TOTY 2021: The Hottest Toys of the Year
The 2021 Toy of the Year TOTY Award winners were announced today by The Toy Association.
The TOTY Awards are like the “Oscars” of the toy industry. The awards indicate to consumers what are the hottest toys of the year. The finalists were selected from 557 nominees. Then each was reviewed and ranked by eighteen judges. The finalists were then announced and people could vote on the ultimate winner in each category.
HOTTEST TOYS OF THE YEAR & TOTY AWARDS
The TOTY Awards are great for parents to know about because they can help pick the latest innovative toy for their kids, family members, or friends. Whether you just want to be the cool parent and make sure the toy gifts you give are the hottest ones out there, or if you want to know the latest technology to select toys that foster educational concepts like coding or math – you want to follow the list each year!
All the winners are listed below, as well as affiliate links if you want to grab one of the toy winners for your household!!
SOURCE: The Toy Association
TOY OF THE YEAR
Star Wars The Child Animatronic Edition (Hasbro)
PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER
TIED!
- The Original Spawn Action Figure and Comic Book Remastered (McFarlane Toys)
- Story Time Chess
ACTION FIGURE TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toy must represent a person or fictional character intended for active, imaginative, and narrative-based play.
Nominees
- Alter Nation Action Figure Assortment (Panda Mony Toy Brands)
- Anime Heroes (Bandai America)
- Batman 4 Inch Action Figures (Spin Master)
- Fisher-Price #ThankYouHeroes Line (Mattel) – WINNER
- Heroes of Goo Jit Zu (Moose Toys)
- The Original Spawn Action Figure and Comic Remastered (2020) (McFarlane Toys)
- Treasure X (Moose Toys)
COLLECTIBLE OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toy must compose a set and can be collected in multiples; can include novelty playthings, miniature versions of existing lines, licensed collectibles, etc.
Nominees
- Blume Petal Pets (Skyrocket)
- Charaction CUBE (Bandai America)
- Hairdorables Hair Art Series (Just Play)
- HEXBUG JUNKBOTS Large Dumpster (HEXBUG)
- LEGO Super Mario Character Packs (LEGO) – WINNER
- L.O.L. Surprise! Remix Hair Flip (MGA Entertainment)
- Space Invaders Micro Player (My Arcade)
CONSTRUCTION TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toy must include building as the primary play pattern.
Nominees
- BRIO Motor Set (BRIO)
- LEGO Friends Rescue Mission Boat (LEGO)
- LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest (LEGO) – WINNER
- MEGA Construx Halo – Pelican Inbound (Mattel)
- Plus-Plus GO! Street Racing Super Set (Plus-Plus)
- Snap Ships Sabre XF-23 Interceptor (PlayMonster)
- SolarBots: 8-in-1 Solar Robot Kit (Thames & Kosmos)
CREATIVE TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must allow kids to build and/or make items that are unique to them.
Nominees
- Big Gem Diamond Painting: Magical (Faber-Castell USA)
- Chocolate Pen (Skyrocket)
- Clixo (Toyish Labs)
- Crayola Colors of the World Crayons (Crayola LLC) – WINNER
- Face Paintoos Party Pack (PlayMonster)
- Kinetic Sand Sandwhirlz Set (Spin Master)
- Swirl & Style Tie Dye Studio Maker (YULU)
DOLL OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must include baby, toddler, and fashion dolls.
Nominees
- Barbie Color Reveal (Mattel) – WINNER
- Cave Club Fashion Dolls (Mattel)
- Disney Junior Doc McStuffins Wash Your Hands Singing Doll (Just Play)
- FailFix (Moose Toys)
- Healthy Roots Dolls: Zoe Doll (Healthy Roots Dolls)
- L.O.L Surprise! O.M.G. Remix Dolls (MGA Entertainment)
- Rainbow High Fashion Dolls (MGA Entertainment)
- The Fresh Dolls (World of EPI and Just Play)
GAME OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be games for families and children’s (ages 0-14), including board, card, electronic, or other physical game formats and puzzles, exclusive of video or app games.
Nominees
- Drone Home (PlayMonster)
- Fish Club (Blue Orange Games)
- Genius Square (MUKIKIM LLC)
- Poetry for Neanderthals (Exploding Kittens)
- Pok̩mon Trading Card Game Battle Academy (The Pok̩mon Company International) РWINNER
- Story Time Chess (Story Time Chess)
- The #UpsideDownChallenge Game (Vango Toys)
INFANT/TODDLER TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be developed for ages 0-3 (0-18 months infant/18 months-3 years toddler).
Nominees
- Crayola Easy-Clean Fingerpaint (Crayola LLC)
- Deep Sea Adventure (The Manhattan Toy Company)
- Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen (Mattel) – WINNER
- Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate Corkscrew Tower (VTech)
- Helping Heroes Fire Station (VTech)
- Little Tikes 3-n-1 Sports Zone (Little Tikes)
- Step2 Ball Buddies Adventure Center (Step2)
INNOVATIVE TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must utilize innovative design, technology, or manufacturing processes to enhance play value.
