February 22, 2007 Eleven of the most innovative toys were recognized at the seventh annual T.O.T.Y. (Toy of the Year) Awards ceremony, last week. The annual Toy of the Year award, representing the best toy of the year was won by Fisher-Price’s TMX Elmo and the Educational Toy of the Year, awarded to the toy that best helps children develop special skills and/or knowledge, went to the Oregon Scientific SmartGlobe. The SmartGlobe beat out a stellar field of nominees comprising the I Can Play Piano System, the Leapster TV Learning System, LEGO Mindstorms NXT and the V.Flash Home Edutainment System, all worthy of consideration next time there’s a birthday in this age range. Last year’s TOTY was the PenTop computer, and last year's winners which is also worth investigation if you have youngsters.
Congratulations to all 55 nominees… and 13 winners of the 2007 T.O.T.Y Awards:
Infant/Preschool Toy of the Year, for toys designed for infant and/or preschool children - "TMX" Elmo from Fisher-Price
Girl Toy of the Year, for toys developed specifically for girls of any age - FurReal Friends Butterscotch Pony from Hasbro, Inc.
Boy Toy of the Year, for toys developed for boys of any age - Spy Video Car from Wild Planet Entertainment, Inc. and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Ultimate Black Pearl Playset from Zizzle LLC.
Game of the Year, including board, CD-ROM, electronic and card game formats - Cranium's Zooreka from Cranium, Inc.
Outdoor Toy of the Year, focused on toys designed for outdoor play - Fold 2 Go Trike from Radio Flyer Inc.
Educational Toy of the Year, recognizing a toy that, through play, helps children develop special skills and/or knowledge - Smart Globe 2.0 from Oregon Scientific.
Activity Toy of the Year, recognizing a toy that inspires creative play through various forms of activity - Moon Sand from Spin Master Ltd.
Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year, for toys that merge high-technology with creativity and imagination - Kid Tough Digital Camera from Fisher-Price.
Most Innovative Toy of the Year, for the most outstanding, unique and creative toy- FurReal Friends Butterscotch Pony from Hasbro, Inc.
Specialty Toy of the Year, for toys distributed primarily through specialty retailers - Webkinz from Ganz.
Property of the Year, for the licensor that had the greatest success spreading its brand or property throughout the industry while generating interest and excitement- Disney Pixar's Cars from Disney Consumer Products.
The evening's festivities also included the 2007 Toy Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where entertainment industry icon George Lucas was honoured for his contribution to the North American Toy Industry.