Award Winning Christmas Toys
 Our Award Winning Christmas Toys informational page will provide you with information on the current award winning toys and the different toy awards including Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toy, and Parent's Choice Awards. This page gives you all the juicy information on the Award Winning Child Educational Toys and Baby Toys. Parents and family members looking for approved toys will find this page extremely helpful in what they are searching for.

 

Dr. Toy
 Dr. Toy, Stevanne Auerbach, PhD, has been for many years the nation's leading expert on play, toys, and children's products. With 30 years of direct experience, Dr. Auerbach includes educationally oriented, developmental and skill building products from the best large and small companies in her four annual award programs. View Dr. Toy's award winning toys.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
Founded in 1989 as the only independent consumer review of children's media, companies submit products to us all year long. Our reviews take kid-tester's response to a product as one of the many factors to be considered, along with educational and play value, safety, age appropriateness, and other factors. You can trust our kid, parent, and educator tested picks. View their Award Winning Toys.
Parents' Choice Toy Award
Established in 1978, Parents’ Choice is the nation's oldest nonprofit guide to quality children's media and toys. purpose is to search out and recommend products that help kids grow – imaginatively, physically, morally and mentally—fairly priced products that are fun, safe and socially sound. View the Parents' Choice Award Winning Toys.

 

To view their list of award winning toys, please view their site directly for updated and reviewed items. We have posted a few of our favorite award winning toys from over the years.

Earlyears Soft Busy Blocks
(International Playthings, MSRP $15, Score:) Four soft stackable building blocks have soft sides and corded piping that makes them easy for baby to grasp. Colorful graphics and patterns and quiet sounds make these good floor toys for beginners. Activity: Sit on the floor and put one or more blocks on your head or shoulder and encourage your tot to knock 'em off! The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Click here to buy the Earlyears Soft Busy Blocks online.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2003.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Porfolio's Best Toy Award, Blue Chip Classic, SNAP Award
Groovy Girls and Groovy Boys
(Manhattan Toy, MSRP $10, Score:)
This continues to be a BLUE CHIP collection of soft 13" multi-ethnic dolls with stitched features, yarn hair, and groovy clothes. Happily, there is a boy doll in this line.  Still the superlative gift, consider Supersize Yvette or Gwen ($50 each 5), a 40" child-sized fabric doll that’s like a pretend play pal. Click here to buy Groovy Girls dolls online.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2007.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Porfolio's Blue Chip Classic and SNAP Award
Floor Standing Puppet Theater
(Alex, MSRP $59.99, Score:) Puppet stages are great fun for the whole family. At first you may be the main performer but soon enough your child will want you to be the audience. Try out familiar stories and then make up your own. Kids often express themselves more openly when they use puppets-- so be a careful listener. You may be surprised by what you hear. This stage from Alex is smaller than their larger playhouses that also have puppet stages. Click here to buy this kids Floor Standing Puppet theater online.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Porfolio's Blue Chip Classic Award
Radio Flyer Ultimate Comfort Wagon
(Radio Flyer, MSRP $169.99, Score:)
If you were looking for the Lexus of wagons, look no further than the new Radio Flyer Ultimate Family Wagon.  Our testers liked all the tricked out features of this wagon that is designed to provide the ultimate ride to your kids.  It comes with seating for adjustable seating for two, places for their drinks, seatbelts (a really important safety feature), a place for your drinks as well (on the outside) and a UV cover that can be removed if full sun is preferred. If you have one child, the other seat in back can pull down so that they have a surface (for drawing or using as a table for a snack). The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Click here to buy this Radio Flyer Ultimate Comfort Wagon online.

Age: Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2009.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Blue Chip Classic Award
Swan Lake Musical Pink Skirt
(Acting Out, MSRP $40, Score:)
Like this company's many other musical skirts, tutus, and dance dresses, this pretty pink and white tulle tutu with pink satin bow at the waist, has a magical music box tucked into a hidden pocket. Turn the switch to "on" and your little ballerina can dance to the familiar music of Tchaikovsky's beautiful Swan Lake. The music is motion activated, so it will play continuously while the child is dancing. It turns off when the little Swan takes a break. Note: To conserve batteries turn the switch to "off" during rehearsal time or when the Swan becomes a Sugar Plum fairy. This is the newest addition to an award winning collection of dancing skirts that include the Nutcracker, Can-Can, Polka and others. The skirt with elastic waistband fits sized 3-6x. A sure fire hit!

Acting Out also makes full tutus with attached top; however, the elasticized skirts will fit for a longer time without being outgrown.   The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab. Click here to buy the kids Swan Lake Musical Pink Skirt online.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Platinum Best Toy Award
Les Cheries
(Corolle Dolls, MSRP $45, Score:)

We loved these Corolle dolls when they first hit the market back in 2003. They received a Platinum Award and we are now giving them a Blue Chip Award for 2009. Chloe, Camille, Clare, Cecile and Cathy are a multicultural collection of 13" dolls and are marketed as "best friend" dolls and are purposefully not fashion dolls. Our favorites this year are Cecile, an African American girl, with jeans, a knit shrug and glorious hair or Chloe, a brunette ballerina in a gossamer tutu. They are meant to look like girls of today. There are new clothes almost every year--but this is a collection that should not be missed. Click here to buy Less Cheries Corolle dolls online.

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2009.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Platinum Best Toy Award and Blue Chip Classic Award
Spot Large Plush
(Kids Preferred, MSRP $30, Score:)
An adorable armful of a 16" yellow pup with brown spot on its side and on the tip of its tail. This looks like it jumped out of the ever popular Eric Hill Spot books. Big enough to satisfy toddlers who will love cuddling and lugging their very own Spot about. Also adorable, a handful of fun, a 6" Velour Spot Beanie ($9) that will fit into little hands. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Platinum Best Toy Award
Kids Preferred Peter Rabbit Hand Puppet
(Kids Preferred, MSRP $15, Score:)
A silky plush Peter Rabbit with velour blue jacket with stitched gold buttons and safe stitched features. Soft enough to be a huggable, this has the added value of being a hand puppet that older sibs and parents can use for peek-a-boo games with baby or telling a story. From tracking to story telling, this is a great toy for interacting, language development and pretend play. All ages. Click here to purchase the $9 plush toy version of this Peter Rabbit.

Age: Infants, Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2009.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Platinum Best Toy Award
Plan Toys My First Dollhouse Without Furniture
(Plan Toys by Brio, MSRP $99, Score:)
Choose this modern A-frame house with open roof for easy access that allows for playing from the front of the house or back in the traditional manner. This is a smaller house than their Green model or the Chalet, but a good choice for beginning pretend. Click here to buy Plan Toys' My First Dollhouse online.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2009.

Toy Awards: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's SNAP Toy Award
Classic Red Tricycle (12" Model 33)
(Radio Flyer, MSRP $50)
Moms, dads and grandparents remember well the red and white, chrome-plated tricycle with the celebratory handle bar streamers. No one can resist a smile upon hearing the familiar bell proclaim the arrival of the pedal-powered driver. High quality, durable and reasonably priced, the tricycle is a true classic. Click here to buy the Radio Flyer Classic Red Tricycle.

Age: 2-5 Years Award Year: Spring 2000 Toys

Toy Awards: Parent's Choice Classic Toy Award
Kids Lemonade Stand
(Alex, MSRP $150)
Recall your first lemonade stand? This one offers nostalgia with its big, colorful, wooden stand plus 2 oversized wheels and large handle to move it around. Other features include the chalkboard front panel, dry erase counter top and complete with colorful canvas awning. Comes with pitcher and 4 cups. Perfect for indoor or outdoor use and offers plenty of opportunity for good salesmanship and preparation of tasty lemonade. Click here to buy the Kids Lemonade Stand online.

Age: 3-5 Years Award Year: 2000

Toy Awards: Dr. Toys Best Classic Toys Award
Road & Rail Play Set - Railway Station
(Plan City by Brio, MSRP $210)
The wooden box of this Plan City Road & Rail set can be transformed to Railway Station. Children can connect the Road & Rail tracks with the station to create their own story through play. Click here to buy the Plan City Road & Rail Play Set online.

Age: 3+ Years Award Year: Fall 2008 To

Toy Awards: Parent's Choice Recommended Seal