Need last-minute gifts, stocking stuffers and things that kids can buy with their holiday cash? TDmonthly Magazinepicked out 30 new toy and gift items for you, below.
To find more items under $10.00, click here (NOTE: Items without a price listed may be more than $10).
Swashbuckler Pirate Collection – Boatswain Benjamin Jeffrey by SAFARI LTD.®
With this collection, kids can embark on a spellbinding voyage of yesteryear when seas were plagued with marauding pirates. This hand-painted and phthalate-free pirate measures 4” tall. Launch date: Spring 2007.
Papo is proud to introduce its new line of Weapon Master for 2007. The hand-painted King of Knights is just one of 10 in the series. For added play value, each of the Weapon Master Knights can ride a horse and stand on its own. — Shirley Reilly, owner of Let's Play in Hillsboro, Ore., discussed with TDmonthly the upcoming 2007 Christmas season, noting that Papo Knights will be big with little boys. — “Papo has truly outdone themselves creating one of the most detailed knights on the market,” said Brian Shackleton, operations manager for Hotaling Imports, the toy’s U.S. distributor. — Ask retailers’ advice for how to sell to boys and Papo Knights ride to the rescue again and again, no matter what the season. They’ve been on three TDmonthly Top-10 Most-Wanted Toys lists over the last year, which is why they’ve been named a TDmonthly Top Seller 2007.
Ophira acts in secret, for she is a master of intrigue. She cunningly supports all the evil plans against the elves. This figurine is hand painted. Launch date: May 2007.
Kids can collect, trade and play awesome games with these cards. The first series of Webkinz Trading Cards includes 80 base-set cards featuring favorite Webkinz pets, characters, items and recipes to collect and enjoy. Kids can also collect three exciting subsets of cards: Challenge Cards, Curio Shop Curiosities and Webkinz Doodlez. Each set comes with 10 packs of cards and six cards per pack. Other amounts and booster packs are also available. — When asked about the current hot-seller in her store, Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys & Books in Scottsdale, Ariz., said, "Webkinz of all kinds —from the Googles and Chihuahua to the trading card games and booster packs." — “I would probably have to say any Webkinz by Ganz accessories,” Bill DeFusco, owner of Toyz Toy Store in Chesire, Conn., told TDmonthly, when asked about what he predicted would be his store’s most popular stocking stuffer. “Whatever accessories for Webkinz can be found—lip glosses, body spritz, trading cards.” —Eleven of 58 retailers who spoke with TDmonthly cited Webkinz accessories as highly popular stocking-stuffer items.
Kids of all sizes who love the comfort of the ubiquitous Crocs shoes will have fun using Jibbitz to create distinctive designs. They just pop the Jibbitz into the holes of the Crocs and start walking in style. Jibbitz themes include flowers, food, activities, NFL, Disney and animals, among others. Launch date: 2005.
This string puppet has an airplane-type control that, when rocked side-to-side like an airplane dipping its wings, causes the puppet to walk or dance. It measures approximately 12” from the control to the feet. — Owner Lynn Robillard of Toys in the Attic in Manchester, Vt., told TDmonthly in summer 2007 that marionettes from Sunny & Co. are a best-selling product line in her store. The smaller ones sell better than the larger she said, and the absolute favorite is “a toss up between the deer and the moose.”
Automoblox MINIs are a reinvention of the classic wooden toy car — a fusion of heirloom craftsmanship and ultra-modern styling, transformed into a mix-and-match design system that allows kids to create their own distinctive car styles. ”We’ve combined old-school durability, ultra-modern style and an innovative play pattern to create a new generation of classic car toys. The Automoblox MINI line makes it fun for kids to explore their own unique design instincts by combining warm wooden blocks, colorful rubber tires and bright translucent plastics to create super-cool car styles,” PR Manager Tina Noelle Mezzina of Automoblox told TDmonthly. A three-pack plus accessories are also available (MSRP: $24.99). Launch date: August 2007.
Rock-a-Bye Baby Musical Rub a Dub™ Book by THE STRAIGHT EDGE INC.
This lightweight, waterproof book is hand washable and includes a pressure-sensitive melody module that is heat sealed into the cover and plays when a child presses the red circle. An adorable baby panda illustrates the classic bedtime song, which ends happily with Mama Panda’s good catch. The 5.5” square book contains lyrics to the first verse to encourage word recognition and pre-reading skills. “Our waterproof bath books are musical! Music not only has been found to encourage cognitive skill development in young children but it also is a wonderful distraction for a cranky toddler,” Owner Amy Kallman Epstein of The Straight Edge told TDmonthly.
