Action Figure of the Year
Toys that represent a person or fictional character intended for active, imaginative, and narrative-based play.
Collectible of the Year
Toys designed for multiple single-item purchases as part of a set or series to collect, such as minis, blind packs, fidget toys, trading cards, impulse/novelty playthings, licensed collectibles, and more.
Construction Toy of the Year
Toys that encourage hands-on building or assembly as the primary play pattern with pieces that interconnect to create models, scenes, or mechanisms that perform an action or tell a story.
Creative Toy of the Year
Toys that inspire self-expression, storytelling, and imaginative and artistic play, including products that let kids create, decorate, and dress up, such as arts & crafts kits, compounds, role-play/dress-up items, and more.
Doll of the Year
Toys that include baby, toddler, and fashion dolls.
Educational Toy of the Year
While all toys have learning benefits, this category recognizes toys and games specifically designed to meet an educational purpose, such as building a specific skill or teaching a particular subject area, including STEM, literacy, or social-emotional learning.
Game of the Year
Family and children’s games made for players ages 0-14, including board, card, electronic, and other physical game formats, exclusive of games specifically for players ages 14 to adult (strategy, party, or mature-themed as examples), video games, and app games.
Infant/Toddler Toy of The Year
Toys specifically developed for babies and toddlers up to age 3. (0-18 months (infant) and 18 months-3 years (toddler), does not include ages 3+.)
Kidult Toy of the Year
Toys and games developed primarily for consumers ages 14 to adults, including party, strategy, and board games; collector items; craft & model kits; construction sets; and more. These toys are sometimes based on and/or fueled by fandoms, social media, and mature humor.
License of the Year
An entertainment, celebrity, lifestyle, or social media-driven brand that has achieved notable success through licensed toy lines and brand extensions; or a toy-based IP that has successfully expanded beyond the toy aisle through strategic licensing.
Outdoor Toy of the Year
Toys specifically designed for outdoor play, including outdoor-only ride-ons, such as motorized vehicles, bicycles, scooters, wagons; bubble toys; and sports toys.
Playset Toy of the Year
A themed play environment with characters, accessories, and/or interactive features that support storytelling, role play, or action-based play, such as dollhouses, battle arenas, racetracks, settings for action figures, and more. Exclusive of construction-based playsets covered by their own category.
Plush Toy of the Year
Toys that are made of fabric and stuffed with soft filling, including plush playthings with interactive or electronic features.
Preschool Toy of the Year
Toys specifically developed for kids ages 3-5.
Specialty Toy of the Year
Toys promoted and sold almost exclusively through independent retailers (neighborhood toy stores, museum shops, vacation destinations, and similar venues) or in limited quantities online. Voted on exclusively by specialty retailers through Astra.
Vehicle of the Year
Toy cars, trucks, trains, and other vehicles in all scales, including R/C vehicles and ride-ons made exclusively for indoor use.