Awards for top toys of 2009

Online independent toy directories were asked independent stores from all over the internet to submit what they thought were the best toys of 2009. The result was a large range of nominations with several standouts that were popular from all 300 respondents, such as the Baby Stella Doll.

Toy Shop UK’s Tim Hawkins stated that the company is glad to announce an unique top ten list that is not based on profit margins alone or on the large dominant toy brands.

Instead, Hawkins stated that the list portrays what independent retailers with the best interests of children in mind think parents should purchase this year.

There were several different categories in the awards in 2009 each that featured their own winners. For infants, the top toy this year is the 7 in 1 Activity Centre from I’m A Toy. Also possibly a great gift for infants was the winner in creative play, the Tellatale Hand Puppets from Fiesta Crafts.

Moving up to the toddler age range, the Farm Animals Chunky Puzzle by Meilssa & Doug took the honours for Games & Puzzles and the Dragon A-Z Jigsaw Puzzle by Lana Kade took honours in the ECO category. Also a great toy for toddler and for those approaching pre-school age is the winner of the Dolls category the Baby Stella by Manhattan Toy.

Finally, for older children rounding out the list as the winner in the Educational category is the Kidilook by Vtech, the Lewis Hamilton McLaren Kit by Airfax in the Models category, the Quadrila Basic Set by Quadrilla in the Construction category, and Sophie’s House in the Wooden category by Le Toy Van.

Out of these toys, the Baby Stella and the Traditional Rag Doll received the most votes from across all categories earning them a special node in the awards although interestingly enough the Traditional Rag Doll by Imajo did not make the final list of winners.

Little Terra Christmas Gift Ideas

Fed up of the hordes of plastic and expensive Christmas toys and gift ideas advertised all over the television and internet? Then help is at hand! This Christmas, Little Terra is the ideal place to shop for a host of surprising stocking fillers for both boys and girls, offering lots of good old-fashioned fun. And as prices start from only £1.99 they won’t cost you the earth either!

Carolyn Budding, director at Little Terra, a really different website, dedicated to inspiring children back outdoors, said:

‘Children love being outside, bug hunting in their garden, cycling, jumping in muddy puddles or simply racing to the top of a hill on a walk. They often just need a bit of encouragement to venture away from the TV or Play Station.’

Here are some Christmas Gift Ideas for childern.

Under £5

o Aunties and Uncles, neighbours, pre-school friends and anyone looking for little stocking fillers will love Little Terra’s Mini Construction Kits priced at ONLY £1.99. Little ones will also love building their own mini vehicle and as they’re made from plain wood they get to paint them afterwards too – double the fun! Approx size of vehicles 12x6x6cm

o Encourage your little terras to look after the local wildlife this winter with this lovely little Birdie Bistro, at £4.99. This smart bird feeding station comes with one feed block and is available in red, blue or yellow.

£5 to £10

o Another grandparent’s pleaser! A cute Little Pals Gardening Starter Kit for £5.95 – comprising a fork, gloves and plant marker for aspiring little green fingers everywhere and available in pink or green for boys and girls.

Space Ants

o If you’ve ever watched the films Antz or Bug’s Life with your kids then you will love Space Ants at £9.99 -a modern take on the traditional ant farm. The nutritious gel allows you to see the ants live and work more clearly –fAntastic!

o Knitting is making a come back and Nans and Grans won’t be able to resist this retro Knitting Doll £5. The kits include one doll, in three different designs, complete with wool and knitting needles and will provide hours of creative fun.

o Another innovative and useful idea is this Santa Torch; only £5 and no batteries required.

Over £10

o Little Terra’s top Christmas present this year for all budding conservationists – Butterfly Garden, £14.99. Watch as caterpillars turn into colourful Painted Lady butterflies then release them into the garden. Includes certificate for five caterpillars and food.

o Zip Bin Country Stable £17.50.A beautiful stable shaped storage chest / carry case that opens up into a paddock play mat. Comes with two horses and two riders. Perfect for pony loving little girls.

Over £20

o Explorer Junior Walking poles £24.99. These walking poles are a proper junior sized version of mum and dad’s – designed to get the kids dragging you out for a walk for a change. Telescopic, with a wrist strap and basket to stop them sinking into the mud.

o Tyrrell Katz Backpacks £22.95 – a neat children’s back pack with zipped front pocket and two side pockets. A great size for school, travel, out on walks or just for keeping all their favourite Christmas presents in! In ballet, horses and bugs designs.

www.littleterra.co.uk is dedicated to inspiring children back outdoors and offers everything they need to enjoy, learn, explore and have some old-fashioned fun outside.

