The announcement of the ToyAward winners kicked off the Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair in Neuremberg on Jan. 27. ToyAwards were bestowed in four different age-specific categories. A ten-member expert jury made up of educators, market researchers, international sales agents and, an expert in toy safety chose the winners out of a record-breaking 616 submissions. The criterion for the awards are play fun, originality, safety, finish and quality, comprehensibility of the product concept, and potential for success.
The Globber 5-in-1 from Globber Templer came out on top from the Baby&Infant category. The Globber 5-in-1 helps babies and infants find their feet and develop their motor skills, can be transformed into a scooter, and can be converted to keep up with a child’s age and abilities. Revell‘s Junior Kit won the Preschool category. Children can choose from five assembly kits including a police car, jeep, and fire engine, which can all be built using a screwdriver, no force necessary.
Bunch O Balloons, from Zuru, won the SchoolKids category. In a process of attaching balloons to a garden hose, 100 balloons can be filled, sealed, and ready for throwing, all in less than 60 seconds. KosmosBits won the final category, Teenager and Family, which teaches teenagers how to program through play. With a controller board and four sensor characters, teenagers play through the app, level by level, solving programming puzzles. The goal is to write their own programs for the four characters so they can use them outside of the game.
