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:

Family Talk 2 by AROUND THE TABLE®

This second edition of the Family Talk game includes 100 new and fun questions to continue conversations between family members and friends. This portable conversation game easily takes dinner table conversation anywhere. It can be attached to a purse or backpack for portable family fun. This product received a 2009 Tillywig Brain Child Award. 7/16/2008 (Price: $9.99; Age: 4 and up) ENTER AROUND THE TABLE® TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Bye Bye Monster Gift Set by YOUR THYME INC.

This gift set includes a 4-oz. plastic bottle of all-natural monster spray made with organic essential oils that help induce sleep; “Bye Bye Monster, Joey’s Adventure on Monster Street” storybook, which takes a little boy on a nighttime adventure with his new monster friend; and a 16” under-stuffed monster named Barley. All three products come in a colorful box. Kelly Lucente, co-creator of the "Bye Bye Monster" line, told TDmonthly that "73 percent of children age 4-12 experience nighttime fear. ... Test-marketed with the help of child psychologists, teachers, parents and Montessori children, there is nothing on the market today doing what this product has been designed to do … assist children with nighttime fear." This product won a 2008 Best Picks award from Dr. Toy as well as a 2008 Preferred Choice Award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: August 15, 2008. 7/1/2008 (Price: $49.95; Age: 4 to 12) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Small Car by MIC-O-MIC AMERICAS INC.

The small car is one of the most simple of designs. Easy to assemble, yet durable and sturdy, it is a recommended model for beginners. The Small Car comes with two figurines and measures 4" long. This product meets all requirements of the European safety standard for Toys, EN71, so there is no lead or phthalates. It also won a Dr. Toy Best Vacation Products Award. 6/24/2008 (Price: $20.00; Age: 6 to 8) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Humpty Dumpty Activity Developmental Toy by YOTTOY PRODUCTIONS

This soft and snuggly, award-winning toy has a rattle, crinkle sounds, different textures and teethers. The 12" colorful egghead sits upright and jingles with delight. 6/18/2008 (Price: $20.00; Age: 0 to 5) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Soccer Guys by KASKEY KIDS INC.

The high-quality sports action figures encourage imaginative play. The set comes with over 30 pieces, including with a soccer field mat, goal posts and soccer players. All pieces come in an easy to store and carry case, making it great for travel. This item is an Oppenheim Best Toy Award winner. 6/16/2008 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Dress Rehearsal Ballerina border by ETHNIC INSPIRATIONS BY MARSHAE, LLC

The border depicts precious little dancers getting ready for their performance. The border is sold on a 6" x 15” spool with 15” repeat and manufactured on pre-pasted wallpaper. This border is also available as a mural. This item is a 2008 National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) Honors Award winner. 6/16/2008 (Price: $24.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Little Teddy Game by HABA USA/HABERMAASS CORP.

The game offers four different game variations, allowing kids to search for, collect and combine clothes. The game teaches children matching skills and how to take turns. This item is a 2008 iParenting Media Excellent Products Award winner. 6/16/2008 (Age: 3 to 8) ENTER HABA USA/HABERMAASS CORP. TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Wolves! Folk Stories Featuring Our Best Friend's Wild Cousin by EASTERN COYOTE RECORDINGS

Wolves! is performed by Tim Jennings and Leanne Ponder (considered two of America's best folk storytellers) with a distinctive duo-narrative style, voices overlapping and interlocking. Weaving through the tales, the couple plays Celtic music on harp and concertina. The album is a live family show of traditional folk tales where wolves are not the enemy. Sometimes heroes, sometimes chumps, they are characters with whom we can identify, and always worthy of our love and respect. Funny, emotional, thought-provoking, and mesmerizing -- adults enjoy listening with their kids!
— Parents' Choice Silver Honoree
— Children's Music Web "Best Spoken Word Recording Young Children" and "Best Spoken Word Recording Older Children" 6/13/2008 (Price: $15.00; Age: 0 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Retrievers Scramble Squares® by b. dazzle, inc.

Featuring different breeds of retrievers including the golden retriever, this Scramble Squares® puzzle goes great with dog lovers. b. dazzle, inc.'s brain teaser puzzles earned a Dr. Toy Award for Best Products for Summer 2008. 6/5/2008 (Price: $8.95; Age: 4 and up) ENTER b. dazzle, inc. TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Music is ... MATH! by SoundScience

This award-winning new audio CD series teaches the early developing brain the framework of mathematics, spatial relationships, symmetry and motion — all through a passive CD system that plays in the background. This groundbreaking product is a multi-CD series designed to match the ages amd stages of a baby's brain development. 6/4/2008 (Age: 0 to 2) [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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