Children’s Technology Products Honored at First Annual KAPi Awards

Kids at Play Interactive Awards Celebrate Excellence in the Design of Children’s Interactive Media

LAS VEGAS, January 11, 2009 – The results of a new prize for excellence in children’s interactive media were unveiled at the 2010 International CES during the Kids@Play Summit.  The Kids at Play Interactive (KAPi) Awards highlight products that raised the bar for innovation and excellence for children’s technology during the past year.  Nominees included applications, video games, CD-ROMs, Internet sites, smart toys, web enabled CDs and eBooks sold commercially in the U.S. and targeting children from birth to age 15.  The winners were drawn from a pool of nearly 500 contenders, using a public nomination process.

The 2010 winners are:

1. Best Children’s App – Wheels on the Bus from Duck Duck Moose Design for tapping the potential of multi-touch for children. See the full review.
2. Best Interactive Toy – Tag Reading System from LeapFrog Learning for using technology to help children decode print. See full review.
3. Best Children’s Web Site or Service – Deep Brain Stimulation from Edheads for empowering children with a powerful, realistic simulation.
4. Best Music and Rhythm Product – The Beatles Rock Band from Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. for setting a new standard in the rhythm-game genre, and helping to bridge the generation gap.
5. Best Computer Software – World of Goo by 2D Boy and Brighter Minds Media for playfully introducing powerful scientific building concepts in a puzzle setting. See the review.
6. Best Title for the Nintendo DS or DSi – Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box by Level-5, Inc. and published by Nintendo for offering children a quality problem solving experience.
7. Best Hardware or Peripheral Device for Kids – iPod Touch (2009 Edition) from Apple for giving children access to thousands of affordable multi-touch experiences.
8. Best Informal Learning Experience – SCRATCH v. 1.4 from the MIT Media Lab for effective use of public grant money to create a product that anyone can use at no cost.
9. Best Video Game for Kids – LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition from Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. for playfully transforming a game console into a powerful creativity tool.
10. Best Virtual World – Club Penguin by New Horizon Interactive for the Disney Interactive Media Group for continuing to innovate with new features and translation features.
11. Digital Pioneer for Kids – Mitchel Resnick from the Lifelong Learning Group at the MIT Media Lab for leading the team that created the SCRATCH programming language, recognized as the individual that has made the largest impact on children’s technology design.

“The KAPi Awards are designed to help us all take a bird’s eye view on the past year, and shine a spotlight on state-of-the art work,” said Warren Buckleitner, the Award Coordinator.

“So much of CES has its eye on the future, but the future builds on the great work of the past,” said Robin Raskin, founder of the Kids@Play Summit.  “Our KAPi awards salute that sentiment.”

The finalists of the first annual KAPi Awards were selected by a group of publishers and critics at the Dust or Magic Institute and the winners were determined by the popular vote of the attendees at the 2010 Kids@Play Summit.  For more details about the selection and screening process, visit www.ChildrensTech.com/KAPis.

About Living in Digital Times
Founded in 2002 by tech journalist and consultant Robin Raskin, Living in Digital Times is designed to create a dialogue between companies and key consumer demographics via a variety of media projects in which getting smart about the digital world is fun and entertaining. In addition to the five CES-based TechZones, Living in Digital Times offers a range of services that articulate the digital experience to various constituencies.  Services include trade show planning and management, web site promotion, and consulting services.

About Children’s Technology Review
Since 1993, Children’s Technology Review has provided independent reviews of children’s interactive media products. Available for $24/year for 12 issues, the ad-free subscription-based publication is available in both print and electronic versions. Learn more at www.childrenstech.com.