Not to be depressing, but this issue is rather dark, given reports of a gothic haze over the annual IDEX doll convention, a review of a vampire guide that's sure to keep fans of Twilight's Edward and Bella in the know, and Kamhi World's crazy-cute, blood-thirsty Vamplets at Toy Fair. Toy Fair 2010, by the way, presented a fairly bright outlook for the year, with a welcome smattering of innovative product and a 4-percent increase in attendance over 2009, according to the TIA.
 
WRAP-UP: TOY FAIR 2010 ^{(Watch Toy Fair videos here)}

The Pumponator Balloon Pumping Station, Connect 2 Play Modular Activity Tables, Consensus games by Mindlogic, and Norman & Globus' Once a Pawn a Time are just some of the products that were highlighted during ASTRA's Share the Fair at Toy Fair 2010. See the specialty toy association's top-30 selections in this article.

See also TDmonthly's TOP-10 TOYS of TOY FAIR 2010 and dozens of videos of vendors demonstrating their new products.

Don't miss celebrity Daryl Hannah on video, talking about the inspiration and development of a game she co-invented, Liebrary from Discovery Bay Games. In case you missed our daily reports during the four days of the show, Feb. 14-17 ... in our Toy Fair Highlights, you will find the following:
 
Video of the Day - TDmonthly's top-5 picks for new and innovative toys and games you should check out
Products of the Day - Photos and descriptions of new products that may be ideal for your specialty store
Photo and Video Report - Take in the sights and sounds of the show, including fighting dinosaur puppets, animated artwork and a glimpse at TDmonthly's Toy Fair Tour
Retailer Panel Selections - What did six independent toy-store owners like best at Toy Fair?
Feature Article - Check in on arts and crafts, games, the eco-friendly trend and science kits.
Hot Toys - Latch onto show trends and see mass-market offerings for 2010.
Twitter Updates - Are you following TOYDIRECTORY?

STAFF PICKS

Here's a glimpse at just a few products we've selected for our Staff Picks, a collection of new and unique items you may wish to research for your store:

Grasshopper Preschool Prep - Snip, Glue and Grow by GRASSHOPPER INC.

Complete with an illustrated guidebook, this developmental kit comes with 10 multi-sensory games and craft activities to let preschoolers practice early cutting and fine motor skills.

Science on a Tracking Expedition by THE YOUNG SCIENTISTS CLUB

This kit teaches Young Scientists about animal tracking through exciting hands-on science experiments and activities. Identify animal tracks, learn about the animals that make the tracks, cast animal tracks, play the tracking game, create animal track prints, design an animal track poster, and explore real animal tracks in nature. Includes eight realistic animal footprint molds, large colorful poster, and eighty animal game cards. Launch date: Spring 2010

Fish in a Jiff by TOYOPS INC.

Kids can marvel at the fastest-growing fish in the world, growing from egg to adult in just six weeks. The adult can reach up to 2" (7 cm) in length. The Killifish eggs used in the kit are from the same family of Killifish eggs that were flown and studied by NASA on the space station. These eggs are homegrown in the USA and raised in Toyops labs to preserve their native habitats. Owners just add bottled water and a light source to watch them spring to life. Launch date: March 2010.

Writer's Bio: Julie L. Jones has written articles for both newspapers and magazines. Before joining the staff of TDmonthly Magazine, she worked as a communications writer and provided editorial support for a market research company. Read more articles by this author