Toy of the Year Finalists Featured on Amazon and Toysrus.com

NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) announced today that the 2018 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award finalists are available online at Amazon (amazon.com/toty) and  Toys"R"Us® (Toysrus.com) through February 2018, providing shoppers with unique access to a comprehensive list of the hottest toys of the season curated by toy and play experts.

Frequently referred to as the "Oscars" of the toy industry, The Toy Association's TOTY Awards program annually recognizes the top toys of the year, from classic board games to innovative tech toys. Shoppers can trust that these are some of the hottest toys for children of all ages, as they've been vetted by the esteemed industry awards program and backed by Amazon and Toys"R"Us.

The TOTY Awards program supports the work of the Toy Industry Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the North American toy industry, and serves as a critical fundraiser to enable TIF to provide joy and comfort to millions of children in need. TOTY finalist companies have donated funds to the Foundation in support of a research-based program that will explore the role of play in trauma-informed care for pediatric hospital patients and their families.

"The holidays are the perfect time of year to celebrate the many joys of toys and play, as exemplified by this year's wonderful TOTY finalists," says Jean Butler, executive director at the Toy Industry Foundation.  "We are very thankful for the generosity of so many companies, whose contributions will allow TIF to fund the second phase of an initiative with Nemours Children's Health System, leading to the development of a new hospital program that will support and comfort sick children."

This year's TOTY finalists were reviewed and ranked by 20 expert judges, who considered each product's creativity, design, play value, and marketing, before narrowing the field of more than 600 nominees to a slate of 122 finalists. Winners will be announced in February 2018.

Voting for TOTY 2018 is now open; winners will be announced during a celebration in New York City on February 16, 2018.  To view the full slate of finalists, visit www.ToyAwards.org.

ABOUT TOY INDUSTRY FOUNDATION        www.toyindustryfoundation.org
The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) is a 501(c)3 children's charity whose mission is to provide joy and comfort to children in need through the experience of toys and play.  TIF serves children who are coping with serious illness, enduring temporary home placements in the foster care system, suffering from abuse or neglect, experiencing separation from a deployed military parent, or dealing with devastating natural disasters. To date, TIF's signature program, The Toy Bank, has provided $200 million in toys to 24 million children in need around the globe, thanks to its generous toy donors.

SOURCE Toy Industry Foundation

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http://www.toyindustryfoundation.org