Middle East Toy Fair awards winners announced

The panel of judges released the results yesterday evening at the Toy Fair Awards ceremony.

The winning products will be on an exclusive showcase for the first time to the regional market at the Middle East Toy Fair. Winners were honoured on stage at the Toy Fair networking dinner, which was held on 23rd March at the Sheraton Hotel Dubai Marina, in front of all the exhibitors, invited VIPs and Press.

The Middle East Toy Fair, which will showcase the latest trend in toys, baby and infant, accessory and stationery products, is taking place from March 23 to 25 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dubai, UAE.

The 'Arabic Alphabet Desk' by World Wide Traders (Stand No.: A12) won the first place in the category "Best culturally adapted toy at the show".

This product facilitates learning the Arabic alphabet and its pronunciation while playing. Various options are available for learning the Arabic words. The judges found the serious approach combined with a big effort invested in developing such a product worthy of winning the 1st place.

In the category "Best outdoor and activity toy at the show" the winner is 'Hoppop Motta' by White Heart company of Belgium (Stand No.: J12).
The first walking bike design makes children learn to keep balance in an amusing way. Afterwards, children can ride a normal bicycle much faster than other children.

The judges giving the award found the product fills a gap in the market as it is ideal for those kids in between toddler stage and not yet riding a bicycle.

"Best board game at the show" award went to 'The Colour Dwarfs' manufactured by Haba Habermaaß GmbH Germany and distributed by Kidz Inc. / Innovative Kidz Trading (Stand No.: F12).
The game is a good educational game collection for groups of two to four players. It is about recognizing and classifying colors.

This board game is ideal for smaller children to learn colors and stimulate their fantasy and language skills.

The unintentional use of visual memory while learning it is just an added advantage.

"Best educational toy at the show" was won by 'Make 'n' Break Challenge' from Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH of Germany (Stand No.: I12).
'Make `n´ Break Challenge' is a game for the whole family which is innovative and has an easy-to-learn game play. The game is challenging concentration, sleight of hands, strong nerves and speed. Especially for children it has a high learning effect.

The judges appreciated a good quality family game that develops social interaction and language skills, as well as dimensional thinking, ideas on forms, shapes and colors.

"Most innovative toy at the show" went to 'ZOOB' by Infinitoy (Stand No.: B16). ZOOB is an award-winning building set with a difference—the pieces move after you put them together. ZOOB is the moving, mind-building, modeling system that encourages kids to learn, explore, and create using the most important tool of all: their imaginations.

In choosing this product as the most innovative, jurors found Zoob a very flexible product which encourages creativity. The blocks are bigger than expected and join in the right way - flexible enough to still create all kinds of shapes, yet not too wobbly.

"Best Baby toy at the show" first place winner is V-Tech's 'Sit to Stand Dancing Tower', distributed in the region by World Wide Traders (Stand No.: A12).

This tower is composed of two dancing platforms for the child. It has five light-up piano keys which teach about animals, colors and music styles. It also includes microphone making the child sing. What parents will enjoy the most is that it shuts off automatically.

The panel of judges found the Dancing Tower a very flexible toy with different functionalities for all age groups: from crawling to sitting and then standing - a companion for a long time. It is a very interactive toy with many features to explore.

"Most innovative baby product at the show" award went to 'Home Care Vegetable Baby' by Home Care Co. Ltd of South Korea (Stand No.: NE1).
Vegetable Baby is biodegradable baby products which are made from corn starch (ECOLGREEN Bio-polymer). The raw material "ECOLGREEN Bio-polymer" is made from botanic materials such as corn that has no toxic substances.

In awarding this product jurors took into consideration an eco-friendly product with a fine finish that simply encourages babies for continuous play! Truly an innovation towards a greener future without compromising on the baby!

In the last category, "Most technologically innovative toy at the show," top honor went to 'The Force Trainer' from Uncle Milton, distributed by Emsons (Stand No.: E12).
Uncle Milton was an easy choice for jurors as the game uses elements of Star Wars Science: Mind control headset and Jedi Training Tower tickled the jurors' imagination. In playing the game, players use the power of the "force" to move an object without touching it. It features Brainwave reading technology that develops your power of concentration.

This product is by far most fascinating. It uses a state of the art technology. This brain-wave technology is thought to be non-existent and this particular product demonstrates that it indeed does exist and ties in very well with the Star Wars and Jedi theme.

The product proved that relocation levels through mediation are possible. A very new and exciting product that will definitely direct the kid's interest towards technology.

The Middle East Toy Fair Award winners were chosen by an independent jury, taking into consideration local buying behaviours and appropriateness for the regional toy market.

Further, signs on the winning products' booths would acknowledge the exhibitors honouree status, said organizers.

The Middle East Toy Fair is the region's largest trade exhibition for all child and baby and child related products from baby products, toys and kindergarten supplies, to games party products, school stationery and much more.

The exhibition covers a wide spectrum of three categories: Toys, Stationery and Back to School, and Baby and Infant Middle East.