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November 23, 2024

TDmonthly Magazine

December 2014 | Vol. XIII - No. 12


December Staff Picks

By TDmonthly Staff
December 2014

Holiday cheer is in the air and TDmonthly Staff is excited to present our December Staff Picks. The toys below make excellent gifts, not only to carry in your store but to give to the children in your life, too. Whether you're looking for animal figures, arts & crafts, or games, our picks have you covered.

Crystal Flowers by SENTOSPHERE USA

Crystal Flowers by SENTOSPHERE USAWith this kit, create 8 sparkling, transparent flowers using liquid stain glass paint. Bend the frame rods into petal shapes and place them in the mold. Squeeze the paint color of your choice into the mold and wait 2 to 3 hours for the paint to dry. Assemble the petals and complete the flowers with pistils made from the "Patarev" supplied. A great kit for young girls who love decorating their room. 11/24/2014 (MSRP: $23.60; Age: 8 and Up)


O2 Power Racer by OWI INC.

O2 Power Racer by OWI INC.Gasoline is currently the fuel of choice, but petroleum used to make it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and is contributing to environmental issues and worldwide problems. Automobile manufacturers know this and are spending tremendous amounts of money to develop alternative fuel for the future. A few years ago, OWI introduced a Salt Water Fuel Cell vehicle and is now introducing another alternative fuel and eco-friendly vehicle. Let us introduce you

Air as fuel...could possibly be another alternative to petroleum. Air is available 24/7, does not run out and it’s free. By golly, we might have something here and OWI’s O2 Power Racer can break down this technology to its simplest form. This is an amazing kit that uses the vision of our ancestors back in the middle of the 19thcentury. Now, your child can gain valuable insight into propulsion via compressed air.

Assembly and operation is a breeze. A pump-up bar with a pressure meter is built into the car for easy operation. This meter measures the volume of compressed air. The air chamber is a silicon tube (not a PVC tube used by others). The silicon tube creates an air tight fit. Another safety device implemented into the kit is a safety valve. If the user keeps pumping while the tank is full, the safety valve will open and bleed the air automatically. Anyway, back to the air in the tank. When the air chamber is full, you can release the compressed air; the air then expands and drives the vehicle a distance up to 50 meters in 35 seconds. The car is fast and furious fun that requires no batteries or specific weather conditions to limit its usage. OWI’s O2 Power Racer is not only designed with the environment in mind, but is also fun and easy to build! 11/18/2014 (MSRP: $25.95)


Carnegie Collection Velociraptor by SAFARI LTD.®

Carnegie Collection Velociraptor by SAFARI LTD.®Armed with a sharp retractable claw and being capable of running 24 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour), the Velociraptor was a formidable predator in the Cretaceous period. Our New 2015 Carnegie Collection Velociraptor figure measures 8” L x 3.25” H (20.25 cm x 8.25 cm) and recommended for children 3 and up. Scale 1:10. All products are 100% guaranteed and lead-free to ensure children’s safety. Visit safariltd.com and explore the educational information we have available in 5 different languages. 11/18/2014 (Age: 3 and Up)


LEGO® City Advent Calendar by LEGO

LEGO® City Advent Calendar by LEGOMake every day a festive building adventure as you count down to Christmas with the LEGO® City Advent Calendar! Take the boy to post a letter to Santa, build a snowman, visit the Christmas market and go ice-skating with his friend. Play with an early Christmas gift of a duck built from LEGO® bricks. Help the police to build an awesome sled to catch the crook who’s stolen the presents. Then it’s time for a celebration feast, exchanging gifts around the Christmas tree and a visit from a very special guest. Ho-ho-who could it be?! Includes 7 minifigures with assorted accessories: a boy, woman, girl, crook, 2 policemen and Santa. 11/13/2014 (MSRP: $29.99; Age: 5 to 12)


Snowtime Inflatable Snow Shields by PLAY VISIONS INC.

Snowtime Inflatable Snow Shields by PLAY VISIONS INC.This new set comes with 2 inflatable shields and 6 soft plush snowballs! Open the box, inflate your shields and let the 'INDOOR' Snowball fight begin! Snowballs are super soft and light weight, do nobody gets hurt and nothing gets damaged. Snowballs are machine washable! 11/13/2014 (MSRP: $20.00; Age: 3 and Up)


BRIO Builder Creative Set by SCHYLLING

BRIO Builder Creative Set by SCHYLLINGBuild, create and build again! This large set features 270 pieces including a hammer, screwdriver, pliers and wrench! A fun way to practice hand/eye coordination. Package measures 22" x 16" x 3.75". 11/14/2014 (MSRP: $80.00)


Design Your Own Jewelry Kits by SUGAR LULU

Design Your Own Jewelry Kits by SUGAR LULUThe Sugar Lulu Design Your Own Jewelry Kits encourage girls to express their creativity, individuality, and style through the unique designs that they create. Girls can design each charm the way they want and then wear the jewelry in lots of different ways (check out www.sugarlulu.com to see the latest jewelry video).  It’s so fun and easy…just layer the background sticker first, collage your own design, and then seal it with a sticky bubble topper. It’s that simple, and the results are beautiful!  The Jewelry Kits include everything girls need to create their one-of-a-kind designs all packed in a pretty patterned collectible tin. The kits include: Charm Necklace Kit, Charm Bracelet Kit, BFF Rings Kit and BFF Pet Charm Kit. The best part about Sugar Lulu Jewelry is that it doesn’t have to stop with just one kit. Girls can get more charms and rings by going to the fully stocked in-store display where each piece is sold separately. It allows girls to continue to add to their collection of one-of-a-kind designs. Every piece is uniquely engraved so that both sides of the jewelry are special. Sugar Lulu Jewelry is not only something a tween/teen will want to make, it’s something they will love to wear and share!
MSRP: $19.99 - $24.99
— Priscilla Moore, owner of Mr. Fub’s Party/Toys and More in Yellow Springs, Ohio, told TDmonthly in an October 2014 survey that Sugar Lulu was their store's best-selling brand of jewelry and accessories.

