PAL Award Winners – 2018
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
Magicube Word Building by Geomagworld
What fun to watch little creative minds work at physically building block structures as well as words with Geomagworld's new PAL Award winner,...
PAW Patrol Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck by Spin Master
Kids' play takes on big dimensions with this newest Paw Patrol pretend play fire truck that is huge in the eyes of preschoolers. I set this fire...
Art Rods by Underdog Educational
Kids spotted my plastic tube of Art Rods and connector pieces and wanted to start the play! I set them out for kids 5-11 years old and watched the...
Just Add Sugar by Griddly Games Inc.
Slide open this little box of 14 experiments that all involve sugar. Sounds sweet to me. My 12 year-old friend loves science experiments so he...
Go! Go! Smart Wheels Launch and Chase Police Tower by VTech
Kids love VTech's Go! Go! Smart Wheels sets! I set one out in the middle of the playroom for a weekend of kids' play and 2 year-olds to 5 year-olds...
Crayola Crayon Melter
Kids have been playing with crayons for years but Crayola keeps finding new ways to play and draw! The new Crayon Melter is easy and quick to set up...
Crayola Color Chemistry Lab Set
Parents have been asking me for recommendations for a good STEM chemistry kit. Well here it is! Crayola's Color Chemistry Lab Set has the...
Fire Station by Hape
Kids are fascinated with fire trucks so let's get their story started at the Fire Station, complete with a heliport, basketball court for...
Trink-A-Links: Farm by Mindware
Trink-a-links provide plenty of opportunity for creativity as kids customize their own jewelry with little animals that can be collectables for...
GAMES
Not Parent Approved
Just the name of this game will get kids interested for sure. My 12 year-old friend walked in and immediately recognized this game from playing it...
Blank Slate by USAopoly
It's fun to find a game whose directions are so simple that you can start playing within minutes. But hold on. This fill-in-the-blank "game where...
500+ Sight Words Flash Cards Bundle Kit by Think Tank Scholar
Learning to read is an exciting milestone in the life of a child and might I say for their parents too! Learning sight words, those words that...
Shadows in the Forest by ThinkFun, Inc.
Playing in the dark has always added an extra element of excitement as is the case with a round of "Shadows in the Forest," the newest innovative...
Quercetti Rami
This clever binary abacus looks simple at first glance but offers the opportunity for some deeper learning of math concepts and vocabulary, problem...
Big Money by Wonder Forge
Calling all mini-entrepreneurs for some fun learning about assets, payouts, industry bonuses and the market dealing with zillions of dollars! "Big...
Disney Villainous Game by Wonder Forge
Our 10 year-old player got more excited about "Villainous" as play progressed. When we finished he said, "That's a fun game" When I asked why? he...
Five Little Fish by Ravensburger
How can five little fish be so cute with those big black eyes looking up at you from the lily pads? Kids couldn't wait to flip a lily pad card that...
Otrio by Spin Master
Kids and adults were fascinated with and quickly became addicted to playing Otrio which seemed simple at the start but really required great...
BOOKS / MEDIA
Geraldine by Elizabeth Lilly
What a delight to find this debut picture book by Elizabeth Lilly. I felt I was home as her illustrations reminded me of favorite Quentin Blake...
Bear’s Scare by Jacob Grant
Bear is a fastidious housekeeper, spending his days cleaning and caring for his small stuffed friend, Ursa. All was going well until Bear discovered...
Let’s Go by Sarah Williamson
Come along for a delightful ride in Tuski"s red cab, "Beep Beep! Honk, honk! Toot Toot!" as the tall blue bird directs the pickups of various items...
Dear Girl, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal
"Dear Girl," a selection of letters to a wonderful, smart beautiful you, co-written by mother daughter team is brimming with empowerment,...
I Got It! by David Wiesner
David Wiesner, a master of wordless storytelling has given us a beautiful story with such potential, relying on the "reader/observer" to come up...
The Big Fun Workbooks by Highlights Press
Highlights has been engaging kids in creative, thoughtful, fun learning for more that 70 years and are continuing in that tradition with their new...
Leapstart 3D Learning System by Leap Frog
Leap Frog has added a new feature to its amazing interactive learning system, Leapstart, a pop-up screen with 3D animation. Kids learn through...
Go-With-Me ABC Backpack by Leap Frog
Preschoolers can be just like the "big" kids, carrying so much learning in their backpack! Open up the backpack to reveal a draw and erase board on...
Learning Friends 100 Words Book by Leap Frog
Children learn vocabulary through every day experiences and books. The "Learning Friends 100 Words Book" can build a child's early vocabulary...
About The Award
Learn about the application and selection process for the PAL Award.
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erika@playonwords.com