So it seems that it's hit or miss with getting these certain toys through TSA. It's sad that it's not consistent. I guess, just like anything else, it comes down to the person at the gate that day.
That's how TSA operates with regards to all items. Despite there being published rules and guidelines about what they should allow through, any TSA agent has the right/ability to declare something as a weapon/contraband and confiscate it. So a TSA agent has a poor attitude one day, they can choose to confiscate your food (had one do that to my pregnant wife) even though food is explicitly allowed.