ASTRA Reveals 2023 Play, Excellence, and Lifetime Achievement Awards Winners
Read the full article below that was originally published in The Toybook on June 12th, 2023.
The winners have been announced at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy in Columbus, Ohio.
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has named the 2023 ASTRA Play Awards winners at ASTRA Marketplace & Academy, currently in full swing in Columbus, Ohio until June 14.
The newly rebranded ASTRA Play Awards selects nominees based on criteria including toy newness, uniqueness, availability, and significance. The following 14 winners have been chosen across a wide range of categories based on industry votes:
Active Play: Anywhere Sports — Trampoline Pong, Thin Air Brands
Arts & Crafts: Inspirational Nature Plant Press, DJECO
Baby/Toddler: Spill Again, Fat Brain Toy Co
Brainteasers: Safari Park Jr., Smart Toys and Games
Building: Dino World XL, Magna-Tiles
Eco: Cheese and Charcuterie Board, PlanToys
Educational: 100 Pics, Countries, Asmodee
Family Games: Sleeping Queens 2 — The Rescue!, Gamewright
Games for Tweens+: Big Potato — Herd Mentality, Gamewright/Big Potato
Plush: Vinnie Banana Slug Macaroon, Douglas Co.
Preschool Games: Indoor Scavenger Hunt, eeBoo
Pretend Play: SmartMax — My First Pirates, Smart Toys and Games
Role Play: Great Pretenders — Green Dragon Set, Creative Education of Canada
Science/STEM: Hydraulic Boxing Bots, Thames & Kosmos
The annual ASTRA Excellence and Lifetime Achievement Awards have also been revealed, and are designed to honor and recognize the outstanding contributions made by members of the specialty toy industry.
Excellence Awards winners include Plan Toys for Manufacturer, Sandra Malott for Sales Representative, Leah Pickering of Kazoodles Toys for Retailer, and Dock Mackie of MarketTime for Young Professional/Rising Star.
Amy Saldanha, owner of Kiddywampus, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“The ASTRA Play Awards spotlight thought-provoking playthings that are both meaningful in the industry and foster child development through quality play,” says Sue Warfield, President of ASTRA. “This year’s winning list features fun, unique, and premium products children will love and that can be found at neighborhood toy stores across the country.”
For more information on ASTRA’s Play Awards, visit astratoy.org.