Toys created by the whole country: the winners of the "Native Toy" contest were named in Moscow

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On 9 September, the results of the All-Russian contest "Native Toy" were summed up at the National Centre RUSSIA. The final was held in the format of a large-scale festival of childhood, bringing together children, parents, experts and project authors from all over the country. The winners in five categories  got a chance to bring their ideas to life — their designs will soon appear on store shelves and in children's institutions throughout Russia. The contest is organized by the Russian society Znanie and the Movement of the First.

The festival at the National Centre RUSSIA has become a real celebration of childhood. The display of 59 finalist prototypes became the focus of attention. Participants could not only see, but also test each development: try a costume on a doll, assemble a construction kit, go through a maze, play a board game or immerse themselves in digital animation. In addition to the exposition, there were interactive zones and workshops for children and parents. A special place in the programme was occupied by the exposition "Games and toys of the First", where each region of the country presented a symbol of its small homeland — a toy that reflects the traditions and cultural flavour of the Russian region. An exposition of children's drawings "Create your own toy", organized by the Russian society Znanie in cooperation with the "SUN" TV channel, also was held at the festival.

In order to become the winners, participants of the contest went through several stages, and the final selection was especially strict. Each development was evaluated by up to 45 experts at once, from educators and psychologists to technologists and toy manufacturers. But it was not only a professional view that mattered: the guests of the festival took part in the selection of the best contestants, and among them were members of the family community "Rodnye-Lyubimye" ("Dear-Loved Ones") of the Movement of the First. 130 people from the community — families with children from different regions — carefully checked the showpieces for durability, fascination and usefulness.

The names of the awardees were announced at a ceremony that marked the end of the festival. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin addressed the participants and guests with a welcoming speech. His words were read out by Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Russian society Znanie.

"Your creative ideas and achievements are designed to educate the younger generation to adhere to high spiritual, moral, and family ideals and values, develop artistic taste, scientific and research talent, and open up bright pages of the history and culture of our country for children. I know that many projects are dedicated to the heroes of a Special Military Operation, the military and labor achievements of outstanding compatriots, and the distinctive traditions of the peoples of Russia. I am sure that the participants of all stages of the contest received a great opportunity to show their talents and abilities, a sincere desire for creation, and the native games and toys that will be announced as winners today will bring joy to boys and girls in preschool educational institutions, leisure centres, and children's libraries throughout the country. I wish you success!", — Vladimir Putin emphasized.

Sergei Kiriyenko noted in his speech that when launching this project, the organizers expected a large number of applications, but did not expect that there would be almost 30 thousand of them from all 89 regions of the country. Over 45,000 ratings were given by experts during the contest, and it turned out to be extremely difficult to choose the best projects.

"The "Native Toy" is the first contest of a kind, which was held on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, and it is always difficult to be the first. It required courage, self-confidence, energy and creativity, but you coped with this task. The main thing I want to say thank you for is that every project contains a piece of your soul and heart. Many adults have realized their childhood dreams, and this is especially important because a toy is primarily about a dream. By creating toys, you are not just making a gift or giving a moment of joy – you are giving a dream, which means a future, for our children," said Sergei Kiriyenko.

He also presented an award in the "Story-Based Toy" category. The winners in this category were: teddy bears "Teddy Bears Profi", which help children with career guidance; cartoon characters named "Little Heroes", based on the stories of real participants of the Special Military Operation; a plush robotic dog "Arctika"; a pretend play and toy set "Courtyard of the Peoples of Russia", which introduces children to the culture of Russian everyday life; and toys for the puppet theater "Wooden nursery rhymes."

In the "Board Game" category, the winners were: a board strategy game "Voyevoda: Ancient Rus" based on the history of Rus formation; the board game "Weekend with Pushkin", with the help of which one can travel through the Pushkin Mountains; the economic board game "Good Deed. The Club of Patrons"; the game for exercising locomotion "Beavers and dams", and the game "Great Russia", which allows players to make an exciting journey across our country. The award was presented to the winners by Yelena Yampolskaya, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, co-chairman of the Organizing Committee of the contest "Native Toy".

