PRESS RELEASE from
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2007
“Dr. Toy’s Best Products–Spring 2007 Award Report Now Available on the Internet—The Best Products for Baby to Older Children—for Learning and Play for Every Toy Chest
SAN FRANCISCO – The report of winning toys for Dr. Toy’s Best Products–Spring 2007 is now available to parents, teachers and others on Dr. Toy's Guide, her Internet Web Site.
The free report is available by logging on to drtoy.com or by mail by sending a SASE #10 envelope to Dr. Toy.
Dr. Toy’s Best Products–Spring 2007 was developed by noted child development authority, Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy) as a service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable, educationally-oriented, and stimulating toys and products for children.
“As a childhood specialist for over 36 years,” says Dr. Toy, Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, founded in San Francisco in 1975, “I have seen the continuous, essential need for more year-round resources for consumers to identify and choose the most appropriate, safe and engaging learning and developmental products for all children.”
Dr. Toy reports that in the years the innovative on-line magazine, Dr. Toy's Guide has been available, “thousands of visitors daily from around the world have accessed its information.”
The site was the first on the Internet to evaluate toys and children’s products. The report is being released according to Dr. Toy to “encourage parents and teachers to focus on the value of play as essential to the learning process.”
She adds, “The ‘Best Play’ products selected from varied companies across the U.S., Canada, and other countries will provide children with exciting new learning tools that will help them not only to do better in school, but will also provide more constructive activities to do after school.”
The winning products include innovative toys, games, books, videos, audiotapes, software, CDs, crafts, and other children's products.
Dr. Auerbach believes “parents need help to get a head start locating new, diversified products that children will enjoy using while they increase learning skills, enhance instruction, and expand creativity.” The products are balanced from among large and small companies and range from low to high tech for “hours of constructive, educational, and stimulating fun.”
“Children learn best through play,” says Dr. Auerbach, “and these ‘Best Products’ encourage children to maximize their potentials and to make the most of ‘Smart Play.’”
“By making a renewed focus on selecting spring as an ideal one for choosing new products for children,” adds Dr. Toy, “parents improve their children’s development. This is a perfect time,” she says, “to ‘take stock’ and do an inventory of what your child is playing with, what is not used, and what they need for the next steps in their development.”
Dr. Toy’s Best Products–Spring 2007 award winning products were carefully chosen from among hundreds that she has reviewed at toy fairs, catalogs, and through many other sources, and by using extensive criteria she has developed over many years. Among the criteria used are: safety, age-appropriateness, design, durability, lasting play value, cultural and ethnic diversity, good transition from home to school, educational value, learning skills, creativity, improvement in the understanding of the community and the world, good value for price, and, naturally, fun.
These are products suitable for babies to older children including products ranging from handicrafts to hi-tech, ranging in price on the average from $5 to $100. The winning products are affordable, well designed, and reflect the wide range of children’s interests. Complete information about these and other products are included in the full report. Winning products are manufactured by new and established companies, both small and large, from around the world.
Dr. Toy’s report includes company customer service numbers, web site URL, age range, price, and a full description of each product. The award-winning, on-line magazine, Dr. Toy's Guidefeatures full color photos of each product, links to companies to learn more, interviews with and articles by Dr. Toy, plus hundreds of other Best Products including high to low tech and products for all reasons. At this time over 4000 products are included on the site plus links direct to companies, toy stores on line, toy history, parent resources, and much more.
Dr. Auerbach, a long-time resident of San Francisco, originally from New York City, lived in Washington, DC while working for the Department of Education, where she approved the first grant proposal for “Sesame Street” and established the first daycare center for children of federal employees. In San Francisco she established the San Francisco International Toy Museum, the world’s first “hands-on” toy museum, which was visited by over 50,000 children.
She is the author of 15 books and hundreds of articles on toys and play, and is the only Ph.D. in Child Development evaluating toys and children’s products. Dr. Auerbach is trained in child development, education, child psychology and special education. Her extensive background includes over 36 years of experience evaluating, writing, and speaking about toys and children’s products. She is an educator, consultant, parent and playful grandparent. The book “Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys” may be obtained by sending a check and order form in the mail or through paypal at convenient toy or bookstore.”
Additional Points:
- Dr. Toy's Guide links to many related useful sites and resources for parents, teachers, children, children with special needs and toy enthusiasts.
- Dr. Toy is the author of Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys, a unique book that provides tools to parents to enhance their child's “PQ” (Play Quotient) – a concept Dr. Toy originated. The book is published in China, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Spain, Thailand and soon will be available in Russia.
- Articles about Dr. Toy have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country, in Canada, and around the world.
Interviews regarding the book and the recommended best smart toys and products can be arranged with Greg Walsh, Walsh PR (203- 242-6280).
