While in NYC this summer, I had the amazing opportunity to spend an evening with several of the people that work for the Toy Industry Association. It was a nice chance to talk to them about our love of techy and education toys, along with the need for more focus on boy items.
Just before Thanksgiving, The Toy Industry Association unveiled nominees for the 11th Annual Toy of the Year Awards.
Established in 2000 as the "Oscars" of the North American toy industry, the annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards bring colleagues together to salute the "best of the best" and celebrate the success, creativity and playful spirit of toys and play.
This year they are doing things a little differently. This is the first year that consumers can also vote for their favorite products in 11 different categories. Anyone can vote from November 22, 2010—January 12, 2011. When you register your votes, you even enter for a chance to win toys from a category that you select. The awards will be announced Saturday, February 12, 2011 in NYC.
So what are the categories? Here they are with a brief explanation of each from The Toy Industry Association:
Activity Toy of the Year
Toys that inspire creative play through various forms of activity
Boy Toy of the Year
Toys developed for boys of any age
Educational Toy of the Year
Toys that help children to develop special skills and knowledge through play
Game of the Year
Children’s board, card, CD-ROM or electronic game formats. (Note: all electronic games must have an ESRB "early childhood" rating)
Girl Toy of the Year
Toys developed for girls of any age
Infant /Toddler Toy of the Year
Toys developed for infant children and toddlers (ages up to 36 months)
Innovative Toy of the Year
Toys that combine innovation and play value
Outdoor Toy of the Year
Toys designed for outdoor play
Preschool Toy of the Year
Toys developed for preschool-aged children (ages 3-5)
Property of the Year
Property that had the greatest success spreading its brand throughout the industry
Specialty Toy of the Year
Toys primarily distributed through specialty retailers
- To see the actual toys nominated and vote, please head to www.toyawards.org. While looking at the toys, take time to vote and check out the downloadable list that you can print off for holiday shopping.We own a few of the toys that are up for awards. Here are a few teaser photos:
Happy voting!
Disclosure: I just wanted to share this information with my readers. As a fan of toys, I thought this would be a fun experience for everyone involved. I did not receive any compensation for sharing about the Toy of the Year Awards, in fact I am less likely to win the prizes now since more people will be entering *wink*
