Playful learning
Toy Fair debuts designed to help stimulate young minds
Staff -- Kids Today, 3/1/2007
Gund Baby's introductions include Tinkle Crinkle, which has pockets for holding little objects and tactile elements such as satin and fuzzy areas and crinkles.
First-time exhibitor Kophinos debuted a line of animal and sports plush with a variety of music/speaker options. This bunny, dubbed My First MP3, comes with an MP3 that fits in its back. The eyes light up when the music is played and the controls are located on the feet, $50¨C60.
Aurora World previewed it holiday 2007 collection with this line of festive plush retailing at $11.99 each.
Chicco's new blankets comes in cow and elephant designs and feature a teether and crinkles and are small enough for baby to hold, $9.99.
Shaggie Taggies is one of the new products from International Playthings' partnership with Taggies. The pup has several satin labels for grabbing and a soft bone that slowly retracts after being pulled.
Kids can customize their own wall art, room d¨¦cor and dinnerware with kits from Creations by You. The child's illustration is sent back to the company, which then returns the finished product in a few weeks. The kit with the break-resistant 10-inch plastic plate retails for $14.95.
Bestever introduced new baby mats with a soft, plush front side and non-skid back. The machine-washable mats are available in pink or blue, $36.
Charn has added several characters to its plush rocker line, including a frog covered in a corded chenille, a new fabric for the manufacturer.
Ohio Art's K Kids developmental toys division introduced I'm the Boss, a plush dinosaur with several textured patches and 50 soft plastic balls that can be pushed through holes in the surface, $79.
Spin-Master's Thomas the Train Wheels 'n Whistles lounger lets kids operate their own little engine by moving a lever and touching buttons to play a steam sound, turn the wheels, play music and toot the horn. One side of the lounger also folds down for seating, $79.99.
Tiny Love's Touch and Discover storybooks have an electronic doll that activates sounds when held to a special button on each page. The activity book also has textured flaps and peek-a-boo elements designed to keep baby stimulated, $14.99.
New entries in the Ty Baby line include Tiptop the giraffe and Growlers the tiger, available in pink and blue plush for cuddling, $6.
Delta expands its licensed Disney-Pixar Cars collection with a wood and metal computer desk and chair set. The desk has a pull-out keyboard holder and shelf for storage and the surface top features a racing scene.
Steiff's collectible Phantom of the Opera bear plays songs from the musical and has an interactive feature that allows him to speak in English or German, $380.
The Puzzle Doubles Search and Learn from The Learning Journey combines two activities for an educational purpose. The 2¡ä ¡Á 3¡ä game has 12 shaped pieces and 12 clues to help kids complete the puzzle, $12.99.
King-Max Products' poly-resin giant banks are offered in a variety of characters from its Wildlife Fun collection, including colorful pig, frog, lady bug and giraffe designs, $45¨C50.
