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Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winners 2009:
Toys: Preschool Years
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Acting Out Jingle Bell Rock Skirt
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(
Acting Out
$$40$
)
Totally in tune with the holiday season! This red and white net skirt has a peppermint striped bow with a bell and plays Jingle Bell Rock music when your little dancer begins to move. Action activated, this is good fun for getting up off the couch and moving. Also see Acting Out's Musical Waltz Dress.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.SNAP: Finding ways to encourage kids to play actively comes built into this motion activated skirt.
For children who may not be able to dance, this is still a fun skirt to wear and use the music maker for stop and start games. Have child hold the toy and when they shake it you do the dancing...freeze when the music stops. This is an empowering game that puts them in charge of the action. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Phone: (877) 727 0222.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Acting Out Musical Waltz Dress
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(
Acting Out
$$40$
)
Like so many of their wonderful musical costumes, this charming tutu is done in layers of pink and blue tulle with shimmering sequins on the top of the stretchy top and edges of the gossamer skirt. Best of all it is motion activated. It will play the Beautiful Blue Danube waltz when your young ballerina begins to twirl.
This company makes simpler tutus--just the skirt loaded with music from the Nutcracker or Swan Lake.
They come in many sizes and colors. A dreamy gift for the sugar plum fairy in your life! 3 & up. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Phone: (877) 727 0222.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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American Girl Bitty Twins Multicultural Collection
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(
American Girl
$$95$for set
)
One of best collections of multicultural dolls we have seen in a very long time. We are also thrilled that there are boy dolls (often very hard to find) included in this updated collection of twin dolls that include Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Asian sets of twins. The attention to detail for these contemporary twins is nothing less than you would expect from American Girl. You can select your own twins on line- also very clever. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Phone: .
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Big Ben Bear
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(
Mary Meyer
$$9$- $22
)
Big Ben is part of the new Bennett Bear family from Mary Meyer. Big Ben is available in a 12" and 15" size. There's also a Baby version (9"). The Bennett family is alone as our Bears of the Year. Most of the other entries weren't huggable enough for our testers. Still a huge hit with every child that visits our office- the over-sized, extremely cuddly Creamy Bear from Mary Meyer. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Phone: 800-451-4387.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Cheekeyes Wooden Dinosaur Animal Set
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(
Cheekeyes
$$29.99$
)
You know that we're big on wooden blocks as basic gear for the preschool set. Adding props to blocks can spark new directions for dramatic play. We love this new line of handsomely crafted wooden dinosaurs. The company also offers a set of farm animals, trees, a cave and a mountain. The dinos and the animals are outstanding in this category. They are very smooth (as all wooden toys should be) and they have paint only on the sides. Available only on line at oompa.com. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Corolle Naima Calin
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(
Corolle
$$29.99$
)
We're always on the look out for dolls that reflect our diversity. Among the most adorable African American dolls this season is a huggable, soft-bodied 12-inch baby doll named Naima from their Calin collection. Her beanbag body makes her easy to pose. Dressed in a red and white cotton knit outfit with red headband, she is a bald headed baby with big brown eyes that open and close. She does not come with the usual extras such as a pacifier or bottle or toy that would be risky with toddlers who tend to mouth their toys. This one is an adorable armful for beginning pretend play. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Age:
Toddler,
Preschool.
Phone: 800-628-3655.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Disney Pix Jr Digital Camera
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(
Disney
$$59.99$
)
Testers loved being able to add Disney characters to the photos they can take with this easy to use digital camera with all sorts of special effects. A great way to give you beginners hands on without getting their hands on your camera! This 1.3 Megapixel kid-friendly camera has easy-to-grab rubber grips, icon-labeled function buttons (no reading required), and a large display screen for easy viewing! Thanks to the memory (32MB), the kids can click rapidly. They only need two seconds between pictures! It has 1.3 Megapixel Resolution, holds up to 150 photos, USB enabled, built-in Auto Flash, 1.5" Color LCD Screen, long battery life - up to 15 hours of continuous use (requires 4 AA batteries - not included.) WARNING: Not compatible with a MAC. They say 3 & up—we'd say 4-7's would be more like it.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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eeBoo I Never Forget a Face Travel Matching Game
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(
eeBoo
$$9.95$
)
A perfect stocking stuffer or take along on a trip card set.
Lizzy Rockwell’s delightful multicultural faces are printed on small cards that can be matched for solo play or in a concentration style game. Also cute, a set of small “Once Upon a Time” cards with Humpty Dumpty, Red Riding Hood and others. For young nature lovers also consider the matching game of “Life on Earth” with kangaroos, peacocks, lemur, and many more plants and animals. For younger players, there is a new travel set of Color Dominoes. Saxton Freymann used bold graphics of stars, hearts, blueberries and a sleepy lamb to make these colorful dominoes a delight to handle. Again, kids are matching familiar shapes and learning to recognize them outside the nursery.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Phone: (212) 222-0823.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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eeBoo Mystery in the Forest Matching Game
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(
eeBoo
$$14.95$
)
This takes concentration card games to a new level. Artist Melissa Sweet has created a set of matching cards with the potential for storytelling on each little card. Use them for a matching/concentration game and then use them for telling stories. Take turns adding to a story based on the card you select. Make this a cooperative venture by putting the cards out in an original sequence as you spin the story together. 3-6.
Age:
Preschool.
Phone: (212) 222-0823.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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eeBoo Preschool Lotto Game
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(
eeBoo
$$14.95$
)
Simple matching game with 6 playing boards, 36 clear, easy to identify and match pictures and just right for developing visual and language skills. Also easy quick rounds make this a good way to help beginners with taking turns. Pieces are chunky enough for little fingers to pick up. Illustrations are by Brandon Reese.
Age:
Preschool.
Phone: (212) 222-0823.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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