Toy Fair 2013 is right around the corner, and TDmonthly Magazine wants to help you prepare for one of the biggest buying events of the year.
To kick off our 2013 Toy Fair coverage, we asked seasoned manufacturers to share with us the products they're most excited about presenting to retailers at the show.
You can learn all about the products below. Make sure to take notes, so you can plan which booths you want to visit at the 2013 Toy Fair in New York.
Activated by clapping, Humerus the joke-telling Funny Bone tells dozens of hysterical knee-slappers that will have everyone falling down from his hilarious stand-up. Packaged in a Comedy Stage gift box, Humerus the Funny Bone makes the perfect gift for kids, adults, teachers, doctors (know any orthopedists?), and anyone with a funny bone. Launch date: November 2012.
This colorful and attractive wooden pull-along musical train will engage your kids in hours and hours of wholesome play. It consists of 3 wagons equipped with a Xylophone, 2 Drumsticks, 2 Bells and a Cymbal. Develops rhythm and motor skills. Tested to meet European and U.S. safety standards. Launch date: February 2013.
Part of a line of ScienceWiz Thinking Games, this puzzle game created by Harry L. Nelson and Hiroshi Yamamoto provides 40 challenges at different skill levels. Players put a puzzle card down and solve the puzzle by making sure all the pieces are looped together, at which time the board will light up with the solution.
Duck is the latest addition to our line of HO scale Thomas & Friends separate-sale locomotives. He features moving eyes and hook and loop couplers. "We're the only licensee of electric HO scale Thomas & Friends train products," Debra Schiff, communications manager for Bachmann Trains, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2013.
Our popular Pauline Pig now comes in two sizes! This pig has personality plus with a gray spotted body and pink ears, hooves, curly tail, and snout! ...very soft and cuddly. SRP's are $15 and $25
From the hit app sensation Talking Friends, Talking Tom has now come to life. Talking Tom repeats everything kids say in his signature funny voice, just like the hit app. Now a Disney cartoon series, Talking Tom is great gift idea for kids of all ages. Launch date: October 2012.
A great item for today's adventuresome girls. Each kit contains a gypsum block with 7 different embedded gemstones and a spiral pendant. Once the stones have been excavated, she can choose a favorite stone to wear in the necklace. Stones can be changed to coordinate with her outfit or her mood. Launch date: August 2012.
Children will learn to fasten buttons, zippers, snaps, shoe laces, buckles and more, while playing with these multicultural dressing dolls. Each doll measures 15-3/4" tall. Ages 3 - 9. Surface-washable. Launch date: January 2013.
Little rock stars will take center stage playing Schoenhut's “next generation” guitar. Schoenhut's innovative design incorporating a molded composite body with dual curves greatly enhances sound and durability. The birch soundboard which offers excellent tone and resonance, hardwood neck (for rigidity), and molded composite fretboard ensure proper height and spacing of the frets. Six steel strings permit a wide range of rich sounds. Available in several vibrant designs. Includes: Pick and Extra String. Launch date: January 2012. Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval
SmartMax Set - BASIC 25 allows children ages three and up to experience the wonders of magnetism and the fascinating world of construction in a safe way. Towers, bridges, and houses are just a few building options that take advantage of the large pieces to engage even the youngest builder. — Diane Gervais from Amato's Toy & Hobby in Middletown, Conn., told TDmonthly in a November 2014 survey that Smartmax sets are one of their store's best-selling educational toys. "Smartmax is pretty popular right now in preschool," she told us.
The Torch Fire Truck lets children get a detailed look inside to see how it works. The Torch Fire Truck comes with an illustrated Howie Work’s adventure hardcover storybook that takes them through how each of the major parts work in real life. By pushing a simple, three-digit combination of buttons on the vehicle or the included Worx Storybook Transmitter, an infrared signal is sent to the Torch Fire Truck revealing a working engine, emergency lights, fire hose, and much more. Launch date: July 2011. Awards: 2011 Creative Child Toy of the Year
Designed for both the classroom and the playroom, this magnetic wooden block set includes 106 blocks in 8 shapes: 12 cubes, 8 large columns, 16 mega planks, 26 long planks, 8 medium columns, 8 small trapezoids, 8 large trapezoids, and 20 short planks. During Tegu’s design process, we observe students in their natural environments and create educational tools that encourage active, inquisitive, and resourceful minds at all grade levels. Powered by magnets, Tegu Blocks offer puzzle-like constructive possibilities that challenge students to develop and problem solve their way to gravity-defying breakthroughs—improving hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills in the process. Launch date: February 2013.
New Nail Art to apply after Piggy Paint has dried. Then seal the Nail Art on the nail with Piggy Paint topcoat. So much fun. 3-D Butterfly Nail Art Topcoat or Glass Slippers is recommended to seal design. Choking Hazard: Not intended for children under 5. Launch date: November 2012.
Create 5 Pulsar Powerballs™ that bounce and soar to amazing heights. Place colorful crystals in the mold, submerge it in water and let it sit for five minutes. Open the mold and the brand new Powerball is ready to play with. Place special lights inside the larger mold to create a Powerball that lights up when it bounces. Launch date: October 2012.
Space Adventure Mini includes over 45 block pieces to create one space vehicle and one Cube Figure. The same blocks can also be reused to transform the space vehicle into another robot or vehicle. Launch date: April 2012.
From building a tower, to a fortress or a maze, eco-build a block set™ will inspire imaginations to soar. These blocks are fun for all ages; they build confidence, teamwork and help with gross motor skills. Get ready to watch worlds come to life. These 100% recycled cardboard blocks come packaged in a reusable carrying case and are ready for play. With four unique sizes, use them as is or add an artful touch for hours of creative play. eco-build a block set includes 2 extra large boxes, 4 large, 8 medium and 16 small boxes. Carrying case measures 16.5"H x 20"W x 4.25"D. Launch date: August 2012.
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. 
