ASTRA 2023 Look Book

for ASTRA’s Star Play Award Winners!

Wait a minute. What happened to Best Toys for Kids?

By Tammy Clower, Giggle Monkey Toys, Dahlonega, Georgia

Keep reading to understand how the ASTRA Star Play Awards came to be.

In the meantime, let’s set the stage for the last meeting! The committee has a problem…

Sitting among dozens of nominated toys and games in an undisclosed hotel conference room outside of Denver, a group of 5 retailers sit silently, each appearing perplexed trying to wrap their heads around a new storytelling game that plays like something between Clue, an Escape Room and a comic book. Five individuals who haven’t been at a loss for words all day are suddenly transfixed at the illustrated cards in front of them.

“Well...” begins committee chair David Castillo, “THIS should be interesting.”

Castillo, owner of The Red Balloon Toy Store, takes lead on this cooperative game, effortlessly incorporating improv, tour guide and emcee skills as he gets everyone involved. Twenty minutes later, a game that began as a bit

daunting has revealed its secrets and other committee members are now smiling and nodding their heads at the satisfying unfolding of events.

One game down, many more to go.

No committee may have a more fun - or stressful - set of tasks to accomplish over the course of 48 hours than those who are part of the ASTRA Play Awards. These volunteer retailers meet virtually 2-3 times a year as lead-up to their in-person gathering each March.

New members often go into their first in-person session assuming that picking toy and game finalists in multiple categories will be loads of fun. And, of course, it is. What they don’t anticipate is the amount of time, teamwork, debate, mental capacity and physical stamina the two-day session will require.

“Before I was on the committee I thought, ‘Oh, that would be fun. How difficult could it be?’” says Kas Sharma, owner of Henry Bear’s Park. “Now? I just had no idea what goes into narrowing all these nominees down to a few finalists in each category. It’s fun - but also rather exhausting, if I’m being honest.”

The past two committee meetings have also resulted in time spent by the group analyzing the award process and judging criteria to ensure what has been put in place in the past makes sense for the future. This leads us back to how the name change came to be.

One of the issues we struggled with was the idea that many of the items we were looking at as finalists were not necessarily toys and they were not limited to kids. We felt that Best Toys for Kids did not encompass our task. The BTFK committee decided it was time to change the name for our awards. We are now ASTRA Star Play Awards because play can be inspired by

such a wide range of products! We think this title is a better fit.

This year’s committee members are: David Castillo, Red Balloon; Carah Killian, Beyond the Blackboard; Kas Sharma, Henry Bear’s Park; Cynthia Compton (not pictured), 4 Kids Toys and Books; and Tammy Clower, Giggle Monkey Toys. We also appreciated the guidance of ASTRA board member Patrick Holland. Sue Warfield was even able to join us for a couple of hours and we were all extremely happy to see her smiling face!

As in years past, manufacturers, sales reps, and toy store owners nominated toys, games, puzzles, plush, craft sets, etc. that they thought were the ‘best’. Choosing the ‘best’ is always difficult. So many great items are nominated and the committee must narrow the list down to just a few per category. Just because an item does not make it as a finalist, does not mean that it’s not a good item. It’s probably something we want to carry in our stores but doesn’t fully meet the requirements.

The ASTRA Star Play Awards committee once again met by zoom for a couple of preliminary meetings and then we met in person in Denver so we could try out all of the nominees. The process is a lot of fun, as well as exhausting. We have a little less than two full days to unbox, play games, try out science and craft kits, and defend the reason an item should be considered a finalist. Sometimes we have given feedback to manufacturers on ways to improve their game or toy. The committee takes this process seriously. We understand that we are the representatives for all of you, our friends and colleagues.

Please take the time to vote for the ‘best’ ASTRA Star Play Awards. Your votes are important to the success of this program. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve the ASTRA community!

It’s that time of year again when we get to vote

2023 ASTRA Play Awards Committee Meeting

(Cynithia Compton not pictured)

Finalists by Category

Mystery Key Treasure Chest | Goliath

Bubble Blitz | Odyssey Marketing

Cobra Strike | Starlux Games

Ghosts in the Graveyard REDUX | Starlux Games

Trampoline Pong | Thin Air Brands

Bubble Blade | US Toy

Inspirational Nature Plant Press | DJECO

My Painting Pad – Jungle | Floss & Rock

Air Dry Clay Set | Kid Made Modern

Dippin’ Designs Enchanted Egg Wraps | Little Kids Inc.

