Chicago – Today VTech announced two products are finalists for 2017 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards from the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The Go! Go! Smart Wheels^® Treasure Mountain Train Adventure™ is a finalist in the vehicle category and the Go! Go! Smart Friends^® Enchanted Princess Palace™ is a finalist in the infant/preschool category. A perennial favorite, VTech's Go! Go! Smart line has received multiple TOTY nominations since its introduction in 2011 and the Go! Go! Smart Animals^® Zoo Explorers Playset was named the top 2015 Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year. The winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony held on February 17, 2017.

"Every year we strive to bring exciting new themes and adventures to our Go! Go! Smart toys to keep children engaged and inspired with innovative technologies that make learning fun," said William To, VTech Electronics North America. "We are honored that our Go! Go! Smart lines have once again been recognized for the esteemed Toy of the Year Awards and are in the company of the very best toys available to consumers this year."

The winners of the TOTY Awards will be selected by ballots cast by consumers, mass and specialty toy retailers, media and TIA members. Consumers can vote for their favorite playthings of the year at www.ToyAwards.org now through January 15, 2017.

VTech's TOTY finalists can be found at www.vtechkids.com and include:

• Go! Go! Smart Wheels^® Treasure Mountain Train Adventure™: It's a gold rush at the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Treasure Mountain Train Adventure. Turn on the motorized freight train and watch as it chugs around the tracks, through the tunnels and up hills on its own! The included train responds to nine SmartPoint^® locations with fun phrases, music and more. Pretend to mine for gold in the mountain by hammering the three shape-sorter blocks through the mine shaft. Each piece will roll down the mountain where it can be loaded onto the cargo car attached to the train. Or, kids can wait for the cargo car to pass under the mine shaft and try to hammer the shape-sorter blocks onto it. The gold mine also includes rotating gears and a crane to move the shape pieces around. Press the toy freight train's light-up button to hear three sing-along songs and learn the letter "F" and the name of the vehicle. Collect other SmartPoint vehicles, and connect to other Go! Go! Smart Wheels and Go! Go! Smart Animals playsets with tracks (sold separately) to encourage children's creativity. (Ages 1-5 years, MSRP: US$54.99)

• Go! Go! Smart Friends^® Enchanted Princess Palace™: Explore each magical room in the Go! Go! Smart Friends Enchanted Princess Palace. This epic palace expands to four feet long and has a variety of luxurious rooms including a ballroom, music room, kitchen, bedroom and observation tower. While exploring the palace with Princess Darla, place her on the five MagicPoint^® locations to experience her friendly personality, lights and more. When Princess Darla sits at her MagicChat™ tea set table with a friend (additional characters sold separately), they will interact by chatting and singing with each other. The palace also has a clock with a movable hand and three light-up buttons that introduce words, colors, letters and numbers and play magical melodies and sing-along songs. Toddlers can create a whole kingdom featuring princesses, princes, fairies, magical creatures and more with Go! Go! Smart Friends characters and playsets (sold separately). (Ages 18 months - 5 years, MSRP: US$59.99)

About VTech

VTech is a world leader in age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic learning products for children. As a pioneer in the learning toy category, VTech develops high-quality, innovative educational products that enrich children's development and make learning fun. With a rich, almost 40 year history, VTech has not only established itself as a learning authority but also consistently remains at the forefront of innovation with multiple award-winning products. The company also has a broad range of award-winning infant and preschool products available in 24 different languages worldwide, with more than 100 new products introduced every year. VTech was awarded a prestigious 2015 Toy of The Year (TOTY) Award for its Go! Go! Smart Animals^® Zoo Explorers Playset™. In order to further strengthen VTech's position as a learning authority, the company's Expert Panel, with esteemed experts in reading, language arts, science, math, and child development, consult on new product introductions.

VTech Electronics North America, LLC is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. VTech Electronics Limited is headquartered in Hong Kong with distribution globally.

For more information on VTech's additional product lines, visit www.VTechKids.com, www.facebook.com/VTechtoys on Facebook or follow @VTechToys on Twitter.

About the Toy Industry Association (TIA)

TIA is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and bringing toys and youth entertainment products to kids of all ages, representing more than 750 companies who account for approximately 90% of domestic toy sales. Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having developed the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and works with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. For more information, please visit www.toyassociation.org or www.toyinfo.org.