Winner:GOLD - Best Heritage Toy Brand (Brands Over 10 Years Old)
Who:TP Toys
What:Core Collection
Why:
The JDA panel was excited to hear that this British family-owned heritage toy brand has been inspiring outdoor play since 1959. Judges big and small were instantly drawn to the TP Explorer Metal Climbing Frame displayed in our JDA judging space and could see that it offered a world of outdoor imagination and adventure. Instantly recognisable by its unique six-sided shape, the Explorer pioneered the concept of a growable climbing frame and has since evolved into a modular outdoor play system with accessories including monkey bars, swings, climbing nets, slides and basketball hoops. The judges agreed that this was a great heritage toy brand that had really moved with the times, providing safe and exciting outdoor play.
"My daughter would absolutely love this. Very cool. A proper camp with a slide."
"I know that my kids would absolutely love this in our garden. This climbing frame is almost like a tent on legs, and it's got the monkey bars and the slide. Great for camping out at night."
"If you’re committing to a climbing frame in the garden you want to make sure it’s nice to look at, fun to play on for years not days and that it’s safely constructed. TP Toys have big ticks in all three categories!"
"A brand that really understands what kids and parents want. They offer great toys that spark imagination and form the building blocks of wonderful childhood memories."
Winner:SILVER - Best Heritage Toy Brand (Brands Over 10 Years Old)
Who:MOLUK
What:Bilibo - Midi
Why:
Our judges loved MOLUK’s Bilibo Midi, a design that has stayed remarkably relevant for over 25 years without relying on trends or electronics. The panel agreed that this toy offered radical simplicity – its satisfyingly tactile design having no fixed purpose, becoming a seat, helmet, boat or spinning object depending on a child’s imagination. The panel also praised the way this toy encouraged physical movement and developed fine motor skills. Instantly recognisable, durable and intentionally minimal, MOLUK proves that less instruction can genuinely mean more open-ended, creative play.
"This is such a creative toy brand. I have the Bilibo at home and my children are obsessed with it and I cannot tell you how many scenarios the kids have invented for the little cloud toy, we used it at the beach we use it at bath time it's very versatile."
"The Bilibo represents what MOLUK is all about - toys that children can meet with their minds and play with to their hearts’ content."
"An amazing brand that proves you don’t have to rely on screens to get kids engaged. I’ve seen children play with these toys for hours on end."
Winner:BRONZE - Best Heritage Toy Brand (Brands Over 10 Years Old)
Who:Babai
What:Women & Moods Collection
Why:
Our judges loved Babai’s Women & Moods Collection, sculptural wooden figures representing different moods, translated from illustrator Olha Rataenko’s artwork. The panel admired how the pieces reject the toy-versus-decor binary, belonging equally in a child’s hand and a home’s visual language. Handmade in Babai’s Korosten workshop since 2016, the collection reflects a decade of genuine craft, showing heritage as a decision, not nostalgia.
"Babai is a brilliant brand that thinks outside the box. Highly creative and beautifully hand-crafted toys that encourage meaningful play. The wooden ladies are fabulous!"
"These wooden figures depicting pregnancy and dynamic movement are wonderfully expressive. I think they make me feel more confident and alive by osmosis! Great for kids to see women depicted as active, fun and free!"
