ASTRA Exhibitors C - F

Having taken care of Venom in Spiderman 3, Peter Parker is back to battle what could be his most evil super villan yet in Carrera’s GO!!! Spiderman, the 1:43-scale slot car and race track system themed after Marvel Comic’s fourth installment in the Spiderman series (anticipated for release in 2011 by Sony Pictures). As enthusiasts step into the cockpit of Spiderman’s “Webslinger” they’ll have to contend with Spiderman’s newest mortal foe, Carnage, who pilots the Parasite RS at scale speeds of up to 450 miles per hour. Twenty feet of web-slung track, featuring a double loop, four-way crossover, and wall-climbing flyover bring Spidey’s home town of New York to life in Carrera GO!!! 1:43 scale “Spiderman” set (62120). Launch date: February 2009.

When the wind-up mechanism is activated, the mommy whale swims and the baby whale slides down her back or floats on the attached boat. The baby whale can also be filled with water; press its tummy to spray water. The toy helps babies develop hand-eye coordination, and may help alleviate a baby’s water anxiety by preoccupying him or her with a fun activity. This product is intended for children over the age of six months. Launch date: February 2008.

From late November to Christmas Eve, Christopher Pop-In-Kins “pops in” to visit children, play hide-and-seek, and share in the excitement of the holiday season. On Christmas Eve, he returns to the North Pole to tell Santa all about his young friends and holiday adventures. Each Christopher Pop-In-Kins Fun Set includes a posable Christopher Pop-In-Kins Elf, “Christopher Pop-In-Kins Pops In” by Flora Johnson ©1985 illustrated storybook, and a convenient storage case. Now in his 27th year, Christopher Pop-In-Kins was recently named one of Dr. Toys Best Classic Toys for 2011.
Awards: 2011 Moms' Best Award for Extraordinary Products; 2011 The Toy Man Award of Excellence; 2011 The Toy Man E-Choice Award; 2011 The Toy Man Seal of Approval; 2010 Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Excellence in Family Products; 2010 The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2009 Preferred Choice Award from Creative Child Magazine; 2008 iParenting Media Outstanding Products Award; 2008 iParenting Media Hot Product Award; 2008 Dr. Toy Best New Products Award; 2004 Choice Award from the Chicago Home & Gift Market

Dozy Dolphin On The Go helps re-create sleep time routines by bringing familiar soothing sounds while away from home. Dozy Dolphin’s peaceful, water-based sounds are designed to take a child on a tranquil journey while effortlessly transforming unknown surroundings to a more familiar environment. Tucked inside Dozy Dolphin is a removable sound machine that plays fun sounds for play time and soothing sounds for sleep time. Dozy Dolphin On The Go is made from eco-friendly bamboo fabric. "It needs no plugs and comes with multiple soothing sounds with two timer options. All Cloud B products are made in consultation with our advisory board made up of pediatricians, sleep specialists and child experts," Emily Chae, marketing associate for Cloud B, told TDmonthly. This product received a a 2009 NAPPA Honors award. Launch date: May 2009.

In this fun, fast-paced game, a quick mind, fast reflexes and a good memory will help you stay on top. The goal is to be the first to play all of your cards before someone can discombobulate you with one of 10 distinctive Discombobulation™ challenges. Discombobulation challenges put you head-to-head against other players to compose rhymes, sing popular songs, make lists, mimic others, remember nicknames and much more. Mess up, you draw more cards.

Mademoiselle Rose makes a perfectly snuggly first companion for Baby.

Crafty Dab Face Paint Push Up Crayons are made with the highest quality materials to ensure professional face paint designs, and they include skin conditioners such as lanolin and beeswax. The paints are non-toxic, hypoallergenic, easy to apply, and wash off easily. They also come in Jumbo and Stackable styles, and all three styles are available in Bright, Neon, and Pearl color schemes. Launch date: January 2006.

The princess heart dress is a very special dress-up piece. The spandex top allows for some stretch, and is finished with a jewel heart design applique in two tones. The straps are elastic, and the skirt is trimmed in tricot. The ruffled tricot skirt with multiple layers creating a full skirt that is as soft as air.

