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:
Silver - Dancing Scarves with Magically Inspired Music by ARTS EDUCATION IDEAS
This NY Times Bestselling Book and Multi-Award Winning Activity Kit is an educational tool with a thousand uses. These bright colorful scarves stimulate the senses, encourage movement and teach and reinforce color recognition. Parents can use this book to encourage imagination and solo and choral reading. Dance to the music or use for dress up. These scarves are an open-ended tool, limited only by the users imagination. Launch date: June 2011. Awards: 2011 Winner of Creative Child's Book of the Year and Media of the Year Awards 9/8/2011 (Price: $29.99; Age: 3 to 9) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Obstacles - A Game of Imaginative Solutions by eeBoo corp.
Obstacles is a journey along a path of hazards and barriers which are overcome by the collective cleverness of its players. Armed with an unlikely set of tools, imagination, and some silliness, players "cooperate" creatively to innovate solutions that let them get home together. "Obstacles is eeBoo's first "cooperative" game. It teaches the useful skill of creative collaboration and makes for a play experience that is positive and constructive as it promotes good feelings amongst players. It is a perfect game for parents, children, and siblings to be silly and imaginative together," Regina Gelin, sales and marketing associate at eeBoo, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2011. Awards: 2011 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award - Platinum 9/8/2011 (Price: $17.00; Age: 5 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Sounds Amazing by SMART PLAY LLC
A fun way to discover 100 everyday sounds. Children will be delighted to hear sounds that come to life when bar codes are scanned by using the Smart Pen. Crystal clear technology teaches animals, musical instruments, vehicles, machinery and nature sounds. The sounds are recorded in high fidelity and are very realistic. 50 double sided learning cards are included for hours of learning fun. Launch date: July 2011. Awards: 2011 Creative Child Toy of the Year 9/8/2011 (Price: $19.99; Age: 3 to 9) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
ZAFARI Animal Alphabet Puzzle by SMART PLAY LLC
Zafari is a puzzle game that teaches the alphabet and animal names in English & Spanish. 27 Brightly colored puzzle cards have unique die-cut openings to help children complete the puzzle and identify beginning sounds in English & Spanish. On the other side of the card, it has a realistic photo of the animal and its name in English/Spanish. Sturdy puzzle cards are self correcting and easy for a child to play with. Launch date: July 2011. Awards: 2011 Creative Child Puzzle of the Year. 9/8/2011 (Price: $9.99; Age: 3 to 9) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Flashwordz by U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC.
This exciting new word game requires a quick hand and a keen eye. Players create words by combining letters from their own racks with letters from another player's rack. With double-sided letter cards, everything can change in a flash. When the timer goes off it becomes a free-for-all FlashRound. Game includes 100 two-sided letter cards, 4 card racks, FlashWordz Timer, and FlashRound Token. Launch date: July 2011. Awards: 2011 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award. 9/8/2011 (Price: $19.95; Age: 8 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Deluxe Dry Erase Response Paddles by KLEENSLATE CONCEPTS LLC
New Deluxe Dry Erase Response Paddles with marker and eraser in handle for that all-in-one experience. Great for travel, working on homework and for family games.Environmentally friendly and clean up with a soft cloth and a simple solution of soap and water. Paddles Come in 8 colors. Launch date: September 2010. Awards: 2010 Kidlutions; 2008 Teachers Choice Award - Best in-classroom tools. 9/7/2011 (Price: $6.50; Age: 4 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Lil' Cutesies by JC TOYS GROUP INC
Lil' Cutesies are play dolls that are dressed in the cutest outfits. Cutesies encourage creative play. Each doll is sold separately, or they can be purchased in sets of three. Launch date: January 2011. Awards: 2011 DOTY (Doll of the Year) Industry Choice Play Doll 9/7/2011 (Price: $12.99; Age: 2 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Teach My Preschooler by TEACH MY TODDLER INC.
With Teach My Preschooler, little ones can get Ready To Read, Print, Count to 100, Add & Subtract, all in one kit. Teach My Preschooler is the multi award winning, all-in-one learning system for preschoolers. The kit has all the educational tools necessary to help prepare preschoolers for kindergarten. The kit is divided into four sections – Ready to Read, Ready to Print, Ready for 1-100, and Ready for Math – each fully-coordinated with books, flashcards, posters, a print guide and magic drawing board. Developed with education consultant Judith Rowlands, M Ed., Teach My Preschooler is designed to give preschoolers a head start, develop fine motor skills, encourage parent/child interaction and increase school readiness skills. Launch date: September 2010. Awards: 2010 Dr. Toy 100 Best; 2010 iParenting Media Award 9/7/2011 (Price: $49.99; Age: 3 to 6) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Beautiful Building Blocks by TIMBERWORKS TOYS
This 51 piece set helps kids get back to the basics. With the addition of square locking widgets this simple block set turns into a building set with ability to build stable horizontal and vertical structures as well as endless stacking fun. Launch date: 2010. Awards: 2011 Parents' Choice Recommendation 9/2/2011 (Price: $79.00; Age: 3 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
Sqwishland Bracelets by SQWISHLAND LLC
The SqwishLand Soft `n Squishy Bracelet is a fun new way to bring a child's SqwishLand collection on-the-go. Kids customize the bracelet with their favorite SqwishLanders, and can swap out different animals depending on their mood or outfit. The bracelets are also soft `n Squishy™ and come in four cool colors. Comes with one SqwishLander on the bracelet, as well as a Crazy Rare SqwishLander in a capsule. Launch date: Summer 2011. Awards: 2011 Fall Seal of Approval from the National Parenting Center 8/23/2011 (Price: $2.99; Age: 3 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]
Related Video:
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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