Toys in Motion: Arts and Crafts

Embellish a wood framed mirror with sequin trims and pre-strung beads. Mirror measures 9" by 9" and includes an easel back, ribbon and hanging hooks for display. Reverse the mirror and use it to frame your favorite photograph.
— “Creativity for Kids art kits” were the top seller for little girls at Ambassador Toys in San Francisco, said one long-term employee.
— Creativity for Kids arts and crafts kits do well, agreed Rob Slye, owner of Toys Ahoy in Barrington, R.I.
— Arts and crafts are almost always cited as a strong category for girls of all ages among the retailers that TDmonthly surveys.

Kids discover the secrets of ancient Egypt as they wrap a mummy, paint a sarcophagus and construct a pyramid bank. They can decorate their artifacts with specially formulated water-activated plaster gauze, sand paint, shiny jewel rhinestones and metallic accents. Designs are finished with authentic hieroglyphic stickers. The kit includes latex-free crafting gloves, table cover and a handy no-mess mixing tray. It was launched in March 2006.

This brand new, expanded kit includes a style guide to inspire and educate tween girls about variations in skirt, shirt and trouser shapes. It also includes a wide array of colorful pencils and crayons, croque sheets with the outlines of their “models,” newsprint paper, tracing paper, spec sheets and fabric samples. The whole kit folds into a portable 11” by 15” portfolio, for designing on the go. This product received a 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award. Launch date for the Deluxe kit: 2006.
— Right after Toy Fair, Debbie Scholl, owner of Fundamentally Toys in Houston, was seriously considering this item. “With this whole ‘Project Runway’ getting more popular, girls are looking more into design and creation,” she explained to TDmonthly.
— “The design-your-own-wardrobe [kit] is a very good one,” agreed Barbara Vininsky, owner of Jack & Jill in Montreal, Quebec. She expects it to be a big 2006 hit in her store, which sells trendy toy and clothing items.
— TDmonthly's homeschoolers and their moms also raved about the kit, and were ready to order refills to "keep styling."

An art activity set that will release every child’s inner, artistic genius. Using Matisse- and Picasso-esque pop-outs, children will be able to create their own artistic masterpieces. Each set comes with three different sized, freestanding easel-back cardboard canvases. Once the masterpieces are completed and set on display, the child’s room will become her own personal art museum.

Part of the sport craft kit line, the Design Your Own Basketball Kit is a unique and incredibly fun item, combining sports and crafts in an innovative way. The kit includes a clear, real feel and weight basketball, specialized non-toxic paint that adheres to the inside of the basketball, paint injector, pump with needle and instructions. The paint is injected into the basketball (through the air valve) and when swirled around (or better yet, dribbled!) creates a tie-dyed or a starburst pattern of colors. It´s great for both boys and girls. If the ABA had had this, they never would have folded. Nicole Shum of Design Your Own stressed the multi-market value and distinctive appeal of the DYO Real Basketball Kit. She told TDmonthly, “Our kits cross multiple product categories: arts and crafts, creative activities, sporting goods, and outdoor play.  Ours are the only arts and craft kits that feature real sports equipment.”

Scoubiloop strands are a colorful collection of plastic hollow strands that can be braided into key rings, friendship bracelets and even animals. The high quality, odorless strands come in packs of 25 (rainbow), 30 (original or glow in the dark), 50 (glitter) and 100 (original). Each pack comes with an instruction book. Since 2004, the product has caught on with children across Europe, with 30 million packs already sold.

Foiling dates back to as early as 3000 B.C. of the Egyptian cultures where they mastered the technique of applying gold and other metals into leaf to decorate statues, building and beautiful objects. These kits simplify the process by using our Foil Art TM glue pen. First, draw the artwork with our Foil Art glue pen, then rub the colorful foil over the glue, wait for a few seconds, then peel the foil off and watch your incredible artwork come alive with shiny dimensional effects. Perfect for decorating picture frames, note books, greeting cards, scrapbooks, diary and more. The deluxe kit includes 1 Foil Art glue pen, 45 sheets of foil, 1 rubbing stylus, 2 sticker sheets, 1 plastic stencil, 10 sheets of black paper and easy instructions.

Nana Banana has 19 titles in the series, including two original stories about Buttercup the basset hound and his travels to New York City and Monticello. The 14” x 20” books tell a complete story with one line of text per page. The books illustrate familiar stories and fairy tales in original pen-and-ink drawings, the exception being “The Wizard of Oz,” which reproduces the W.W. Denslow illustrations from the first “Oz” book.

Need something to occupy your child at the dinner table? Bring out the artist in every child with unique thematic mats. Winner of Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Toys, new mats have been added, such as “Butterflies” and “Fire Engine.” These mats are made of washable vinyl, so they can be used again and again. Also great as a travel activity. - Aire Norell

What could be more fun for tween girls? Decorating this phone with gems and maribou or rappin´ with their friends? This high fashion phone comes with adorable flower power buttons and super tape ready to decorate. All kids do is attach the multi colored gems, glitter and fabulous fur and they´re ready to glam chat for hours.

Wear your heart on your wrist with Wrist Writers, a design set that allows you to tailor wristbands to suit your moods and personality. Use the work station, fasteners, fabric paint, stencils, glue, and rhinestones to write your name, your best friend´s name, or whatever you feel like on your wristband. The package comes with 12 leather-like bands.

Finally, everything you need to build the best sand castles ever comes in one box! Each Kit contains a Can You Dig It Sand Tools Bucket & Form Set, a Can You Dig It Sand Sculptors Brush, and of course a set of 'The Right Tools'! And so you'll know how everything works, there's a copy of our award winning video, "How To Build The Perfect Sand Castle".

It´s a scientific fact: kids like to splatter paint. Paint ´N´ Swirl gives them the opportunity to do just that without waiting for the carnival to come to town. Just insert one of the blank cards into the swirling machine, spin, and squirt one of the five different colored paint bottles. Art ensues.