PRESS RELEASE from Dr. Toy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 16, 2008
TOYS FOR SMART PLAY: Dr. Toy's "100 Best Children’s Products for 2008" Award Report Now Available on The Internet—Best Smart Toys for Back to School, After-School and Holiday Gifts- Toys, Videos, Audio CDs, DVD’s, Games, Books, Socially Responsible, High Tech, Active and Educational Products and other new, quality, developmentally appropriate educational items.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. -- The 17th Annual report of "Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children’s Products 2008" awards announced today is now available to parents, teachers and others in the online magazine, Dr. Toy's Guide, at http://www.drtoy.com. The free report also is available by sending a SASE #10 envelope to Dr. Toy.
"Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children's Products" Awards Program 2008 was developed by noted child development authority, Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy) as a service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable, educationally oriented, stimulating toys and products for children.
"As a childhood specialist for over 35 years," says Dr. Toy, Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, founded in San Francisco in 1975, "I have seen the continuous, essential need for more year-round resources for consumers to identify and choose the most appropriate, safe and engaging learning and developmental products for all children."
Dr. Toy reports that in the years the innovative on-line magazine, Dr.Toy’s Guide has been available "thousands of visitors daily from around the world have accessed information." The site was the first on-line resource to evaluate toys and children’s products.
The report, "Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products for 2008", is being released according to Dr. Toy to "encourage parents and teachers to focus on the value of play as essential to the learning process."
She adds, "Smart play products selected from 100 companies across the U.S.A., Canada and other countries provide children with exciting new learning tools to help them do better in school, and also provide more constructive activities after school."
Dr. Auerbach believes "parents and grandparents need help to get a head start locating new, diversified products that children will enjoy while increasing skills, enhance instruction and expand creativity." The products balanced among large and small companies, range from low to high tech for "hours of constructive, educational, and stimulating fun."
"Children learn best through play," says Dr. Auerbach, "and these smart toys and products encourage children to maximize their potentials."
"Back-to-school is a good time to ‘take stock’ and do an inventory of what your child is playing with, what is not used and what they need next in their development." adds Dr. Toy.
"Our Guide offers excellent ideas for choosing new products for after school play and the holidays ahead."
"Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products" were carefully chosen from among thousands that she has reviewed at toy fairs, catalogs, and through many other sources, and by using extensive criteria she has developed over many years. Among the criteria used are: safety, age-appropriateness, design, durability, lasting play value, cultural and ethnic diversity, good transition from home to school, educational value, learning skills, creativity, improvement in the understanding of the community and the world, good value for price, and, naturally, fun.
In addition to the "100 Best Products," Dr. Toy creates eight special award categories for products suitable for babies to older children including products ranging from handicrafts to hi-tech, priced from $5.00 to $100. The winning products are affordable, well designed, and reflect the wide range of children’s interests.
Examples of the aspects of smart play of these outstanding smart toys and products and the companies recognized by these special awards include:
Active Play- Bagball (Fundex Games), Fortamajig Connectables (Happy Kid), Yookidoo Stack Flap N' Tumble (International Playthings), Critter Conga (Parents® by Battat), Puppet Theater (Step2), FunFlyStick (Unitech Toys/Toys ie).
Construction Play- 40 Models: Structures (Engino), Toy Dado Squares (Fat Brain), Building Blocks Sevilla (HABA), Rainbow Blocks (Play Smart), ZinkoTek (Zinko Tek).
Creativity & Art – Art Travel Easel (Creativity for Kids), Hannah Montana Glitter Studio (Elmer's Products), 3-in-1 Magical Apparel (Fun & Function), Octupus Whirl (K'NEX), Creativity Express (Madcap Logic), Get Crafty Journal (MudPuppy Press), Color Bug with Playpad (RC Art Toys), Creative Writing Story Kit (Think It Ink It Publishing).
Creativity & Music Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! A Tale of Tails (Anchor Bay Entertainment), The Story of Swan Lake (Music Maestro Classics), All Roads Lead To Home (New Hope Records), Professor Pocket® Our Hawaiian Hula Adventure CD (Professor Pocket), Yo Gabba Gabba: Muno's Groovin' Guitar (Spin Master), MiJam Pro Air Drummer (Blue Box ), Critter Conga (Parents® by Battat).
Technology- Virtual Space Journey (NewEnglander), Building Thinking Skills Level 2 (Critical Thinking), RINDIN the Puffer Storybook (CNW Entertainment), smart-e-bear (Kids Preferred), Growing Smart Laugh with Me Botley (KIDdesigns), My First Adventure (Knowledge Adventure), Bella Sara Trading Cards (Hidden City Games), Bob the Builder: Can-Do Zoo (Brighter Minds Media & Gamelab), Global Kids Show DVD (Global Kids).
