The winners of this year’s Spielwarenmesse ToyAwards have been announced today, to mark the opening of the Nuremberg Toy Fair’s online event.
As an important quality seal, the ToyAward from Spielwarenmesse enjoys a special prominence in the international toy industry. All of the award-winning innovations were selected by a jury of international industry representatives, based on their prospect for retail success, play fun, safety, originality, comprehensibility of the product concept, and workmanship and quality. An overview of all nominees and winners is available in the ToyAward Special Area on Spielwarenmesse Digital.
There were no nominees, and hence no winners, in the Baby & Infant group this year.
The winners are as follows:
Category PreSchool (3-6 years)
Emergency Doctor’s Backpack, Legler
The ‘Emergency Doctor’s Backpack’ from Legler is a modern interpretation of the classic toy doctor’s bag. Inside the high-quality rucksack are a number of authentic-looking tools for simulating mobile emergency care – from bandages and a stethoscope to a blood pressure monitor and a mini-defibrillator. The jury of experts was impressed by the design of the medical kit: “The modern representation of the tools and their largely softwood construction are especially worthy of comment.”
Category Schoolkids (6-10 years)
Fabulus Elexus, Hutter Trade GmbH & Co. KG & DUJARDIN
The secrets of chemistry are enchantingly packaged in the ‘Fabulus Elexus’ set from Hutter Trade GmbH & Co. KG & DUJARDIN. Using the Book of Magical Elixirs, young magicians can conjure up various potions from snail slime and elves’ blood. Nor has the learning factor been neglected – before doing anything else, all the vials must first be labelled, and in doing so, children learn about the composition of the ingredients and what they do. “The kit has a big play-enjoyment factor and introduces chemistry to children in a fun way,” was the approving comment of the jurors.
Category Teenager & Adults (10 years and older)
echoes – The Audio Mystery Game, Ravensburger
In ‘echoes’ by Ravensburger, mysterious cases have to be solved with the aid of audio sequences. First, the playing cards are scanned with an app. Using the audio hints that are then played back, the investigators work out how, and in what order, three cards need to be combined in order to reconstruct the sequence of events. In the view of the jury, “This audio game is ideal for the podcast era, and its aural hints will train players’ concentration.”
Category Startup
Piks, OPPI
OPPI has rethought the world of building bricks. ‘Piks’ is an innovative set of wooden elements and conical soft rubber blocks, in different colours depending on their height. Their rounded tips create novel challenges for structural design. The instructions for reproducing the different illustrated designs are colour-coded according to difficulty. The jury praised the way that “This toy construction kit trains children’s motor skills and concentration in equal measure.”
Category Sustainability
Animal Friends, Fischertechnik
In ‘Animal Friends’, Fischertechnik has launched a building kit from raw materials that are 50% renewable. Various creatures can be constructed from the kit. Particularly striking are the vivid and abstract colours of the exceptionally stable and versatile models. “In terms of sustainability, this innovation from Fischertechnik, a well-known manufacturing brand, is sending an important message to the industry,” commented the expert jury.
More information on the jury and the winners from previous years can be found on the website www.toyaward.com.
Taking place from 2 to 6 February, during the originally planned period of this year’s Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, Spielwarenmesse Digital offers a wide-ranging programme of talks and events that will give exhibitors, the trade and media representatives the opportunity to immerse themselves deep in current trends and topics, and to exchange views and experiences.
Industry participants can already access Spielwarenmesse Digital, which will be available until the end of August.
“Even if we cannot replace the original event in Nuremberg,” says Christian Ulrich, Spokesperson of the Executive Board at Spielwarenmesse eG, “in Spielwarenmesse Digital we can offer an up-to-date overview of the market and, above all, plenty of inspiration.”