The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) recently unveiled its 2018 Best Toys for Kids award winners. The list includes 17 winning toys in 16 categories.
“ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids award program is different from other top toy lists because it reflects the collective expertise of hundreds of toy retailers who know toys inside out,” says Kimberly Mosley, president of ASTRA. “The list of winners is a well-balanced representation of the fun, top-quality, high play value products consumers can find in locally-owned neighborhood toy stores around the country.”
The Best Toys for Kids program was created by ASTRA to help its retailer members attract media coverage and customers to their stores during the all-important fourth quarter. “The Best Toys for Kids awards program is one more way to differentiate the outstanding value of specialty toys and to differentiate ASTRA stores,” says Mosley. “We encourage specialty retailers to use this program to educate their customers and sell more toys.”
ASTRA provides 300 free, professionally designed, four-color 2018 Best Toys brochures to member retailers for use in their holiday marketing. For more information about the 2018 Best Toys for Kids award-winning toys, and to order additional Best Toys brochures, visit besttoys.astratoy.org.
The 2018 Best Toys for Kids award winners are:
Active Play
Stomp Rocket Stunt Planes – D&L Company
Bots
Kids First Coding & Robotics – Thames & Kosmos
Classic Play Under 7
BRIO Railway Starter Set – Ravenburger North America Inc.
Classic Play 7+
Liquid Glass Thinking Putty – Crazy Aaron’s
Constructive Play
GraviTrax – Ravensburger North America Inc.
Creative Play Under 7
Create with Clay Dinosaurs – Faber-Castell USA Inc.
Creative Play 7+
Rock and Roll It SpecDrum – MukikiM Toys
Early Play (Infant)
Dimpl – Fat Brain Toy Co.
Early Play (Toddler)
Kullerbu Construction Site Set – HABA
Game Night
ITZI – TENZI
Game Play Under 7
Gnomes at Night – Peaceable Kingdom – A MindWare Brand
Game Strategy
Photosynthesis – Blue Orange Games
Logic
Turing Tumble – Turing Tumble LLC
Pretend Play (Fantasy)
Folkmanis® Mouse in Pumpkin – Folkmanis® Puppets
Pretend Play (Fantasy)
Rose Gold Wings & Tutu Set – Creative Education of Canada
Pretend Play (Role)
Aquarium – PLAYMOBIL
Scientific Play
Snap Circuits BRIC: Structures – ELENCO
About the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA)
Founded in 1992, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is an international not-for-profit trade organization that develops and supports a membership of independent retailers, manufacturers and sales representatives in the toy industry. Inspired to change the world through the power of play, ASTRA is a community of dedicated professionals committed to providing children with healthy, quality play materials that have a high play value and are designed with a focus on what the child can do, rather than what the toy can do. Through certification programs, educational resources and networking opportunities, ASTRA equips and empowers members to make a positive impact on the economy and culture of the communities they serve. For more information, visit www.astratoy.org/.