The Coveted FamilyFun Magazine Toy of the Year (T.O.Y.) Results are In: After 30,000 Hours of Toy Testing, Children Pick Their Favorites
October 3, 2006 -- NEW YORK -- FamilyFun magazine today reveals the winners of its 15th annual Toy of the Year (T.O.Y.) Awards, a nationally renowned toy competition where children across the country test and identify this season's must-have toys. T.O.Y. Award winners have become top sellers during the holiday season. This year's 42 winners and 21 grand prize winners, including the Top 10 toys of the year, appear in the November 2006 issue of FamilyFun magazine, which hits newsstands October 10.
"We knew we had a winning formula for finding the year's most kid-pleasing toys when The Wall Street Journal referred to our T.O.Y. Awards as 'a laurel as coveted in the toy industry as the Oscar is in Hollywood,'" noted Alexandra Kennedy, vice president and editorial director of FamilyFun magazine.
This year, 146 manufacturers submitted 480 playthings for review. All of the toys were distributed to KinderCare Learning Centers and Children's World Learning Centers across the country, where 1,200 children in four different age groups evaluated them. Submissions were judged in categories including pretend play, games, playmates, vehicles, learning toys, activity sets, arts and crafts, electronic toys, building toys and remote control toys. After more than 30,000 hours of fun-filled play testing, the children voted to select the winners and grand prize winners, including the highly regarded Top 10 Toys of the Year. The independent testing firm Digital Research, Inc, oversees the toy testing program for FamilyFun.
"Because kids are the judges of this competition," said Kennedy, "their votes assure parents across the country that the T.O.Y. winners are playthings that will appeal to their children. We take pride in holding a competition that for fifteen years has been a guide for parents in determining which toys are sure to please the toy experts in their households."
Past T.O.Y. Award winners, such as Tickle Me Elmo, Rescue Heroes play sets and the Shake and Go Speedway, have become must-have toys of the holiday season. This year's number one toy is the Biggest Littlest Pet Shop. This activity set for ages 5 to 7 includes miniature animal figures, a windup tower, a hand-operated snack station and a high-flying hammock.
"KinderCare and Children's World Centers understand that education and play are analogous," said Sharon Bergen, senior vice president of education and training for parent company Knowledge Learning Corporation. "We are proud to be such an integral part of the T.O.Y. Awards and value it as a useful way for us and our families to find out what toys children across the country will most enjoy."
The Top 10 FamilyFun T.O.Y. Award winners of 2006 are:
1. Biggest Littlest Pet Shop (Hasbro, $40)
2. Diego's Talking Rescue Center (Fisher-Price, $40)
3. Deal or No Deal Electronic Game (Irwin Toy, $30)
4. Spy Video Car (Wild Planet, $99)
5. Baby Alive (Hasbro, $50)
6. Lil' Luvables Fluffy Factory (Spin Master, $25)
7. Bead Blast (Perler Beads, $23)
8. Speed Stacks StackPack (Play Along, $40)
9. Star Wars Transformers: Millennium Falcon (Hasbro, $35)
10. Bratz Cyber Style Laptop (MGA Entertainment, $50)
Following is a list of the remaining grand prize winning toys, broken down by age group and by category:
Ages 3-4
Real Projects Workshop (Step2, $60)
Category: Pretend Play
Air-powered Action Stadium (Playskool, $50)
Category: Games
Bratz Kidz Radio Controlled Motor Scooter (MGA Entertainment, $30)
Category: Vehicles
ABC Chalk Talk! Electronic Learning Chalkboard (Learning Resources, $37)
Category: Learning Toys
Ages 5-7
Scooby-Doo TV Games (Jakks Pacific, $18)
Category: Games
Giggle Gear Mega Mask (Cranium, $20)
Category: Pretend Play
Lucky the Incredible Wonder Pup (Zizzle, $50)
Category: Playmates
Ages 8-9
The Game of Life, Pirates of the Caribbean (Milton Bradley, $20)
Category: Games
Dragon Duo Puppet (Folkmanis Puppets, $48)
Category: Playmates
Outdoor Challenger (Lego, $160)
Category: Building Toys
Ages 10-12
Pirates of the Caribbean Pirates Dice (Friendly Games, $20)
Category: Games
With a circulation of two million readers, FamilyFun is the nation's leading magazine for families with children ages 3 to 12 years old. Published by Buena Vista Magazines, Inc., a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide, its lively and informative content focuses on making the most of family time together. Other FamilyFun brand initiatives include FamilyFun.com, activity stations at Walt Disney World and an ongoing book series including the new FamilyFun Cooking with Kids Cookbook.
KinderCare Learning Centers and Children's World Learning Centers are owned and operated by Knowledge Learning Corporation, the nation's leading early childhood education and care provider. The company comprises nearly 2,000 community-based centers, over 500 before and after school sites, and 123 employer-sponsored centers in 38 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 200,000 children and employing approximately 41,000. The Knowledge Learning Corporation family of schools includes such well-known brands as KinderCare Learning Centers, Knowledge Beginnings, Children's World Learning Centers, and Mulberry Child Care & Preschool. The corporate office is located in Portland, Oregon.
Digital Research, Inc. (DRI) is a full-service marketing research firm located in Kennebunk, Maine. DRI has been retained by FamilyFun since 1992 to conduct the T.O.Y. Awards. DRI is a member of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) and subscribes to CASRO's Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research. DRI is located on the Web at http://www.digitalresearch.com.
