From pocket money fidget toys to big-box play sets, the awards honour the toys and games that child testers would choose for themselves.
UK parenting site MadeForMums has announced the winners of the MadeForMums Toy Award 2021, as judged by kids, recommended by parents and approved by experts.
Ranging from a £3.99 fidget toy to a £300 play set, this year’s winners include toys from well known brands such as Barbie, Thomas & Friends, Peppa Pig, CoComelon, Bluey, Playmobil and L.O.L! Surprise. However, MadeForMums’ extensive child-testing programme has also shone a spotlight on numerous other toys, from the Xootz BMW ride-on car with its own MP3 player (Wilton Bradley) to the pint-sized Casdon Kenwood Mixer and hilarious family board games A Game of Cat and Mouth (Exploding Kittens) and Flip Over Frog (Coiledspring Games).
Interactive gadget toys including the Tobi 2 Director’s Camera (Little Tikes), the My Jam Electric Guitar (Little Tikes) and Squeakee the Balloon Dino (Character Options) are still popular, but this year, many of the MadeForMums’ child testers also picked less showy toys, often with no electronics or batteries. In addition, the testers’ parents were delighted to see so many new toys that are sustainable and recyclable, while also able to stand the test of time.
Susie Boone, editor of MadeForMums, said: “From all our hours of testing, we’ve had some amazing, honest feedback from our child testers. They’ve loved the bright, loud ‘wow’ factor toys with interactive features but they’ve also really rated lower-tech toys, such as the Dino Snore-Us board game (where you mustn’t wake the sleeping dinosaur), simple plush toys and the standout Peppa Pig Wooden Playhouse.”
“We’re also seeing a welcome shift towards more eco-friendliness – from toys that put sustainability front and centre, like the Planet Junko Zoomer Kit and the Build a Bee Hotel, to toys that have more recyclable elements, less packaging (or boxes that become part of the toy) and string ties instead of plastic ones.”
The MadeForMums Toy Awards 2021 celebrate the best children’s toys at every age and stage, from newborn to teens, and cover 44 categories from Best Toddler Toy and Best Doll to Best Science Toy, Best Playset, Best Educational Toy and Best Scooter.
From a record number of entries, almost 300 toys were rigorously tested at home by children and their parents, who marked toys for play potential and value for money. These scores were combined with the verdicts of expert (grown-up) judges from the MadeForMums editorial team and specially invited judges to find the eventual winners.
The winners of the Editor’s Choice awards are as follows. For all other winners in each category, click here.
- Zoomer Kit – Planet Junko
- Squeakee the Balloon Dino – Character Options
- Kindi Kids Poppi Pearl Bubble N Sing – Moose Toys
- Tobi 2 Director’s Camera – Little Tikes
- Barbie Dreamhouse Playset – Mattel
- Funlockets Secret Fairy Musical Jewellery Box – Golden Bear
- Pushpoppers – HGL
- Bluey Jumbo Plush – Moose Toys
- A Game of Cat & Mouth – Exploding Kittens
- Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Fire Truck – Learning Resources
