Chicago – Today VTech and LeapFrog® announced six products are finalists for the 2022 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards from The Toy Association. VTech’s Sort & Recycle Ride-On Truck™ and LeapFrog’s Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot™ are both finalists for Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year. Additionally, the VTech KidiZoom® PrintCam™ and LeapFrog LeapLand Adventures™ have both been nominated for Preschool Toy of the Year. In the Vehicle of the Year category, VTech’s Switch & Go® Velociraptor Jet is a finalist, and in the STEAM Toy of the Year category, its Marble Rush™ Ultimate Set™ is a finalist. In addition, the Marble Rush playset has just received the Toy Association’s STEAM Toy Accreditation seal of approval, meeting experts’ criteria for a good STEAM toy.
“We always eagerly look forward to hearing the Toy of the Year finalists, and we are thrilled to have six toys nominated this year, our most ever!” said Andy Keimach, President, VTech Electronics North America. “Every year our goal is to provide toys that parents and children love while helping them learn and grow. These nominations certainly confirm that we are on the right path.”
The winners will be announced at the TOTY Awards gala on February 18, 2022. The TOTY Awards program is a critical fundraiser for The Toy Foundation (TTF), which provides philanthropic support and the vital commodity of play to children and families under stress and in dire situations, across the country and globe. Visit www.toyfoundation.org and www.toyassociation.org for more information.
Additional details about VTech and LeapFrog TOTY finalists can be found at www.vtechkids.com and www.leapfrog.com. The finalists include:
- VTech Sort & Recycle Ride-On Truck™: When you get the Sort & Recycle Ride-On Truck™, you’re already doing your part to help the earth! This recycling truck is made from plastic that is 90% reclaimed. Using reclaimed plastic means less waste goes into landfills. Beginner recyclers will love hopping on this lean, green recycling machine and driving around while learning about recycling things like plastic and reusing everyday objects. Load up the red heart, yellow hexagon and blue circle play pieces that represent plastic, metal and paper. Sort them into the correct bin, just like at home. Kids can also explore ways to repurpose everyday items or take a quiz to reinforce what they’re learning. Reuse and remix the included melodies by inserting a block in a bin to add sound effects that make each melody sound new. Blocks store inside the truck for easy cleanup. (US$37.99, ages 1½ – 3 years)
- VTech KidiZoom® PrintCam™: Click and print instantly with the KidiZoom® PrintCam™. Preview your photos with the 2.4″ color screen and print regular or panoramic photos in black and white right away. Flip up the lens to take selfies! The included paper roll prints up to 80 images—that’s a pennies per print value! When the paper’s gone, get the KidiZoom® PrintCam™ Paper Refill Pack (sold separately) for three more paper rolls and two rolls of adhesive paper to turn photos into stickers. Let your creativity loose and add stickers, filters and borders to any image or video. Turn photos into drawings you can color yourself. Browse 110+ templates and activities including small greeting cards, printable games and more. This kid-friendly camera takes videos, too! Backup your full-color photos and videos by transferring them to a computer using the included USB cable under adult supervision. Use the microSD card slot to increase storage up to 32GB with a memory card (not included). Three video games are included for playtime between photo shoots. Includes parent controls to set daily time and printing limits or turn off games. (US$74.99, ages 4 years and up)
- VTech Marble Rush™ Ultimate Set™: Roll through thrilling stunts and exciting challenges with the Marble Rush™ Ultimate Set™. This 145-piece color-coded building set includes a spinning Ferris wheel, a swirling cone that plays a musical light show, thrilling ramps, fast tracks, extreme launchers and bases that all easily connect together. The easy-to-follow leveled guide includes three different builds from beginner to advanced, or create your own courses. When construction is complete, drop the 10 marbles into action and watch them race down ramps and swirl through funnels to the basket or ramp challenges. Compete with family and friends using the exciting launchers and non-stop Ferris wheel to keep the marbles in motion and bring them back to the beginning. Combine with other Marble Rush sets (sold separately) to create an extreme playset. The Marble Rush Ultimate Set has received the Toy Association’s STEAM Accreditation seal of approval. (US$47.99, ages 4 years and up)
- VTech Switch & Go® Velociraptor Jet: Race and roar into a supercool world where ferocious dinosaurs change into tough vehicles with the Switch & Go® Velociraptor Helicopter! The swift, smart raptor inspires imaginative play with animated LCD eyes and dinosaur sound effects and phrases. Launch the rocket claw! Then switch up playtime by transforming the dino into a heroic helicopter with a few simple moves. Watch how the dino eyes on the LCD screen turn into a helicopter pilot and hear how the voice changes, too! Turn on the search light or spin the helicopter’s rotor blades for role-play action. Bring your Switch & Go world to life with 70+ responses and sound effects in both modes. Challenge the other Switch & Go dinos to a fearsome match-up. Who is most powerful? Strongest? Toughest? Smartest? Dinosaurs rule! Additional Switch & Go dinosaurs sold separately. (US$24.99, ages 4 years and up)