Hidden Colors Magic Paint Sheets | OOLY

Spill Again | Fat Brain Toy Co

Puffaboo Elephant | Fat Brain Toy Co.

Baby RC Airplane | iPlay, iLearn INC

Dino Garage | Juratoys US

Ride-On Dino Portosaurus | Juratoys US

Peggy Gears | Quercetti

Logic! CASE Starter Puzzle Set | HABA

Genius Gems | MukikiM

Free Fall | Ravensburger/ThinkFun

Safari Park Jr. | Smart Toys and Games

Tower Stacks | Smart Toys and Games

Zip Linx Triple Tower Blast | Blip Toys

Scorpio Grip x Sting | C-bionic

Dino World XL | Magna-Tiles

Mini Waffle City Café | Marioinex

Gravity Blocks | Popular Playthings

Knight Bus | Ukidz LLC

Mini Greenhouse Set | Dantoy/Buzzy Kids

Outdoor Kitchen | Hape

Cheese and Charcuterie Board | PlanToys

PlayBio Kubo Shape Sorter | Quercetti

Jumbo Recycling Truck | Viking Toys

100 Pics – Countries | Asmodee

Wooden Stacking Blocks | Bimi Boo Kids

Writing Lab Montessori | Headu

Amelia Earhart Interactive Plush Doll | Little Rebels

Family Games 20

Beat The 8 Ball | Blue Orange Games

Tetris | Buffalo Games/Gamewright

Sleeping Queens 2 – The Rescue! | Gamewright

Shout it Out! | MukikiM

Flashback: Zombie Kidz | Scorpion Masque

High Score | Thames & Kosmos

Games for Tweens+ 22

Herd Mentality | Gamewright/Big Potato

Fire Tower | Goliath

Reign of Dragoness | Grandpa Beck’s Games

Ole Guacamole | Scorpion Masque

Zero to 100 | Scorpion Masque

Plush 24

Weighted Giving Bear | DEMDACO

Vinnie Banana Slug Macaroon | Douglas Co. Inc.

Phoenix Wristlet Puppet | Folkmanis Inc.

Bumpas -- Oz | License 2 Play

Style 4 Ever Airbrush Plush Dino | License 2 Play/Canal Toys

Snuggle Puppy Hero Children Toy | Snuggle Pupppy

Preschool Games 26

Sliding Toucan | Blue Orange Games

Indoor Scavenger Hunt | eeBoo

Silly Science Fine Motor Sorting Set | Learning Resources

Jump Jump Joey! | MW Wholesale

Pretend Play 26

Tree House Play World | Bababoo and friends

Green Planet Explorers Panda’s Bamboo House | Hape

Holiday Camper Van | Le Toy Van

Shadow Theater | Papaton LLC

My First Pirates | Smart Toys and Games

Role Play 29

Green Dragon Set | Great Pretenders

Super Bricolo | DJECO

Pretendables Lemonade Set | Fat Brain Toy Co

Little Chef Cooking and Steam Playset | Hape

My First Baking Oven | Hape

Science/STEM 30

Glow-in-the-Dark Rainbow Volcano Lava Lab | Learning Advantage

Dig It Up! Bubbling Ice Age Discovery | MW Wholesale

Hydraulic Boxing Bots | Thames & Kosmos

Trainbots: 2-in-1 STEAM Maker Kit | Thames & Kosmos

2 in 1 Microscope Habitat | Thin Air Brands

Retailers on the 2023 ASTRA Play Awards Committee: David Castillo, Tammy Clower, Cynthia Compton, Carah Killian, Kas Sharma, and Patrick Holland.

