- Awards were announced in three categories: Miniland takes home Gold in the Empowerment category, dantoy in Sustainability and The LEGO Group in Future Skills
- Exceptionally, a special commendation was given to Mattel and Learning Resources for their response to the COVID-19 crisis
- The Awards’ ambition is praised by European Commissioners Dalli and Gabriel
Brussels 6 October: Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021 Play for Change Awards.
The winning entries were announced by jury chairman John Baulch during a virtual ceremony, during which EU Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli underlined the important role of the toy sector in driving positive change in children’s lives. Irina Reyes, representing Mariya Gabriel, the EU Commissioner responsible for education and youth, said the Awards were a great example of what European values – such as equality and empowerment, sustainable development, and the right to education for all – mean in practice.
Over 80 high-quality toys and initiatives were submitted in the three categories of Empowerment, Sustainability and Future Skills.
The Play for Change 2021 winners are:
Empowerment category – entries that truly made children believe in themselves by challenging stereotypes and making play more accessible:
- Gold Award winner: Miniland S.A. for their Miniland Dolls with Down Syndrome
- Silver Award winner: Mattel for the Barbie Message Against Racism
- Bronze Award winner: The LEGO Group for LEGO® Braille Bricks (the LEGO Foundation)
Environmental Sustainability category – toys that educate children about the environment, companies that are front-runners in using sustainable materials, packaging and production processes or who are actively encouraging recycling:
- Gold Award winner: dantoy A/S for dantoy GREEN BEAN
- Silver Award winner: Adventerra Games Sagl for their Ecologic Puzzle & Memories, Polar Adventure and Hungry Bins
- Bronze Award winner: BiOBUDDi for BiOBUDDi Pixel and Create
Future Skills category – toys that stimulate skills kids need for the future like critical thinking, problem solving, resilience and tech literacy:
- Gold Award winner: The LEGO Group for LEGO® Education SPIKE Prime Set
- Silver Award winner: Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG for the Cyborg-Hand
- Bronze Award winner: Miniland S.A. for Amazing Inside
For the 2021 edition, TIE decided to also exceptionally recognise toy companies who responded to the covid-19 pandemic with actions to support children and the wider community. The Special Covid-19 Commendation was awarded to:
- Learning Resources for their Home Learning Support Project
- Mattel for their #KeepPlaying Relief Efforts
TIE’s Director General, Catherine Van Reeth said “With an almost 50% rise in entries this year, toy companies are clearly increasingly engaged in the issues of empowerment, sustainability and future skills. There is so much fantastic work going on in the toy sector – we can’t wait to see what the coming years will bring”
Winners were selected by three juries of independent experts, chaired by industry stalwart John Baulch who said: “The awards give a great opportunity for companies to demonstrate how they are rising to society’s challenges. The bar for judging was high and deciding on the winners was no easy task.”
Register to keep up-to-date on information for next year’s awards at: https://playforchangeawards.eu/register-your-interest/
For more information contact: catherine.vanreeth@toyindustries.eu
About Toy Industries of Europe
To find more about Toy Industries of Europe, please visit: https://www.toyindustries.eu/
TIE created the Play for Change Awards in 2020 to recognise the inspirational efforts across the sector to champion children’s empowerment, future skills, and a more sustainable future. Information about last year’s winners can be found here: https://playforchangeawards.eu/winners-2020/
