Lego, Hasbro, Spin Master and Crayola headed up an impressive class of innovative toys recognized by the Toy Industry Association at the 15th Annual Toy of the Year Awards at New York Toy Fair over the weekend.
While Lego and Hasbro snagged first place in a combined five categories (three and two, respectively), Spin Master’s Zoomer Dino and Crayola’s Paint Maker won the highly-coveted Toy of the Year and People’s Choice awards, respectively.
Featuring dinosaur sounds and movements, Toy of the Year Zoomer Dino uses true balance technology to roam on two wheels. Kids can tame the dinosaur by teaching it to sit and speak, and when its tail is pulled, it dances, chases, chomps or roars.
Crayola’s customizable People’s Choice winner Paint Maker arts and crafts kit lets kids make their own paint in minutes. They can either follow the mixing guide to make up to 15 colors, or experiment on their own to mix and match colors as they like to create something truly unique.
Zoomer Dino also took home Boy TOTY, while Moose Toys’ mini collectibles Shopkins Small Mart Playset snagged the Girl TOTY, and surprise (not really), Disney’s Frozen was named Property of the Year.
Known in industry circles as the Toy Oscars, the event also recognized the accomplishments of two long-time toy industry veterans: Pat Feely, former chairman of the Toy Industry Foundation and retired CEO of Radica Games, and Leslie Berger, founder of Cardinal Industries. Both were inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.
Toy of the Year category winners:
- Activity: Paint Maker (Crayola)
- Boy Toy: Zoomer Dino (Spin Master)
- E-Connected: Lego Fusion (Lego)
- Education: Lego Technic (Lego)
- Game: Simon Swipe (Hasbro)
- Girl Toy: Shopkins Small Mart Playset (Moose Toys)
- Infant/toddler: Go! Go! Smart Animals Zoo Explorers Playset (VTech)
- Innovative: MiP (WowWee)
- Outdoor: Nerf Rebelle Dolphina Bow (Hasbro)
- Preschool: Lego Juniors (Lego)
- Property: Disney’s Frozen (The Walt Disney Company)
- Gravity Maze (ThinkFun)
For a complete list of winners and runners up check out www.toyawards.org.
Newsletter
