Amazon Australia reveals its top 100 holiday toys of 2021 and a limited-edition holiday colouring book with the help of the Amazon Playmakers

In partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation, Amazon Australia has released its annual top 100 Holiday Toy List, along with a limited edition Holiday colouring book created by acclaimed illustrator Mitch Revs and the Playmakers: Amazon’s official toy testers and now, toy creators!

For every Amazon Playmakers Holiday Colouring book that is purchased during this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping Events, Amazon Australia will donate $1 to Starlight Children's Foundation*

20 October 2021, SYDNEY – Amazon Australia has today revealed its 2021 Top 100 Holiday Toy List, with the help of its official toy testers, the Amazon Playmakers.

The Amazon Playmakers are ten children from Starlight Children’s Foundation, who have been appointed by Amazon.com.au as this year’s official toy testers to review its top 100 toys, but who also have been tasked with a new job as toy creators!

The 2021 Amazon Playmakers Top 100 Holiday Toy List features expert toy reviews by the Playmakers, to help Australians with their holiday shopping across Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when there will be amazing deals on toys.

This year, the Playmakers were also tasked to dream big, think up their ultimate toy concepts and deliver smiles for children across Australia to enjoy them in the form of a colouring book. The colouring book is illustrated by renowned artist, Mitch Revs, and will go on sale across Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

For every Amazon Playmakers Holiday Colouring book that is purchased during this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping Events, Amazon Australia will donate $1 to Starlight Children's Foundation*, in addition to $40,000 worth of toys, games, crafts and gift cards.

Janet Menzies, Country Manager of Amazon Australia said, “The Amazon Playmakers have one of the most important tasks of the holiday season, reviewing our top 100 toys to help families across the country with their holiday shopping across Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“I’ve been so impressed with the added role they’ve taken on this year, and they’ve come up with some incredibly, creative toy concepts for the Amazon Playmakers Holiday Colouring book. We’re proud to support and deliver smiles to the Playmakers and the Starlight Children’s Foundation these Holidays.”

Louise Baxter, Chief Executive Officer of Starlight said, “We’re so excited to be involved again with Amazon Australia, testing their top 100 toys and designing some special creations for their Holiday Colouring book. Starlight exists to brighten the lives of sick kids, so we love seeing the positive impact Amazon Playmakers has and the joy it brings to children as they uncover the country's best toys this festive season.”

Amazon.com.au has also released the top toy trends of 2021:

• Creative Creators: With more time spent at home, hands-on toys are supporting kids to be creative and helping to expand their worlds. Through hands-on play, kids are becoming little composers, builders, designers and explorers in their own fantasy worlds and stories.
• Hometown Heroes: This year, toys are celebrating the everyday heroes at home and in the community. As kids watch and imitate the adults around them - from their family who cook, clean and care for them, to the essential workers they’ve seen on TV - Aussie kids are wanting to be just like their hometown heroes. And toys are showing them the way!
• Kidults: Adolescents and adults young at heart are in need of new hobbies and forms of entertainment, away from the screen. Whether it’s building a Ravensburger puzzle, doing paint by numbers, crotchet or DIY crockery at home, Aussies are keeping busy with their hands and getting a digital detox.
• Playroom is the classroom: With children spending more time at home, education and play has become intertwined in a child’s day-to-day. With summer holidays approaching, families will be on the lookout for smart toys that will keep their kids entertained and educated.
• Superheroes and villan classics: As popular as ever, superhero-play empowers children to feel brave and in control of their universe. With Spiderman, The Mandalorian, Harry Potter and a powerful imagination, kids can be whoever they want to be and experience the most exciting of adventures.
• Ready, set, go!: Kids are itching to get back out there to play and as the warmer holiday season approaches, we’ll be seeing families outside with backyards and local parks becoming the ultimate summer playground.
• Companion toys: Over the past 18 months, children across Australia, and at Starlight, have had less time to play with one another due to ongoing restrictions. Soft toys, character toys and teddies are a trusted source of comfort for kids in times of uncertainty and they provide the perfect audience for them to practice expressing themselves and giving voice to their thoughts.
• Multi-generational play – Kids and adults are looking for interactive activities to keep busy together during their downtime. Classics such as Monopoly, Exploding Kittens and Throw Throw Burrito will have the whole family involved and entertained for hours on end. 

Prominent Australian illustrator and Amazon Playmaker Ambassador Mitch Revs, said “I’m excited to be involved in the creation of the 2021 Amazon Playmakers Top 100 Holiday Toy Catalogue and team up with the Amazon Playmakers to create the first ever Amazon Playmakers Colouring Book.

“The Amazon Playmakers have incredible imaginations and it reminds me of when I was a kid, drawing all my wildest creations and I’m thrilled that I’m able to help deliver smiles, and bring these special ones to life for others to enjoy too.”

The Amazon Playmakers Top 100 Holiday Toy Catalogue can be viewed at www.amazon.com.au/playmakers and the limited edition Amazon Playmakers Holiday Colouring Book will go on sale for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping Events.

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A downloadable version of Amazon Playmakers Holiday Toy catalogue and images of all top 100 toys can be found here

*Amazon has agreed a total donation of $50,000 

For more information, images or to set up an interview with a spokesperson please contact: amazon@onegreenbean.com

About Amazon Australia

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About Starlight Children’s Foundation

Starlight Children's Foundation brightens the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children and young people by replacing pain, fear and stress with fun, joy and laughter. Since its establishment in 1988, Starlight has expanded to become the broadest reaching and reputable children’s charity in Australia and was awarded the AFR’s Most Innovative Company (Government, Education and NFP Sector) in 2020. There is now a Starlight Express Room in nine children’s hospitals across Australia and over 160 Captain Starlights nationwide. In 2020, Starlight granted over 386,944 positive Starlight experiences for children, teenagers and their families, including 126,000 Fun with Captain Starlight experiences and 326 Starlight Wishes. www.starlight.org.au