- LeapFrog® Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot™: Prepare a recipe for learning with the Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot™! Children love to pretend to cook. Prepare broccoli, corn, a tomato and a carrot with snap-apart veggies, a play knife and cutting board. Hear the pot respond with encouraging phrases as kids add veggies to the pot. Let’s make spaghetti sauce! Follow five step-by-step recipes to encourage learning with play. Chop the food and set the temperature dial. Now press a food button and stir the pot to make spaghetti sauce, rainbow soup, corn on the cob, carrot soup and broccoli with cheese! Watch the pot “boil” with pretend water in the front panel. Hear the pot count to 10 and talk about colors as you play. Serve up your creation in the bowl, pick up the spoon, and dig in! All the pieces store in or on the pot for easy cleanup when playtime is done. Soup-tastic! (US$21.99, ages 12 months and up)
- LeapFrog® LeapLand Adventures™: The LeapLanders are getting ready to celebrate the Gem Festival, but the keys to Clever Castle are missing! Go on a quest as you play the LeapLand Adventures™ learning video game. Hunt for keys to unlock the castle and learn about letters, numbers, shapes and colors along the way. Insert the plug-and-play HDMI game stick and USB power cable into the television and start playing the video game immediately using the wireless controller. No web connection, downloads or account setup required! Choose between two characters and explore Letterland, Numberville, Shapetown and Color Springs. Run and jump through progressive, replayable game levels to collect gems, cleverberries and treasure chest rewards. Play the game again and again, collecting additional gems, flags and banners to decorate the castle and celebrate at the Gem Festival. Players can also explore more than 150 learning items at their own pace by playing the educational content directly in the Learning Center. Save unique game progress with up to five player profiles. (US$34.99, ages 3 years and up)
About VTech
VTech is a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children. As a pioneer in the learning toy category, VTech develops high-quality, innovative educational products that enrich children’s development and make learning fun. With a rich 40 year history, VTech has not only established itself as a learning authority but also consistently remains at the forefront of innovation with multiple award-winning products, including prestigious Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award winners. The company also has a broad range of award-winning infant, toddler and preschool products available in 28 different languages worldwide, with more than 100 new products introduced every year. In order to further strengthen VTech’s position as a learning authority, new products are developed with critical insights from a dedicated team of in-house learning experts.
VTech Electronics North America, L.L.C. is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. VTech Electronics Limited is headquartered in Hong Kong with distribution globally.
For more information about VTech’s electronic learning products, visit www.VTechKids.com, www.facebook.com/VTechtoys on Facebook or follow @VTechToys on Twitter.
About LeapFrog®
LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. is the leader in innovative learning toys for children that encourage a child’s curiosity and love of learning throughout their early developmental journey. For more than 25 years, LeapFrog has helped children expand their knowledge and imagination through award-winning products that combine state-of-the-art educational expertise led by the LeapFrog Learning Team, innovative technology, and engaging play – turning playtime into quality time that helps children leap ahead. LeapFrog’s proprietary learning tablets and ground-breaking developmental games, learn to read and write systems, interactive learning toys and more are designed to create personalized experiences that encourage, excite and build confidence in children. LeapFrog is a subsidiary of VTech Holdings Limited, which is based in Hong Kong. LeapFrog was founded in 1995 by a father who revolutionized technology-based learning solutions to help his child learn how to read. Learn more at www.leapfrog.com.
About The Toy Association
www.toyassociation.org /www.thegeniusofplay.org /www.playsafe.org
Founded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $98.2 billion, and its roughly 1,000 members drive the annual $32 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, government, consumers, and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.
As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned Toy Fair New York and Toy Fair Dallas; advocates on behalf of members around the world; sustains the Canadian The Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America’s widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard.