Active Play finalists

Mystery Key Treasure Chest | Goliath

Bubble Blitz | Odyssey Marketing

Cobra Strike | Starlux Games

Ghosts in the Graveyard REDUX | Starlux Games

Trampoline Pong | Thin Air Brands

Bubble Blade | US Toy

Mystery Key Treasure Chest

Goliath • goliathgames.us

Ages 5+ MSRP $17.99

Dive for the keys and find the one that will unlock the chest. The treasure chest has a randomized lock to ensure it’s a mystery every time! Then release the trapdoor on the chest and dive to collect the rings, goblets, crowns and genie lamps. 927159

Bubble Blitz

Odyssey Marketing odysseytoys.com

Ages 6+ MSRP $39.99

This remote-control stunt car shoots thousands of bubbles!

ODY-1029

Cobra Strike

Starlux Games

starluxgames.com

Ages 5+ MSRP $25

Uncoil the snake within as you strike your opponents’ targets while defending your own. Targets attach magnetically to clips, which can be placed anywhere on a player’s clothing. 1494

Ghosts in the Graveyard REDUX

Starlux Games • starluxgames.com

Ages 5+ MSRP $30

A spooky, tag-style classic! Hunters who are tagged before making it back become ghosts the next round. Includes four safe zone markers and seven glow bracelets. 6339

Trampoline Pong

Thin Air Brands • thinairbrands.com

Agse 5+ MSRP $69.99

Get your bounce on with the ultimate game for active fun anywhere! Whether you’re looking to spice up your indoor game night or bring the fun outdoors, this is a game changer. TAB657

Bubble Blade

US Toy • ustoy.comspecialty

Ages 6+ $29.99

To launch the Bubble Blade, connect to an ordinary garden hose, and then step on controller to charge and release. Launches up to 20 feet! 4918

Arts & Crafts finalists

Inspirational Nature Plant Press | DJECO

My Painting Pad – Jungle | Floss & Rock

Air Dry Clay Set | Kid Made Modern

Dippin’ Designs Enchanted Egg Wraps | Little Kids Inc.

Hidden Colors Magic Paint Sheets | OOLY

Inspirational Nature Plant Press

DJECO • wholesale.djeco-us.com

Ages 5+

MSRP $34.99

Discover the beauty of nature with this creative kit. Collect plants and flowers and press and dry them. Includes an elastic pouch for storing pictures, cards and unused dried plants. DJ07974

Scan

My Painting Pad – Jungle

Floss & Rock • flossandrock.co.uk

Ages 3+

MSRP $12.00

Our amazing Paint Pads include eight individual paint palettes, all in super-fun shapes. Simply add a little bit of water to your brush and then paint away. Includes eight gorgeous tear-out pictures and a paint brush. 46P6556

Air Dry Clay Set

Kid Made Modern • kidmademodern.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $21.99

Your little ones will love exploring all 10 air-dry clay colors and creating anything they can dream up. Includes tools and an acrylic clay roller for endless hours of fun. K1283

Dippin’ Designs Enchanted Egg Wraps

www.flossandrock.com

Little Kids Inc • littlekidsinc.com

Ages 5+

MSRP $6.99

Ditch the dyes – there’s a new egg-decorating technique in town! This innovative hydro-dipping technique is mess-free. There are no dyes, just STUNNING results. Stick it! Dip it! Twirl it! 95009

Hidden Colors Magic Paint Sheets

OOLY • ooly.com

Age 8+

MSRP $11.99

Simply brush on water to reveal the hidden illustrations and turn these into eight vibrant prints! 161-090

Baby/Toddler finalists

Spill Again | Fat Brain Toy Co

Puffaboo Elephant | Fat Brain Toy Co.

Baby RC Airplane | iPlay, iLearn INC

Dino Garage | Juratoys US

Ride-On Dino Portosaurus | Juratoys US

Peggy Gears | Quercetti

Spill Again

Fat Brain Toy Co. fatbraintoyco.com

Ages 2+

MSRP $44.95

Fill the top of the tower with the 16 colorful balls and then press the button. A hidden timer starts ticking away until suddenly ... CLICK. All the balls are dropped at once to be sent rolling in all directions. Quick! Gather them up and do it all again! FA407-1

