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.More Than 1200 Child Toy Testers Choose Biggest Littlest Pet Shop Littlest Pet Shop is a toy product that developed into an animated television series from Sunbow Productions and Creativite et Developpement that debuted in 1995. It follows the lives of a group of five miniature animals, each about the size of a rat. and Spy Video Car The Spy Video Car is a hybrid product created by mixing a traditional RC car and a video baby monitor. The remote controller communicates digital command via the 49 MHz frequency to the car for motors, and the camera on the car transmits video via the 2. among Top 10 Toys NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of -- 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 cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. 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 KinderCare Learning Centers was founded in 1969 and takes pride in helping kids prepare today for the world of tomorrow. One of the world's largest for-profit operators of child care facilities, KinderCare provides educational programs for kids from six weeks to 12 years old. and Children's World Children's World is a charity based in the UK It is known internationally (as Children's World International). It was set up by Arabella Churchill in 1981 after the success of the Children's World area at the Glastonbury Festival. 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 arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. , 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 Tickle Me Elmo is a childrens' toy from Tyco, introduced in the United States in 1996, becoming that year's top fad. Bright red in color and based on Elmo, a Muppet character from Sesame Street, when squeezed, Elmo would chortle. , 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 hammock, suspended bed, usually of netting, canvas, or leather. The hammock and its name were introduced to Europeans by Christopher Columbus, who learned of them from Native Americans. . "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 For more information about FamilyFun magazine's Toy of the Year Awards, for a complete list of 2006 winners or to arrange an interview with a FamilyFun spokesperson, please contact Lisa Hanlon at Southard Communications at (212) 777-2220, ext. 14 or via email lisa@southardinc.com. 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 Noun 1. Walt Disney World - a large amusement park established in 1971 to the southwest of Orlando Orlando - a city in central Florida; site of 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 District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). , 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 See Digital Research. ) is a full-service marketing research firm located in Kennebunk, Maine
Kennebunk, typically pronounced /'kɛnibʌŋk/ (KEN-ee-bunk) among locals but often /'kɛnəbʌŋk/ (KEN-uh-bunk) or . 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 The Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) is the trade association of survey research organizations, representing over 250 companies and research operations in the United States and abroad. (CASRO CASRO Council of American Survey Research Organizations ) and subscribes to CASRO's Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research. DRI is located on the Web at www.digitalresearch.com. |
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