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| Company | Product |
| 4R, Inc. | Mythmatical Battles |
| Arnold Grummer's Paper Making | Seed Paper Flowers Activity Kit |
| Art of Doing Productions. | The Green Road |
| Bananagrams | Bananagrams |
| Blue Orange Games | Bendomino - Dominoes with a Twist! |
| Blue Orange Games | Froggy Boogie, "The Eye Popping, Frog Hopping, Memory Game!" |
| Blue Orange Games | Quack Quack, "The Call of the Farm" |
| Brainiac Games Inc | Safety Brainiac - Junior Edition |
| Carrera of America | Mario Kart |
| Dragonfly Innovation Inc | Clay Bead Pen |
| Dragonfly Innovation Inc | Learn to Draw Creatively |
| Dragonfly Innovation Inc | Marbling and More |
| Dragonfly Innovation Inc | Sidewalk Chalk Painting |
| Edupress Inc. | Froggy Phonics |
| Edupress Inc. | Math Noodlers |
| Edupress Inc. | Race to Read |
| Edupress Inc. | Reading Comprehension Practice Cards |
| Elope | Kid's Scallywag |
| Endless Games | Hooked on Phonics Alphabet Circus |
| Endless Games | Hooked on Phonics Hip-O's Menu Match |
| Endless Games | Hooked on Phonics Pop Fox's Roll & Read |
| Family Pastimes | Search and Rescue |
| Fat Brain Toy Co | Dado Cubes |
| Freddy & Friends, LLC | The Original Freddy Commemorative Book/Chair Set |
| Galloping Minds | Preschool Baby Learns About Computers - Tubby in Computer World |
| Gamewright | Duck Duck Bruce |
| Gamewright | Hit or Miss |
| Gamewright | Ka-Ching! |
| Gamewright | Three of a CrimeT |
| Great American Puzzle Factory | NAMiTS Challenge |
| GreenHouse International | AirBlox |
| Hidden City Games | Bella Sara |
| Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Music | Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta WIGGLE |
| Imaginative Child | Let's Go On Vacation! |
| International Playthings | Clickety Twist - TaggiesT by Earlyears |
| International Playthings | Complete Base Camp by Mighty World |
| International Playthings | Lift Off Rocket by iPlay |
| International Playthings | Take Along Travel Game by iPlay |
| JAKKS Pacific | Gorilla Blocks |
| JAKKS Pacific | KnotWud |
| JAKKS Pacific | Power Flyer Kite |
| JAKKS Pacific | Sharp Cookie |
| Kiddio LLC | Billy Brown's Audio Adventures |
| Learning Horizons | Play with Me Sesame I Like School |
| Learning Horizons | LeapFrog Get Started Bindup |
| Learning Horizons | Dora the Explorer We Go Together-Same & Different Wipe Off Workbook |
| LEGO Systems | Aquabase Invasion |
| LEGO Systems | House |
| LEGO Systems | MB-01 Command Base |
| LEGO Systems | Monster Dino |
| Little Playdates Company | Little Adventurers |
| Made For You Music Inc. | Journey to the Land of Imagination |
| McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds | You've Been Sentenced! |
| MGA Entertainment | Little Tikes Cozy Coupe II Car |
| MGA Entertainment | Little Tikes Super Splash Water Park |
| Mic-O-Mic Americas Inc | LonPos 303 Pyramid & Rectangle Game |
| Mic-O-Mic Americas Inc | Three Wheel Truck |
| Moonjar LLC | Moonjar Classic Moneybox |
| Mr. McGroovy's | Mr. McGroovy's Box RivetsT |
| Origin Toys & Games LLC | ASKEW! |
| Pamela Drake Inc. | Wire Arts Kits |
| Parents by Battat | Bristle Blocks Twirlie Tots |
| Parents by Battat | Water Works |
| Play Along | Cabbage Patch Kids Messy Face Baby |
| Playful Life | Playful Chef: Real Cooking for Kids |
| Poppo Brands LLC | Poppo |
| Power Arts Company, Inc. | The Blankie Bundle |
| Publications International Ltd. | Steering Wheel Book |
| Reno Puzzle Company | AQUBE 3-D Puzzle |
| Rex Games | Idol Quest |
| Russ Berrie U.S. Gift, Inc. | Shining Stars |
| SAS Games Inc. | Space TiViTz |
| Snap TV Inc | Guess How Much I Love You |
| Spark Games LLC | Questionary. The Game of Smart Questions |
| ThinkFun, Inc. | Cover Your TracksT |
| ThinkFun, Inc. | Hot SpotT |
| ThinkFun, Inc. | Pete's PikeT |
| ThinkFun, Inc. | Treasure QuestT |
| ThoughtRockets Inc | Penciltips |
| Tree Toys Corporation | Eco System |
| Uncle Skunkle Toys Inc | Rapid 4 Wood |
| Wagadoogoo! Inc. | Travel Mania |
| Wizer Games | Sizzletoad! |
| WonderChess LLC | WonderGo |