Children can grow a collection of dinosaurs with this set of ten colored beans that are marked with images of dinosaurs using a patented process. Magically, seedlings grow from the soil with the animal images still on them and then develop to yield edible beans. The dinosaurs include Stegosaurus, Triceratops, T-Rex, Brontosaurus and more. The beans come in a poly bag, along with a recyclable planter, vermiculite growing medium and detailed instructions. Launch date: January 2008.
These adorable Plumpee cats come in various colors and are available in large 12" sizes or small 9" sizes. The large sizes go for $10.00 each and the small sizes go for $5.00 each.
These new and safety-approved capless egg shakers provide kids with quick, delicate and responsive shaker sounds. Constructed of durable wipe-clean plastic and filled with non-toxic steel shot, the Egg Shakers make sweet, reliable and rhythmic sounds for kids and adults alike. "Our egg shaker is unique because of our patented design sealing process. Other egg shakers are seamed in the middle or have a glued end cap. In other words, ours is safer and has a better appearance," said Ray Enhoffer, director of R&D at Latin Percussion. — "Shakers are the type of toy that might be selling in the music section. We get them from LP RythMix," said Tristan Hewitt, manager at Dragon's Toy Box in Seattle. “Everybody needs some egg shakers,” said Janet Gregory, owner of Over the Rainbow Toy Store in Anchorage, Alaska. “They’re perfect for baby hands, and I sell them to lots of grown-ups for all kinds of things.” — Two of 45 retailers told TDmonthly in 2007 that shakers from Latin Percussion are popular with their customers, citing sales of about 30 and 120 units monthly. Six percent of 68 retailers said in July 2008 that egg shakers are their top-selling musical toy. — Egg shakers are “perfect for little ones to hold in their baby hands, and non-toxic,” Diana Nelson, owner of Kazoo & Company in Denver, told TDmonthly of this best seller in her store in January 2009. “It's something simple and not too noisy for a parent; I think that's why they do well,” explained Sherry Peddie, manager of Applause Kids in Bracebridge, Ontario, in January 2010.
These Mini Maracas allow kids to participate in just about any style of music. They're loud enough to be heard, but small enough to take along on trips and vacations. Made of specially formulated plastic, they produce a stage-quality authentic sound and come in a variety of colors. — Maracas by Trophy were cited as one of the best-selling musical toys in the store of Gwen Bowden, manager at Doodlehopper 4 Kids in Springfield, Va. — Four of 45 retailers TDmonthly spoke with said Trophy maracas and shakers are hot-selling musical toys. — Retailers said they sell from three to 30 maracas or shakers a month from Trophy.
Aye aye, matey. Kids can now add the One-Eyed Pirate to their Playmobil treasure. This particular find comes with an adjustable action figure, a treasure chest, gold pieces, a sword and an old-style pirate revolver. — "Pirate-themed stuff like figurines — Playmobil specifically," said Alex, lead clerk at Learning Tree Toys in Oklahoma City, Okla., when asked about popular gifts in his store. — Four of 45 retailers said Playmobil makes for great gifts with their customers. Thirty units a month was the most common sales figure given to TDmonthly. — "The Playmobil One-Eyed Pirate is a captivating 3” figure wearing gold hoop earrings, while protecting a chest full of gold. It is a wonderful addition to the Playmobil Pirate Playworld and perfect for the Playmobil collector," said Playmobil's Michelle Winfrey.
These high-bouncing rubber balls feature figures and realistic backdrops encapsulated inside. Packaged in a fun and colorful box, each set of three balls comes ready to be given as a gift. Each ball measures 45mm in diameter. The Collect-a-Ball line also includes baseball, basketball, soccer, nature and air sports themes. Launch date: February 2007.
Morph-O-Scopes Packet - Fairies Fantasy by OOZ & OZ
This captivating little optical illusion coloring activity — the Fairies Fantasy Packet — contains five delightful fairies morphs: a fairy snuggling in a fuzzy caterpillar scarf (shown); fairies gathering dandelion puffs for pillows; hopping a ride on a dragonfly; imps teasing a big bullfrog; and taking a leafy moonlight nap. Each packet comes with one Morph-O-Scope mirror. The brain-tickling fun challenge is crayoning the twisted shapes on the paper to make color appear in the right places in the fairies cartoon reflections. It is inexpensive, easy to assemble, and appeals to all ages. The Fairies Fantasy Packet is made in the USA and meets or exceeds all U.S. safety standards. Launch date: May 2007.
