Science Museum Smart Toy Awards 2008

Science Museum Smart Toy Awards 2008 winners

MagNext

Science Museum SMart Toy of the Year

SMart Build Category Winner

RRP £9.99 - £49.99, 6-12 years (Mega Brands)

Kitchen Chemistry

SMart Explore Category Winner

RRP £12.99, 8 years + (John Adams)

iCoaster

SMart Play Category Winner

RRP £79.99, 6 years + (Mega Brands)

Science Museum Science Putty

Kids' Choice Category Winner

RRP £4.99, 3 years + (Wow! Stuff)

Over 25 children between ages 6 and 12 acted as ‘Official Toy Testers’ to trial all of the toys. They gave marks on a simple scale and provided additional comments. The views of the children were presented to the judges in the afternoon before they considered the toys for themselves.

The winning products are on sale at the Science Museum Store and online at www.sciencemuseumstore.com.

Find out more - watch this Press Association UK 'Toy of the year' video about the winning toys.

2008 Shortlisted entries

Over 200 children tested all of the longlist toys entered for the awards at a public Smart Toy testing day on 8 August 2008. Only toys that received a significant number of marks from the children were considered for the shortlist.

SMart Build

• MagNext (Mega Brands)
• Landshark/Dragster Scavenger Set (Überstix)
• Stuxx (Mega Brands)
• Design 1 New Generation (Meccano)

SMart Explore

• Kitchen Chemistry (John Adams)
• Physics Solar Workshop (Thames & Kosmos)
• Science Museum Paper Recycling Kit (Halsall International Ltd)
• Volcanoes and Earthquakes (Clementoni)

SMart Play

• iCoaster (Mega Brands)
• Virtually Indestructible Remote Control Plane MkII (Wow! Stuff)
• H2go (PopCo Entertainment Ltd)
• Mr Robot Head (Ecotronic)

Kids’ Choice

• Science Museum Science Putty (Wow! Stuff)
• Crazee Coloured World Mini (Crazee Thingz)
• On the Dot (Coiledspring Games)
• Hydraulix Excavator (Great Gizmos)

2008 judges

• Alex Patrick, Science Museum Outreach Manage
• Joanna Moorhead, Freelance family writer, The Guardian
• Clare Jones, Consumer Editor, First News children’s newspaper
• Jeff Woolf, British Inventor of the Year 2001 and OBE for services to innovation and business
• Lydia Plowman, Toy and Hobbies Association and Professor of Education at the Stirling Institute of Education
• Rosemary Feasey, Primary Professional Development Leader, Science Learning Centre North East.

The winning products are on sale at the Science Museum Store and online at www.sciencemuseumstore.com.

About the Awards

The criteria for judging are based on the Science Museum's unique approach used to develop its famous interactive galleries, such as Launchpad and The Garden, and to select products for the Science Museum Store and own-branded range.

The Science Museum has inspired and delighted generations of children and adults by encouraging learning through interaction and play. It is famous all over the world for its collection of over 300,000 objects, hands-on galleries and exhibitions, drama characters, science shows, IMAX 3D Cinema screenings, simulators and tours which help bring alive the past, present and future of scientific ingenuity.

The Science Museum Smart Toy of the Year Awards are also a natural extension to the Science Museum Store and the licensed range which specialises in educational and innovative products for both adults and kids.

Previous winners - 2007

Electro Mag

Science Museum SMart Toy of the Year

SMart Explore Category Winner

RRP £34.99, 8 years + (John Adams)

Smartlab Motor Mania

SMart Build Category Winner

RRP £14.99, 6 years + (Becker and Mayer)

X-Zylo Launcher

SMart Play Category Winner

RRP £12.99, 8 years + (Wow! Stuff)

X-Zylo is a Science Museum Licensed product

Traffic Control Airport

Highly Commended: SMart Play Category

RRP: £17.99, 8 years + (Smart)

Winonimo

Highly Commended: SMart Play Category

RRP £19.99, 3 years + (Coiledspring Games)

Rules for submission

We are no longer accepting entries for the Smart Toy Awards 2008.

All entries must be compatible with the Museum's aim to encourage learning through interaction and play. Products entered will be judged on criteria such as first impressions, playability, ability to inspire and encourage questioning, link to social development, etc.

Furthermore, there should be some link to the Museum's core mission to inspire about the past, present and future of humanity ingenuity or science, technology or innovation.

Finally, there must also be some link to science, technology or innovation. Products do not have to relate directly to core disciplines of biology, physics and chemistry, but can also extend to a myriad of themes such as colour, shape, sound, building, aircraft, medicine and maths.

Categories for 2008

SMart Play

Open to toys, games* and puzzles which do more than keep boredom at bay.
* Not open to separate PC or console games

SMart Explore

Open to experiments or kits for enquiring young minds to expand their knowledge of the scientific world.

SMart Build

Open to model and construction kits for all budding engineers.

Kids' Choice

Open to any toy with a maximum RRP of £10

Rules for submission

• Products previously submitted may not be entered.
• There are no upper or lower retail price limits.
• Submissions for all categories must be received by 31 July 2008 via post.
• There is no fee to enter the award.
• Submitted products will not be returned.
• One product may be entered in up to two categories.
• Products must be suitable for children between the ages of 6 and 14 years.
• Products must be new to the UK market, i.e. they must be newly available to buy in the period January – December 2008.
• Only finished products are eligible to be entered. If your product is in sample or prototype stage please contact katy.hack@sciencemuseum.org.uk
• The awards are not open to separate PC or console games. Complete hand-held games are eligible to enter.
• All products must comply with British Toy Safety Regulations.

Submission requirements:

• Two identical samples of the product in packaging.
• A completed entry form.
• High-resolution digital image of each product (300 dpi, 10 x 8 inches).
• Any supporting press and marketing material.
• Copy of the product's UK safety certificate.