About Us

Tillywig's annual Holiday Gift Guide is an offshoot of the Tillywig Toy & Media Awards program (now in its tenth year), both of which were the brainchild of former board and card game designer and manufacturer Dan Levy.

Upon selling the rights to his flagship product (Ruckus Card Game) to manufacturer Imagination Games in 2009, Dan elected to apply the expertise he'd acquired during his 10 years as a product designer, marketer and focus group facilitator towards helping other manufacturers get the word out about their products, and thus Tillywig was born!

Our Mission

Tillywig's mission is to provide retail buyers, news media, parents, educators, and consumers worldwide with detailed information and expertly written reviews of superior children's products available in today's marketplace.

Tillywig evaluation process

In order to be selected for our holiday gift guide, a product must first be determined by our testing team to have high entertainment and/or educational value. When assessing these values, our focus is on evaluating many factors, including:

Ease of First Use

Clear, easy-to-understand instructions and product design are key factors in creating a positive initial experience.

Replay Value

It was fun the first time out, but will it be equally or even more enjoyable over a period of weeks, months...years?

Quality/Appearance

Does it look and feel well-made? Is it something retailers would be proud to have on their shelves, a parent would be proud to give as a gift? Is it, from all appearances, built to last?

Social Interaction/Fun Factor

Products that effectively promote a high level of face-to-face playful interaction receive a high rating from us. If participants laughed out loud, so much the better!

Creativity

Does it inspire creativity during use/play? Does this product actively fuel the imagination?

Thought Processes/Motor Skills

Does it encourage new ways of thinking or promote physical development?

Weighting of Criteria

The degree to which we consider some of the above criteria depends, in part, on what we feel the product presents itself to be. If it appears to be an educational product, then we will more heavily weigh factors relating to learning and development. If a product presents itself as a family or party game, we will more heavily weigh factors relating to social interaction and playfulness.