Hundreds of global toy executives and guests gathered in New York City this past Saturday to pay tribute to the toy industry’s best and brightest toys, games and individuals at the 15th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards and Toy Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Zoomer Dino, from Spin Master, took home the overall Toy of the Year award prize and was named Boy Toy of the Year. Spin Master’s pet dinosaur lets kids train it to sit, speak, and react to commands. Crayola‘s Paint Maker, a customizable arts and crafts kit, earned the People’s Choice award and was also named Activity Toy of the Year.
TOTY Award winners were selected with the input of consumers, mass and specialty retailers, media, and members of the toy industry. Five ballots were weighted and used to determine the category winners, with the exception of the People’s Choice award, which was selected exclusively by consumers.
The full list of awards and winners is as follows:
Activity Toy of the Year: Crayola Paint Maker, from Crayola
Boy Toy of the Year: Zoomer Dino, from Spin Master
e-Connected Toy of the Year: Lego Fusion, from Lego Systems Inc.
Educational Toy of the Year: Lego Technic, from Lego Systems Inc.
Game of the Year: Simon Swipe, from Hasbro Inc.
Girl Toy of the Year: Shopkins Small Mart Playset, from Moose Toys
Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year: Go! Go! Smart Animals Zoo Explorers Playset, from VTech
Innovative Toy of the Year: MiP, from WowWee
Outdoor Toy of the Year: Nerf Rebelle Dolphina Bow, from Hasbro Inc.
Preschool Toy of the Year: Lego Juniors, from Lego Systems Inc.
Property of the Year: Disney’s Frozen, from The Walt Disney Company
Specialty Toy of the Year: Gravity Maze, from ThinkFun Inc.
The nominees were carefully selected by committees consisting of academics, journalists, retailers, and more. Descriptions of all TOTY finalists can be found online at toyawards.org.
