CCFC Chooses the Worst Toy of the Year

Wondering what shouldn’t be under the tree this year? The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood selected the Fisher-Price™ Laugh & Learn™ Apptivity™ Monkey was the winner of this year’s TOADY (Toys Oppressive and Destructive to Young Children) Award for the Worst Toy of the Year. The stuffed monkey, intended for babies, has a case for an iPhone or iTouch in its stomach so that children can play with apps without breaking mom or dad’s phone.

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The toy won by a narrow margin, snagging 33% of an online vote. The LEGO Friends Butterfly Beauty Shop, which garnered 30% of the vote, was a close second. TheO ball (21%), Spin Master’s 7-11 Slurpee Maker, (10%), and the Put Me In The Story app (7%) were the other runners-up.

“The TOADY voting reflects growing resistance to the toy industry’s cynical attempts to foist screens of every conceivable size and shape onto infants,” said CCFC’s Director, Dr. Susan Linn. “Screen-free stuffed animals have been a source of comfort to young children and a springboard for creative play for generations. The Apptivity Monkey is a textbook example of more being considerably less.”

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The TOADY-award winning toy disregards the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation of no screen time for kids under 2. 

What do you think is the worst toy? Leave a comment and let us know.