Three New Judges Join the Slow Toy Panel
As excitement builds for the 2014 Slow Toy Awards the team are thrilled to unveil this year’s judging panel and delighted to introduce three new judges.
Taking on the challenge for the first time is Sally J. Hall, published author and Editor of B magazine and the Bounty Gift Guide, Alison Canavan, Irish parenting specialist and international model and Jennie Henley the mum behind popular parenting blog Edspire.co.uk.
The newcomers will be joining forces with two of last year’s judges to create the ultimate panel. The Slow Toys Awards welcome back for the second year running, parenting journalist and author of What to Buy for Your Baby and Raising Children: The Primary Years and the soon to be published New Old-fashioned Parenting, Liat Hughes Joshi, as well as Kate Carter, the Life and Style Editor at the Guardian.
Since its launch in 2011, The Slow Toy Awards has been honoured to have had the support of an enviable judging panel, and this year is no exception. With each judge bringing a different area of expertise, The Slow Toy Team is incredibly excited about 2014’s strong line-up. The prestigious team of judges is very well known within the parenting field and this announcement is sure to cause some excitement within the industry.
With over 20 years’ experience in the parenting industry, having reviewed hundreds of products, edited various magazines and written the book Eco Baby, A Guide To Green Parenting, Sally J. Hall was an obvious choice. Talking about why she wanted to be involved this year, Sally said:
“Our lives are so frenetic and so full of technology that it’s good to remind ourselves how important childhood is. We should encourage our children to engage with toys that will offer more than just beeps and flashing lights; toys that will become family favourites and be used and loved for years. I passionately believe in a child’s right to play and to ensure our children’s future on this beautiful planet, we should all stop to consider how we can make it more sustainable for them. Slow Toys achieve this with no loss of enjoyment.”
Alison Canavan added: “I am passionate about the concept behind the Slow Toy Awards and have been very impressed with the winners over the past two years. I am thrilled to be involved this year and I’m excited to share the movement with families in Ireland.”
Although the 2014 awards have only been open for ten days, the response has been fantastic so far, with lots of great contenders entering in the hope of being crowned a Slow Toy.
The deadline for entries for the 2014 Slow Toy Awards is 5pm on 17th August. Simply email ENTER to [email protected] for the entry form.
To ensure we do not alienate anyone and welcome all brands both big and small, the awards are free to enter. However it should be noted that 5 non-returnable samples will be required for those who are shortlisted and there is also a small fee to pay if you win to contribute to publicity.