Highlighting Innovative Toys: The 2026 ToyAward Winners Announced
Shining Innovators in Play: The 2026 ToyAward Winners
The Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, a global toy fair, has recently recognized six exceptional toy products that stand out for their innovative design, high-quality craftsmanship, and significant market potential. The esteemed ToyAward was given on January 28, 2026, celebrating the best in play by highlighting toys that not only entertain but also stimulate creativity and intellect in children.
Categories and Winners
The ToyAward categories and their respective winners are as follows:
Baby & Infant Category
Winner: My First Tonies by Tonies
This delightful toy features soft, easily graspable figures that introduce children aged one and up to captivating auditory experiences. Young listeners can join a monkey in delightful stories or explore a farm set complete with a horse, pig, and cow. The jury praised it as an excellent blend of age-appropriate storytelling and sensory stimulation.
PreSchool Category
Winner: Der Berg ruft by Auzou jeux/Hutter Trade
This engaging game brings the exciting world of climbing to kids up to six years old. In a unique vertical structure, players must estimate rope lengths for climbing while ensuring their teammates’ safety, fostering strategic thinking and team skills. The jury lauded its cohesive gameplay design and variety.
SchoolKids Category
Winner: Temple Twist by Franckh-Kosmos
This board game demands clever teamwork as players search for treasure within a temple. The catch? The temple rotates every turn, transforming into an intricate 3D maze. The jury commended the game for its innovative concept and impressive quality.
Teenager & Adults Category
Winner: CluePuzzle – The Wonderbox of Alice by iDventure
This product creatively merges 3D puzzles with escape room mechanics. Comprising over 180 wooden pieces, it offers a functional puzzle box equipped with locks and movable elements. The multi-layered aspects challenge logical thinking and spatial imagination, showing the brilliant fusion of puzzles and thrilling challenges.
Startup Category
Winner: Beaver Edu Construction Kit by Beaver Edu SAL
This construction kit empowers children to unleash their inner inventors. Using slender solid wood rods and snap joints, kids can build the suggested 22 models or create their own. Its patented tool allows them to cut the rods safely, impressing the jury with its balance of technical thinking and hands-on activity.
Sustainability Category
Winner: Arches by Waytoplay Toys
Made from recycled plastic, this innovative toy allows children to create bridges, hills, and imaginative forms using simple curved shapes. Its snap-together system ensures pieces stay secure yet easy to detach. The jury noted its intelligent geometry and high-quality design, emphasizing its role in promoting sustainability alongside fun.
Judging Criteria
The selection process involved a diverse international jury of twelve experts from commerce, industry, market research, toy safety, and sustainability. They evaluated the entries based on factors such as enjoyment, safety, originality, commercial success potential, product comprehensibility, and quality of workmanship.
In celebrating these award winners, the Spielwarenmesse emphasizes the importance of innovation in nurturing children's development through play, ensuring that quality toys not only bring joy but also enrich young minds and foster a love for learning.