Specializing in earth-friendly and organic goods for young children, Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods has created a line of whimsical rattles and teethers. This soft yellow duck has stitched features and is made with organic cotton velour. A fun first friend for teething, tugging, and snuggling. The interior stuffing is made from fluffy, natural corn fibers. Launch Date: April 2009

This little baby doll with a big smile is made in the USA of 100-percent phthalate-free material.

This 150-piece game set allows kids to construct their own racing system. It includes instructions for 30 raceways as well as track, connectors, loops and two cars in a reusable storage bin with handles and a top that locks.
— Products by DARDA, including this set, are best sellers at Kazoodles in Vancouver, Wash., Co-owner Mary Sisson told TDmonthly in early 2008.
— Racing sets were best sellers at Twirl Toystore & Playspace in Taos, N.M., in early 2009, according to Owner Molly McMullin. “They are a great example of how having a demo out to be played with makes all the difference in selling,” she told TDmonthly. “Our salespeople all love showing people how to get the most effective run out of the pull-back cars.”

This basic set includes four 2.5 oz. markers in red, yellow, blue and green. The marker tips are round and flat. Artists make pictures by stamping the dots close to each to each other, creating impressionist works of art.
— "One of our best selling art project items is the Do-A-Dot Art. Those are fantastic," was the enthusiastic response from Judy Bielewicz, manager at Imagination Toys Inc. in St. Louis, Mo.  
—  "Art supplies, like Do-A-Dot, which is an ink-filled foam-tipped brush," was how Linda Laramy, owner of Crackerjacks, Inc. in Easton, M.D, described her best-sellers in this category.
—  This unique product allows kids to experiment with paints but with a "brush" designed like a marker.

The CAMP Travel edition is very compact and mobile, with a unique wood design. Up to 4 multi-level players, and has fun “setback” and “move forward” functions. All new outdoor trivia cards, with vibrant full color images, includes content highlighting all 50 states.
— "The board game Camp has sold well in our store. Happy to see the travel edition that kids and parents can play together," Marlene England of Dancing Bear Toys & Gifts, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

Kids' imaginations will run wild with this 2-piece set which include a tiger "head" and matching tiger "shirt!"

Great for:

• Dress-up centers
• Dramatic play
• Storytelling
• School plays
• Costume parties

Comfortable, high quality, washable fabric. Easy-to-use Velcro® fasteners make dressing up simple. Made from flame-retardant material. One size fits all!

This soft, plush roll-up musical snail has eight musical note chips for enhancing the discovery of sound. It comes with six Melody Music Cards. The product measures 5 1/2" x 17 1/2" and is suitable for ages 6 months and up. Launch date: 2008.

Spin for a Hero, and something to ride: a rival, a treasure (to find or to hide). Choose a cave, or a castle with fortified towers, a friend and an object with magical powers. Get all of them first and you'll get the glory ... of winning ... and using them all in a story. The game includes: four Heroes, four Rivals, four Helpers, four Magical Objects, four Means of Transport, four Treasures and four Fairy Tale Places. Launch date: 2009.

Made from the versatile, multi-experiment Snap Circuits that allow kids to safely and easily build real electronic projects, this kit features many of the latest innovations in alternative energy. Featuring a hand-crank dynamo, solar panel, and wind turbine, kids can light up an LED, power a clock, charge a rechargeable battery (included), run a small radio, and watch the created energy on an analog meter. Instructions for many other projects are included in the kit; can be integrated with other Snap Circuits sets. This product received a Dr. Toy Green Award. Launch Date: Fall 2009

Quackgammon is an easier way-to-play variation of backgammon in a travel format. Each player moves his flock of three “mallards” around a lake. The fowl are protected by staying positioned next to each other so that the lone fowl is not a “sitting duck."

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

Part of the Creative Studio line, this set includes three PITT artist pens made with India Ink (black superfine, black brush and grey brush) and a 28-page instruction book with helpful hints on doing manga drawings — with lessons on everything from basic shapes to light and shadow. It showcases a variety of head shapes, and the kit also includes the following: a poseable figurine on a stand to help guide artists in their drawings, a graphite pencil, an eraser, a sharpener, a stencil, a ruler and a 20-page sketch pad. Specialty retail members of ASTRA were impressed with this kit at Toy Fair 2008. Launch date: May 2008.

