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	July 9, 2007


	Beanie giants The freestanding 26-inch-tall plush Beanstalks ($20) are unique faceless forms with weighted bottoms for either kids or adults. Each features a button on one hand and a loop on the other so they can hug each other and pose. The Beanstalks are currently available in three styles: the black-and-red corduroy Droc, the fuzzy zebra-striped Arbez and the bright yellow Wolley, with additional styles expected to be added later this year. Daydream Toys, Hoboken, N.J. www.daydreamtoy.com All by themselves There are so many bumps and bruises that go along with learning to ride a bike. The Buga-bike ($59.99) is designed to help young children, ages 4 and up learn to ride a two-wheeler earlier on with no as many falls. The bikes are made for children who are too young to ride a traditional bike and feature a simple, pedal-less design that allows the child to use their feet against the ground to push the bike. Once they learn balance, the bike can be readjusted to help them balance completely when they're ready sans the training wheels. Bugabike, Montreal http://www.bugabike.com/



	Bump n' go Kid Galaxy is giving R/C car play a twist…or make that a jolt, with the new R/C Space Bumper Cars Set. For ages 5 and up, the hovercraft-style cars ($35 for the set) drive easily with just a two-button controller and are appropriately futuristic looking, with one in turquoise and silver (a favorite color scheme on planets other than our own) and the other in day-glow orange. The cars make “cool sounds” when bumped, Kid Galaxy says, and have drivers who eject on impact. Kid Galaxy, Manchester, N.H. www.kidgalaxy.com Bag a pet Carrying pets around just keeps getting easier. The Wild Planet Purse Pals are tiny interactive pets that live in a small locket purse. Once opened, the pixilated pets can come to life on the mini LCD screen. Girls can care for their pets needs, desires and all the day-to-day basics like feeding, walks and grooming. There are six different pets and a Party Mode, which features special music and more interactive games with other characters within your pet’s world. In addition to group activities are individual games for the girl and pet to play together like tag and hide-and-seek. The toy is light-weight and recommended for ages 5 and older and retails for $14.99-$19.99. There are six pet purse styles, including: Callie the Kitty, Poppy the Puppy, Cheeks the Hamster, Nibbles the Bunny, Gumdrop the Turtle and Pajamas the Pony. Wild Planet, San Francisco www.wildplanet.com



	D'oh! Homer, Bart and Lisa adorn new video game controllers for the Sony PlayStation system from Solutions 2 Go. The controllers ($19.99) come in three designs: the Mmm…Donuts Homer controller and Bart Simpson Bona Fide El Barto controller feature eight-way D-Pad and twin analog sticks and features an illustrated, high gloss images of the characters; the Little Miss Perfect Lisa controller is a smaller controller that features the same mechanics but just the right size for tinier hands. Solutions 2 Go, Ontario http://www.solutions2go.ca/ A beautiful discovery The Discover Your World lunch box ($9.99) is just one of five styles in a brand new line, which features some of the most popular themes from the company’s selection of vibrant original artwork. This 10-by-7-by-3-inch model is also available in the Horse in Meadow and Ballerina designs. In the more classic 8-by-7-by-4 inch lunch box model, the Horse Ranch and Fairy Boat designs are available. Ideal for snacks, school supplies or even kids’ secret treasures. Enchantmints, Sebastopol, Calif. www.enchantmints.com



	Family fun, naturally To win at Camp ($24.99), the family board game designed to teach kids about the natural world, players move their animal character tokens through the forest, answering wildlife trivia questions along the way. Each card is leveled, so that kids of different ages and abilities can play together. Downloadable coloring pages featuring the game’s characters are also available from the company, and a coloring and activity book will be hitting retail soon. Education Outdoors, Eastport, Mich. www.campboardgame.com Molded play Any parent can tell you there are good things about clay (open-ended play, no small parts) and the not so good (staining, flaking, bits stuck to the carpet). Play Clay looks to minimize parents’ play dough nightmares with an all-organic formulation that isn’t crumbly, doesn’t stain and stays soft and pliable longer than competing play compounds. It comes in seven fruit-scented colors, such as Blueberry Blast and Pink Lemonade that smell delicious yet for safety’s sake deliberately taste “yucky.” Play Clay is available in several iterations, including a gift pack (pictured, $12.95) that includes six 5 oz. rolls of clay. Good Gifts, Lamar, Colo. www.playclayfactory.com Rainbow bright A lightweight, battery-powered light box for kids, Scratch-Lite Sketcher ($19.95) is suitable for artists looking to make their mark at home or on the go. Turn on the Sketcher’s backlight then scratch designs on black coated Scratch-Lite Sheets using the supplied drawing tools and stencils to expose rainbows of glowing color. The resulting "stained glass" masterpieces can then be hung in sun-filled windows to best highlight their luminosity. Refill packs of Scratch-Lite paper are sold separately. Scratch-Art, Avon, Mass. www.scratchart.com


	The next Product Watch comes to you on July 23.
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