The Few, The Proud…The Award-Winning Toys

Who Made the Cut This Year?

Thousands of products are introduced to the toy industry every year, but only a limited number are good enough, playable enough and innovative enough to garner an award.

In addition to issuing TDmonthly Awards, TDmonthly Magazine regularly asks manufacturers to present their award winners to our readers so that retailers can quickly identify products with great potential and manufacturers can learn and be inspired by others' successes. Here are the most recent responses:

CitiBlocs 300-Piece Wooden Building Set by CITIBLOCS LLC

The 300-piece Citiblocs set is a hefty way to get the enthusiastic builder started building simple, medium-sized and complex structures. The Citiblocs 300-piece set is designed to keep the enthusiastic builder flexing his or her imagination while developing fine motor skills. Expansion is possible via the other available Citiblocs sets. All Citiblocs Wooden Building Sets are compatible and interchangeable with each other. Citiblocs has received multiple awards, including Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products for Children, a NAPPA award, and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal award. 11/3/2009 (Price: $80.00; Age: 3 to 101) ENTER CITIBLOCS LLC TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Risas y Sonrisas Spanish Program - Student Book with CD-ROM & Skits DVD by Risas y Sonrisas

Risas y Sonrisas (which is Spanish for "Laughter and Smiles") is a Spanish Program for kids that makes teaching and learning Spanish enjoyable. The Student Book includes an interactive CD-ROM and a Skits DVD. The interactive CD-ROM is the voice of the book. It is divided into five areas: Pronunciation, Songs, Vocabulary, Q&A, and Verb Conjugations. The Skits DVD incorporates vocabulary and Q&A learned in each chapter with subtitles to read and repeat whenever necessary. Vocabulary Units are illustrated in the same order as the Songs. They have Q&A of high frequency to use in conversations, a skit and a cultural point at the end of each chapter. This audiovisual presentation helps young and older students learn at their own pace. Everything learned with the classroom program is included in the student book to practice at home. This product was named one of Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2009. 10/30/2009 (Price: $45.00; Age: 5 to 12) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

P'kolino Silly Soft by P'KOLINO

These smart characters are comprised of three soft pieces that when “puzzled” together make a playful friend. Sturdy enough for a wobbly toddler to balance on and lightweight enough to move around, these silly seats are a fabulously fun gross motor tool. Kids can climb on it, sit on it or drool on it; the snugly, durable fabric is removable and washable, and there are four playful characters. Silly Soft was a 2010 Gold Award Winner for Netherlands' Best Baby and Infant Product. Launch date: September 25, 2007. 10/29/2009 (Price: $39.99; Age: 1 to 3) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Thumball: Who Are You? by TALICOR / ARISTOPLAY

Kids toss it, catch it and then react to the concept under their thumb. This ball offers a fun way for children to get to know one another. The utilization of a ball during play allows participants to ask each other questions about personal preferences and life experiences. Launch date: March 3, 2009. Awards: Creative Child Preferred Choice Award 2007 10/29/2009 (Price: $10.99; Age: 3 and up) ENTER TALICOR / ARISTOPLAY TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Organic Cotton Diaper Kit by BUMMIS

Designed as an economical, easy and environmentally friendly starter kit that removes the guesswork from choosing a cloth diaper system, this box of cloth diapering essentials features organic cotton diapers and accessories. It includes flushable liners and a step-by-step guide to no-fuss diapering. It does not involve rinsing, pins, or stuffing. This product is a 2009 winner of both the iParenting Media Award and the PTPA Media Green Award. Launch date: June 16, 2009. 10/29/2009 (Price: $169.00; Age: 0 to 3) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Flip & Grip Rattle by SASSY

These lightweight oval rattles are made for little hands to grasp and little mouths and fingers to explore. The set comes with a yellow rattle with raised, textured, orange stripes and a red handled rattle with raised, purple stripes. A smooth, clear plastic ball perches at one end of the rattle, spinning and sending colorful beads popping along. Inside is a spinning disk with a mirror on one side and a symmetrical, smiling face on the other. It comes in a two-pack and received a 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award. Launch date: October 2009. 10/29/2009 (Price: $4.99; Age: 0 to 1) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Grasp & Glow Rattle by SASSY

High contrast geometric stripes, polka dots and a surprising light up feature grab baby’s focus. The lime green rattle has two textured handles with teal stripes, perfect for two-handed play. There are two spheres on the rattle. One lights up as it spins. The other is clear with a bug character smiling on a rotating disk inside. It is available with either blue or pink accents and has received a 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award and SNAP Award. Launch date: October 2009. 10/29/2009 (Price: $4.99; Age: 0 to 1) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Hello Baby! Phone Rattle by SASSY

This retro, little phone receiver has chewy textures, soft rattling noises and clear, bright colors to engage and stimulate baby’s senses. A bold, black and white bull’s eye on one end fosters visual acuity. Two beads — one black and the other white — circle around a mirrored funnel on the other end for additional visual stimulation. The lightweight rattle has a thin handle to fit even the tiniest grasp. This product received a 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award and an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio SNAP Award. 10/29/2009 (Price: $2.99; Age: 0 to 1) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Spa Time Baby® Cape by SPA TIME BABY

The original Spa Time Baby Cape has a waterproof panel to keep parent dry while bathing baby. The patented Spa Time Baby Cape, easily worn by the parent, is designed as a safe and convenient alternative to bathing and drying baby. It has received the following awards: 2008 Mom's Best Award; 2009 PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved); 2009 iParenting; 2008 Baby Planner's Seal of Approval; and 2008 Best Products Media Guide by Orca Unlimited, LLC. Launch date: June 2008. 10/29/2009 (Price: $38.95; Age: 0 to 3) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Chimalong® by WOODSTOCK CHIMES

Tuned to a C Major scale, the Chimalong is an 8-note metallophone that can be played by number, color or notes. The youngest children will use the included 15-song songbook to play by color; older children can play by number. As they progress, they'll learn to read the music and play by note. Additional songs are available on the Woodstock Chimes website. Packaged in a 4-color window box. Comes with 2-mallets, 15-song songbook and an extra #7 tube, which changes the B (for key of C) to B flat (for key of G), giving greater musical flexibility. Chimalong is "recommended for its educational value by many professional musicians, including John Sebastian, Marilyn Horne, André Watts, Peter Schickele and the late Jim Henson," Peggy Daniel, Web Development Director of Woodstock Chimes, told TDmonthly. The Chimalong has received the following awards: 2003 Parent's Choice Top 25 Toys in 25 Years; 1995 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Classic Toy, Blue Chip Award; 1995 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Platinum; 1995 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, Gold Seal; and 1987 Parent's Choice Gold Award. Launch date: 1986. 10/28/2009 (Price: $40.00; Age: 3 and up) ENTER WOODSTOCK CHIMES TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

To view more products and learn more about each award, please click on the following links: TDmonthly Awards, Dr. Toy, iParenting Media Awards, TIA T.O.T.Y., ASTRA, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, The National Parenting Center, Family Review Center, Parents' Choice Awards, Canadian Toy Testing Council, Mr. Dad, The Toy Man Product Guide, Teachers' Choice Awards, NAPPA, Toy Wishes Ultimate Toy Awards and MAJOR FUN. You can also access TDmonthly's review sections to see which products earned 5 TD stars.

And to learn more about how award winners are chosen, read What Makes an Award-Winning Toy.

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