Submissions Open for the 2027 Spielwarenmesse ToyAward

With entries now open for the 2027 Spielwarenmesse ToyAward, the annual industry spotlight on innovative new toys is officially underway. According to Toys n Playthings and Toy World Magazine, exhibitors can now submit product applications across six categories — including PreSchool and Baby & Infant — with judging focused on originality, safety, play value and quality. For anyone who works with young children or picks developmental toys for the home, this shortlist is one of the more reliable early signals of what's worth a closer look once products reach shelves.

What the panel is actually looking for

The award, presented at Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, honours products that show originality, play value and quality alongside commercial potential. Submissions span Baby & Infant, PreSchool, SchoolKids, Teenager & Adult, Startup and Sustainability — a wide enough range that the PreSchool and Sustainability slots tend to be where developmentally minded wooden and sensory toys surface most often. An international panel drawn from retail, industry, market research, toy safety, sustainability and education assesses each entry on originality, safety, play value, potential for success, clarity and quality. In playground terms: a wooden stacker, threading set or sensory tile has a real shot here only if it genuinely supports how a child grips, sorts, builds and self-regulates — not one that simply photographs well.

What's shifting for 2027

Two small but meaningful changes come into effect with this cycle. Products previously called nominees will now be listed as finalists, a title that recognises the achievements of the selected new products. Those finalists will also receive their own ToyAward stamp, which they can use in marketing and on packaging. Finalists and winners will continue to be showcased in a dedicated area in Hall 3A at the fair, with coverage across digital channels and the international trade press — visibility that arrives well before winners are named, and a useful early nudge for parents and educators who like to see what the industry itself is paying attention to.

How to read the shortlist when it drops

Once finalists are revealed, treat the list as a curated starting point rather than a buying guide. Scan the PreSchool and Sustainability categories first — that's typically where wooden, tactile and sensory-rich products land. Recent shortlisted products illustrate the kind of entry that resonates: Edx Education's Thread-to-Calm Cube Group Set, shortlisted in PreSchool, is the sort of tactile, small-group tool that slips neatly into circle time and quiet corners where children practise emotional regulation alongside fine motor work. Cartonic's 3D puzzle Kitten Trio, nominated in Sustainability, showed how considered material choices and construction can sit alongside genuine play value rather than simply ticking a box. When reading shortlisted brands' own descriptions, lean toward specifics — texture, weight, open-ended use, co-play potential — over vague promises of learning through play. For now, submissions are open via the official ToyAward site, and finalists will be on the floor at Spielwarenmesse ahead of the winners' announcement.