Babies will love this adorable, comical and colorful handkerchief. Small and round, the handkerchief features a teddy bear head and two little hands in the center. “This puppet will help parents stimulate their child's imagination,” Vanesa F. Maldonado, at Tris & Ton, told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 2007.
Constructed of soft-cast molded PVC vinyl, these pullback vehicles are safe for young children. The cars can zip across almost any surface. Each car’s wonderful details, squeezable quality and large size makes it perfect for little hands. This product is a 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award winner.
Daniel + Divinity Donkey (Poitou) – Noah's Pals Series A by Caboodle! Toys LLC (Noah's Pals)
Poitou donkeys are the hairiest donkeys in the world. Their shaggy coats can become extremely matted and tangled if left uncut. Noah's Pals is a 2007 Parents' Choice Approved Award winner. ”Each animal pair is packaged with an educational ID Card that contains a unique secret scratch code, similar to Webkinz,” Caboodle! Toys LLC co-founder Steve King told TDmonthly. “When collectors gather and register the entire series, Caboodle! Toys rewards their diligence by sending a Caboodle! — a box of special, exclusive rewards.” Launch date: 2007.
These whimsical, collectible and affordable novelty items are classics with a twist. Though not necessarily for the bathtub, each is tub-worthy and guaranteed to always float upright. Priced competitively and in the impulse decision triangle, RUBBA DUCKS are able to fulfill numerous buying options for a broad consumer base. Each RUBBA DUCK features a tattoo on its tail feathers that reflects its unique personality, and comes with its own hatch date and biography on a trading card tag.
Holiday Pair 'O Pals – Santa/Elf by ELAINE & WALLACE LLC
This 6” plush features a two-in-one design that makes it reversible to reveal either Santa or Razzle the Elf. It is made of cuddly, super-soft material. “The trend in holiday plush has been about sound chips and sparkle. We wanted to take a back-to-basics approach,” VP of Sales Pamme Boutselis of Elaine & Wallace told TDmonthly. “We focused on recognizable characters and tried to infuse them with both personality and seasonal charm.” Launch date: August 2007.
This soft velvety pouch contains three polished MiYu Magic Stones. There are 40 MiYu Magic Stones to collect, each with a Zodiac significance and each infused with the power of Love, Wisdom, Success or Energy. Inside the pouch is also a secret code that grants access to the MiYu Magic website where one can learn more about the magic stones. On the website, children also designate which charity is given money from their purchase. "MiYu Magic Stones are genuine semi-precious stones from around the world that are thousands of years old. They have real value and beauty unlike many of the plastic toys found at mass [market]," Scott Irwin, director of marketing for Winscott Corporation, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2007.
This two-player, high-quality card game offers head-to-head fun as players take calculated risks to win sets by forcing their opponent to "bust." Yet, players must also play their cards defensively at the right time, or the tables will turn. The player who wins the most sets wins the game. Sixteen is easy to learn, while cribbage-like counting and a distinctive combination of cards yield high strategy and replay value. Playing time is about 15 minutes. Sixteen won the Dr. Toy 2007 Best Products Award, the Major Fun Family Award and the Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence Award. MSRP: $6.99 to $9.99. Launch date: July 2007.
Make it fashionable and fun to Get Outta Town™! Designer details like contrast topstitching, embroidery, and appliqués are paired with a trunk full of different themes and styles for guys and gals, to make these leatherette passport covers and luggage tags must have accessories for trendy travelers.
"Playing with dolls" takes on a whole new meaning and challenge with this pretty, but tough, Dolls Scramble Squares® puzzle. At under $10.00 retail, Scramble Squares® puzzles make inexpensive, but highly entertaining and valued gifts for anyone, ages 4 to 104, for Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, get well, graduation and travel.
This system allows users to create four different pictures with the same six pieces by sliding the pieces into, over and under each other in different ways. This MOZANIAC set forms “Madame Matisse” by Henri Matisse, “Woman in a Large Hat” by Amadeo Modigliani, “Portrait of Dora Maar” by Pablo Picasso and “Self-Portrait With Monkey” by Frida Kahlo.
These hand-held squeakers come in six fun animal shapes and squeak with the greatest of ease. They feature vivid colors and patterns and delightful soft velour heads and feet. The squeakers fit nicely into a diaper bag or purse, ideal for on-the-go entertainment. Launch date: January 2007.
Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ... Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ... Read more articles by this author