The Jupiter themed marbles are packed in a net, attached to a colorful header card. Many other space-themed varieties are available, including Venus, Mars, Meteor, Milky Way, Neptune and Galaxy.

Travel the seas in high style with the woolfelt handcrafted hat, and tunic. Hand appliquéd detailing makes this stand apart from the rest. Available in red, white, and pink on black

Strategy skills get stepped up a notch when space runs out on the board. The game continues on top of the previously played pieces. Following specific layering laws, each player tries to cover up their opponent's pieces. In the end, the more exposed player comes out the winner. It's "a strategy game that's fun for the whole family," Jackie Aubut, director of sales for Family Games, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 20, 2008.

The base of the Rolling Earth Puzzle Bank is a savings bank with a screw-on cover. The Earth Globe is a puzzle. Place the globe on the base and nothing happens; however, place the magnetic jet airliner on the equator and the globe begins to turn as the jet circumnavigates the Globe. It runs on 4 AA batteries and comes assorted with light blue and dark blue globes. "People will be amazed by the simplistic magnetic science that makes the Earth turn. The motion is mesmerizing as the plane moves around the globe," Richard B. Freeman, VP of domestic sales for Fascinations Toys & Gifts, told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2009.

The Bling by Number Dry Erase Calendar has a choice of two different images and includes glitter glue, sequins and gems, as well as three dry erase markers. Girls just add the “bling” according to the numbered instructions. It's designed as a "glam" way to keep track of important events on a dry erase, perpetual calendar, so it can be used and re-used for years. Launch date: 2009.

This modern construction set features 35 durable, plastics squares that measure 3" on each side and have notches on the sides that allow them to be connected. Children can build structures more than 3' high.

Filled with tiny pellets that represent an outdoor sports field, this version of Find It contains more than 40 items that cover more than 35 sports. Things to find include a basketball hoop, football, boxing glove and jet ski. Launch date: Fall 2008.
— Mary Porter, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., sells “a dozen or so a month” of the Find It games, she told TDmonthly in spring 2009.
— Two of 64 retailers cited Find It Games when asked about best-selling travel toys in March 2009.

Cute butterfly flies among flowers into a fresh light blue sky. The dial is adorned with white crystal stones.

Watch case made in aluminium with mineral crystal glass, shock-resistant, water-resistant and machine-washable (40°C/104°F).
SWISS MADE

This set includes an 8" vintage-style pixie elf, a keepsake storage box and a children's picture book with a rhyming story that tells how the elf helps Santa out by watching children's behavior by day and reporting it to Santa at night. The elf is designed to be placed throughout the house during the Christmas season, creating a hide-and-seek activity for the whole family. Launch date: September 2005.
— “Elf on the Shelf is doing really well since we put those out five or six weeks ago,” remarked Janet Gregory, owner of Over the Rainbow Toys in Anchorage, Alaska, in November 2008. “We just brought them in in November. [We] sold 24 last month, and 24 already this month,” Terry Myers, owner of Kaleidoscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, told TDmonthly.
— In a December 2011 survey about books, 2 out of 12 retailers named Elf on the Shelf their best-seller. "We sold 18 already, in just a couple weeks," Andrea Scartozzi from Hardware Toy Center in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly. William Meredith, owner of Learning Express in Cary, N.C., agreed. "Elf on a Shelf is our number one item. It has been for years!" he told TDmonthly.

Where to Buy: Smart Kids Toys; Kazoo Toys; Escapade Direct

X-Ball®, the newest creativity toy from the makers of the award-winning Ball of Whacks®, presents a whole new playful way to stimulate creativity. The set of 30 X-shaped magnetic design pieces click together to form a geometric orb. The uniquely angled X-shaped pieces allow imaginative users to invent their own shapes and designs. The X-Ball comes with an illustrated, 96-page creativity guidebook that offers lots of ideas for other fun shapes and creative applications. "X-Ball was created as a companion toy to the award-winning Ball of Whacks, and its unique X-shaped pieces can be combined the magnetic pyramids for creative play," Lynn Araujo, communications director for Creative Whack Company, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 15, 2009.

Past Videos: ASTRA 2009