FAQs about the KAPi Awards

What are the KAPi Awards?
The Kids at Play Interactive (KAPi) Awards are peer-recognition award designed to recognize innovation and excellence in design in commercial children’s interactive media. This is an annual award that considers commercial United States products. There is no entry fee or formal entry process, and all interactive media products for children are considered, from any publisher of any size.

What products are eligible?
Every children’s (birth to age 15) interactive media product, from any country, from any size publisher as long as it is sold commercially in the domestic United States. These include Apps, video games, CD-ROMs, Internet sites, smart toys, web enabled CDs and eBooks. Products must have a copyright date between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the current year, although they must be in playable  form by November 1. There is also a person category.

What products are not considered?
Non-interactive products, such as videos, movies or books are not considered. Only interactive (non-linear) products are considered.

How Do I Enter?
You can formal enter using the online form. However, your product may also be nominated by any attendee of the Dust or Magic Institute. If the product has been listed in Children’s Technology Review, it will be considered. In order to vote, in Part 1 of the selection process, you have to attend Dust or Magic, either as a speaker or an attendee.

Can I nominate my own product?
Yes. However, you must fully disclose any potential conflicts on the nomination form, and this information will be considered during Part 2 of the selection process.

What is the deadline?
Products must be in playable format by November 1 of the current year, in order to be demonstrated at the Dust or Magic institute.

Is there an entry fee?
No, although there are costs associated to attend either the Dust or Magic institute or the CES show.

Who coordinates the Prize?
The prize is operated jointly by Living in Digital Times, http://www.livingindigitaltimes.com and Children’s Technology Review.

What is the motive of this prize?
You’ve probably noticed that prizes often have a motive; either to promote an event or publication (as this prize does) or to make money, say from entry fees, sales of seals. This prize is designed to recognize excellence in design and innovation as accurately as possible, with minimal cost and effort on behalf of both the organizers, the jurors and the people who enter. The prize creators — Warren Buckleitner and Robin Raskin coordinate annual events that can provide a the necessary face-to-face forum required to select and recognize winners. The main motive of the KAPi awards is to accurately recognize excellent the design of children’s interactive media, with the help of reviewers and designers.

Who selects the winners?
There are two stages. STAGE 1: A group of publishers and critics meet at the Dust or Magic Institute, with a list of 400 or so products, plus their combined knowledge of the current market. Using electronic polling tools and an old fashioned nomination form, they create a list of favorite titles, to be considered as nominees. There is one vote per participant. The top 40 products, determined by popular vote, are moved to the next stage. STAGE 2: The 40 nominees are screened to make sure they qualify and are posted online. The list of 40 is voted on by the attendees of Kids @ Play in a one vote per person system.  A demo of each product will be provided. The final prize winners are revealed at 8 PM, January 7, the end of the annual Kids @ Play conference, held during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV.

What does winning a KAPi mean?
Winners receive international recognition in the following ways: permission to display the prize logo on award-winning titles, promotion of the winning title on the prize website, and presentation of an award during a prize ceremony at the Consumer Electronics Show.

When are the finalists and winners announced?
Finalists will be notified just after the Dust or Magic Institute, in November 15.  Winners will be selected and announced during the Kids at Play Summit, held the first week of January at CES.  Winners will be posted at the Kids at Play Summit website.

Are the results of my nomination ballots made public?
No. They are consider embargoed material and are not released to the public. Your name is not identified with any product. You may, at your choosing, be listed as one of the nominators.

I have more questions not answered here:
We (Robin and I) welcome your questions on this young prize initiative. Send them by email to—

Warren Buckleitner,  Editor, Children’s Technology Review.
warren@childrenstech.com, or call 908-284-0404