Nominees
- Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen and Market (KidKraft)
- Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad with Eye-Soft-Technology (Crayola LLC)
- Go Go Bird (Zing)
- KidiZoom Creator Cam (VTech)
- LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course (LEGO)
- L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Remix Super Surprise (MGA Entertainment)
- Squeakee (Moose Toys)
- Star Wars The Child Animatronic Edition Toy (Hasbro) – WINNER
LICENSE OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be a character or property that has had success spreading its brand through the development and merchandising of products developed from the intellectual property.
Nominees
- Baby Shark (Pingfong)
- Blue’s Clues & You (Nickelodeon)
- L.O.L. Surprise! (MGA Entertainment)
- Marvel (Marvel)
- PAW Patrol: Dino Rescue (Spin Master and Nickelodeon)
- Pokémon (The Pokémon Company International)
- Ryan’s World (pocket.watch)
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Disney) – WINNER
OUTDOOR TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be designed for outdoor play, including ride-ons.
Nominees
- Birdie Golf (Hog Wild Toys)
- Little Tikes Magic Flower Water Table (Little Tikes)
- Outdoor Science Lab (SmartLab Toys)
- PRIMO (Ambosstoys)
- SpikeBrite (Spikeball Inc.)
- Total Z70 Zipline Bundle (Adventure Parks)
- Ultimate Go-Kart (Radio Flyer) – WINNER
- Wind Power 4.0 (Thames & Kosmos)
PLAYSET OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be designed to work together to enact some action or event, including characters and role play.
Nominees
- Blume Rainbow Sparkle Surprise Playset (Skyrocket)
- HEXBUG Nanotopia (HEXBUG)
- Fisher-Price Imaginext Pop-Up Gotham City Playset (Mattel)
- Kindi Kids Kindi Fun Unicorn Ambulance Playset (Moose Toys)
- LEGO Super Mario Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set (LEGO) – WINNER
- PLAYMOBIL Scooby-Doo! Mystery Machine (PLAYMOBIL)
- Railway Bucket-Builder-Set (Hape International Inc.)
PLUSH TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be made of fabric and stuffed with cotton or similar filling, including toys with interactive or electronic features.
Nominees
- Dolce Primo Kangaroo (Magformers)
- Eco Nation (Aurora World, Inc.)
- Little Rebels Dolls (Little Rebels Inc.)
- Shore Buddies (Shore Buddies)
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child 11″ Plush (Mattel) – WINNER
- Story Magic Unicorn Dream Dollhouse (Horizon Group USA)
- Whatsitsface (Whatsitsface)
PRESCHOOL TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be developed for ages 3-5.
Nominees
- BRIO Smart Tech Sound Action Tunnel Travel Set (BRIO)
- Dimpl Digits (Fat Brain Toy Co.)
- Fisher-Price Imaginext DC Super Friends Super Surround Batcave (Mattel)
- Fun Fan Fryer (Hape International Inc.)
- LEGO DUPLO Modular Playhouse (LEGO)
- PAW Patrol Dino Patroller (Spin Master) – WINNER
- Real Rigs Recycling Truck (Kid Trax)
SPECIALTY TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be distributed through independent retailers, i.e. neighborhood toy stores, and not sold at mass brick and mortar stores. Toys that are sold only online do not qualify.
Nominees
- American Girl – 2020 Girl of the Year Joss’s Ultimate Collection (Mattel)
- HEXBUG nano Land (HEXBUG)
- LEGO Ideas Grand Piano (LEGO) – WINNER
- Monster Math Scale (Hape International Inc.)
- My First Rush Hour (ThinkFun, Inc.)
- Shashibo Artist Series (Fun In Motion Toys)
- The Amazing Tightrope-Walking Gyrobot (Thames & Kosmos)
STEAM TOY OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must encourage kids to develop skills (foundational or curricular) in the core disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Nominees
- 3Doodler Start ‘Learn from Home’ Pen Set (3Doodler)
- Crayola STEAM Paper Flower Science Kit (Crayola LLC)
- Discovery #MINDBLOWN Toy Circuitry Action Experiment Set (Discovery, Inc.)
- DIY Rainbow Catcher (Klutz)
- Eyeclops Digital Microscope & Camera (Jakks Pacific)
- Little Learning Hands World Explorers Subscription Box (Little Learning Hands LLC)
- Mega Cyborg Hand (Thames & Kosmos) – WINNER
- Professor Maxwell’s VR Universe (Abacus Brands)
VEHICLE OF THE YEAR
To qualify for this category, the toys must be toy cars, trucks, trains, and other vehicles in all scales, including R/C vehicles but exclusive of ride-ons.
Nominees
- L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Glamper (MGA Entertainment)
- LEGO Technic Lamborghini Sian (LEGO)
- Monster Jam Megalodon Storm RC (Spin Master)
- Pick Up Pete (Fotorama USA)
- PJ Masks Transforming 2 in 1 Mobile HQ (Just Play)
- PLAYMOBIL Back To The Future DeLorean (PLAYMOBIL) – WINNER
- Power Treads (WowWee)
These are the hottest toys of the year and congrats to all the companies, developers, designers, innovators, nominees and winners!
