First Time Exhibitors
Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 4/1/2009
It's always inspiring to see a fresh crop of manufacturers at Toy Fair for the first time. Whether a brand new company just joining the toy biz or a small-scale outfit stepping onto a larger stage, many debuted outstanding products at this year's show. Here are just a few of our favorites.
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The Organic Shape Sorter from Dandelion is just one of several soft developmental baby toys that the new company offers that are crafted from organic materials—including cotton velour, waffle, terry and canvas—yet are still completely machine washable. A Stacker, Busy Block and Activity Ball are also available. In addition, Dandelion also offers organic soft rattles and teethers in minimal, eco-friendly packaging; a soft, organic plush collection licensed from original animal drawings by John Lennon; eco-friendly baby feeding products and eco-friendly diaper bags. DandelionForBaby.com |
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| The 4D Cityscape New York puzzle from 4D Cityscape Time Puzzles is the first of five new city-based puzzles the company has planned. This uniquely-designed, patent-pending puzzle allows kids (and adults) to build the city from scratch, from the 1800s to the present, into a complete miniature model. It features more than 2000 educational facts about the city in its included booklet, and includes 800 foam puzzle pieces, 130 New York skyscrapers, four bridges, the Statue of Liberty and more. Chicago, Los Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Hong Kong, Paris, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal puzzles are also being planned. 4DCityscape.com |
| The Calafant line of white cardboard craft toys that can be decorated and put together without glue or scissors is distributed in the U.S. by new company Creative Toyshop and designed in Germany by cartoonist Boris Schimanski. The assortment of small sets, which come with six markers, include a variety of vehicles, a dinosaur and a tiny house; these are also available in party packs of 10. The assortment of medium toys, each packed with 12 markers, include a pirate ship, two castles and a farm. The large sets include castles, a locomotive, a fort, a hacienda and a treehouse (pictured); a super-sized, walk-in Cala-Castle is also available. CreativeToyshop.com |  |
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The Planet Pixies Organic Dolls for ages 3 and up from I Love My Planet Toys are organic cotton soft dolls that aim to guide kids towards eco-conscious lifestyles. Each character hails from a different endangered area of the globe—the Florida Everglades (Kayla the Marsh Pixie), the Arctic Ocean (Anyu the Ice Pixie) and the Amazon Rain Forest (Maia the Tree Pixie)—and comes packaged with information and lots of eco-tips for kids. ILloveMyPlanetToys.com |
Kauzbots is a new line of 18-inch-tall, handcrafted plush toy robots designed to inspire kids and adults to make a difference in the world. Of the suggested retail price for each toy, 10 percent will be donated to the cause-specific charity associated with that particular character. The characters represent a host of different timely causes, ranging from pediatric AIDS (Karson) to autism (Karthy) to clean drinking water (Kruz, pictured). Kauzbots' line also includes apparel and keychains featuring its different robot characters. Kauzbots.com
The Kimochis from Plushy Feely Corp. are cuddly soft pillows that each have a feeling (happy, sad, silly, etc.) printed on one side and a corresponding facial expression on the other. The characters also have a special pocket where kids can store their "Kimochis"—or feelings. Characters in the initial line-up include the moody and unpredictable Kimochi Cloud; Kimochi Bug (pictured), a caterpillar that's afraid of change; and Kimochi Huggtopus, who is all smiles and giggles. Each character comes with three feelings and a How-To Feel Guide. Kimochis.com
Silly Soft Seating from P'Kolino combines adorable toddler seating with the fun of stuffed toys. Each silly character seat is made of three soft yet sturdy, lightweight pieces that can be configured in several ways. Kids can climb and sit on them without fear of hard surfaces or sharp edges, plus the fabric covering is durable, removable and washable. Also new from P'Kolino this year are classic toys, several play and craft tables, the Book Buggee rolling cart, the Little Reader chair, and the Little Reader couch that also becomes a sleeper. Pkolino.com
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The Training Obstacle Course play tent and activity set for ages 3 and up from Time To Play Corp. stands 102 inches high and features a four-tire obstacle course, a ball pit and a detachable 3-foot tunnel for kids to crawl through. The set also includes four fabric "tires," six colored balls and a real working stop watch. Assembly and storage are both quick and easy due to the shock-corded poles, while the polyester tent fabric cleans up easily with a damp cloth. TimeToPlayToys.com |
| The Egyptian Hieroglyphic Blocks for ages 8 and up from Uncle Goose Toys is a 28-block set, handcrafted in the U.S., that features the Egyptian alphabet (single-consonant "phonograms" multi-consonant phonograms, determinants and numbers). The set is designed with an emphasis on education of culture and language; a guide booklet is included with the set to give kids an introduction to some of the basic concepts about reading hieroglyphs. An embossed hieroglyphic puzzle is also included in the set, which is packaged in an obelisk. LindenwoodInc.com |  |
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The complete ZinkoTek System for ages 3 and up is an expandable, 276-piece interlocking construction set that's crafted from 100 percent recyclable EVA foam in an array of shapes and colors. It also includes plastic nuts and bolts, which lets kids build large-scale, sturdy structures of whatever they can imagine—including life-size playhouses, robots and animals. The finished creations are solid enough for them to play in, but come apart easily when kids knock them down, which offers yet another play pattern. Zinkotek.com |
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