Puffaboo Elephant

Fat Brain Toy Co. • fatbraintoyco.com

Age 3 months+

MSRP $13.95

Fold the crinkly ears over the eyes for a game of peek-aboo. Explore the fascinating fabric textures and then give it a squeeze to hear it squeak. The trunk also blows a puff of air for a gentle distraction that quickly turns tears into giggles. This one is definitely going in the baby bag! FA371-1

Baby RC Airplane

iPlay, iLearn INC • iplayilearntoys.com

Ages 18 months+

MSRP $37.99

Enjoy fun music and sound effects by pressing/pulling the different levers and buttons on this airplane. Two figurines (included) add to the fun and can be placed into the plane for more sound effects and interaction. RC Baby plane has 2 modes: Automatic and Remote-Control. RCP-11

Dino Garage

Juratoys US • janod.com

Age 2 to 6 years

MSRP $96.99

Enjoy the dinosaurs! Swap the cars for the Tyrannosaurus, the Pteranodon, the Diplodocus, and the Triceratops to ride and park. They will stimulate children’s imagination and help them embark in a fantastic world full of beautiful adventures. J05835

Baby/Toddler continued on page 12

Baby/Toddler finalists

continued from page 10

Ride-On Dino Portosaurus

Juratoys US • janod.com

Ages 12 months to 3 years

MSRP $99.99

On the road to autonomy! This responsibly sourced wooden ride-on helps kids develop balance and support skills.

J05828

Peggy Gears

Quercetti

quercettistore.com

Age 2+

MSRP $26.99

Arrange the card, insert the gears, turn the crank and watch the spectacular chain reaction! 00315

DISCOVER OUR PLAY AWARD

Scan this code by May 26 to vote for your favorites

Zesty word game with a twist of lime

Zesty with a twist of lime

Investigate through the eyes of the characters themselves

Whacky questions, surprising answers

Brainteasers finalists

Logic! CASE Starter Puzzle Set | HABA

Genius Gems | MukikiM

Free Fall | Ravensburger/ThinkFun

Safari Park Jr. | Smart Toys and Games

Tower Stacks | Smart Toys and Games

Logic! CASE Starter Puzzle Set

HABA • habausa.com

Ages 5+

MSRP $14.99

Matching, spotting differences, deciphering patterns … you name it! The colorful, challenging, and varied puzzle sets are most importantly fun! Designed to be solved independently for young minds to think out-of-the-box. 306120

Genius Gems

MukikiM • mukikim.com

Age 8+

MSRP $24.99

Race to fill patterns based on the roll of the dice. More than 10,000 solutions. One player or 2-player play. HPCGGM

Free Fall

Ravensburger/ThinkFun • thinkfun.com

Ages 8+

MSRP $34.99

Take gravity to the next level! Put your spatial reasoning and dexterity to the test as you build your way through progressively harder challenges. Even build your own challenges and prove to everyone that you are the Master of Gravity! 76474

Safari Park Jr.

Smart Toys and Games

smarttoysandgames.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $26.99

These safari animals love to model for your camera! Can you get the animals in the picture-perfect position for the snapshot? 2-in-1 learning game for toddlers: puzzle or play and let your imagination go wild! SG 042US

Tower Stacks

Smart Toys and Games • smarttoysandgames.com

Ages 8+

MSRP $24.99

Tower Stacks challenges players to build vertical castles from the ground up. Eighty challenges from easy to expert. SG 106US

Building finalists

Zip Linx Triple Tower Blast | Blip Toys

Scorpio Grip x Sting | C-bionic

Dino World XL | Magna-Tiles

Mini Waffle City Café | Marioinex

Gravity Blocks | Popular Playthings     Knight Bus | Ukidz LLC

Zip

Linx Triple Tower Blast

Blip Toys • ziplinx.com

Ages 6+

MSRP $44.99

Zip Linx sets deliver a different eye-popping payoff to the classic domino run by launching pieces up to 3 feet into the air! The magic is the ease of setup and no accidental starts – your design won’t “pop” until you lay in the special Linx Launcher Key! 41173

Scorpio Grip x Sting

C-bionic • c-bionic.shop

Age 7

MSRP $34.95

These flexible cutting-edge building bricks let kids create their own bionic glove and explore science in a fun and interactive way. Get ready for a hands-on adventure! SCORPIO 1

