Winner 2019
Baby & Infant
PreSchool
SchoolKids
Teenager & Adults
Startup
Baby & Infant
WINNER
Magic Touch Piano™ Musical Toy
The Magic Touch Piano from HAPE and Kids II is the ideal way to introduce toddlers to the world of music. The innovative wooden piano keys do not work in the classic way but with touch and warm fingers alone. The modern toy that aids children‘s development comes with 3 colour-coded sheets of music. Toddlers can practise colour coordination by matching the coloured notes on the sheets to the piano keys. They will then hear soft, high-quality sounds that are not too loud and intrusive – and quite parent-friendly as well! Two different game modes allow pint-sized pianists either to compose their own music or to play classic melodies.
NOMINEE
Lawn Mower Baby Walker
This toy helps small gardeners to take their very first steps: the Lawn Mower Baby Walker by LEGLER looks very smart. The cool gardening gadget is not only a fantastic walking aid, it can also be used for some great role-playing activities, while at the same time promoting the child‘s motor skills. The compact engine block can be disassembled into its individual parts; the grass catcher and the rotating grass on the front can be removed.
NOMINEE
My First RC
The cuddly plush racers of My first RC by REVELL offer entertainment and driving fun for the little ones. Proven, wireless remote-control technology meets a super-soft feel and cool design in a sturdy construction. The soft speedster won‘t scratch your furniture and the removable fabric cover is washable. The controls are easy to use for small racers and respond quickly to finger movements.
PreSchool
WINNER
bworld theme sets
BRUDER provides realistic play sets for extended role-playing games with its new bworld theme sets for children aged between three and six. A hospital, police station and stable are all represented by sturdy wall panels, and situations are acted out using toy figures. There are endless play possibilities, since the various worlds can be combined with each other. Exemplary the jury was particularly enthusiastic about the car repair shop with a sports car and auto mechanic, because it introduces children to the manual skills the job requires and the detailed design makes playing with these sets exciting even for older children.
NOMINEE
My Magic Castle
Children can be magicians with the beautifully designed My Magic Castle from Buki. In the tower roofs, balls disappear or change their colour with a mere swish of the wand. There are trapdoors and gates with false bottoms, and the little magicians can learn a total of 10 tricks. The jury thought the magical theme world along with its child-friendly instructions are well worth the nomination.
NOMINEE
Deluxe Scientific Workbench
Children between the ages of three and six can screw things together, hammer stuff or even build a small pulley when they have the lovingly crafted wooden Deluxe Scientific Workbench from HAPE. With child-friendly, step-by-step instructions, the little ones can try out a total of 15 experiments, familiarise themselves with the first laws of physics and playfully train their fi ne motor skills. Thanks to the integrated parts, the construction can start directly.
SchoolKids
WINNER
Magical Mermaid World
The beautifully shaped Magical Mermaid World from Playmobil opens up a fabulous underwater world for children up to 10 years of age. The enchanting details – such as an electric opening shell, exotic aquatic plants and imaginative carriages for the characters – come in delicate pastel colours. A ball track made up of plants forms the centre of this world, in which the little mermaid can also stand up thanks to her hinged fi n – making her perfect for role-playing games. That‘s what the jury thought and selected the expandable Magical Mermaid World, which is available in beautiful gift sets, as the winner of the SchoolKids category.
NOMINEE
The Slow Motion Race Game
To slow down and have some fun – that‘s something that Hasbro has managed to do very well with its Slow Motion Race Game. A sensor on the antenna of a sweat headband measures the speed of the players‘ movements – but it‘s not the fastest that wins. No, this game is all about being the slowest and moving calmly forward, otherwise a warning sound beeps. The amusing family game trains one‘s motor skills and is a whole lot of fun for all age groups.
NOMINEE
toi+
toi+ from Ravensburger works like a console without a display. At the centre of the „characters“ – a compass, a brain board and a vulture – is where you‘ll find the technological core, which allows different games to be played. The jury‘s favourite was the vulture that the children are supposed to move up and down in the room – and that‘s just one of the 50 games on offer! toi+ is suitable for one or more players and can even speak to them.
Teenager & Adult
WINNER
kNOW!
Ravensburger‘s creative quiz game kNOW! combines a board game with digital innovation. It promises the greatest amount of quiz fun for all generations. Connected to the Google voice assistant by means of the smart home or smartphone app, questions on topical issues are asked – and their answers can change depending on the time and place, e.g. „When will the sun rise tomorrow?“ Google, aka Professor kNOW!, will deliver the correct results and so help the quizmaster. The jury was thrilled by kNOW! and voted it the winner in the Teenager & Adults category.
NOMINEE
Die drei ??? Krimipuzzle
The crime puzzle from Franck-Kosmos combines a jigsaw puzzle with a thrilling detective story involving the three successful boy detectives. Suitable for children from the age of 10, it offers twice as much play value. Hidden clues can be discovered using a small UV lamp that highlights creepy fluorescent details. You‘re just four steps away from reaching your goal: read, do the jigsaw puzzle, search for dangers with the lamp – and solve the case!
NOMINEE
Sound Jack!
Sound Jack, the cool party game from Hutter, has a casual retro design that makes you want to sit down and play with it immediately. And that‘s something you can do because the interactive „Game Master“ takes care of everything and effortlessly guides the players through the game. In Sound Jack, players have to answer questions about more than 400 snippets of sound. Where does this piece of music come from? Which animals can you hear? Just hit the buzzer and score points.
