Best Educational Toy / Game | Junior Design Awards 2021
Entries for toys this year was so competitive - that we created this new awards category in order to shortlist more brands and offer you ideas for educational toys and games... here are the winning brands
WINNER OF BEST EDUCATIONAL TOY/GAME: GOLD
WHO: The Little Coach House
WHAT: Number Counting Blocks
WHY: These beautifully sanded and oiled number counting blocks got excellent feedback from our judges. The smooth, tactile wood, the clever indents that could cradle a whole range of counting objects and the way these blocks encourage both physical and mental dexterity really appealed to the panel. That these contemporary yet classic counting blocks can stand alone as a beautiful object in their own right and have the potential to be handed down and enjoyed by generations, meant that this entry was considered gold standard by everyone.
Stunning wooden toys that will be passed down through generations.
Love the design and learning element.
The little coach house makes the most beautiful products and these are no exception!
WHERE: The Little Coach House
WINNER OF BEST EDUCATIONAL TOY/GAME: SILVER
WHO: Happy Little Doers
WHAT: Design-led Fun Montessori Eco-friendly Flashcards
WHY: This compact pack of bright educational cards really stood out for our judges who thought they brought flashcards up to date and made them much more accessible, appealing and crucially more effective for young kids. The bold, clean graphic design was much admired and the panel felt that the way times tables were presented brought so much more to the table than just learning by rote.Happy Little Doers describes themselves as fun, educational, eco-friendly, affordable, design-led and portable and we would have to agree whole heartedly.
Absolutely love the graphic quality of these cards combined with real ease of use for children.
These cards are beautiful! I would like to have them just to put up on the wall!
WHERE: Little Doers
More like this
WINNER OF BEST EDUCATIONAL TOY/GAME: JOINT BRONZE
WHO: Boss Babs
WHAT: Equal Pairs Memory Game
WHY: Who doesn’t love a game of pairs? That oh so simple brain training memory game that gives so much satisfaction has been given a brilliant twist by Boss Babs, who have themed this version around careers. Each matching pair of cards is made up from a boy and a girl in their chosen profession. Our panel loved this dashing of stereotypes and the positive reinforcement that girls and boys can choose whatever career they like regardless of gender.
I really like the idea!
What a brilliant idea!! I love that these show both genders equal in all career choices!
WHERE: Boss Babs
WINNER OF BEST EDUCATIONAL TOY/GAME: JOINT BRONZE
WHO: Five Wild Ones
WHAT: Reward a Routine Postbox
WHY: Our judges were super impressed by this interactive reward based game that makes teaching children how to carry out their daily tasks so much fun! The panel could see that this game, based around simple every day tasks like brushing your teeth, doing your homework and having a bath, would really engage younger kids, giving them a real sense of independence and achievement. The JDA team also thought that both the eco-friendly nature and design of this game were superb – the post box in particular getting lots of praise.
“I love this. Such a simple idea that will really encourage children to take pride in completing every day chores.
I would love to try out this routine! I think the posting would really encourage little ones to do the task themselves.
WHERE: Five Wild Ones