The TDmonthly Toy Testers' Pick was previously announced as the TDmonthly Store Buyers' Pick. The name changed before entries opened, and the entry fee, categories and dates stayed the same.
Every entry is scored by a panel of 8 judges, including moms, kids and toy stores. The highest-scoring products in each category are named Winner or Finalist.
It isn't a lab test, a safety check, a certification or an endorsement. The badge says one thing: a product scored well in this award, in one category, in one year.
Who can enter
All of the following must be true:
- The product fits a toy store. It's a toy, game, puzzle, hobby, craft or juvenile product a toy store could stock.
- It's current. It launched in the last 18 months and is available to buy in the US, with a published MSRP, by the entry close date.
- You have the right to enter it. You're the brand owner or its authorized distributor.
- It has no open recall. We check the CPSC recall list (cpsc.gov) for the brand and product name when entries close. This is a records check, not a product review. If a product is recalled later, its award is withdrawn.
- Your entry is complete. All required materials arrive by the entry close date.
The four categories
| Category |
Includes |
| Baby & Preschool |
Ages 0 to 5: infant, toddler, early learning and preschool play |
| Games & Puzzles |
Board, card, party, family and strategy games, jigsaws and logic puzzles |
| Imaginative Play |
Dolls, action figures, plush, vehicles, playsets, building sets and collectibles |
| Creative & Active |
Arts and crafts, STEM kits, science, outdoor, ride-on and active play |
We may move an entry to a better-fitting category before judging, and we'll tell you if we do. If a category has fewer than 5 eligible entries, it's merged into the closest category, or you can ask for a full refund.
The entry fee
$95 per product, per category. One fee covers one product, or one product family sold as color or character variants of the same item, in one category. You can enter a product in a second category for a second fee, though most products belong in just one.
The award is never bundled with, discounted for or included in any ad, listing or sponsorship.
About the entry fee.
- The fee pays for running the award: collecting entries, running the judging and publishing the results. It doesn't buy a result.
- Paying never guarantees a win or a place. Every entry pays the same $95 and is scored the same way.
- The fee isn't refunded if your product doesn't win or place.
- You get a full refund only if: we decline your entry as ineligible before judging; we cancel a category or can't run its judging as described in these rules; your category is merged and you ask for a refund; or you withdraw before entries close.
- Advertisers get no advantage. Advertising with TDmonthly or ToyDirectory doesn't help your chances.
- Judges never see who advertises. They see product materials and samples only.
- Judges may keep samples that entrants choose to send.
How judging works
The judging panel
The Toy Testers' Pick is judged by a panel of 8 judges, including moms, kids and toy stores. Each judge scores every entry on their own, from your materials, any sample you send and the criteria below. Judges don't see other judges' scores or who advertises. Staff check eligibility, give every judge the same instructions and record the scores unchanged. Staff don't score.
Kids take part only with a parent's or guardian's permission. We never name, photograph, record or identify any judge. Judges aren't paid by brands, and brands can't contact them. If a judge, or a judge's parent or family member, works for, consults for, represents or owns part of a brand or its distributor, that judge's score for that brand is dropped.
Store buyer comments (optional)
Some other independent toy store buyers we invited, who aren't on the panel, may comment on entries. Comments are shared with you anonymously and never change a score or a result.
The four criteria
Each judge scores each entry from 1 to 10 on four weighted criteria:
| Criterion |
Weight |
The judge asks |
| Kid appeal and play value |
35% |
Will kids want it, and will they come back to it? |
| Price and value |
25% |
At this MSRP, does the family get enough? |
| Age fit and development |
20% |
Does it suit the stated age range, and what does it help kids do? |
| Shelf and gift appeal |
20% |
Does the product or package grab attention? Is it clear what it is and who it's for? |
How scores are counted
- Each judge's four scores are combined into one weighted score.
- The entry score is the trimmed mean of the judges' weighted scores: we drop the single highest and single lowest score, then average the rest. One very high or very low score can't decide the result.
- Entries without samples aren't marked down. Judges score every entry from its photos and video. A sample only lets them try it in person.
Results
- Winner: the top-scoring product in each category, only if it scores 7.0 out of 10 or higher. If nothing reaches 7.0, that category has no Winner this year. Products tied at the top are both named Winner.
- Finalists: up to 5 more products per category scoring 6.0 or higher.