StartUp
WINNER
Mabot
Simple and in just a handful of colours, the various disassembled Mabot parts come neatly arranged in their box. But once assembled, also according own ideas, the robot quickly unfolds its limitless play options. Mabot can be controlled via an app on your smartphone or tablet that is a breeze for pre-schoolers. A second app teaches slightly older children how to code and how to develop their digital skills. The jury selected the clever learning toy from Shenzhen Bell Creative Science and Education as the winner of the new Startup category.
NOMINEE
Pikoko
The card game Pikoko from Brain Games brings the flair of the casino to your own games night. Pikoko is a trick-taking card game in which coins are used to bet on each player‘s chances of winning. What‘s special about the game is that you only see the cards of the others, because you arrange your own cards in a holder that faces the other players. This makes the holder look like a peacock, thus giving the game its name. „Family fun in a great design“ was the jury‘s verdict.
NOMINEE
Qbitoy
Newcomer Qbi Globe introduces Qbitoy, a road consisting of attractively designed cubes with magnetic tracks. The magnets mean that the blocks can be quickly connected – and hey presto! You can start your journey. Qbitoy is perfect for the age group of three to six years as the car runs on rails. The jury praises the fact that trying to reproduce the models shown on the sheets also trains children‘ s basic spatial thinking.
Jury 2019
Since 1992 Dr. Maria Costa is the Research Manager at AIJU, a private children’s research center located in Spain, and deals with the usability testing of children’s items. For 25 years she has been, the coordinator for the “Games and Toys Guide”, during this time she has also managed the analysis of several thousands of toys. She is the author of numerous posts, articles and books on this topic.
Axel Dammler is Managing Director of iconkids & youth international research GmbH in Munich, Germany’s largest research institute specialised in kids and youth research. He has been working with young target groups since 1992 and has carried out numerous studies in national and international consumer and media markets.
As founder of the British consulting company Gameplan Europe, Andrew Dobbie advises and publishes throughout the world on the consumer behaviour of children and products and markets for children and young people. As former European Marketing Director of Mattel Toys Inc, Andrew Dobbie has an extensive knowledge and many years of experience in the international toy industry.
Since the beginning of 2016, Konstantin Frishberg is the Director of the Toys and Games Department at Detsky Mir. Detsky Mir is the biggest children’s goods retailer in Eastern Europe with more than 600 stores in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Dr. Thomas Märtz has worked for VEDES AG since 1999. As the cooperative buying and marketing group with the longest tradition in the German toy industry, VEDES offers SME retailers numerous services and in particular an efficient wholesale platform.
Jörg Meister studied product design at the FH Coburg. In 2010, after working for five years as an industrial designer for a globally operating company for baby hardware and toys, he joined forces with Eva Stemmer to set up the service agency for product design, consulting and PR with a focus on children’s products.
Nadine Müller has been testing toys with children aged 0 to 14, parents and pedagogical institutions for more than seven years and, as a trend scout, is always on the lookout for premium toys guaranteeing long-lasting playing fun. As a consultant to companies in the toy industry, her customised market research solutions are spoken highly of by those in the know.
Thorsten Paedelt works for duo schreib & spiel since 2001 and became Managing Director for Marketing and Sales in 2002. The retail trade co-operation from Berlin covers 460 toy shops in Germany and Austria. The range extends from stationery and toys to products from the creative and lifestyle segments.
Jochen Pohle is Head of Department in the business area family at the multi-sector network EK/servicegroup in Bielefeld, Germany. Before that, he had been Purchase Director at the Spiele Max AG and worked in serveral managing positions for the Metro Group in Germany and Asia. Jochen Pohle is enrooted in the toy industry for nearly 15 years.
Since October 2011, Andreas Schäfer is the managing director at idee+spiel, one of the most successful toy trade co-operations for leisure, hobbies and games. Mr. Schäfer is a trained retail salesman. After working for an EDP-equipment store he got into the toy industry in 1990, where he gained experience over the last 20 years in Germany and abroad.
Dean Smith is the co-owner of jaZams toy & book stores. jaZams has been in business for 22 years and has been rated as one of the 25 best toy stores in America. Before becoming part of the jaZamily Dean was an organic farmer.
Vincent Stozicky has worked for the JouéClub Group for over 25 years and since 2000 as Commercial Director of SIDJ responsible for the import-export and sales platform of the whole JouéClub network and for the development of the corporate image at European level.
Following her core studies on working with people with an intellectual disability and sensory impairment and open child and youth work, Marietheres Waschk became a lecturer in the pedagogy of play at the Remscheid Academy and also runs an adventure playground in Cologne, where she conducts projects focused on the pedagogy of play and culture.
Since 1993, Rainer Weiskirchen works as a spokesperson for TÜV Rheinland, a state-approved independent trade agency that also checks the quality and safety standards of toys. The TÜV Rheinland tests and certifies products according to the German and/or European Consumer Product Safety Act. Their “tested safety” certification mark (GS) guarantees a high quality of products.
Thomas Wodzicki is an educationalist specialized in games. He also works as a teacher of adult education and project developer for the German Federal Association Spielmobile e.V. Spielmobile is a Germany-wide network of working groups and the proper authority for the gap year, usually taken to do voluntary work in the social sector in Bavaria. n mark (GS) guarantees a high quality of products.
Tracy Wood is a mother of two children from the UK, who used her experiences of toy buying for her children and turned it into a successful toy and game review website, which was voted the best toy blog in the UK in 2014. Gaining a working knowledge of toy trends, and working with brands and retailers along the way, she has been running the website Toybuzz for over 10 years.