ToyQueen.Com

Stop for a second and think about that toy your kids are playing with right now that they adore. The one that sleeps in bed with them at night. The toy they clutch under their arm or in their hands on trips to Target or the grocery store. Those teeny tiny collectibles you run around buying up every time you see them on a store shelf. The toy you spent hours online researching, then spent your whole day driving to 5 stores to find. Think about that special box of toys in the attic or basement that you just couldn’t donate when your kids outgrew them because you plan to pass their favorite toy onto your grandchildren someday.

When do you ever stop to think about the toy or game your kids love and appreciate the people and process it takes to bring a safe toy into your living room for children to play with it?

The TAGIE Awards dinner is the 1 night each year during Chicago Toy and Game Fair Week that is dedicated to celebrating those inventors whose toys, games and ideas have been changing the lives of children.

This is a space I work and live in everyday, so I might geek out a little more on this than you, but toy inventors are kind of like celebrities to me. They are people who had an idea for a toy or a game that inspired a child to learn a new skill, encouraged a family to spend time laughing and playing together or that entertained my child so I could get a few minutes of peace and quiet.

During the 8th annual TAGIE Awards in Chicago, I got a chance to meet some pretty amazing, fun inventors with some inspiring stories.

Which toy inventor would you love to meet?

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Chicago Toy and Game Fair at the TAGIE Awards. Any opinions are my own.