In the "Technical and Technological Toy" category, the winners were: the "ROBI" educational system; the "Yemelya's Self-Propelled Stove" electronic construction kit; the "Mendeleev Laboratory" experiment kit; an underwater vehicle; and the "Build Up Your First Car" kit. Maxim Dreval, Director General of the Russian society Znanie, congratulated the winners.

In the "Constructor and Assembly Model" category, the winners were: a constructor based on the traditional northern toy "Arkhangelsk Horse"; a constructor featuring the beloved by Russians character "Cheburashka"; a career-oriented constructor introducing children to mining engineering "MIRATOM: Mining", a constructor "Wooden State", as well as a tabletop theater "A Fairy Tale to Every Home". The memorable prizes were presented by Artur Orlov, Hero of the Russian Federation, and Chairman of the Board of the Movement of Firsts.

In the "Multimedia Project" category, the winners were: the project "Bukvogorod", featuring anthropomorphic letters and introducing children to the alphabet of the Russian language with the help of poetry; the cartoon-musical "Tsvetnyashki! Family Stories"; a graphic novel "Firefighters: Heroes of Our Time" about the noble profession of a firefighter; and an entertainment and educational project "Hello, it's Cat!". The winners were awarded by Alexei Goreslavsky, Director General of the Institute for the Development of the Internet.

Now the winners of the contest will face one of the most important stages — the launch of production and the distribution of their developments. The first batches of the games and toys will be released with the support of the contest's technology partners, and will appear in children's stores and marketplaces across the country. Toys will also become part of the educational environment: kindergartens, schools, and cultural institutions will be filled with them.

The "Native Toy" contest started in November 2024 and immediately became a truly national event: over 28.2 thousand applications for participation from 89 regions of the country were received. The contest brought together a wide variety of people and professions. The projects were presented by educators and teachers who well understand the value of the play for the development of the child. Along with them are designers, illustrators, directors and other representatives of the creative industries. Those whose daily work is far from education or creativity also participated: engineers, environmentalists, doctors, representatives of industry. For them, the competition was an opportunity to tell about their profession in a new way, and show the children those people who became famous working in that field. Many projects appeared in families — parents were inspired by their own children, and the kids became the parents' real co-authors, who helped test toys and suggested ideas.

59 prototypes made it to the final. They combined both traditional forms — dolls, figurines, board games, and modern formats -- multimedia projects, construction kits, and technological kits. All of them worked together with experienced specialists from leading Russian factories and studios. Mentors helped bring ideas to the level of a finished product, shared production secrets, and opened the doors of their enterprises to the participants.

Many organizations have officially supported the contest. Expert partners include the Association of Enterprises of the Children's Goods Industry, the animation company "YARKO", Soyuzmultfilm, and many Russian universities. The official partners of the contest are the Ozon marketplace and the "Detsky Mir" Group of Companies. VK has become a strategic partner of the "Native Toy". The information partner of the contest is the TV channel "SUN". In addition, the competition is supported by technological partners -- such manufacturers as: NORDPLAST, SMOLTOYS, TENTH KINGDOM, Step Puzzle, Russian Style, Vesna, Krasnokamsk Wooden Toy Factory, Hobby World, "Polesie" Group of Companies, Igramir, Scientific Entertainments, and ToyRoy.

During the year, a real cultural and educational programme developed around the "Native Toy". Podcasts were recorded featuring teachers, actors and industry leaders; guided tours to production enterprises and workshops were organized; and strategic sessions were held at federal forums. The contest had become a topic of discussion at the "Innoprom" exposition in Yekaterinburg, at the festival "let's go/I play" in Ufa, at the "Day of Youth" in Moscow, and at other sites.