SECTOR GUIDE: PRE-SCHOOL - MEGA BLOKS
Mega Bloks is further growing First Builders. For spring/summer, Mega
Bloks First Builders Farm Pals (£9.99) is a series of five different animals to collect – a cow, chicken, horse, sheep and duck. The buildable block pals
are all compatible so they can be stacked on top of each other.
Other animal-themed
products include the new Mega Bloks First Builders Safari Train (£19.99), with press down working whistle. The set comes with five
buildable safari animals, including an alligator, elephant, hippo, lion and parrot. New vehicles joining the Mega Bloks Lil’ Vehicles
range include Susie School Bus (£9.99), with the set including a driver character and building blocks. Moving into autumn/winter, and a bright blue sports convertible – Ricky Race Car (£9.99) – and the pink Catie Convertible (£9.99) will launch. Another new vehicle, the Mega Bloks First Builders Fire Truck Finn (£29.99) is a bright red fire truck that comes
with a swivel cab, lift and pivot ladder. The truck features an easy grip, plastic steering wheel, fireman figurine and 13 blocks. Mega Bloks
First Builders Billy Beats (£39.99) will also arrive in autumn/winter to aid learning through music. Budding musicians will be able to learn how much fun building and music can be together, as
they dance and play along with Billy Beats Dancing Piano.
There are three modes of play - Dance with Billy, Teach Me and Free Play - while the set also features light-up block keys, eight different songs to play, funny animal
sounds and sheet music to read. Billy’s big pronged
hate also opens to reveal a storage area. Moving on, and the Block Buddies Collection (£9.99) features three themes: Block Buddies, Rescue Squad and Hero Team. There are three characters in each set, which can be added to any Mega Bloks First Builders play-set. Finally, the Lil’ Princess
Fairytale Forest Table (£39.99) includes sparkling blocks which can be made into towers and archways for pony adventures, stickers for decoration, plus a Lil’ Princess character and unicorn pony with removable wings. The table also folds up for easy transport and storage. 01844 350033
VTECH
VTech is the number two manufacturer in pre-school (source: NPD Feb 2013). New to the Toot-Toot range are two play-sets. The VTech Baby Toot- Toot Drivers Airport offers interchangeable tracks to connect it to other play-sets in the range. It comes with one electronic aeroplane and includes six SmartPoint recognition sensors that play phrases and sounds when triggered. Meanwhile, the VTech Baby Toot-Toot Drivers Train Station arrives later in the year. Moving on, and
Gadget the Robot will be joined by Little Gadget, Letter Friend which teaches phonics, letters, objects, telling the time and more. It also comes with five learning games and encourages language development and independent play. The Kidizoom Touch has a three-inch colour touch screen, two 2MP lenses on the front and back, MP3 player, SD
48 May
MARBEL
The firm is introducing a number of new pre-school items in the Brio
wooden rail range. The new steam- themed products being an old classic of the rail world back to life. The steam engine (£7.99) will make a
good addition to
existing rail sets, while dynamite tunnel (£24.99) features and interactive
card expansion and PC connection. The toy also has photo morphing features and special effects. Kidizoom Twist Plus has also been enhanced and updated, with new features including a motion trigger self timer, face detection, stop motion video creator and photo burst mode. It also has a 2.3-inch colour LCD screen. VTech also has My
1st Tablet for children aged two and up, plus the Little Smart Top and Little Smart Top Pink. 01235 555545
www.toynews-online.biz
mechanism that blasts away a closed mountain to let the train through. Meanwhile, the Hape collection also includes a number of lines for the pre-school and dolls furniture market. There are four products in the Hape Happy Doll furniture line (see page 74 for full details). 0845 6000 286
GALT
Galt Toys has expanded its First Years offering with a celebrity collaboration and acquisition of an iconic brand. The firm has teamed up with Dr Miriam Stoppard to create three ranges of toys. The Dr Miriam @ Galt soft, plastic and wooden lines are designed with child development in mind to help teach children key skills. Each comes with its own play guide, written by Dr Stoppard, which shows parents how to get the maximum benefit and enjoyment out of each toy. Another new addition to the Galt stable is the classic Ambi Toys product range,
designed for children aged from three to 24 months. “We are delighted to have
the worldwide licence to manufacture and distribute Ambi Toys, as we see the range as the perfect complement to our existing products designed for first years and toddlers, and their focus on child development and education through play,” says John McDonnell, managing director of Galt Toys. “We are looking forward to
developing the line further and see this as a long-term commitment to the brand.” 0161 428 9111
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