Playsafe Competition for Children
Playsafe is a safe toy drawing design ompetion for children. Designed by the Trading Standards Institute in conjunction with the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) it encourages a greater awareness of safety features in the design of toys.
Pupils from Allington Primary in Kent produced the winning entry for the 2011 Playsafe competition:
The winner of the 6-11 category and overall winner, the Jazz Jacket, was created by pupils from Allington Primary School in Maidstone, Grace Sayers Mcgowan and Sarah Colyer, both aged 11.
The winner in the 12-17 category was the Rollapilla created by pupils from the Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay, Taylor Gillyon, Alex Hughes, Claudia Judge, Ella Bremner, Beth Bailey and Molly Southern, all aged 12.
TSI’s chief executive Ron Gainsford said: “This competition is a great way to engage children and young people in a fun way while raising awareness about the importance of safety features in the design of toys. The key elements the judges are looking for in the entries are a fun and different design and clear attention to the safety of it in use.
“The Jazz Jacket stood out because it was fun, interactive and very well thought out – a very deserving winner.“
Roland Earl, director general of BTHA, said: “Yet again we received some fantastically inventive entries – every year I am impressed by the creativity of the design. As ever selecting a winner was very difficult!”
The Playsafe Project is part of the TSI’s Young Consumers initiative, to interest young people in consumer affairs and to raise their awareness of consumer issues and aspects of the world of work.
Who can enter?
Playsafe is suitable for students aged 6-11 and 12-17 (on 1 March 2012).
It allows pupils to study an interesting and worthwhile topic as well as promoting innovative individual or team work in the classroom.
How to enter: details on how to enter are available here, there is further information available on the BTHA website.
Closing date
The closing date for receipt of entries is 8 June 2012. 
Entries should be sent to:
Playsafe Competition
Trading Standards Institute
1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way
Southfields Business Park
Basildon
Essex SS15 6TH
Rules
- suitable for students aged 6-11 and 12-17
the toy needs to be for a child aged between 3 and 7 years
the toy can be educational
it can use high technology or it can just as easily be a simple toy
it should be a toy that a child would love to play with – and be able to play with safely
relevant safety and conformity symbols must be shown, e.g. CE Mark, Lion Mark and 0-3 age symbol
Pupils entering the competition can be as creative as their imaginations allow! Teachers can join in the fun and provide guidance, but it will be the pupils’ creative ideas that we will be looking for during judging.
A category for special schools runs alongside the main Playsafe competition, the above rules apply.
Judging
Final judging will take place at the TSI's Annual Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards Conference and Exhibition in June 2012 in Manchester.
Further information about this competition and toy safety factsheets are available from the BTHA website.
