TDmonthly - Toy Videos

Kids will enjoy finding bugs and observing them play and perform in the miniature amusement park. The park is equipped with a slide, a swing, a maze, a tightrope, a Ferris wheel and a teeter-totter. The escape-proof domed habitat provides 360-degree views and features an extra-large built-in magnifier lid. The play park is suitable for ladybugs, pillbugs, grasshoppers and more.

The playset includes a construction track, a wind-up Thomas train, a bell, horses, a bridge and trees. The track folds into a convenient 6-1/2” x 6” carrying case for Thomas and his accessories. Launch date: May 2007.

Kids can push or pull the train around the track. The set includes a train, a conductor, a passenger and a 19-3/10” circular track. This item is intended for children over the age of 18 months. Launch date: March 2008.

Seventy wooden pieces to build great structures are included in this kit, which resembles a classic building toy.
— “Tinker Toys and those new Tinker Toys made of wood that bend by Schyilling” are the best-selling transformable toys at the 8-year-old Past Time Toys in Surf City, N.C., said Owner Dan Mewborn
— “Tinker Toys are the kind of thing that's nice to have because every once in a while someone wants a classic Tinker Toy,” Elaine Hackney, owner of J P Boing's Toy Shop in Jamaica Plain, Mass., told TDmonthly.
— They’re also a staple at Lark Toys in Kellogg, Minn., said Manager Mary Eversman.

The Dream Garden comes with a magic fountain, a prince, a princess, a swan, a peacock, a unicorn, butterflies, a tree, flowers and more. The fountain features a waterspout that works with a hand pump. All pieces come stored inside an easy-to-carry box with a handle. Launch date: January 2008.
— Playmobil is a best-selling line at Aunt Jean’s Toys & Treats in Montclair, N.J., Owner Jeanette Lauture said in summer 2008. “I find this ‘gold standard’ to be awesome for girls and boys for a wide age range (1-1/2 to 12 years old),” she told TDmonthly. “I’ve been selling this item since I opened [in spring 2007].”
— Jamie Burdette, owner of LB Toys in Media, Pa., told TDmonthly in July 2008 that he sells 60 units of Playmobil per month. “We go through them like there’s no tomorrow,” noted Bill Sartain, co-owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, Utah.
— Seven of 66 retailers named Playmobil as their overall best seller in summer 2008.

This "collograph" printmaking kit allows children to create distinctive paper collages, then print dramatic pictures using non-toxic printing inks. It includes two colors of printing ink, a brayer, a tag board, a glue stick, a crayon, scissors, white and color papers and instructions. “Eye Can Art kits provide fun art projects, high-quality materials, enough art materials to experiment with techniques, and easy-to-follow illustrated instructions that encourage unique, open-ended expression,” Co-owner Shannon Ninburg of Eye Can Art told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2007.
Awards: 2008 Parents Choice Award; 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal; 2009 Tillywig Brain Child Award

Magneatos is a jumbo-sized magnetic construction set similar in concept to popular sets made for older kids, but designed for small hands with huge imaginations. The distinctive extra-large size and bright colors of Magneatos make them ideal for little builders. Available in 36-, 72- and 144-piece sets, Magneatos construction sets can be combined with one another. The suggested retail prices for the sets are $30, $50 and $100, respectively. Baby builders can reach for the sky with this popular toy. Its steady sales have earned it a TDmonthly Top Seller 2007 award.
— TDmonthly posted a video of Guidecraft Inc.'s Magneatos in November 2007, in which a demonstrator commented on the "not so sturdy" nature of the product, potentially portraying the design or strength of the magnets as a weakness. TDmonthly did mention positive traits of the toy, but upon further review and observance of children playing the set, discovered even more: Magneatos encourage children to work together, communicate (as they find certain colors of pieces, for example), and compete, since the larger sets, especially, contain enough pieces for children to work on their own projects. Also, the power of the magnets forces children to put more thought into the foundation of their structures, reinforcing principles of balance. Per these findings, the video was removed.

Where to Buy: Rocking Horse Toy Store; Really Great Toys; Berkira

The 31-piece set contains full service for four. The set includes cups, saucers, a teapot, a sugar bowl, creamer, utensils, a tablecloth and napkins, all packed inside a convenient cardboard carry case for travel. Each piece was uniquely designed with Madeline in mind. Launch date: December 2001.

The kit includes 16 Stonehenge rocks, a landscaped mat and a 32-page guide about the ancient wonder. Launch date: March 2008.

The playset comes with a dog that squeaks, a cat that chimes and a veterinarian that rattles. Five other themes are available.

This electronic touch screen version of the TV series “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” features 13 subjects and more than 2,500 questions. Pocket-sized and fully portable, this illuminated, easy-to-read and simple-to-use touch screen game includes volume control and a cool pencil stylus. Launch date: Fall 2007.

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