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:

What Is It ? Musical Math & Science by RE-BOP RECORDS

Drawing inspiration from children's picture books, What Is It? Musical Math & Science introduces children to the building blocks of math and science through lively story-songs. The unique recording demonstrates that these little books can provide a multidimensional and powerful learning experience. Winner of Dr. Toy’s Best Children’s Vacation Product 2004, Parents’ Choice Approved Award among others. 5/29/2008 (Price: $14.98; Age: All Ages) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Even Kids Get The Blues by RE-BOP RECORDS

These 16 original songs have kids’ concerns directly at heart, and like many blues classics, sometimes they’ll make you want to cry, dance, be quietly alone, or just laugh out loud! The Re-Bops’ Even Kids Get The Blues is designed to introduce children to this dynamic music genre, and to demonstrate that expressing their own real-life feelings and experiences through the blues is nothing short of empowering. Winner of 2004 Nappa and Parents' Choice Awards. 5/29/2008 (Price: $14.98; Age: All Ages) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Carrera Go!!! Speed Racer 1:43 Scale Slot Car Race Set by CARRERA

The supercharged Mach 5 goes head-to-head with Racer X’s infamous #9 – Shooting Star – on a 1:43 scale. Fly down the track, careen around, over and through the competition, in this high-octane race set that includes almost 21 feet of track, a double loop, junction, flyover, lap counter, two turbo-speed controllers and the Mach 5 and Shooting Star cars. “Multi-generational fun,” Keith L. Strickland, a representative for Carrera Toys, emphasized to TDmonthly. “No matter whether you're a beginner, young racer, or young at heart, Carrera Toys' entertainment-licensed 1:43 scale GO!!! MarioKart and Speed Racer slot-car race sets have mass appeal.” This product won a Dr. Toy Award for Best Products for Summer 2008. Launch date: April 2008.
— "This toy was a huge hit in our household," said Sue Christensen, mother of four boys ages 6 to 14, all of whom participated in TDmonthly's Roundtable review of this product. "The kids were thrilled with Speed Racer from the moment they saw it in the box, through assembly and racing." 5/22/2008 (Price: $79.99; Age: 8 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

McWiz Junior Deluxe by MCWIZ GAMES

The curriculum-based game of knowledge and trivia offers over 1,200 bilingual English and Spanish questions and answers that teach and review age-targeted school subjects. “Children of different ages can play together because each question-card has three different, age-related questions,” Marie-Pierre Olivier, director of marketing and communications at McWiz, told TDmonthly. Additionally, “McWiz Junior Deluxe offers the possibility of playing…anywhere: in the car, at school, etc., because there is no board.” This item has won numerous awards, including a Learning Magazine “Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family”, a Parents Guide’s “Best Game” and an iParenting Media “Hottest Product” award. Launch date: April 2008. 5/22/2008 (Price: $29.99; Age: 6 to 12) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Xactika by SET ENTERPRISES INC.

The bidding game features four suits on each card, making skill the determining factor.  Xactika can be played with two to ten players. It is adaptable to any skill level, with three variations of play.  This item is a 2005 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award, 2002 Games 100 Award and 2002 Parent’s Choice Award winner. “Xactika is a truly unique card game with a deck that provides players with a new level of control,” Set Enterprises Vice President Bree Popp told TDmonthly. “No competitor’s version comes close.” Launch date: 2002. 5/21/2008 (Price: $12.00; Age: 12 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

CARES - Child Aviation Restraint System by KIDS FLY SAFE, LLC

CARES is a safety restraint for airplane seats and is certified for all phases of flight – taxiing, take off, turbulence and landing. CARES is manufactured exclusively by AmSafe Aviation, the foremost manufacturer of aviation seatbelts and pilot restraints in the world. To help parents become comfortable with CARES, each unit comes with an instructional video and card in an easy-to-handle carrying case. It takes only a few minutes to learn to use CARES – and it installs on the airplane seat in just 1 minute. This product received a PTPA Media 2009 Fall Seal of Approval. 5/21/2008 (Price: $74.95; Age: 1 to 4) ENTER KIDS FLY SAFE, LLC TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Sparky Travel Backpack Kit - Little Passenger by UNIVERSAL MAP

The travel activity backpack includes a 64-page maze book of all 50 states, crossword puzzles chocked full of words and information related to each state, a 64-page word search, a laminated folding map, state geography playing cards and coloring markers. All items are packaged in a clear vinyl, zippered backpack. This item is a 2004 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award winner. 5/19/2008 (Price: $21.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Stardust lullaby CD collection by AUDIBLE CHOCOLATE PRODUCTIONS

Multiple award-winning 2-disc lullaby collection for all ages features lilting vocals and authentic instrumentation performed by symphony and jazz players. With over 2½ hours of relaxing music, a 24-page booklet and additional instrumental tracks to help parents sing to and with their children, Stardust is being heralded by many reviewers as one of the best lullaby collections available.Winner of an "iParenting Media Award," a 2008 "Parents' Choice" Award, a Creative Child's "Preferred Choice Award," and more." 5/19/2008 (Price: $24.95; Age: 0 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Paint Ceramic Beads by ALEX-PANLINE USA INC.

Kids can design and paint their own ceramic beads and create personalized bracelets, necklaces and keychains. The kit includes 16 square beads, 10 shaped beads, two large heart pendants, six ceramic paints, two brushes, two keychain accessories, glass seed beads, ball chains, elastic and easy instructions. This item is an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner.
—  “Any arts and craft kits by Alex sell really well,” Linda Angel, owner of Kidoodles Toys in Norman, Okla., told TDmonthly in April 2008.
— “Our best-selling craft kits are bead kits by Alex. …[We sell] at least three or four every day,” Gary Timmerding, manager of Johnny’s Toys in Covington, Ky., told TDmonthly in April 2008.
— Over one-fourth of the 50 retailers who spoke with TDmonthly in spring 2008 named Alex kits as  best-selling kits in their stores. 5/8/2008 (Age: 7 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Patch-a-Peel Purse by ALEX-PANLINE USA INC.

Kids can create their own beautiful handbag with this kit, which comes with a canvas purse, adhesive gems, more than 160 precut, sticky fabric shapes and easy instructions. This product is an iParenting Media Award winner.
— “Alex is our number one activity set … [and] make-your-own purse is good right now,” Joyce Matthews, owner of Just 4 Fun in St. Simon’s Island, Ga., told TDmonthly in April 2008.
— In April 2008, Steve Ricks, owner of My Story House Toys in Roswell, Ga., told TDmonthly that his store sells “maybe one a day” of this particular item.
— Six of 50 retailers who spoke with TDmonthly in spring 2008 singled out this particular item as the best-selling kit in their stores. 5/8/2008 (Age: 7 and up) [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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