PRESS RELEASE from

 

 

268 Bush Street, San Francisco, California 94104-3524

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 5, 2005

Media Contact:

                                    Angie Niehoff  

                                    Staci Scheibel  (510) 540- 0111/staci@drtoy.com

 

“Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/ Smart Toys” for  2005 Award Report Now Available on the Internet -- Best Smart Products for Baby to Older Children -- Best Play Basics for Every Toy Chest

 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. – The second report of winning toys for  "Dr. Toy's Smart Play/Smart Toys 2005 ” based on the newly released book  is now available to parents, teachers and others on Dr. Toy's Guide, on the Internet's World Wide Web.  The free report is available by requesting a copy by sending a SASE #10 envelope to Dr. Toy or logging on to drtoy.com.

           Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys Product Awards Program 2005 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 35 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-line 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 smart play products selected from varied companies across the U.S., Canada and from 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/CD's, 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 “Smart Toys and Smart Products” encourage children to maximize their potentials and make the most of “Smart Play”.

            “By making a renewed focus on selecting summer 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 next in their process.”

           Dr. Toy's Smart Play/Smart Toys” 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, priced from $5.00 to under $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, small and large companies 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 Guide, features full color photos of each product, links to companies to learn more, interviews with and articles by Dr. Toy, plus hundreds of “100 Best”, "Best Classic" and “Best Vacation” products.  At this time over 3000 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 proposal for “Sesame Street” and established the first day care center for children of federal employees.  In San Francisco she established The SF International Toy Museum, the first “hands-on” toy museum 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. evaluating toys and children’s products with extensive specialized training, background, and over 35 years of experience evaluating, writing and speaking about toys and children’s products.  Dr. Auerbach is trained in education, child psychology, child development, and special education.  She is a parent educator, consultant, parent and grandparent.

In addition to easy access on the Internet, “Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys” 2005 Product List may be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped #10 business envelope (SASE) to "Dr. Toy," c/o Institute for Childhood Resources, 268 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA, 94104.

 

Additional Points:

 

Interviews regarding the book and the recommended best smart toys and products can be arranged with Angie Niehoff (561-868-0297) or Staci Scheibel (510-540-0111)

 


Alphabetical listing Company and Product 2005 (See drtoy.com)

 

Alary Games                                                Bloco

Alary Games                                                Choco

Alary Games                                                Frog Pond

Alary Games                                                Wavelength

Aware Toys                                                  Ki

b. dazzle                                                        Boston Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Bunnies Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Civil War Scramble Squares®  9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Hot Air Balloons Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Ice Cream You Scream Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Penguins Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Retrievers Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Sea Shells Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Serengeti Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

b. dazzle                                                        Space Shuttle Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle

Baby Hands Productions                           My Baby Can Talk - First Signs

Baby IQ Language                                      Learning Chinese & English Together DVD

Baby Prodigy                                               Baby Preschool DVD

BabyPro                                                        Let's Play Ball! DVD

Becky's Home Circle                                   Speed Spell: The Inside-out Word Game

Binney & Smith                                           Crayola® Erasable Markers

Blue Orange Games                                    Scoop's & Surprises

Blue Orange Games                                    Topitop Showdown at the Beach

Blue Orange Games                                    Zimbbos!

Braincandy                                                   Braincandy: My Five Senses

Briarpatch                                                     I Spy In Common

Bulls-Eye Creative                                      Tieramid CircleSet™/EduSet™

Bulls-Eye Creative                                      Tieramid Spectrum™

Cameleon                                                     Poly-M Basic 3-6

Cameleon                                                     Poly-M Starter 1-5

Comfy                                                           Easy PC

Comfy                                                           Home Hunt

Comfy                                                           Let's Imagine

Dave Fromer Music                                    Shake A Hand Children's CD

DoubleStar                                                    Cogno: The Alien Legends™- Synapse Book

Easytoys                                                       3D Story Puzzle

EDC Publishing                                            World of the Microscope Kid Kit

Essential Minds                                            Ki-Kids Discovering the Astronauts DVD

Essential Minds                                            Ki-Kids Discovering the Police DVD

Free Spirit Publishing                                   Feet Are Not for Kicking Board Book

Free Spirit Publishing                                   Words Are Not for Hurting Board Book

Gamewright                                                  Cuckoo Zoo

Gamewright                                                  Loot

Gamewright                                                  The Scrambled States of America

Gamewright                                                  Sleeping Queens

GeoPlunge                                                     GeoPlunge

Girls Explore                                                 Dot Richardson Doll Set

HaPe International                                     Funny Steps Skateboarding

Harmonic Vision                                         Music Ace Deluxe

I Made That                                                 Carry Box

ImagAbility                                                  Wedgits To Go Set

ImagAbility                                                  Wee Wedgits

Incredible Kid                                              Write On!™ Printing DVD Tutor Wipe-Off Book Kit

Indigo Media Intl                                        Sleepy Time CD

Ion Imagination Entertainment                  Flumpa®'s World--Water, Water Everywhere

JABCO                                                          Good Neighbors - The Sharing Game

K & M International                                   Dino Magna Morphs

Kidzup Productions                                    I'm Learning My Phonics Book & CD

Klutz                                                              Knitting

Klutz                                                              T-Shirt Art

Kutoka Interactive                                       Didi E Ditto (Kindergarten) CD-ROM

LeapFrog                                                       Leapster™ Learning Game System

Learning Creations                                      Teaching Tees

Learning Journey Intl                                 Foreign Word Match - First Words

Learning Journey Intl                                 Foreign Word Match, Number, Colors & Shapes

Learning Journey Intl                                 Pig E Bank

LEGO Systems                                             XXL Mobile Crane

Lexia Learning Systems                             Lexia Cross-Trainer™ Visual-Spatial CD-ROM

Magical Monster Trap                                Magical Monster Trap

Make Baby Laugh                                      Chuckle Together!

Mary Kaye Music                                       Mouse Jamboree

Mega Bloks                                                  123 School Bus™

Mega Bloks                                                  Block Buddies® My Musical Farm

Mega Bloks                                                  Amazing Spider-Man® Building

Mic-O-Mic Americas                                  Helicopter (Model #2.06)

Mic-O-Mic Americas                                  Large Breakdown Truck (Model #8.02)

NewsLine Publications                               It's News To Me

Nursery Tap                                                  Nursery Tap, Hip to Toe

Nurture Basics                                              Play Along With Me!

Out of the Box Publishing                          Easy Come, Easy Go

Out of the Box Publishing                          LetterFlip

Pamela Drake/Woodkins                           Airplane Lemon Meringue Push Toys

Pamela Drake/Woodkins                           Panda Stacking Animal Puzzle

Patch Products                                             Self-Esteem™ Game

Purple Lady Productions                            No One Can Ever Steal Your Rainbow

Rose Knows                                                 Geist Junior and The 13 Pet Geists

Scholastic Entertainment                           Clifford The Big Red Dog® Nesting Blocks

SET Enterprise                                             Jurassic Jumble

Smart Picks                                                   Fruit Fly Bingo

Solidworks                                                    Cosmic Blobs

Straight Edge                                                Abigail's Adventures Series

Taggies                                                          Snuggle Time with Sweet Dreams & Goodnight Star Book Pack

Taggies                                                          Special Time with I Love You & Sweetheart Taggie Book Pack

Talicor/Aristoplay                                       Monkey in the Middle

Techno Source                                             Crayola My First Electronic Coloring Book

ThinkFun                                                      Tipover™

Tinker Minds                                                Aerobloks™

TLI Games                                                     City Go, The Big City Discovery Game!

Wai Lana Yoga                                            Little Yogi's Fun Exercise Book

World Class Learning Materials               The Time Machine for All Time™ Demo Clock

Yosi Music                                                    Under A Big Bright Yellow Umbella CD

Young Scientists Club                                 Sci-Ology

Zocker Toys                                                 3D Pool Game Table

Zocker Toys                                                 Water Darts

Zometool                                                      Zome Crazy Bubble Kit

Zometool                                                      Zome Virus Project

 

web site---http://www. drtoy.com                          email---drtoy@drtoy.com

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