2008 Great Toy Awards from Talking Tots plus Exclusive Discounts

Talking Tots, the UK’s fastest-growing toddler activity group, today announced the winners of the 2008 Great Toy Awards, and launched a website packed with tips on choosing gifts for children, together with exclusive discounts from some of the UK’s finest toy companies.

British parents spend £1.4 billion each year on ‘educational’ toys, but the early years experts at Talking Tots believe many of these toys offer no significant developmental benefit to children. The Great Toy Awards are designed to recognise toys that offer real educational value for children, and are selected by a team of experts including paediatric speech and language experts, educational psychologists, teachers – and toddlers!

Hoping for some toys from the Great Toy Awards

“We considered more than 3,000 toys for inclusion in the guide, and many of the most popular items are no more educational than the box they come in,” says Tracey Park, co-founder of Talking Tots. “We launched the Great Toy Awards to recognise toys that are designed to really work with children’s early development, and that combine educational value with fun and great value for money.”

Parents can discover the 2008 Great Toy Award winning toys at the Great Toy Guide website, where they can purchase all the winning toys, and access exclusive discounts and special offers on a range of brilliant toys from companies including Manhattan Baby, JellyCat, Le Van Toy, Plan Toys and many more.

Talking Tots is also offering one family the chance to win a stocking stuffed with £250 of Great Toys including a Leapfrog “Tag” system – one of the most exciting new toys of 2008.

The 2008 Talking Tots Great Toy Awards winners are:

Great Communication Toy: Bamba’s First Comforts, £29.99, Baby Sign Factory
Great Motor Skills Toy: Hammering Set, £9.99, Absorbent Minds
Great Imaginative Toy: Dragonstone Castle, £13.99, Lula Sapphire
Great Role Play Toy: Tea Time Tray Set, £23.95, Tickety-Boo
Great Early Learning Toy: Cookie Shapes, £13.40, Learning Resources

Full details of all winning toys and runners up are available on the Great Toy Guide website at www.greattoyguide.com

LeapFrog Tag – A ‘Must Have’ Toy for this Christmas

This Christmas, the Practical Parenting Gold Award winning new LeapFrog Tag Reading System, will take learning to read to a whole new level. Combining the enjoyment of reading with an interactive learning experience through fun games and activities, Tag has already been tipped by Woolworths and Argos as one of the top new toys for Christmas.  [See Agros Top Christmas Toys and Woolworths Top Christmas Toys]

LeapFrog Tag

The Tag Reading System consists of an electronic reader which, when used with the range of exciting LeapFrog book titles, makes story time come to life. With every touch Tag’s built-in camera reads words and pages aloud, with characters and pictures making noises to enhance the reading experience. The groundbreaking Tag technology helps children learn to read, develop their vocabulary and learn how to spell, through games and activities within the books.

The Tag system works by “reading” by identifying dotted media. A small, sophisticated infrared camera works as an imaging system to recognize letters, words, and symbols when written on special dot-patterned paper. Using an optical pattern system and digital processing techniques the Tag reader can determine its precise location within the dot media. This enables a child to jump around within a book, or back and forth between different books in a seamless way.

There are more than nine titles in the LeapFrog Tag range, from classics such as Paddington Bear and Dr Seuss, to contemporary characters like Ariel from Disney Princesses and Po from Kung Fu Panda.

The current full list is:

Disney Pixar Cars
Disney Princess
Kung Fu Panda
Go Diego Go
SpongeBob Square Pants
Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends
Olivia
Paddington Bear
Dr Seuss The Cat in the Hat

Exciting titles due to launch in 2009 include Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo and the eagerly anticipated Madagascar 2. Tag stores up to five titles and is small enough for learning on the go.

A unique benefit of Tag is that it connects to a brand new online Learning Path*: a dedicated website where kids can unlock fun rewards and activities and parents can follow their child’s learning progress.
Tag is suitable for 4-8 years old. RRP £39.99 which includes the title Ozzie & Mack

The new technology means that children are no longer confined to repetitive books. With Tag, reading becomes a joy and a game! Children are now able to get a sense of independence as they can to read by themselves or with their parent. For more information visit www.leapfrog.com/tag