2004 Gold Star Award Winners

PRESCHOOL: WOW Bumpety Bernie Tractor Set & Dudley Dump Truck, Galt Toys

Bernie the toy tractor really bumps along and his chimney bobs too. The set includes a farmer, sheep, sheepdog and two fences, which will all fit on the tractor and magnetic trailer. Dudley is a chunky dump truck - he tips, drives and shakes too! With the power switch on you get great tipping action and then can drive off with the powerful friction motor and realistic engine sound. This set includes barrels and traffic cones to collect and dump, a driver and carry handle. Both Dudley and Bernie are battery free wind up toys. Your child will have hour of imaginative fun with these great vehicles.

SCIENCE: Digital Recording Lab, Educational Insights

This kit teaches budding sound engineers how to wire projects such as a buzzer, voice recorder and voice changer. There are clear diagrams and explanations included in the manual with 59 projects to be completed. This science kit is recommended for children ages 10 and up.

GAMES AND PUZZLES: Katamino, Family Games

A logical thinking "tangram" type of puzzle/game. You build perfect units called pentas by placing a certain number of pentaminos on the wooden game board. The game gradually becomes more difficult as the number of pieces used increases. It offers a wide degree of difficulty level, so that children from the age of 3 up to an adult can find a challenge. A great individual critical thinking game.

IMAGINATION: Noah's Ark, Playmobil

A great item for imaginative play! The Playmobil Noah's Ark floats on water, has a working crane, cages in the hull and sleeping room on the roof. It comes with 13 pairs of animals and will be hours of fun for children 4 and up.

INFANTS: Surprise Inside Elephant, IPI

This is a wonderful infant toy geared to babies 12 months of age and up. It is a soft hide and seek carry toy in vibrant colours. There are many different textures for baby to feel and fun peek-a-boo action.

CONSTRUCTION: Atollo, Northbridge Trading

This innovative building system allows children to create amazing models using combinations of two basic pieces, the Socket and the Hinge. Different from other building systems, Atollo can build either rigid or flexible models, depending on how the pieces are put together. It is compatible with both LEGO and K'NEX and is recommended for children 5 and up but is particularly suited to children looking for a challenge.

ARTS AND CRAFTS: Roylco Custom Craft Kit, Roylco

This kit will keep a child or a group of children busy for hours. It includes stickers, puppet making materials, sponges, rubbing plates, a variety of papers, glitter, pipe cleaners and more. The booklet of ideas give sclear instructions for a wide variety of projects but creative children will have all the tools at hand to do dozens of additional projects. Perfect for rainy days and ped days.

LATEST AND GREATEST: The Touch, Linda Stortz & Associates

The Touch, with its "spaceship" design, is an eye-catching, unique fact filled sensory game. There is a spinning game board, observation window, timer and hand opening on the "spaceship". The 20 theme cards have educational facts about each item on the reverse side. The concept is a simple one - to find, by touch, the item on the card. This game can be played cooperatively with other players looking through the observation window and helping to guide the player to the correct piece. It is recommended for 5 and up and has appeal for game players of all ages.

Consumer's Choice Award

This is a category of Gold Star Award that was created in 2004. Consumers across the country are asked to vote online for their child's favourite's toy of each year.

2004 Consumer's Choice Winner

THOMAS the TANK ENGINE and FRIENDS has been chosen by consumers across the country as their child's favourite toy for 2004. Based on the beloved stories of Reverend W. Awdry, the wooden train system brings Thomas and his friends to life for young fans. This durable wooden train system provides hours of adventure thanks to its versatility and ingenious design. It is available in a wide variety of formats.

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