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The Few, The Proud...The Award-Winning Toys!

Who Made the Cut This Year?

By Alison Marek and Julie L. Jones

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:

Griddly Headz Racing by GRIDDLY GAMES INC.

Griddly Headz Racing by GRIDDLY GAMES INC.Officially licensed by NASCAR, this game is part of a distinctive and innovative line of sports-themed games. Dice-rolling and sports-related challenges combine with strategy, alliances and a bit of luck to make these games action-packed from the first roll of the dice to the final frenzied seconds. The game is fun, easy to learn and quick to play. This product is a spring 2007 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award winner. Launch date: January 2007.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $29.95; Age: 8 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Pencil Tips by THOUGHTROCKETS

Pencil Tips by THOUGHTROCKETSPencil Tips is the original "Read and Draw" activity. Each 40-page themed book provides tips and ideas to kick-start imaginations and answer the question, "What should I draw?" Tips, such as "A wheelbarrow full of flowers" and "Ducks dancing on a dock" are fun and educational. Each page of the book provides kids with opportunities for “open-ended creativity” and can “be used individually or for fun and easy parent-child interaction,” Laura Sebastiani, of Thought Rockets Inc.’s operations department, told TDmonthly. This product is a Spring 2007 Dr. Toy Best Products Award, 2007 iParenting Media Award and 2007 Creative Child Magazine Product of the Year Award winner. Launch date: July 2006.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $4.95; Age: 7 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Cozy Coupe II by LITTLE TIKES INC.

Cozy Coupe II by LITTLE TIKES INC.This updated version of the classic kid-powered car includes a high seat back and rear storage. The front wheels enable a small turning radius to make the car very easy to maneuver. The car’s additional features, such as a clicking key and a fully functional door and horn, increase its play value. This product is a Dr. Toy Spring 2007 Best Products Award winner.
— For Gary Timmerding, manager of Johnny’s Toys in Covington, Ky., this item was the best-selling ride-on toy in his store. The store sells “probably ten a month,” Timmerding told TDmonthly.
— “The longevity and durability of this product have allowed it to become one of the most recognizable on the market,” Little Tikes Inc. Public Relations Coordinator Reagan Holmes told TDmonthly.
— The coupe is available in other versions as well, including Ride & Rescue and Princess.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $49.99; Age: 2 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Safety Brainiac - Junior Edition© by BRAINIAC GAMES INC. LLC

Safety Brainiac - Junior Edition© by BRAINIAC GAMES INC. LLCThis game helps children learn to make good safety decisions. It features questions covering strangers, bullies, Internet stalkers/threats, fires, poisons, pedestrian and biking safety, choking hazards, weather hazards and much more. “The one key characteristic of Safety Brainiac - Junior Edition that sets it apart [from other toys] is the fun and engaging way the game helps children learn how to stay safe against the dangers and threats they can encounter in their daily lives,” Brainiac Games Inc. President and CEO Jamey Purcell told TDmonthly. This product is a winner of the Spring 2007 Dr. Toy Best Product Award and the Spring 2007 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award. Launch date: November 2006.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $29.99; Age: 5 to 12) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Potty Bench – Training Toilet with Side Storage by BOON INC.

Potty Bench – Training Toilet with Side Storage by BOON INC.This training potty features two enclosed side storage spaces for organizing potty training supplies, and a pull-out drawer for easy sanitary clean-up. When the lid is closed, the potty functions as a large, sturdy stool that holds up to 300 lbs. The training toilet’s sleek, modern design includes a built-in toilet paper holder and a removable soft deflector shield. This product is a winner of the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award. Launch date: April 2006.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $34.99; Age: 2 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Bendomino Jr., Dominoes With a Twist by BLUE ORANGE GAMES

Bendomino Jr., Dominoes With a Twist by BLUE ORANGE GAMESBendominos play like classic dominos, but with a twist: The curved domino pieces must not only match, but also fit. A new pattern is created each time the pieces curve and twirl around the table. “Bendomino Jr. is an all-wooden game with lovely icons in bold colors in place of pips,” Adeline Bertrix, sales manager at Blue Orange Games, told TDmonthly. “The tiles take on a new arrangement every game.” This product is a winner of the 2007 Creative Child Award Seal of Excellence Award. Launch date: February 2007.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $16.95; Age: 3 and up) ENTER BLUE ORANGE GAMES TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Bingory, The Memory Bingo Game by BLUE ORANGE GAMES

Bingory, The Memory Bingo Game by BLUE ORANGE GAMESBingory is a part-bingo, part-memory game, where players flip over tiles and collect matching pairs. The player to collect all the pairs displayed on his or her bingo card wins. Bingory tiles and boards are all made of wood and painted with bold color illustrations. The game includes a “cotton pouch [that] is convenient for carrying Bingory wherever you go,” Blue Orange Games Sales Manager Adeline Bertrix told TDmonthly. This product is a winner of the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, the 2007 Parents’ Choice Recommended Award and the 2007 Creative Child Award Preferred Choice Award. Launch date: February 2007.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $16.95; Age: 4 and up) ENTER BLUE ORANGE GAMES TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Quack Quack, The Call of the Farm Game by BLUE ORANGE GAMES

Quack Quack, The Call of the Farm Game by BLUE ORANGE GAMESIn this observation game, players race to get the farm animals home by calling the animals by name (“Pig! Cow! Duck!”) or by making the animals’ distictive sound (“Oink! Moo! Quack Quack!”). The adorable tri-colored farm animals all coincide with different combinations of the three dice. All the components are made of quality wood and are housed together in a wooden carrying box. “The wooden box makes a nice addition to the kid’s room and the cotton pouch is convenient for carrying Quack Quack wherever you go,” Blue Orange Games Sales Manager Adeline Bertrix told TDmonthly. This product is a winner of the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, the 2007 Dr. Toy Best Product Award, the 2007 Parents’ Choice Foundation Parents’ Choice Recommended Award and the 2007 Creative Child Award Preferred Choice Award. Launch date: February 2007.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $16.95; Age: 3 and up) ENTER BLUE ORANGE GAMES TOYSHOW [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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I Spy Seeing Doubles by BRIARPATCH INC.

I Spy Seeing Doubles by BRIARPATCH INC.Intended for two to four players, this game challenges children to use their eyes to quickly spot objects. No reading is required. The game comes with 48 cards, one action die, four picture dice and instructions. “Beloved and well-known imagery from the I Spy license comes together with a fast-moving card game that requires no reading,” Lisa Orman, public relations representative for Briarpatch Inc., told TDmonthly. “[It also] hones quick eye-hand coordination and recognition skills.” This game is a winner of the Spring 2007 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award. Launch date: March 2007.
 6/27/2007 (Price: $12.99; Age: 5 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2 by ROCKABYE BABY!

The music of rock band U2 is transformed into a soft lullaby for little ones. The record trades guitars and drums for mellotron and bell, and lowers the volume fromm an eleven to a two. Toni Swann-Pardigno, national account manager of special markets at Rockabye Baby! told TDmonthly. This product is a 2007 iParenting Media Award winner. Launch date: January 2007.
 6/26/2007 (Price: $16.98; Age: All Ages) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]


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Following are some of the programs represented in TDmonthly.com's section of award winners: Dr. Toy, iParenting Media Awards, TIA T.O.T.Y., Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, The National Parenting Center, and Parents' Choice Awards.

You may also access TDmonthly's review section to see which products earned 5 TD stars.

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