Dino World XL

Magna-Tiles • magnatiles.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $129.99

Little paleontologists will love the BIGGEST thing in magnetic construction! The new Dino World XL set has it all: all six Magna-Tiles dinosaurs, our BIGGEST tiles ever, and new-to-the-world magnetic trees. Create the BIGGEST builds in pre-history! 22850

Mini Waffle City Café

Marioinex • waffle-blocks.com

Ages 5+

$24.99

Kids can build their own sweet spot with this set that includes 80 elements and two interchangeable characters. They’ll serve their guests the best cupcakes in town! MIN80CC

Gravity Blocks

Popular Playthings • popularplaythings.com

Ages 4+

MSRP $21.99

This gravity-defying stacking toy contains hidden weights that allow all kinds of gravity fun. Orange blocks have the weight on the end, green blocks have it in the middle, and gray blocks have no weight at all! 50112

Knight Bus

Ukidz LLC • ugears.us

Ages 14+

MSRP $59.99

This bus can roar through the streets of Muggle London (or the living room) thanks to its powerful spring-powered motor, which is wound using a secret key stored on top. Knight bus can narrow and expand itself while changing speed, just like in the movie “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” UTG0101

Eco finalists

Mini Greenhouse Set | Dantoy/Buzzy Kids

Outdoor Kitchen | Hape

Cheese and Charcuterie Board | PlanToys

PlayBio Kubo Shape Sorter | Quercetti

Jumbo Recycling Truck | Viking Toys

Mini Greenhouse Set

Dantoy/Buzzy Kids • buzzyseeds.com

Ages 2+ MSRP $50

Eco-friendly and sustainable, this “green” toy encourages roleplay. Parents love toys they know are safe! 4725

Outdoor Kitchen

Hape • toys.hape.com

Age 3+ MSRP $269.99

This cute playset includes everything for imitating grownup behavior in a fun, safe way. Plus, it encourages active outdoor play. Fill the water tank and turn the tap to fill the sink. Made using sustainable Green PE plastic and FSC wood E3193

It’s 100% recyclable and dishwasher safe – a perfect choice for sustainable kid- powered play. 20-81280

Educational finalists

100 Pics – Countries | Asmodee

Wooden Stacking Blocks | Bimi Boo Kids

Writing Lab Montessori | Headu

Amelia Earhart Interactive Plush Doll | Little Rebels

100 Pics – Countries

Asmodee • asmodee.com

Ages 5+ MSRP $12.99

100 Pics flash card games are a great way to help kids improve their vocabulary, spelling, and memory. This game is a fun way to learn about beautiful countries around the world.

POP08008

Wooden Stacking Blocks

Bimi Boo Kids • bimiboo.com

Ages 3+ MSRP $14.00

Bimi Boo Wooden Stacking Blocks help toddlers learn their letters and numbers and inspires creativity and problem solving skills. Instruction booklet included. 3031

Writing Lab Montessori

Headu • headu.com

Ages 3-6 years

MSRP $24.99

Helps children learn to read and write in three ways! The game is inspired by the Montessori three-period method.

EN26968

Amelia Earhart Interactive Plush Doll

Little Rebels • wearelittlerebels.com

Ages 4 to 7

$24.99

All about the trailblazer who achieved the world height record for flying 14,000 feet! Unlock access to videos, ebooks, trivia, augmented reality and more. AE001

Kids will love matching silly and cute toilet paper tiles in this classic memory game!

Color coded for three difficulty levels and includes a convenient carrying pouch.

New! Summer 2023!

Build the Ultimate Aquarium by adding a dazzling array of sea life to your tank!

Simple gameplay and colorful artwork make this a great card game for family game night!

Family Games finalists

Beat The 8 Ball | Blue Orange Games

Tetris | Buffalo Games/Gamewright

Sleeping Queens 2 – The Rescue! | Gamewright

Shout it Out! | MukikiM

Flashback: Zombie Kidz | Scorpion Masque

High Score | Thames & Kosmos

Beat The 8 Ball

Blue Orange Games blueorangegames.com

Ages 6+

MSRP $24.99

This intense family party game has players concentrating on getting their timing just right. All balls spin into the funnel; those who can land their ball right before the 8 Ball get the most points.

