ASTRA Reveals 2021 Best Toys for Kids Winners

ASTRA 2021 Best Toys For Kids | Source: ASTRA/The Toy Book

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is looking ahead to the holiday selling season with its 2021 Best Toys for Kids list.

This year’s winners were selected from a field of 52 nominees across 10 categories that were submitted by and voted on by ASTRA members. The winners were revealed in a virtual presentation ahead of ASTRA’s annual Marketplace & Academy that will take place Aug. 5-8, 2021, in Minneapolis.

“ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids award program reflects the collective expertise of hundreds of toy retailers who know toys inside out,” says ASTRA President Sue Warfield. “The list of winners represents the best of the fun, top-quality, high play value products consumers can find in locally-owned neighborhood toy stores around the country.”

2021 Best Toys for Kids Winners:

Build & Play

Zig & Go Music | Djeco

Craft

Soapstone Carving Kit – Bear | Studiostone Creative

Games

Story Time Chess | Story Time Chess

Impulse/Fidget

Hide Inside Putty – Flower Finds | Crazy Aaron’s

Infant/Toddler

Dimpl Stack | Fat Brain

Outdoor/Active

Rainbow Wobble Board – Regular Size | Bunny Hopkins

Preschool

Toniebox Starter Set | Tonies

Pretend

Galaxy Cape | Great Pretenders

Puzzle

SmartGames IQ Circuit | Smart Toys and Games

Science

Gravity Bugs | Thames & Kosmos

“The Best Toys for Kids awards program is one more way to differentiate the outstanding value of specialty toys and to differentiate ASTRA stores,” Warfield adds. “We encourage specialty retailers to use this program to educate their customers and sell more toys.”

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.