Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award
Encyclopedia
The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio was founded in 1989 as the only independent consumer review of children's media by child development
experts Joanne Oppenheim and her daughter Stephanie Oppenheim.
In 1989 Joanne was already a well-known expert on children's play and toy
s. Her books, Kids & Play and Buy Me! Buy Me! were both ground breaking. In additional to her 40 plus children's books, Joanne's by-line appeared in Working Mother Magazine, Parents
, Parenting
, Child
, Family Circle
and Ladies' Home Journal
. She wrote other parenting books while on the publication staff at The Bank Street College of Education
, where she received her Masters in Children's Literature. Her books have won the Mott Literacy Award, the National Council for Social Studies Carter G. Woodson Book Award and she is the recipient of the Curious George Award for Literacy. (For a fuller bio visit joanneoppenheim.com.)
In 1989 Stephanie was practicing corporate law
in NYC
. Since she was five she wanted to be a lawyer
—like her dad, grandfather, great uncle and brother. It was amusing that her mother played with toys for a living. Her friends starting calling for toy advice from Joanne...which mobile? which ride on? Quite honestly, Stephanie couldn't quite understand what the big deal was...you go to the store and buy a toy. When Stephanie had her first son, everything changed. She quickly discovered that there was no independent consumer information about children's media. After many lengthy conversations, Stephanie convinced Joanne to start the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.
The original newsletter
was a big hit and the mother/daughter team wrote their first book together for HarperCollins
in 1994, The Best Toys, Books, Videos and Music for Kids. In 1998, they formed their own publishing company and published the first annual Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. They also published their Read It! Play It! Literacy Series. During this time, Joanne published several more books for and about children and welcomed seven grandchildren into the family. Stephanie had another child and received a Masters in Psychology
from NYU
with a specialization in parenthood
.
Their Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards have become a benchmark
of excellence with consumers, toy makers and the media. They have appeared on OPRAH, CNN
, NBC Nightly News
, ABC World News Tonight, MSNBC
, Lifetime, and both are Contributors to NBC's TODAY Show.
Child development
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
experts Joanne Oppenheim and her daughter Stephanie Oppenheim.
In 1989 Joanne was already a well-known expert on children's play and toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s. Her books, Kids & Play and Buy Me! Buy Me! were both ground breaking. In additional to her 40 plus children's books, Joanne's by-line appeared in Working Mother Magazine, Parents
Parents (magazine)
Parents, published by Meredith Corporation, is the oldest parenting publication in the U.S. It was first published in October 1926.Its editorial focus is on the daily needs and concerns of mothers with young children. The glossy monthly features information about child health, safety, behavior,...
, Parenting
Parenting (magazine)
Launched in 1987 by Time Inc., Parenting is a magazine for families published in the United States. In February 2009, the magazine became two separate, age-targeted editions: Parenting Early Years, for moms of infants, toddlers and preschoolers; and Parenting School Years, for moms with kids in...
, Child
Child (magazine)
Child is a discontinued American parenting magazine founded by Jackie Leo and MaryAnn Sommers in 1986 and published through 2007. It was originally backed by Italian publishers, then sold to The New York Times Magazine Group which published it until 1995 along with its other women’s magazines,...
, Family Circle
Family Circle
Family Circle is an American women's magazine published 15 times a year by Meredith Corporation. It began publication in 1932 as a magazine distributed at supermarkets such as Piggly Wiggly and Safeway. Cowles Magazines and Broadcasting bought the magazine in 1962. The New York Times Company bought...
and Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
. She wrote other parenting books while on the publication staff at The Bank Street College of Education
Bank Street College of Education
Bank Street College of Education is located in Manhattan, New York City.-History:Bank Street was founded in 1916 by Lucy Sprague Mitchell as the "Bureau of Educational Experiments"....
, where she received her Masters in Children's Literature. Her books have won the Mott Literacy Award, the National Council for Social Studies Carter G. Woodson Book Award and she is the recipient of the Curious George Award for Literacy. (For a fuller bio visit joanneoppenheim.com.)
In 1989 Stephanie was practicing corporate law
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
in NYC
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Since she was five she wanted to be a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
—like her dad, grandfather, great uncle and brother. It was amusing that her mother played with toys for a living. Her friends starting calling for toy advice from Joanne...which mobile? which ride on? Quite honestly, Stephanie couldn't quite understand what the big deal was...you go to the store and buy a toy. When Stephanie had her first son, everything changed. She quickly discovered that there was no independent consumer information about children's media. After many lengthy conversations, Stephanie convinced Joanne to start the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.
The original newsletter
Newsletter
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
was a big hit and the mother/daughter team wrote their first book together for HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in 1994, The Best Toys, Books, Videos and Music for Kids. In 1998, they formed their own publishing company and published the first annual Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. They also published their Read It! Play It! Literacy Series. During this time, Joanne published several more books for and about children and welcomed seven grandchildren into the family. Stephanie had another child and received a Masters in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from NYU
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
with a specialization in parenthood
Parenting
Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood...
.
Their Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards have become a benchmark
Benchmark
-Geology:*Benchmark , a point of reference for a measurement**Benchmarking , an activity involving finding benchmarks*Benchmark , used in pricing crude oil-Technology:...
of excellence with consumers, toy makers and the media. They have appeared on OPRAH, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, ABC World News Tonight, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Lifetime, and both are Contributors to NBC's TODAY Show.
External links
- http://www.toyportfolio.com/SpecialTag.php?SpecialTag=About The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio