Crocodile wrestling for kids

Animal Planet’s Crocodile Hunter is hitting retail this fall with a line of toys exploiting the offbeat personality of croc wrestler host Steve Irwin.

Master toy licensee Cincinnati, Ohio-based N2 Toys is rolling out a talking plush crocodile hunter with an oversized rotocast head and feet. Talking Steve comes with a slot in which kids can store their animal tags and hear his commentary on each collectible beast. He also delivers dozens of his standard quips like: ‘Don’t muck with it!’ and ‘She’s a little grumpy!’

Other N2 merch includes an off-road vehicle complete with a boat on top, an animal cage in back and a detailed collectible beast. N2 is also debuting the Deluxe Agro wrestling crocodile, a plush kid-sized croc with jaws that snap and a whipping tail. All products have an SRP of US$24.99. N2 will also make a role-play croc hunter game.

Also on-board are: Hasbro Games for puzzles, hand-held electronic games and board games; New York-based Fun 4 All for novelties and key chains; Houston, Texas-based DSI for novelty electronics; Creation Entertainment of Glendale, California for glassware and mugs; Giant Merchandising of Commerce, California for T-shirts; New York-based American Marketing for sleepwear and boxers and Dallas, Texas-based Bio-Domes for hats.

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch…

Ever green and ever hot, the Dr. Seuss character is getting a big-screen boost from Universal Picture’s holiday 2000 release of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Universal Studios Consumer Products Group has lined up Playmates Toys of Costa Mesa, California as the master toy licensee.

Playmates will produce a Grinch line featuring talking and interactive plush, five-inch figure sets, vehicle sets with figurines, a Grinch holiday countdown clock, character key chains and an OOglie Grinch. SRPs range from US$3.50 to US$22.50. All products will be available at mass in November.

Carbo-loading lineup for kids

Now kids can make fast-food goodies on their own with Hasbro’s new line of munchie-merch available this August.

Leggo my Eggo has new meaning with the Easy-Bake Oven Eggo Waffles Bake Set. For an SRP of US$9.99, kids ages eight and up can start each morning right with marshmallow or blueberry topping on their homemade Eggo waffles. The set comes with a waffle pan and serving tray.

The Play-Doh Taco Bell Playset for ages three and up lets kids mold pretend tacos, burritos and nachos. The set retails for US$9.99.

The Easy-Bake Oven McDonald’s Pie Bake Set includes a snack tray and pie wrappers to go along with the McTreats. For an SRP of US$9.99, the eight and up set get three mixes, apple-cinnamon filling, a pie maker, six pie sleeves and, of course, McDonald’s stickers.

After chowing down on homemade goodies, kids can practice for a visit to the dentist with the Play-Doh Dr. Drill `N Fill Playset (SRP US$9.99). Complete with toy drill and dental accessories, the playset lets kids ages three and up mold teeth, drill and fill with silver-colored Play-Doh.

Hasbro rolls out Dragon Tales

merch for preschoolers

The first wave of merch for Children’s Television Workshop/Columbia TriStar co-pro Dragon Tales is hitting Toy Fair with dragons that light up, hiccup and hatch.

Talking Light-Up Dragon Tales streeted last month with an SRP of US$19.99. Each plush character says five different phrases when kids squeeze its hands and the dragon badges light up.

Hungry Hiccuping Ord, a plush dragon that eats, hiccups and talks when kids feed him dragon goodies, and Babysitting Surprise Cassie street in July with an SRP of US$24.99 each. The Cassie figure comes with a dragon egg containing two baby sister or brother dragons inside (gender unknown until hatch time-that’s the surprise). The Babysitting set also includes baby bottles, hair brushes, dragon blankies and birth certificates.

Clifford the big red

singing dog?

After 40 years on the bookshelves, Clifford is finally making his small-screen debut with an animated series launching this fall, and Scholastic Entertainment is gearing up for the premiere with new merch.

Master toy licensee Toy Island of Woodbury, New York is rolling out a Clifford the Big Red Dog Singing Hand Puppet (complete with a Clifford activity book) for an SRP of US$14.99. Next up, a Sing and Dance Clifford the Big Red Dog Electronic Plush includes infrared technology and has an SRP of US$24.99. Both will street in the spring or early summer. Indianapolis, Indiana-based Warren Industries will add to the line with a series of Clifford puzzles and games debuting at Toy Fair.