 11/4/2014 (Age: 8 and Up)


The Pucker Powder Party kit by CREATIVE CONCEPTS LLC

The Pucker Powder Party kit by CREATIVE CONCEPTS LLCThe Pucker Powder Party kit is a fun activity for parties, outings, sleepovers or a rainy day. This kit comes with 3 awesome flavors of Pucker Powder, 12 small tubes and caps and your very own home dispenser. Refill kits will also be available for additional purchase.
Custom Candy Kit  MSRP $39.99 -  Refill Kit MSRP $12.99

 11/10/2014 (MSRP: $39.99)


Sands Alive! Volcanic Violet by PLAY VISIONS INC.

Sands Alive! Volcanic Violet by PLAY VISIONS INC.Set includes 1.5lbs of colored Sands Alive!, Brick & Pebble Rollers with interchangeable handle, 2 Sculpting tools and convenient Play Tray! 11/13/2014 (MSRP: $24.00; Age: 3 and Up)


Press Here Game by CHRONICLE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

Press Here Game by CHRONICLE BOOKS FOR CHILDRENThe magic of the New York Times bestseller Press Here is now available in game form! Hervé Tullet has reimagined his groundbreaking book in an entirely new dimension. Players take turns completing color sequences by placing red, blue, and yellow playing pieces on one of twenty-five fabulously designed game boards. What seems like a simple choice is likely to lead to animated discussion as players come to understand the visual logic at the heart of the game. With two levels of play to choose from—so that it's easy enough for a toddler to grasp, but also complex enough to challenge older siblings and adults—this engaging game delivers hours of entertainment for the whole family. 11/14/2014 (MSRP: $20.00)


Creativity for Kids Blow Pen Stencil Kit by FABER-CASTELL

Creativity for Kids Blow Pen Stencil Kit by FABER-CASTELLGet "blown" away creating stencil art with blow pens and colored pencils! Children can experiment with fun blow pens to create brightly colored artwork in their sketchbook using the stencil spinner, chipboard shapes and colored pencils. Blow pens are BPA-free and safe for children. Practice mixing colors, creating "negatives" with the chipboard shapes, or using the stencil spinner - choose from a variety of shapes and letters. When the fun is over, everything stores neatly inside the package. 11/14/2014 (MSRP: $14.99)


Spit it Out by R&R GAMES INC.

ANSWER 6 EASY QUESTIONS WRONG TO GET IT RIGHT. Sounds easy? Well, it should be – except that there is a short time limit and that our brains are wired to give the right answer to an easy question. Still sounds easy? Well, then let’s add a rule that each wrong answer can only be given once. What!? Still too easy? Okay, then sometimes you have to give the right answer and sometimes the wrong answer. That should make it hard enough for you! 11/12/2014 (MSRP: $19.95; Age: 10 and Up)


String Art by KLUTZ

String Art by KLUTZString Art was originally invented to make math concepts more accessible to kids, but it isn't just for squares (or triangles or circles) any more. With our crystal-clear, step-by-step illustrated system you only need to learn three simple techniques to make all the kids art in this book, including a fun fox, a darling dandelion, a cute cat, an awesome owl - you can even spell your name. The final results may look intricate, but we include an only-from-Klutz pin-pushing tool so even a string-art newbie can create awesome art with this classic craft. And our pin-pusher solves string art's prickliest problems by making sure that every pin goes in straight and at the same height. With instructions for 20 projects and enough materials for six, kids will be making amazing art in no time. Comes with: 60 page book, 360 feet of craft thread in 8 bright colors, 550 sturdy pins, 6 project boards, 10 decorative sheets of backing paper, 5 sheets of tracing paper, pin-pushing tool.
— In a May 2015 survey, two out of 11 retailers told TDmonthly that Klutz was their best-selling brand of activity kits. 11/13/2014


GoldieBlox and the Zip Line by GOLDIEBLOX INC

GoldieBlox and the Zip Line by GOLDIEBLOX INCFor the first time ever, Goldie comes to life as an action figure! More than just a doll, her articulated shoulders, hips, knees and joints along with specially designed hands and feet are designed for action. With the included construction kit, kids learn how to build Goldie a 13' zipline and send her soaring! Encourages spatial skills, basic engineering principles (suspension), and confidence in problem solving. Kids can now bring Goldie along and place her in the middle of the action with specially designed feet that fit on axles and hands that grip. New pieces! The GoldieBlox action figure comes with newly designed pieces that are compatible with all existing GoldieBlox construction sets. Includes: 1 action figure with articulated shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, 1 action figure tool belt, 1 action figure wrench, 4 wheel ends, 4 elbow joints, 4 T joints, 6 mini axles, 2 short axles, 2 spacers, 4 washers, 1 4-meter long zipline. 11/13/2014 (MSRP: $24.99; Age: 4 to 10)


Squigz Benders by FAT BRAIN TOY CO.

Squigz Benders by FAT BRAIN TOY CO.Squigz Benders join Squigz imaginative construction. These Fun Little Suckers bend, twist and loop their way into creative play! Connecting to each other and to any solid, non-porous surface - Squigz are a species all their own. They flex. They stick. They suck people into creativity. Once they take hold, it takes some pull to separate them. When Squigz POP! in protest - you’ll have to admit… your hands and ears are shamelessly delighted! 11/13/2014 (MSRP: $24.95)








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