APRIL 22, 2008 Crafts to Treasure One of the many new offerings in the Works of Ahhh… line of wooden craft kits from Balitono (recently acquired by MasterPieces Puzzle Co.), the Treasure Chest Bank ($17.99) lets kids paint a one-of-a-kind keepsake bank with a secret compartment to stash all their treasures. Includes wooden bank with real metal hardware and lock, non-toxic paints, glossy varnish and brushes. Balitono, Princeton Junction, N.J. www.balitono.com   Tidy Train Play Beka’s durable 17.5-inch-high Train Table ($104), crafted from solid hard maple, is available with a 32-by-48-inch table top ($36.00) of white melamine for open-ended play; it can also accommodate standard table tops with graphics. Also shown are hard maple and Baltic birch Trundles ($94) with swivel casters, which tuck underneath for easy toy storage. Beka, St. Paul, Minn. www.bekainc.com   Creative Construction New this year from the Matchitecture deluxe line of challenging 3-D building kits is the New York Fire Truck ($39.95). This all-inclusive project kit includes 1500 “microbeams” (wooden matchsticks), wood glue, cutter, tweezers, plans and instructions for sizing the beams to the correct lengths. The finished project is an impressive 16.5-inch fire truck that’s 6.7 inches high. Bojeux, Montreal www.bojeux.com   Princess to the Rescue? Royal Rescue ($22.99) is a bridge-building logic game for one player; the goal is to reunite the knight and the princess, who are locked in separate towers. Designed to develop kids’ spatial reasoning abilities and stretch their logical thinking skills, it offers 48 multi-level challenges, from the simple to the complex. Includes 11 wooden pieces and an illustrated color booklet. Educational Insights, Rancho Dominguez, Calif. www.edin.com Elephant-O-Gator Block Mates sets ($25) offer a unique new type of block play for ages 2 and up, with colorful add-on pieces that slide easily—yet fit snugly—onto traditional-sized unit blocks to create fun characters. Kids can match the colors to assemble familiar animals or mix-and-match the pieces to build their own fantastical creatures. Available in farm animal, safari animal and dinosaur sets. Guidecraft, Englewood, N.J. www.guidecraft.com   Patterning for Preschoolers Both a game and a puzzle in one, the 36-piece Paletti ($40) invites kids to create brilliant 3-D patterns with the bright wooden shapes; available in three different depths, the shapes can form relief effects and other unique designs. Each block and the set’s 10-by-10-inch frame are crafted from beechwood and painted with water-based, non-toxic stains in lieu of paints. Haba USA, Skaneateles, N.Y. www.habausa.com   Animal Magnetism The Educo range of marble mazes expands this year with the wooden/magnetic 10-by-10-inch Colorback Sea Turtle ($27.95) for ages 2 and up. This vibrantly colored activity toy, crafted from New Zealand pine, aims to help kids develop concentration, balance, and matching skills. Also available is the Color Flutter Butterfly; both options come with an activity guide for caregivers. HaPe, Sherwood Park, Alberta www.hapetoys.com   Eco-Friendly Fun The Pushalong Hybrid Car ($14.99) is designed to help kids ages 1 and up to develop their balance and motor skills. It’s crafted from a single piece of rubberwood, has smoothly finished edges, is hand painted with child-safe, lead-free paints; and features rubber wheels to protect floors. The line also includes a Pushalong Cat, Dog, Fox and Duck. ImagiPlay, Boulder, Colo. www.imagiplay.com   A Perfect Fit The Schoolhouse Naturals line of unfinished wood toys adds the Shape Sorter Bench ($19.75), which includes 12 hard maple blocks in four primary shapes (circle, square, rectangle and triangle), a 4-by-6.75-inch bench, and a storage pouch for all the pieces. Each bench is crafted from hard maple with engraved details labeling where the different shapes go. Maple Landmark, Middlebury, Vt. www.maplelandmark.com   Mile High Living The Treehouse ($85), the latest addition to the Plan Dollhouse line, offers a unique habitat for doll play and pretending. Crafted from chemical-free plywood, it features three levels of simple living space, a tent canopy and a pulley pulley/pallet carrying system. The full set includes a rope ladder, swing, table, two chairs and two little campers. Plan Toys, Palo Alto, Calif. www.plantoys.com      EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the final edition of our Product Watch newsletter. For ongoing weekly coverage of new products, visit Playthings.com or subscribe to our Playthings Extra email newsletter.  Cliff Annicelli, Editor Karyn Peterson, Managing Editor Manufacturers: If you would like to be considered for future product coverage, please email product images (out of packaging) and descriptions to karyn.peterson@reedbusiness.com. Please include targeted age range, suggested retail price and date of availability. ============================================== You are currently registered to receive Playthings Product Watch at: [#EmailAddr#]. Unsubscribe from Playthings Product Watch: Click Here If you received this newsletter second-hand, you can get your own FREE subscription here. QUESTIONS If you have questions or need further assistance, contact our Online Support Team at mailto:GiftSupport@reedbusiness.com?Subject=Playthings-Extra--#emailaddr#. For advertising questions, contact Betsy Komes. 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