Language/Learning/Math & Reading Readiness – Baby Einstein 10th Anniversary Special Edition Baby Beethoven DVD (Disney Baby Einstein™), Moonman Lovey & Nana Star Book with CD (ee publishing & productions), Multiplication Sensation™ (Jandie Jams Music), Mia's Reading Adventure The Bugaboo Bugs ( Kutoka Interactive), Meet the Sight Words DVD Series (Preschool Prep), Brain Boogie Boosters (Learning Station & Dr. Becky Bailey), Writing Made Simple (Junction of Function), Learn to Read Pre-K Ed (Hooked on Phonics), Friends Forever Girls-Reina (Inspire U), Illustrated Map of the USA (Rand McNally), Learn to Write! (ALEX), Ology Germ Soaps-Helpful (Action Products), Feelings Ready2 Learn Giant Stamps (Center Enterprises), Alphabet & Phonics Flash Cards (Galloping Minds), American Revolution Scramble Squares® Puzzles (b. dazzle), Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco (Poole Productions), My First Highlight Book of Numbers (Educational Publishing/Early Start).
Puzzles & Logical Thinking Games – American Revolution Scramble Squares® Puzzle (b.dazzle), Family Talk (Around the TableGames), Pengoloo( Blue Orange Games ), I Spy Private Eye (Briarpatch), Coin Hopping Washington DC (Coin Hopping Games), On the Dot (Gamewright Games), Yamodo! Good To Go! (Idea Storm Products), Perfect Sense (Patch Products), Spin & Go Board Games (Peaceable Kingdom Press), Smithsonian Institution - Be the Expert (Pressman Toy), SET Cubed (SET Enterprises).
Social & Dramatic Play- Chihuahua Puppet (Folkmanis), 3-in-1 Magical Apparel (Fun & Function), Green Toys Cookware & Dining Set (Green Toys) Sensitive Baby™- Sammy (The Goldberger Company) Puppet Theater (Step2)
Socially Responsible Products - See Inside Planet Earth (EDC), ROLO (Educational Advantage), Diapers Are Not Forever (Free Spirit), Tonka Go Green Garbage Truck (Funrise Toy), Sensitive Baby™- Sammy (The Goldberger Company), Green Toys Cookware & Dining Set (Green Toys), Heavenly Hug Dolls (Heavenly Hug), Waverly Eco-friendly Starter Kit (Idbids), CARES - Child Aviation Restraint System ( Kids Fly Safe), Fun Time, Relax Time: Focus on Health (Pennie Sempell's Place).
Ten Best Toys- Automoblox X9X (Automoblox), Go!!! Batman (Carrera), Baby Space (Chicco), Marie (Corolle), PuzzlePlay Rainforest (ImagiPLAY), Loopapalooza (Infantino), Modena the Racer (ISEO Chemdis), Stegosaurus (LEGO Systems), Smart Builders Piano (MEGA Brands), Bindi Outback Adventure Talking Doll (Wild Republic).
And many more wonderful toys and children’s products.
Complete information about these smart toys and other products are included in the full report (www.drtoy.com).
Dr. Toy selects special categories including: Ten Best Toys, Best Active Products, Audio/Video Tapes/CDs/DVDs, Creative Products, Educational Products, Games, Socially Responsible Products, and Software/CD-ROM's/High Tech Products.
Winning products are manufactured by new, small and large companies from around the world including: Alex, b.dazzle, Battat/Parents Magazine, Blue Orange Games, Briarpatch, Carrera, Corolle Dolls, Creativity for Kids, EDC Publishing, Elmer’s Products, Engino, Fat Brain Toys, Folkmanis, Fundex Games, Gamewright, Goldberger Co., Green Toys, HABA, Infantino, ISEO Chemdis, International Playthings, KNEX, Knowledge Adventures, LEGO Systems, MEGA Brands, Parents by Battat, Patch Products, Peaceable Kingdom Press, Spinmaster, Step 2, Wild Republic, and many others.
Dr. Toy's annual report includes company customer service numbers, web site URL, age range, price, and full description of each product. The award-winning, on-line magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide, features full color photos of each product, links to companies to learn more, interviews with and articles by Dr. Toy, plus hundreds of "Best Classic" and "Best Vacation" products. At this time over 4,000 products are included plus links direct to companies, toy stores online, toy history, parent resources and much more.
Dr. Auerbach is the only Ph.D. evaluating toys and children’s products with extensive training, background and over 35 years of experience evaluating, writing and speaking about toys and children’s products. Dr. Auerbach is trained in education, child psychology, child development, and special education. She is a parent educator, consultant, parent and grandparent.
In addition to easy access on the Internet, a free copy of "Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2008" may be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped #10 business envelope (SASE) to "Dr. Toy," 268 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA, 94104.
Additional Points:
- Dr. Toy’s Guide provides many related useful sites and resources on play, toys and parenting.
- Dr. Toy presents newest products to parents and teachers around the world. Dr. Toy throughout the year writes, speaks and shares insights about the importance of learning through her book, Smart Play/Smart Toys. She contributes all toys to the U.S Marines Toys for Tots, and presents product and guidance information at selected events and on line on www.drtoy.com and other sites.
- Dr. Toy is the author of Dr. Toy's Smart Play/Smart Toys to provide tools to parents to enhance their child's P.Q (Play Quotient). The book, published in China, Croatia, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and Thailand will soon be available in other countries.
- Interviews with and about Dr. Toy have appeared in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV across the country, in Canada, Germany, Japan, Spain and around the world.
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Interviews regarding the book and/or the smart toys and products can be arranged with
Greg Walsh 203- 216- 6101 Greg@walshpr.com Full information on products on www.drtoy.com
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