NEW YORK, November 21 2012 -- Melanie Notkin, founder and CEO of Savvy Auntie, the multiplatform lifestyle brand for aunts and godmothers, announces her fourth annual list of coolest toys for the 2012 holiday season. 16 toys in all have made the coveted list this year.

With many toy marketers and toy lists focusing on primary caregivers, Notkin created the Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Awards in 2009 to give aunts and other secondary caregivers the toy-savvy they need to make the best gift choices for the children in their lives. As a respected toy expert, Notkin meets with toy manufacturers and industry analysts to discover the year’s ground-breaking toys – the ones on the top of most nieces’ and nephews’ lists. “I find the most buzzed about toys based on industry outlooks, toy quality, strong pop culture tie-ins, modern twists on the classics - and then I add a little of my own 'Savvy Auntuition' to produce this list each year,” Notkin says. “The toys children want to play with the most are the definitely the coolest toy choices an aunt can make.”

Notkin’s annual toy list certainly helps Aunties maintain that “Cool Aunt” status. And Notkin’s toy list also fosters what she’s playfully dubbed: “QualAuntie Time.” The playtime time an Auntie spends with a niece or nephew of any age is quality time - often uninterrupted playtime – and an important part of any child’s developmental growth.  Studies show that from pretend play as babies and toddlers to social development and problem solving as big kids, toys that children enjoy playing with are often an important part of their development. Savvy Aunties are giving kids gifts they crave as well as giving them the opportunity to develop necessary skills through having fun.

2012 Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Award Winners

There are 16 winners in all, sorted by age. For more information on each award winner and ‘Why Savvy Auntie Loves It’, visit SavvyAuntie.com/ToyAwards. Please note: prices may vary.

Ages 2+

Playskool: Sesame Street Flying Super Grover 2.0, ages 2-4 ($29.99)

Ages 3+

Hasbro: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Pony Princess Wedding Castle Playset, ages 3-5 ($39.99)

Tolly Tots: My Magical Wand Cinderella, ages 3-5 ($49.99)

Just Play: Disney Doc Mcstuffins “Time For Your Check-Up” Doll, ages 3-5

Fisher-Price: Jake and the Never Land Pirates - Musical Pirate Ship Bucky, ages 3-5

Innovation First International: Hexbug Warriors Battle Stadium, Ages 3-8 ($29.99)

LeapFrog: LeapPad2 Explorer Learning Tablet, ages 3-9 ($99.99)

Mattel: Monster High® High School, Ages 3 and up ($79.99)

Ages 4+

Mega Brands: Mega Bloks Barbie Build ‘n Play Pet Shop, Ages 4 -8 ($24.99) Available for pre-order 12.1.12

Playmates Toys: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shellraiser, Ages 4 and up ($37.99)

Jakks Pacific: Winx Club Deluxe Fashion Doll, Ages 4 and up ($19.99)

Ages 6+

Mattel: Hot Wheels® Team Hot Wheels™ Total Control Racing™ Supercharged® Stunt Park, Mattel, Ages 6-8 ($49.99)

LEGO: LEGO Friends Heartlake Stables 3189, Ages 6-12 ($49.99)

LEGO: LEGO Ninjago Epic Dragon Battle 9450, Ages 6-14 ($119.99)

Ages 8+

Hasbro: Furby, Ages 8-10 ($54.99)

Ages 10+

Activision Publishing, Inc: Skylanders Giants™, Ages 10+ ($74.99)

Each winning toy is listed on SavvyAuntie.com/ToyAwards with links to an online retailer and an “Ask a Parent” button to help ensure parental approval when needed. The winning toys earn a 2012 Savvy Auntie Coolest Award Winner seal for promotional purposes, attracting the powerful PANK^® – Professional Aunt No Kids - demographic with Notkin’s “Savvy Auntie Seal of Approval.’

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About Savvy Auntie

Founded by Melanie Notkin, Savvy Auntie is the multi-platform lifestyle brand that empowers and engages aunts, serving the PANK demographic discovered and coined by Notkin, and heralded by fabulous kid-loving women everywhere as a modern celebration of Aunthood. Notkin launched SavvyAuntie.com in 2008 and it remains the first and only resource and online community for this demographic. The brand also includes a popular and engaged social media following, Auntie’s Day® – a national day founded by Notkin to honor aunts and godmothers, the Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Awards and Melanie Notkin’s national bestseller: Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers and all Women Who Love Kids (Morrow 2011). As a lifestyle expert, toy expert and a taste-maker for children’s trends, Notkin appears on TV and as a spokesperson for brands. For more information, visit: SavvyAuntie.com.