LEGO Disney Castle

Cast Your Vote for 2017 TOTY Specialty Toy of the Year


Holiday shopping season is in full swing and parents are on the hunt for the hottest toys of the year. The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is compiling lists for their annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) awards program (also known as the “Oscars of the Toy Industry“) to help shoppers in their search.

LEGO Disney Castle

Specialty Toy of the Year

This year, we are introducing you to the 2017 TOTY Specialty Toy of the Year nominees. The #TOTY2017 nominees are nominated by the toy companies themselves and finalists are selected by industry experts. Winners are then chosen by retailers,  journalists, bloggers, academics and other members of the industry — as well as consumers such as yourself! In fact, with every vote on ToyAwards.org, participates are entered into the TIA’s sweepstakes to win all the nominees within the voted category.

Automoblox C9 Sportscar

The Toy Industry Association graciously sent us each of the toys nominated in the Specialty Toy category (toys primarily distributed through specialty retailers), so let’s introduce you to the toys (in alphabetical order):

  • Automoblox C9 Sportscar from PlayMonster! — Sleek sportscar, made of European beech wood, features speedy yellow accents, 5-spoke wheels, an aggressively low stance and interchangeable Brembo brake assemblies. Includes 18 components to build the C9 Sportscar, and those mix-and-match pieces also work with other original Automoblox™ vehicles!
  • Design & Drill® BrightWorks™ from Educational Insights  Light up creativity with the flip of a switch! Budding designers can follow one of 12 included patterns or create their own custom, glow-in-the-dark creations. Just insert one of the translucent bolts, use the real working, kid-friendly power drill to drill it in, and watch as your dynamic creation glows from the inside!
  • Flappy Animated Elephant from Gund a Division of Enesco LLC — Flappy the Elephant is an adorable singing animated plush with two different play modes. Press the left foot to play an interactive game of peek-a-boo, and the right to hear the song “Do Your Ears Hang Low” in a cute child’s voice.
  • LEGO Disney Castle from LEGO Systems, Inc. — Bring the magical world of Disney to your home with The Disney Castle. This highly detailed LEGO® model with over 4,000 pieces offers a rewarding build and play experience, and comes with an array of exciting Disney-themed features and functions. The intricately detailed facade and towers replicate the iconic Walt Disney World® Resort Cinderella Castle, and each accessible castle room includes special features inspired by some of Disney’s greatest animated feature films.
  • Melody™ Doll and Book from Mattel, Inc. — Optimistic Melody Ellison has deep-brown eyes that open and close, and thick black hair. She comes in an authentic 1964 outfit and has a huggable cloth body, and her movable head and limbs are made of smooth vinyl. Includes the paperback book No Ordinary Sound, the first novel-length volume of Melody’s classic series.
  • Nano Nitro Slingshot from HEXBUG — Discover and experience an all new realm of fun with the HEXBUG® nano® Nitro™ Slingshot! This multi-tiered playset unlocks the world of nano to new and uncharted territories. Create customizable playgrounds for these industrious critters to explore. With easy snap together pieces; your imagination is the limit!
  • Perplexus Q-bot from PlayMonster! — Inside the clear cube is a fun and funky robot that features a winding, moving track for players to maneuver the marble through! Perplexus® Micro was designed to attract the attention of Perplexus fans, as well as draw in new players with its 3″ size and smaller price. These collectible games are easy to pick up, but hard to put down!

As you can see, they are all great choices!

Design & Drill® BrightWorks

The girls spent some time getting familiar with each of these toys and put together a video with their favorite feature from each toy nominated:

Now it’s your turn to not only pick the winner for the Specialty Toy of the Year award, but to enter to win each of the toys for yourself!

2017 Toy of the Year (TOTY) awards

Voting starts today at ToyAwards.org and ends on Sunday, January 15, 2017, at 11:59 pm ET. Winners will be announced on February 17, 2017, as the TOTY awards ceremony kicks off “Toy Fair Week.”

VOTE NOW!