09062

Tetris

Buffalo Games/Gamewright buffalogames.com

Age 8+

MSRP $29.99

Up to four players play head-to-head in an all-new tabletop strategy game based on the world-famous Tetris game. 271

Sleeping Queens 2 – The Rescue!

Gamewright • gamewright.com

Ages 8+

$17.99

The Pancake Queen, the Ladybug Queen, and a cast of courtly characters return with a new mission: save the kings! Play queens to rescue kings from a parade of perilous predicaments. Find a magical companion to aid your quest, but watch out for Wild Gnomes, Sleeping Willows, and the ever-sneaky Switch Witch! 122

Shout it Out!

MukikiM • mukikim.com

Age 8+

MSRP $14.99

With this multi-player category game, players race against time to come up with words in the category. It’s a test of wits, imagination and speed. Three ways to play! MUK-SIO

Flashback: Zombie Kidz

Scorpion Masque • scorpionmasque.com

Ages 7+

MSRP $24.99

It’s an investigation game using pictures. Players embark on a cooperative adventure with other kids or with their whole family in a world frozen in time. Explore the past to solve mysteries in the present and change the future to save the world!

FB01EN

High Score

Thames & Kosmos thamesandkosmos.com

Ages 8+

MSRP $14.95

Roll some dice, make the right moves, get lucky, and earn the most points by the end of the game! This competitive dice game marries the luck of the dice with strategic gameplay and ever-changing rules. 680572

Games for Tweens+ finalists

Herd Mentality | Gamewright/Big Potato

Fire Tower | Goliath

Reign of Dragoness | Grandpa Beck’s Games

Ole Guacamole | Scorpion Masque

Zero to 100 | Scorpion Masque

Herd Mentality

Gamewright/Big Potato gamewright.com

Ages10+

MSRP $24.99

Do your best to think like the rest! If your answer to the question is the same as other people’s, you all score cows. To win, be the first to get eight cows, but be careful! If your answer is the odd one out, the Pink Cow will show up to stop you from scoring points. 90012

Fire Tower

Goliath • goliathgames.us

Ages 10+

MSRP $29.99

Players fight fire with fire in this fastpaced, fiercely competitive strategy game. They must protect their fire tower from a rapidly spreading forest fire while setting their opponents’ towers ablaze. 927437

Reign of Dragoness

Grandpa Beck’s Games

grandpabecksgames.com

Ages 8+

MSRP $16.99

Dragons gather to compete for glory under their mighty sovereign, the Dragoness. Players assemble their dragons into sets and runs. The highest-ranking pattern wins each round. But beware – other players can thwart your strategy! GPB-9065

Ole Guacamole

Scorpion Masque

scorpionmasque.com

Ages 10+

MSRP $12.99

Players take turns saying a word that does not contain any of the letters visible on the table ... and which is related to the previous word! It gets hard, because a letter is added to each turn! OG01EN

Zero to 100

Scorpion Masque • scorpionmasque.com

Ages 12+

MSRP $14.99

The challenge is not to be too far off target when answering trivia questions. Each question has a numerical answer from 0 to 100 on its reverse side, but players can never look at the back of a question card until after they play it. ZAC01US

Plush finalists

Weighted Giving Bear | DEMDACO

Vinnie Banana Slug Macaroon | Douglas Co. Inc.

Phoenix Wristlet Puppet | Folkmanis Inc

Bumpas -- Oz | License 2 Play

Style 4 Ever Airbrush Plush Dino | License 2 Play/Canal Toys

Snuggle Puppy Hero Children Toy | Snuggle Pupppy

Weighted Giving Bear

DEMDACO • demdaco.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $48.4

This floppy companion is weighted with love. The 5-pound bear is de signed for anyone in need of a little comfort, or to feel a little brave, a little safe. Silky soft and lovingly stuffed for endless hugs! 5004870018

Vinnie Banana Slug Macaroon

Douglas Co. Inc. • douglastoys.com

Age 24s months+

MSRP $14.95

Features a bright yellow banana peel with embroidered brown speckles. Ripples of creamy colored fabric at Vinnie’s sides lend him a feeling of motion while a tuft of hair atop his head adds to his whimsical appearance. 4735