- Nobody can change a score. No one at TDmonthly or ToyDirectory can change a score, add a Winner or remove one. The only exceptions are a recall, an ineligible entry or a broken rule, and we note any of these on the winners page.
- We publish the number of entries in each category with the results.
- On request, each entrant gets its own average score for each criterion and a short summary of the judges' comments. We never share other brands' scores. Judges' and store buyers' comments are shared anonymously.
What you send
After you pay, email your materials to [email protected] (subject: Toy Testers' Pick entry). Large files can be sent as links.
Required:
- 3 to 6 product photos, at least 1000 px wide: the product, the front of the package and the product in use, if available
- A product video of 2 minutes or less (a YouTube or Vimeo link, or a file link)
- Specs: name, SKU or UPC, age range, size, piece count, materials, batteries and launch date
- MSRP in US dollars
- A description of 150 words or less
- Where it's sold: your website and any retailers or distributors
- A contact name and email
Optional:
- A typical wholesale price or margin. It helps the panel score value, and it stays private.
- One physical sample, at your cost, so the judges can try it in person. After entries close, we email you where to ship it. Samples aren't returned. Entries without samples aren't marked down.
We don't ask for test reports or compliance documents, because the award doesn't assess them. Brands remain responsible for their own compliance.
Timeline
| Step |
Date |
| Entries open |
Thursday, Oct 29, 2026 |
| Entries close |
Friday, Nov 6, 2026 |
| Judging |
Tuesday, Nov 10 to Tuesday, Nov 17, 2026 |
| Winners and Finalists announced |
Thursday, Nov 19, 2026 |
| Badge year |
2026 |
A separate spring 2027 edition is planned. Dates to come.
How to enter
- Choose your product and category. Check that it meets the eligibility rules above.
- Email your entry with your PayPal transaction ID and your product materials: email [email protected]
- Send an optional sample after entries close, using the address we email you.
- Watch for results on Thursday, Nov 19, 2026.
Entering more than one product? Pay once for each product and list each product separately in your email.
Using the badge
Winners and Finalists may use the TDmonthly Toy Testers' Pick badge for free. There's never a license, artwork or renewal fee.
- This product only, in the category and year it placed. Identical color or character variants entered together are included.
- Always with the year. A 2026 badge stays a 2026 badge. It doesn't renew.
- Always with this line, close to the badge: Entry fee required. See judging rules at toydirectory.com/monthly. On packaging, it goes on the same panel as the badge.
- Never altered. No recoloring beyond the versions we supply, no cropping, stretching, added words or effects. Finalists use Finalist artwork only.
- No added claims next to the badge, and Finalists don't describe their product as award-winning. Don't describe who chose the result in any other words than: judged by a panel of 8 judges, including moms, kids and toy stores.
- We may withdraw badge use if a product is recalled, materially changed or misrepresented, or if these rules are broken.
Winners and Finalists also appear on the TDmonthly winners page, with product name, brand, photo, MSRP, category, result and a link to the brand's site. Nothing else is promised: no views, orders, store placement or retailer introductions.
FAQ
Who are the judges?
A panel of 8 judges, including moms, kids and toy stores. We don't name them, and brands can't contact them. Other invited store buyers may add comments, but comments never change a score or a result.
Does advertising with TDmonthly help my chances?
No. The judges never see who advertises, and every entry is scored the same way.
If I pay the fee, will I win?
No. A product needs 7.0 out of 10 or higher to win, and some categories may have no Winner. The fee isn't refunded if your product doesn't win.
Does TDmonthly test the products?
Staff don't score, test or review entries. The judges score every entry and try the samples brands send. It isn't a safety or lab test.
Do I have to send a sample?
No. Entries without samples aren't marked down. If you choose to ship one, it's at your cost, and it isn't returned.
Are the judges identified?
Never. We never name, photograph or identify any judge, and kids take part only with a parent's permission.
Can I enter more than one product?
Yes. Each product is a separate $95 entry in one category.
What if my category doesn't get enough entries?
A category with fewer than 5 entries is merged into the closest one, or you can ask for a full refund.
Will I see my scores?
Yes, on request. You'll get your product's average score on each criterion and a summary of the judges' comments. Other brands' scores stay private.
Contact
Questions about the award or misuse of the badge: [email protected]
