PAL Award Winners – 2011
Exceptional toys, games and books / media that encourage language, spark fun and invite creative play.
PAL Awards
Established by respected speech and language expert Sherry Artemenko, the PAL Award recognizes exceptional toys, games and books that, through their design, content, quality, and character, promote play that advances language. PAL winners in the hands of kids spark fun and creative play with lots of talk!
TOYS
GAMES
BOOKS / MEDIA
TOYS
Duplo My First Supermarket by Lego
Effective play that advances preschooler's language revolves around what they experience each day. How clever that Duplo designed a play set...
Lego Creator 3-in-1 Lighthouse Island
Everything you need for an exciting adventure at sea is in the Lego Creator 3-in-1 Lighthouse Island. Pull your boat up to the dock and protect the...
World of Wheel Pals Classic Assortment by Playskool
Toddlers can't wait to get their hands on these latest pals on wheels--a monkey, lion, hippo, turtle, cat and dog. Combining a toddler's fascination...
Doodle Roll by Imagination Brands Co, LLC
Wow, did we have fun with our Doodle Roll! Kids were inspired by the seemingly endless roll of paper as they dove right into illustrating their...
Lauren’s Wildflower Garden Playset by Paddywhack Lane LLC
Stroll down Paddywhack Lane into a land of pretend as you stop off at Lauren's Wildflower Garden. Lauren is ready to play in her removable lady bug...
Madeline’s Pet Hospital Playset by Paddywhack Lane, LLC
Children love to play doctor with Madeine's Pet Hospital Playset. Poseable figures provide inventive storytelling as vet Madeline tends to her...
Secret Agent Headquarters With Alarm System by Playmobil
James Bond step aside-- kids can now create their own spy world with Playmobil's newest set, "Secret Agent Headquarters." Agents can arrive at their...
Treasure Temple with Guards by Playmobil
Grab your weapons of choice--a rope, gun, or sword as you make your way into the treasure temple to steal the shiny, crystal treasures. The trick...
Dino Constructables by Tomy
It's fun to find a quality toy that is easy and fun to make and then use for pretend play. These dinosaurs made with "Dino Constructables" can...
GAMES
I Built It! Snakes and Ladders by I Built It! Games
Get ready for a hike through the jungle, climbing vine ladders and slipping down the tail of a snake. The large game board grabs a preschooler's...
I Built It! Memory Match +Tic Tac Toe by I Built It! Games
The possibilities are endless with Memory Match+Tic Tac Toe as kids create and customize their game before playing. Continually under construction,...
Gubs by Gamewright
Step up to the next level of game playing as you enter the world of Gubs, paying careful attention to the characters, tools, hazards, traps, events...
Splish Splash!
Jump right into this multi-colored pond of fun as you roll the die, drop the pebble into the collection of colored shapes and see if some splash...
Mermaid Beach
Intrigued that a girl her age actually created this game, my little toy tester jumped right into "Mermaid Beach" and loved it. There is no lying...
FLASHWORDZ
A flash is literally all the time you get to create words with four or more letters with FLASHWORDZ. Players get a fun, rounded rack to display...
Angelina Ballerina Dance With Me! Game by I Can Do That! Games
What little girl doesn't want to be on stage showing off her dance moves? "Angelina Ballerina Dance With Me! Game" lets everyone be a star. I Can Do...
Richard Scarry’s Busytown Busy, Busy Airport Game by I Can Do That! Games
Fasten you seat belts and get ready for take-off from Busy Town Airport on your very own passenger plane. Part pretend play and part game, this...
Word on the Street Junior by Out of the Box Publishing
This "wacky war of words" was unique and got even more fun, the longer we played it. The street is divided for two teams and the letter tiles of the...
BOOKS / MEDIA
Sea of Dreams by Dennis Nolan
Children and adults alike relate to the opportunity for adventure with a trip to the beach. As a little girl begins to shape the sand under the...
RRRALPH by Lois Ehlert
"Would you like to meet a talking dog?" Who wouldn't! Ralph is not your typical canine--he's constructed from a zipper, pop top from a soda can,...
Chirchir Is Singing by Kelly Cunnane and Jude Daly
This beautiful tale begins, "High in Africa, wind like a cat paw wipes the sky clean," drawing us in the poetic beat of a day in the life of a...
Say Something, Perico by Trudy Harris and Cecilia Rebora
Perico the parrot has something to say but apparently his timing is off and he's speaking the wrong language! As each customer comes into the pet...
Beach Is To Fun: A Book of Relationships, by Pat Brisson and Sachiko Yoshikawa
Brisson's rhythmic text delightfully introduces children to the world of analogies, challenging them to see relationships between words and...
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Rinker and Lichtenheld
So many little ones love trucks and gravitate toward books about vehicles. The challenge is to create picture books dealing with trucks that offer a...
Uh Oh! by Mary Newell DePalma
"Uh-oh" is about all you can say as you follow this accident-prone, little dinosaur leave a trail of dirt, toilet paper, suds, and bubble gum in his...
Don’t Worry, Douglas! by David Melling
That goofy, cuddly, huggable Douglas the bear is back sporting a brand new wooly hat, a gift from his dad. Before taking off to model his snazzy...
Rain Brings Frogs: A Little Book of Hope by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Want a little sunshine on a cloudy day? Pick up Maryann Cocca-Leffler's "Rain Brings Frogs: A Little Book of Hope" to leave a smile on your face. In...
About The Award
Learn about the application and selection process for the PAL Award.
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