Aug 21, 2012

Five Best New Product Awards Presented at NYIGF’s Baby & Child

Five companies were presented with Baby & Child “Best New Product Awards” today, with Box Play for Kids® receiving the “Blogger’s Best” distinction for Box Play for Kids Stickers. Baby & Child, one of 10 divisions in the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®), runs through Wednesday, August 22, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

In addition to the semi-annual “Blogger’s Best” award, Baby & Child “Best New Product Award” winners are recognized for excellence in four categories: toy, décor, gear and apparel. A panel of eight editors from trade media, kid-centric blogs and websites selected products which exemplified innovation, design and style.

The summer 2012 winners and finalists, selected from 116 products, are:

BLOGGER’S BEST:
Box Play for Kids® (Phoenix, AZ) for Box Play for Kids Stickers, eco friendly stickers made of 100 percent recycled paper that turn old boxes into new toys.

TOY:
Winner: PlanToys, Inc. (Mountain View, CA) for Play House, a three-story rubberwood and PlanWood doll house with a handle to carry and a rooftop that becomes a garden.
Finalist: Fat Brain Toy Co. (Elkhorn, NE) for Tobbles Neo stacking toy.
Finalist: Juratoys US Corp (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) for Magnetibook Crazy Face.

DÉCOR:
Winner: HABA® USA (Skaneateles, NY) for Teepee Play Tent, a portable personal space for little explorers to take exciting and creative adventures.
Finalist: Magicforest, LTD (Portsmouth, NH) for Fly With Me Hot Air Balloon Music Box.
Finalist: Milk Moon Kids (Cincinnati, OH) for Growth Charts.

GEAR:
Winner: aden + anais® (Brooklyn, NY) for Serenity Star, a 5-in-1 electronic sleep and feeding system for mom and baby.
Finalist: MadPax (Phoenix, AZ) for BUBBLE nibbler.
Finalist: Love Mae (Stokers Siding, Australia) for Tableware – Melamine Dinnerware.

APPAREL:
Winner: Pipopipo™ (Los Angeles, CA) for Pipopipo friends socks, which come in a reusable bamboo package with three pairs of socks designed either for boys or girls.
Finalist: Cutey Booty (Mount Pleasant, SC) for Girl & Boy Outfit.
Finalist: Keepsake Threads (Fort Wayne, IN) for Upcycled T-Shirt Baby Bibs.

“Across the board, Baby & Child showcases innovation and new design directions,” said Randi Mohr, Baby & Child Sales Manager. “These products in particular stand apart in their inspired excellence.”

The Best New Product Award judges were: Joanna Dreifus, MyMomShops.com; Joann Fallon, Baby & Kids/Giftware News; Lynda M. Johnson, KidsStyleSource.com; Caroline Kennedy, Playthings; Jane Kitchen, Kids Today; Nancy Lombardi, Toys & Family Entertainment; Leesa Valentino, TheGiggleGuide.com; and Angela Velasquez, Earnshaw’s.

Baby & Child features 150 companies offering sophisticated and purpose-driven products for children 0-10 years. NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,800+ exhibiting companies featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware.

The winter 2013 NYIGF edition will take place Saturday, January 26, through Wednesday, January 30, 2013. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.