NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR — LEGO Systems, Inc., the North American division of the world-renowned construction toy brand, was honored with three Toy of the Year (T.O.T.Y.) Awards. LEGO® FUSION, LEGO Technic and LEGO Juniors were recognized as Toy of the Year in the E-Connected Toy, Educational Toy and Preschool Toy categories, respectively, which were bestowed at the Toy Industry Association’s annual gala to celebrate the best and most innovative toys, held Friday, February 13 in New York City.
“We are honored to once again be recognized by our peers for the innovation we deliver to the building sets category and in particular, these three LEGO themes showcase the breadth of relevant building experiences we can deliver within one compatible System of Play to engage children of all ages and interests,” said Soren Torp Laursen, president, LEGO Systems.
LEGO Juniors
The LEGO Group introduced LEGO Juniors in 2014, a theme tailor-made for children ages four and older who are beginning to build with classic LEGO bricks. Modular bricks and elements, such as walls and archways facilitate easy builds and boost children’s confidence in building at a smaller scale. Iconic themes provide a relevant and fun age-appropriate building experience.
LEGO Technic
An evergreen staple of the LEGO System of Play, LEGO® Technic engages advanced builders who enjoy the challenge of creating authentic technical models with detailed functionality. Every kit features LEGO elements such as gears, beams, pulleys, actuators and pneumatics, plus step-by-step building instructions to create two models from one kit.
LEGO FUSION
Introduced in 2014, LEGO® FUSION leverages technology – and children’s fascination with it – to merge physical and digital play in one LEGO experience. Every LEGO FUSION set includes a variety of LEGO bricks and elements that children use to build creations to then scan with their tablets or phones in order to progress in the corresponding free gaming app.
Toy finalists were selected from a wide variety of toys, games and properties by nomination committees comprised of journalists, toy trend experts, play therapists, toy inventors and designers, and toy retailers. Consumers were also invited to cast their votes online in each of the categories, as well as for the overall “Toy of the Year” award in an effort to celebrate the creativity and innovation of the toy industry.
