Spielwarenmesse presents nominees for ToyAward 2025

• Special area with all finalists in Hall 3A
• Winners announced on 29 January in Toy Business Forum

Excitement is mounting for 18 new products in the race for this year’s ToyAward at the Spielwarenmesse. This highly respected prize is awarded every year by the team managing the leading industry event to outstanding innovations whose creative product ideas and high production values set new standards – innovations with high potential for success. In this sense, the ToyAward offers trade visitors valuable orientation around the diverse range of products being presented at the Spielwarenmesse at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre from 28 January to 1 February.

In total, 629 new products were submitted for the award by 284 exhibitors. All of the submissions first underwent a preliminary digital assessment in which an expert jury narrowed down the selection by evaluating all the innovations on the criteria of originality, play enjoyment, comprehensibility of the product concept and potential for success in the shops. Then, at a joint meeting in Nuremberg, members of the jury each nominated three new products in the categories Baby & Infant (0-3 years), PreSchool (3-6 years), SchoolKids (6-10 years), Teenagers & Adults (10+ years), Startup and Sustainability. In addition to the requirements from the preselection process, further criteria of safety, workmanship and product quality were taken into account in this evaluation.

With the ToyAward Special in Hall 3A, the finalists will be put under the spotlight live at the Spielwarenmesse. From the start of the fair, trade visitors will be able to cast an eye over the nominated products. The winners will be announced on the big stage starting at 10.30 am on the Wednesday of the fair, 29 January, at the neighbouring Toy Business Forum.

ToyAward nominees 2025

Baby & Infant (0-3 years)

• Fisher-Price Snuggly Capybara – Mattel (Hall 12.2/P-15)
• Flex – OPPI^® (Hall 3/E-69)
• Geomag Magicube Blocks Stacking Safari – Geomagworld (Hall 4/E-17)

PreSchool (3-6 years)

• 3 Shape Memo – Buitenspeel BV / BS Toys (Hall 3A/F-20)
• Creative Play 3in1 – Kitchen, Shop & Workshop – Haba (Hall 3/E-18)
• Green Planet Explorers' Ben's Eco Catamaran – Hape International (Hall 3A/E-19, G-26)

SchoolKids (6-10 years)

• Cooper™ the STEM Robot – Learning Resources (Hall 5/B-06, C-05)
• RC Football Set – Bundesliga – Carrera Toys (Hall 12.2/P-13)
• Stay Apple Balance Tree Game – Quercetti & C. (Hall 5/B-32)

Teenager & Adults (10+ years)

• Moon Acrylic Jigsaw Puzzle – Abfun (Hall 4/F-30)
• Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet – Lego (Hall 12.2/P-01)
• Spin Ball Spinner – Click Europe (Hall 4/B-89)

Startup

• Qubitunes – Qubs (Hall 3A/H-32)
• STAK – Storyastic (Hall 10.0/E-14)
• Stickflip – Flip, Catch, Level up – ImagiNew Playhome (Hall 3A/D-06)

Sustainability

• Go Up Deluxe Lights Ecologic 360 – ID Development (GLOBBER) (Hall 7A/B-51, C-52)
• JUNIOR & Disney: Cinderella’s Castle – Horst Brandstätter Group (Hall 12.2/P-07)
• Wave Stacker – Plan Creations / PlanToys (Hall 3C/B-19)

ToyAward Jury

The jury consists of experts from the fields of retail, industry, market research, sustainability, toy safety and education:

• Cathérine De Bleeker (Women in Toys France, President, France)
• Axel Dammler (Iconkids & youth, Managing Director, Germany)
• Andrew Dobbie (Gameplan Europe, Managing Director, United Kingdom)
• Sharon Keilthy (SustainabilityWorks, Associate Director, Ireland)
• Jörg Meister (Little big things, Managing Director, Germany)
• Thorsten Paedelt (Duo schreib & spiel, Managing Director, Germany)
• Jennifer Rydén (Lek & Baby Swedish Toy and Baby Association, CEO, Sweden)
• Andreas Schäfer (Idee+spiel, Managing Director, Germany)
• Dean Smith (JaZams, Co-owner, USA)
• Sue Warfield (American Speciality Toy Retailing Association, President, USA)
• Rainer Weiskirchen (Expert for quality and safety in the toy sector, Germany)
• Keri Wilmot (Pediatric occupational therapist, USA)
• Thomas Wodzicki (Freelance play educationalist, Germany)
• Jean Youn (Toy Institute Korea, CEO & Head of Toy Business, South Korea)

Further information on the innovation prize is available on the website www.toyaward.de.