Phoenix Wristlet Puppet

Folkmanis Inc. • folkmanis.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $27.99

Rising like the sun, this is a flaming beauty to behold. This legendary bird captures the spirit of light and hope with its brilliant ombre body with hanging elements, vinyl accents, plush flames, and movable head. Its ashed tail wraps around your wrist with a magnetic clasp. 3198

Bumpas -- Oz

License 2 Play

license-2-play.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $45

This 15-inch weighted plush weighs 3 pounds for realistic hugs. It features soft fabric, heart hands, and eyes on the back of its head to keep a protective watch! 16176 022286161763

Style 4 Ever Airbrush Plush Dino

License 2 Play/Canal Toys • license-2-play.com

Age 6+

MSRP $45

Design and create multicolored plush with the battery-powered airbrush gun and stick-on stencils. Redesign and update it with trendy and fun themes as your mood and style change! 228292

Snuggle Puppy Hero Children Toy

Snuggle Puppy • snugglepuppy.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $49.95

When your child is anxious or over whelmed, the world can feel like a big, lonely, and sometimes scary place. Snuggle Puppy HERO comes to the rescue with special features designed to comfort and calm your child no matter where their adventures take them. 70316

Preschool Games finalists

Sliding Toucan | Blue Orange Games

Indoor Scavenger Hunt | eeBoo

Silly Science Fine Motor Sorting Set | Learning Resources

Jump Jump Joey! | MW Wholesale

Sliding Toucan

Blue Orange Games • blueorangegames.com

Ages 4+

MSRP $19.99

In this unique cooperative game, players take turns launching a Toucan carrying its eggs down the sliding ramp, trying to escape from an unwelcome explorer. 09065

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

eeBoo • eeboo.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $14.99

Children search for common objects or their attributes: color, size, material, texture, pattern, sound, smell, number or resemblance. It helps them develop categorization, sorting and problem-solving skills, and analytical thinking. English, Spanish, French and German. Winner of Oppenheim Best Toy Gold Award. SHGIND

Pretend Play finalists

Tree House Play World | Bababoo and friends

Green Planet Explorers Panda’s Bamboo House | Hape

Holiday Camper Van | Le Toy Van

Shadow Theater | Papaton LLC

My First Pirates | Smart Toys and Games

Tree House Play World

Bababoo and friends • bababooandfriends.com

Ages 2+ years

MSRP $54.99

Young adventurers can explore a whole range of activities with the 31-piece world, which includes figurines, a moveable wooden ladder, a rope-pulling system, cars and begin ner tracks! KB110067

Silly Science Fine Motor Sorting Set

Learning Resources • learningresources.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $24.99

Pick and sort friendly germs in five shapes and five bright colors with this set’s two fine-motor tools. Includes five color-coded test tubes, test tube holder, and activity cards. LER5542

Jump Jump Joey!

MW Wholesale • mwwholesale.biz

Ages 2+

MSRP $20.95

This sweet game of hide-and-seek will have toddlers (and their caregivers!) jumping, marching, and performing other actions shown on cards they turn over as they search for the baby kangaroo card. Little ones can put on the apron with pouch to play the role of mama kangaroo searching for her Joey. 14194072

Green Planet Explorers Panda’s Bamboo House

Hape • toys.hape.com

Ages 3+ MSRP $149.99

Offers a great chance to encourage a sense of environmental responsibility and teach kids how important it is to protect wild animals. It is also perfect for encouraging role play, creativity and imagination! The house and animals are made from wood and eco-friendly, renewable materials including Green PE (made from sugar cane plant), FSC certified wood and bamboo. E3413

Pretend Play continued on page 28

Pretend Play finalists

Holiday Camper Van

Le Toy Van • letoyvan.com

Ages 3+ MSRP $49.95

Hit the beach or enjoy a family road trip with this camper made for miniature holiday fun. Painted in pastel mint green and cream hues, this stunner features everything any doll family would need for a relaxing vacation. TV478

Shadow Theater

Papaton LLC • papatonkids.com

Aged 3+ MSRP $49.95

Take center stage for an imaginative adventure like no other! Unique family entertainment that offers everything needed to put on an unforgettable shadow puppet performance.

