Screen-free Coding Shines At The 2019 Toy Of The Year (TOTY) Awards: Botley™ The Coding Robot From Learning Resources® Wins Innovative Toy Of The Year

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Feb 16, 2019, 11:13 ET

VERNON HILLS, Ill., Feb. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout its 35-year history, Learning Resources® has dedicated itself to developing toys on the forefront of what children need to learn and how they are best inclined to learn it -- through play. Now, its efforts to provide the earliest possible screen-free coding experiences to kids have earned the educational toy company its first ever Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award. The award for Innovative Toy of the Year was given last night to Botley™ the Coding Robot at the annual awards gala presented by the Toy Association. Botley engages children and sparks curiosity about coding in a fun, friendly, hands-on way, all without the use of a screen.

In 2018, Botley helped define a new category of screen-free coding toys. Last night's TOTY tops a list of more than 13 accolades and awards for the screen-free coding robot including "Best of CES" by Reuters and "Best Toy of the Year 2018" by Parents magazine. Children as young as five can learn to code with Botley, detecting objects, programming if/then logic, following looping commands and taking on obstacle courses.

"Our company is proud to engage future coders, engineers and scientists, and we are thrilled to receive the Innovative Toy of the Year TOTY Award for Botley the Coding Robot," said Learning Resources CEO, Rick Woldenberg. "This recognition honors our commitment to inspiring a love of learning in all children."

With other category finalists including Harry Potter™ Wizard Training™ from JAKKS Pacific, the K'NEX Thrill Rides Bionic Blast™ Roller Coaster Building Set, Wow! Stuff's Mystery Flying Snitch and Thames & Kosmos's Sensors Alive: Bring Physics to Life!, the coveted industry nod was given specifically to the 77-piece Botley the Coding Robot Activity Set, which allows kids to start coding with Botley right out of the box in addition to building obstacle courses, mazes and more.

Following Botley's success, Learning Resources' new Coding Critters, already the winner of Parents magazine's 2019 "Best of CES" award, continues the company's mission of introducing screen-free coding, now to preschoolers as young as four, through storybook coding adventures with adorable interactive pets. Both products will be on display at the 2019 New York International Toy Fair through February 19 in the Learning Resources Booth (#403). Also be sure to check out Learning Resources' Director of Product Development, Tom Runtz, on the STEM/STEAM Toy Panel with other leading industry experts Sunday, February 17 in Level 1, Hall 1E, room 1E09.

Learn more at www.LearningResources.com. Get social with @LearningResources on Facebook and Instagram and on Twitter @LearningsHandsOn. #CODING #STEM.

About Learning Resources:
We're the toy cash registers that help kids learn to count. We're the alphabet puzzle blocks that inspire a love of reading. We're the coding mouse that schools use to prepare students for tomorrow. We are Learning Resources®—and our mission is to help kids love to learn. For over 30 years we've been the leader in educational toys, with more than 1,000 items sold in over 80 countries. Our toys are designed to help children build educational skills... and get ready to take on the world. For more information, visit www.learningresources.com, or follow the brand on Twitter @LearningHandsOn, Facebook @LearningResources and Instagram @learningresources.

SOURCE Learning Resources