with sparkly horn.

Place the puzzle pieces inside the trucks so that they don't stick out. There is only one solution, yet 48 challenges. These little trucks combine a great puzzle with a fun toy. Trucky 3 is made from sustainably-harvested, eco-friendly wood from rubber trees, and plastic.
— As of 07/20/2012 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Portable; fun even for younger kids who don't understand the challenges; variety of challenges provide lasting fun for kids of different skill levels. Cons: Answer key is easy for kids to see.

Unique Unicorn is from a far, far away land. She likes to be the center of kids’ imaginations. Her lavender color will make her carrying friend the center of attention. Unique Unicorn is very loving and enjoys to rest in kids' arms or on their lap. She also enjoys traveling along with on her corresponding backpack. Size: 13" H x 10.5" W x 6" D. We manufacture our products from 100% polyester so they’re lightweight and manageable. Tag Along Teddy products are safe, durable, and machine washable.

In celebration of our tenth anniversary, Moonjar has created a brand new Moneybox with a global twist. Each metallic section is wrapped in the words, "Save, Spend and Share" in languages from around the world. The boxes are gold, silver and copper colors to appeal to the tween set as well as their parents.

Inspire younger minds with this great LEGO Duplo Bricks & More Brick Box - Pink (4623). Designed especially for young girls, this cute starter set features rabbits, carrots, flowers and an assortment of basic LEGO DUPLO bricks in both pink and classic DUPLO colors. Comes in a sturdy LEGO brick storage box and includes an inspirational idea booklet.

Packaged with a whisk and silicone baking cups, the Handstand Kids Baking Around the World Cookbook kit introduces children to the world of baking in a colorful, hardbound and illustrated book with new recipes from Arleen Scavone, two-time winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, and founder of the famous bakery, Sweet Arleen’s. This cookbook features PB&J Cupcakes, South African Pumpkin Bread Pudding, and Carrot Walnut Cupcakes, among others. Launch date: January 2008.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval