The American Toy Industry Association (TIA), the not-for-profit association representing all businesses involved in creating and bringing toys to kids of all ages, invites you to vote for the Toy of the Year!
Voting is open until January 13. For every category you vote in you are automatically entered to win all of the toys in that category! Simply visit toyawards.org to vote! Winners will be announced in February.
Below please find the list of toys.
4Mothers voted in the categories that applied to them, and here is what we thought about the best and about what is missing from the list.
Nathalie:
Activity, Boy Toy, Educational: Lego. Of course. My youngest two had Lego and only Lego on their Christmas lists, and they played with it all vacation long. I regret not a penny spent on Lego.
Board Game: My vote goes to one not on the list: Katamino. It’s a spatial reasoning game, in which you have to fit shapes together to fill a grid. You can play alone, compete with another player or work co-operatively. There are dozens of solutions to the problem and dozens of ways to play it. I loved it.
2014 Toy of the Year Nominees
ACTIVITY TOY OF THE YEAR
Arts and crafts, construction and other indoor toys that inspire creative play
- Hot Wheels® Car Maker by Mattel, Inc.
- Rainbow Loom® by Choon’s Design LLC
- Crayola Melt ‘n Mold Factory by Crayola
- LEGO® Minecraft by The LEGO Group
- PLAY-DOH PERFECT TWIST ICE CREAM Playset by Hasbro, Inc.
- GLITZI GLOBES™ GLITZI SHOWCASE by Moose Toys
- Spirograph™ Deluxe Kit by Kahootz Toys
BOY TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys developed for boys of any age
- Battroborg 3-in-1 Battle Arena by TOMY
- Despicable Me 2™ Special Feature Minion Dave Talking Action Figure by Thinkway Toys©
- DISNEY INFINITY by DISNEY
- LEGO Legends of Chima™ by The LEGO Group
- Skylanders SWAP Force™ by Activision Publishing, Inc..
- TRANSFORMERS™ CONSTRUCT-BOTS by Hasbro, Inc.
- Disney© Planes U-Command® Supercharged Dusty by Thinkway Toys©
E-CONNECTED TOY OF THE YEAR
A physical toy or game that is app-enabled or otherwise interacts with a smartphone, tablet or gaming device
- LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 by The LEGO Group
- Skylanders SWAP Force™ by Activision Publishing, Inc.
- DISNEY INFINITY by DISNEY
- Barbie® Digital Makeover by Mattel, Inc.
- LeapPad Ultra™ by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.
- Kurio Touch 4s Handheld by Techno Source
- Photo Mix & Mash by Crayola
EDUCATIONAL TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys that help children to develop special skills and knowledge through play
- GoldieBlox™ and the Spinning Machine by GoldieBlox™ Inc.
- LeapPad Ultra™ by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.
- LeapReader™ by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.
- LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 by The LEGO Group
- Demolition Lab: Triple Blast Warehouse by SmartLab Toys
- Magformers® 62 Piece Set by Magformers, LLC
- Nancy B’s Science Club MoonScope™ and Sky Gazer’s Activity Journal by Educational Insights®
GAME OF THE YEAR
Children’s board, card, electronic or other physical game formats and puzzles
(does not include video games or apps).
- BOOM BOOM BALLOON™ by SPIN MASTER LTD
- Chain Letters® by Patch Products
- DRAW SOMETHING™ PARTY Game by Hasbro Inc.
- HEDBANZ ACT UP by SPIN MASTER LTD
- Settlers of Catan® by Mayfair Games
- Skylanders SWAP Force™ by Activision Publishing, Inc.
- WordARound™ by ThinkFun
GIRL TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys developed for girls of any age
- Disney Princess Palace Pets: Furry Tail Friends by Blip Toys
- FLUTTERBYE FAIRY by SPIN MASTER LTD
- FURREAL FRIENDS CUDDLES, MY GIGGLY MONKEY by Hasbro, Inc.
- LEGO® Friends Heartlake High by The LEGO Group
- Monster High® 13 Wishes Doll Assortment by Mattel
- NERF REBELLE HEARTBREAKER Bow by Hasbro Inc.
- Rainbow Loom® by Choon’s Design LLC
INFANT/TODDLER TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys developed for infant children and toddlers (ages up to 36 months)
- BIG HUGS ELMO by Playskool
- Fisher-Price® Laugh & Learn™ Crawl Around™ Car by Mattel
- Go! Go! Smart Wheels™ Train Station Playset by VTech®
- Lamaze® Franky the Hanky Whale by TOMY
- Farm Mash-Up by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.
- Mirari® Pop! Pop! Piano® by Patch Products
- Skwish® Stix by Manhattan Toy
INNOVATIVE TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys that utilize innovative design, technology, or manufacturing processes to enhance play value
- Barbie® Digital Makeover by Mattel
- Battroborg 3-in-1 Battle Arena by TOMY
- FLUTTERBYE FAIRY by SPIN MASTER LTD
- GoldieBlox™ and the Spinning Machine by GoldieBlox™ Inc.
- Laser Maze™ by ThinkFun
- Skylanders SWAP Force™ by Activision Publishing, Inc.
- Zoomer by SPIN MASTER LTD
OUTDOOR TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys designed for outdoor play
- Crayola Washable Sidewalk Chalk by Crayola
- Razor® Crazy Cart™ by Razor USA LLC
- SKY RIPPERZ™ by Zing
- Sky Viper Stunt Quadcopter by Skyrocket Toys
- SkyTrix® by Daydream Toy
- Y Glider 3 in 1 by Yvolution
- Ziggle™ by Radio Flyer®
PRESCHOOL TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys developed for preschool-aged children (aged 3-5)
- BIG HUGS ELMO by Playskool
- Dino Construction Company™ by Educational Insights®
- Doc McStuffins Get Better Check-Up Center by Just Play
- FURREAL FRIENDS CUDDLES, MY GIGGLY MONKEY by Hasbro Inc.
- Go! Go! Smart Wheels™ Airport Playset by VTech®
- Shelby’s Snack Shack Game™ by Educational Insights®
- Sofia the First Talking Sofia and Animal Friends by Mattel
PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Property that had the greatest success spreading its brand throughout the industry
- Despicable Me 2™ (Universal Partnerships & Licensing)
- Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins (Disney Consumer Products)
- Disney Junior’s Sofia the First (Disney Consumer Products)
- Minecraft™ (Mojang AB)
- Monster High® (Mattel)
- Skylanders SWAP Force™ (Activision Publishing, Inc.)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon)
SPECIALTY TOY OF THE YEAR
Toys primarily distributed through specialty retailers
- Animal Parade A to Z Puzzle by BeginAgain
- Bunny Peek A Boo™ by Smart Toys and Games, Inc.
- Laser Maze™ by ThinkFun
- Nanoblocks Deluxe Space Shuttle by Ohio Art
- Rainbow Loom® by Choon’s Design LLC
- Spirograph™ Deluxe Kit by Kahootz Toys
- Magnetic Wooden Blocks 42-Piece Set by Tegu®
4 Mothers 
Just voted! Thanks!
I voted for the Rainbow Loom. As much as I want to snap it over my knee in frustration, I am amazed at how my 7 & 5 year-olds patiently weave together creations. They look up videos on-line and sit for (what seems like) hours mirroring the motions. It’s a great toy and worth all the hype!
The adults in our house love Settlers of Catan, so we were thrilled when they came out with a junior version. It’s a hit at our house.
My husband got Settlers of Catan for Christmas, and my 7-year-old daughter and 8-year-old nephew really enjoyed it too.