NAPPA Top Rated Gifts & Toys for Kids

The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA), now in its 20^th year, has announced the winners of its 2010 Children’s Products Competition. After evaluating hundreds of outstanding submissions, NAPPA’s expert judges and family testers selected 83 products to receive the esteemed NAPPA Gold Award and 122 products for NAPPA Honors.

“This year’s entries reflect the infusion of new technologies that make playing, learning, reading and listening more accessible and appealing to children of all interests and abilities,” says Barbara Smith Decker, NAPPA manager. “These NAPPA winners expose children to new worlds of innovation, exploration and fun.”

Among the 2010 NAPPA winning products are:

Kinect for Xbox 360—Microsoft, $149.99; Xbox.com; ages 6 and up

In this video gaming experience, you don’t have to hold any controller! With a special motion capture sensor that sits in front of your television, Kinect for Xbox 360 puts all players at the center of gameplay. Kid testers LOVED it!

MobiGo Touch Learning System—VTech, $59.99; VTechKids.com; ages 3 and up

“Edu-gaming” at its finest! A touch screen and slide-out keyboard on this portable, handheld gaming console system are accompanied by clear voice and excellent video quality. Insert cartridge to play and learn about numbers, letters, music, problem solving, and more. Additional games can be downloaded.

Beautiful Oops!—by Barney Saltzberg; Workman Publishing, 2010; $11.95; Workman.com; ages 3 to 103

Readers and listeners alike learn that there are life lessons for all of us in every “oops!” of a mistake. The author/illustrator creates a multi-media experience by showing—even more than telling—how to use our imagination to turn life’s little glitches and blips, spills and smudges, drips and smears into something positive and, in this case, a surprisingly beautiful and whimsical piece of art.

Ground Force Drifter—Razor USA, LLC, $299.99; Razor.com; ages 8 and up

This steel-framed, rechargeable battery-operated go-kart lets kids zip through the neighborhood at speeds of up to 12 mph. Thumb tab acceleration and a rear-wheel hand brake put control in the palm of kids’ hands; torque and tires give the power and precision for spin-outs, fishtails and 360s.

Minotaurus—LEGO Systems Inc, $24.99; LEGO.com; ages 7 and up

In this first game collection by Lego, players build their own game board using Lego pieces. They then strategize how to get their heroes through the labyrinth to the temple, without confronting the Minotaur. Limitless changing of the “game-scape” makes for super creative and imaginative play.

For a complete list of all 205 winners, including a printable shopping list, visit www.NAPPAawards.com. The new NAPPA website allows visitors to easily navigate by product category—toys, games, books, DVDs, music, software, and storytelling—and sort by age group. Quick lists including Best Values, Top Picks, Family Fun, and Rising Stars are also provided. To make holiday shopping even easier for busy parents, the site now provides an Amazon.com shopping cart.

About NAPPA

For 20 years the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) has been the go-to resource for the best products for families. NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges, along with family and child testers, select the most innovative and enduring products as NAPPA Gold and Honors winners in two annual competitions, Children’s Products and Parenting Resources. Far more than a seal of approval, a NAPPA award signifies that a product has been rigorously evaluated against stringent criteria and stands out among hundreds of other products from around the world. For more information, visit www.NAPPAawards.com.