Last night, throngs of toy industry insiders gathered for the tenth annual TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards—the Oscars of the toy world. The gala, which is hosted by the Toy Industry Association (TIA), recognizes the best in toys—but some of these award-nabbing playthings aren’t exactly wallet-friendly in these lean economic times. That’s exactly why I’m making this separate list for all of us budget-conscience toy lovers who are practically gripping onto our last few bucks. As such, these are my top five choices in TOTY-winning toys that’ll nonetheless spare your checking account from overdraft charges:
#1: Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia—I’m not just choosing this product because it swept the TOTY Awards as overall Toy of the Year, Girl Toy of the Year, and Innovative Toy of the Year. Aside from these accolades, the faux hamster also happens to be pretty cool: Once you pet the hamster’s back and set it down, it the scurries around from room to room, uttering one of more than 40 sound effects. And here’s the best part: Zhu Zhu pets never poop, stink, or die. And with a retail price of $10, even us tightwads have to admit that Zhu Zhu won’t gnaw holes through our wallets.
#2: Sort It Out! By University Games—The miser’s dream has come true with this bargain basement-priced Game of the Year selection. Sort It Out! began in Australia, then swept across the globe as party planners discovered what a fantastic ice-breaker they had on their hands. Two to four plays sort out (hence the name) challenges such as whether a cat’s brain weighs more than an elephant’s or kangaroo’s brain. Family and friends guffaw along the way—all for the low retail price of $18.99.
#3: Crayola Beginnings Color Me a Song—The notoriously affordable Crayola is back with another fab product for cheapskate parents: This product grabbed top honors in the Infant Toy of the Year category. Not only does the product develop children’s fine motor skills, but it allows toddlers to create original music with their scribbles. The faster the child scribbles, the faster the corresponding tune becomes. Yet as downright marvelous as that sounds, the real music to our ears is this: Even the Scroogiest spendthrift may be able to part with the mere $19.99 that this product costs. PS: Another Crayola product, Crayon Town by Wild Planet Entertainment, claimed TOTY’s Activity Toy of the Year. With a clearance-level price of $15.99, it’s affordable enough to garner high honors on our list.
#4: Bakugan by Cartoon Network—As TOTY’s Property of the Year winner, Bakugan Battle Brawlers have boys (and tomboys) everywhere taking part in the action-figure craze. Bakugan is a two-player strategy game (based on the Cartoon Network’s television series) involves warriors (aka Battle Brawlers)that are tucked into spheres but then pop open they’re rolled onto a Gate card. Moms and pops come out as the real battle victors when they reach the cash register: the figurines are sold for as little as $2.
#5: Bilibo by Active People shares its top spot for Preschool Toy of the Year with the slightly more pricey Tonka Chuck & Friends’ Talking Truck (34.99). While both are fairly pocketbook-friendly, I’ve gotta hand the top prize to Bilibo, which jump-starts children’s imagination. Kids are encouraged to use pieces to create their own playthings: spinning tops, boats, tiddlywinks, and sand shovels, to name a few. It also features a rock-bottom price: $19.99.
For the full list of 2010 TOTY winners, swing by this web address:
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