06/04/2018
Eighty-three specialty toys in 17 categories are finalists for ASTRA’s 2018 Best Toys for Kids list. From this group of finalists, ASTRA member retailers will vote online and at its upcoming Marketplace & Academy to select “the year’s top picks from America’s play experts” for the 2018 holiday season.
Winners will be announced at a reception and game night on July 13, 2018 during the AmericasMart International Gift & Home Furnishings Market in Atlanta, Georgia. ASTRA retailers will also be able to order fliers featuring the winning products for use in their holiday marketing efforts.
Here are the finalists.
ACTIVE PLAY
ALEX Active Yoga Activity Blocks| ALEX Brands
Slackers Tree Climbers| b4Adventure
Stomp Rocket Stunt Planes| D&L Company
Spikeball Rookie Set| Spikeball
Wicked Big Sports Kickball| Wicked Big Sports
Golden Snitch Heliball| Wow! Stuff
BOTS
Doc Educational Talking Robot| Creative Toy Company / Clementoni
Circuit Cubes: Go Gears!| Tenka Labs
Circuit Cubes: Monster Mech| Tenka Labs
Kids First Coding & Robotics | Thames & Kosmos
JIMU AstroBot Kit | UBTECH Robotics
CLASSIC PLAY 7+
Loopdedoo Spinning Loom Kit| Ann Williams
Liquid Glass Thinking Putty| Crazy Aaron’s
Sleeping Queens| Gamewright
Cat’s Cradle| Klutz
CLASSIC PLAY UNDER 7
EzyRoller Classic| EzyRoller
Tea Set| Green Toys
The Original Classic Colorforms| Kahootz Toys
YBike Pewi Elite| National Sporting Goods
BRIO Railway Starter Set| Ravensburger North America
Folkmanis Snowy Owl| Folkmanis Puppets
CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY
Plus-Plus BIG 90-piece Basic| Plus-Plus USA
GraviTrax| Ravensburger North America
VW Bus T1 Campervan| Ravensburger North America
Pepper Mint in the Great Treehouse Engineering Adventure| Thames & Kosmos
CREATIVE PLAY 7+
ALEX DIY Swirly Station| ALEX Brands
Slime.Art.Masterpiece| Be Amazing! Toys
Do Art 3D Gel Paint| Faber-Castell USA
Petal Party Jewelry Kit| Kid Made Modern
Rock And Roll It SpecDrum| MukikiM Toys
Klutz Maker Lab Gumball Machine| Klutz
Mini Bake Shop| Klutz
CREATIVE PLAY UNDER 7
Create with Clay Dinosaurs| Faber-Castell USA
Do Art 3D Sand Painting| Faber-Castell USA
Do Art Coloring with Clay| Faber-Castell USA
Stacking Music Set| Hape
Klutz Jr. My Simple Sewing| Klutz
EARLY PLAY (INFANT)
Dimpl| Fat Brain Toy Co.
Spoolz| Fat Brain Toy Co.
Rotating Music Box| Hape
Stay-put Rattle Set| Hape
Giselle Bell Giraffe| Steiff USA
EARLY PLAY (TODDLER)
Kullerbu Construction Site Set| HABA
Kid O Myland Fire Truck| PlayMonster
Tegu Magnetic Floating Stacker| Tegu
PLAYMOBIL 1.2.3 Pirate Ship| PLAYMOBIL
Easy Clean Bath Squirters: Gift Set| Sago Mini
GAME NIGHT
Clack! Game| AMIGO Games
Codenames: Duet| Czech Games Edition
ITZI| TENZI
GAME PLAY 7+
Magic Maze| Dude Games
Forbidden Sky| Gamewright
Trash Pandas| Gamewright
Drop It| Thames & Kosmos
Cahoots| Gamewright
GAME PLAY UNDER 7
Engine, Engine No. 9| AMIGO Games
Anomia Kids| Everest Toys
Unicorn Glitterluck A Party for Rosalie| HABA
Gnomes at Night| Peaceable Kingdom – A MindWare Brand
Monster Match| North Star Games
GAME STRATEGY
Photosynthesis| Blue Orange Games
Queendomino| Blue Orange Games
Sagrada| Floodgate Games
Azul| Next Move Games
LOGIC
Logic Land| Brainwright
SmartGames Cube Puzzler Pro| Smart Toys and Games
SmartGames Squirrels Go Nuts!| Smart Toys and Games
Hacker| ThinkFun Inc
Turing Tumble| Turing Tumble LLC
PRETEND PLAY (FANTASY)
Rose Gold Wings and Tutu Set| Creative Education of Canada
Luna Kruselings Deluxe Doll| Kathe Kruse
My Mermiad Wig “Playful Wigs”| Pink Poppy USA
Harvey’s Veggie Dog Car| Sago Mini
Folkmanis Mouse in Pumpkin| Folkmanis Puppets
PRETEND PLAY (ROLE)
Calico Critters Grand Department Store Gift Set| Epoch Everlasting Play
Super Kid In Training| MindWare
Grand City Station| Hape
Aquarium| PLAYMOBIL
SCIENTIFIC PLAY
Snap Circuits BRIC: Structures| ELENCO
Klutz Maker Lab Circuit Games| Klutz
Ooze Labs Chemistry Station| Thames & Kosmos
Kids First Big & Fun Microscope| Thames & Kosmos
Dodeca 12 in 1 SolarHydraulic Robot| OWI Inc.
