Disney FamilyFun Announces 34 Toy of the Year Award Winners; Introduces ToyHopper App on the App Store

NEW YORK, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Disney FamilyFun today announced their 19th annual Toy of the Year (T.O.Y.) Award winners, published in FamilyFun's November issue.  More than 500 new toys were narrowed down by parent and kid testers from across the country, who evaluated quality, value, and of course, fun.  Using FamilyFun's new ToyHopper App, available now on the App Store for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, it's now easier than ever for busy parents to find the perfect gift, including this year's T.O.Y. Award winners and hundreds of other toys, books, DVDs, and video games.  Each item has been family-tested and hand-picked by FamilyFun editors and can be sorted into shopping lists, shared with friends, and filtered by age, price, type, or theme.  

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Top 10 FamilyFun T.O.Y. Award Winners for 2010:

1. Sing-a-Ma-Jigs! – Six cute critters who sing, harmonize, and chatter with just a squeeze of their plush bodies. $13 each from Mattel
2. Creationary – A new take on Legos, the game has players draw cards and build objects while other players race to guess what he/she is building. $35 from Lego
3. Plastic Bag Monsters – With this kit, kids can build two cool marionette monsters from recycled bags, beads, bottle caps, and more. $9 from 4M
4. iXL Learning System – An on-the-go smart device for the preschool crowd allows tiny tikes to upload music and photos as well as practice critical skills, including math, reading, and writing. $80 from Fisher-Price
5. Squap – Play catch with a twist: each player uses a mitt that snaps open and closed to launch and catch the ball (and to store the ball after playing). $25 from Diggin Active
6. B. Meowsic – With keys in the shape of a cat's grin, this electric keyboard lets kids hit the high notes and the meow notes.  The meow feature is what truly sets this instrument apart. $30 from B.
7. HEXBUG Nano Habitat Set – Stimulating creativity, this set allows kids to custom-build a variety of playgrounds for the insect-like micro robots to traverse. $30 from Innovation First
8. Glossy Bands – Think lanyard for the next generation.  Kids can create beautiful bracelets and rings from the colorful gel in this kit. $20 from Klutz
9. Dance Star Mickey – Mickey moves, grooves, and shakes to six different songs and will challenge any playmate to a game of Mickey says or freeze dance.  $70 from Fisher-Price
10. Paper Jamz Drums – This musical set will make both parents and kids happy – aspiring rock stars can practice their solos while keeping the noise level down. Plus, it's small enough to stash almost anywhere. $25 from WowWee

"For nearly twenty years, we've served as a trusted resource for parents when they're making their annual holiday shopping list and checking it twice, so it's important that each toy undergoes an intensive assessment by FamilyFun toy testers for function, design, durability, safety, and play value," said Ann Hallock, editorial director at FamilyFun.  

FamilyFun ToyHopper App:

FamilyFun's new ToyHopper App allows parents to complete all of their holiday and birthday shopping from the convenience of their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. The app filters more than 280 toys by age, price, type of product, and even theme -- from pirates and princesses to bikes for tikes -- and allows users to purchase products through Amazon.com. All the products recommended in the ToyHopper App were selected by FamilyFun editors as well as parent and kid testers, who evaluated quality, value, and fun. 

"The ToyHopper App is an ideal way to find hundreds of family-tested products organized in smart and helpful ways, including a carousel to browse a fun mix of toys and collections that present hand-picked groups of toys for a variety of interests. The app also features video demos and personalized wish lists that moms and kids can select and share with family and friends," said Hallock.  

The ToyHopper App features the 34 T.O.Y. Award winners from 2010 and past years' winners. To view all 2010 T.O.Y. Award winners, pick up the November issue of FamilyFun magazine or visit FamilyFun.com.  Disney FamilyFun can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

The ToyHopper App is available for $1.99 from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. 

About Disney FamilyFun Group

Published by Disney Publishing Worldwide, Disney FamilyFun magazine, which targets families with children under 12, has a rate base of 2.1 million and a total audience of 5.4 million (Source: 2010 Spring MRI). A trusted source for families, FamilyFun delivers real ideas for -- and from -- real families. The magazine's lively and informative content focuses on making the most of family time together through cooking, crafts, celebrations, volunteering, travel, and other family activities. The Disney FamilyFun brands include FamilyFun.com (a part of the Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio of sites), books, craft kits, and special interest publications. Leveraging the depth of family-focused content and family-marketing expertise, the Disney FamilyFun Group provides custom media and innovative advertising solutions to clients.

SOURCE Disney FamilyFun