01PK0001

My First Pirates

Smart Toys and Games

smarttoysandgames.com

SmartMax

Ages 1.5+ MSRP $24.99

Ahoy little mateys! Children discover the magic of magnetism with this pirate themed playset in a handy case.

SMX 236US

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Role Play finalists

Green Dragon Set | Great Pretenders

Super Bricolo | DJECO

Pretendables Lemonade | Fat Brain Toy Co

Little Chef Cooking and Steam Playset | Hape

My First Baking Oven | Hape

Green Dragon Set

Great Pretenders

shopgreatpretenders.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $52

Includes a mask, wings and tail to complete your fantasmical look! 12299

Super Bricolo

DJECO • wholesale.djeco-us.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $35.99

The wooden toolbox contains a hammer, saw, screwdriver, drill, pair of pliers, and eight cards to line up in a neat row. Each card shows something that is broken, and the tool – the “Super Bricolo” – needs to use to fix it. A highly educational roleplay game. DJ06500

Pretendables Lemonade Set

Fat Brain Toy Co

fatbraintoyco.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $37.99

Kids can set up the perfect lemonade stand right in the playroom. Inspire pretend play that’s fresh and so sweet! FA398-1

Little Chef Cooking and Steam Playset

Hape • toys.hape.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $29.99

Kids can cook delicious meals just like the grownups with this realistic soup set. Place the food into the pot and stir with the spoon, or place in the basket of buns to steam. Then, put on the lid and press the red button to hear the cooking sounds. E3187

My First Baking Oven

Hape • toys.hape.com

Ages 3+

MSRP $49.99

Create delicious-looking cookie treats with this wonderful bakery set. Includes one oven, one tray and six cookies that change color when cooked. Provides a realistic baking experience complete with timer, sound, light effects and color-changing cookies. E3183

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Science/STEM finalists

Glow-in-the-Dark Rainbow Volcano Lava Lab | Learning Advantage

Dig It Up! Bubbling Ice Age Discovery | MW Wholesale

Hydraulic Boxing Bots | Thames & Kosmos

Trainbots: 2-in-1 STEAM Maker Kit | Thames & Kosmos

2 in 1 Microscope Habitat | Thin Air Brands

Glow-in-the-Dark Rainbow Volcano Lava Lab Learning Advantage • learningadvantage.com

Ages 8+

MSRP $34.99

Create gushing, glow-in-thedark lava and learn about volcanology with this STEM kit. Build and paint four famous volcanos and learn about the history of each one. Conduct experiments to learn chemical reactions and create glowing rainbow eruptions, lava bombs and mineral pools. WES118XL

Dig It Up! Bubbling Ice Age Discovery

MW Wholesale • mwwholesale.biz

Ages 8+

MSRP $34.95

When the Glacier Powder and Volcano Powder are mixed the result is a magnificent eruption. Once the lava has settled, young explorers can use the included chisels, hammer and other tools to break the ice and reveal fascinating finds like a woolly mammoth, dire wolf, saber-tooth footprint and more. 14122650

Hydraulic Boxing Bots

Thames & Kosmos • thamesandkosmos.com

Ages 8+

MSRP $49.95

In this corner, hailing from the robotics lab, it’s RoboBoxer! And in that corner, the wonder from Down Under. Put your mitts together for Kangaroo-Bot! Ding! Ding! Jab, dodge, uppercut! These boxing robots use hydraulic power to move like real boxers. 620502

Trainbots: 2-in-1 STEAM Maker Kit

Thames & Kosmos • thamesandkosmos.com

Ages 8+

MSRP $39.95

Build your own steampunk-style train robot with amazing steam effects. Turn it on and watch it go, with cool water vapor “steam” billowing from its chimney, lit up in a fiery orange glow. There are two different configurations: a rolling train and a walking robot. 550052

2 in 1 Microscope Habitat

Thin Air Brands • thinairbrands.com

Nature Bound

Ages 6+ $24.99

Follow your critters throughout their habitat! This kit encourages children to learn more about nature in a fun and safe way while actively engaging them with the outdoors. NB544