The National Parenting Center

Spring 2020 Seal of Approval Report COVID-19

The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval program is an independent testing procedure conducted to judge a variety of products introduced and marketed to the parent/child consumer market.

The testing involves a multi-step process conducted over an eight week period. Staffed by volunteers, the testing facility of The National Parenting Center gives parents, children, and educators the opportunity to examine a variety of submitted products. The testers are encouraged to play with, build, read about, and judge by the reactions of the children, each product’s quality.

However, during this unprecedented time in the history of the world, our “new normal” posed a unique challenge for us as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and brought the everything to a screeching halt.

Our traditional testing process was suddenly obsolete and even dangerous. This led to the creation and adoption of a whole new approach. This involved fewer testers and a vastly safer protocol. We reached out to our most veteran and skilled parent reviewers, those who’s insights and thoroughness we have come to value immensely. We ratcheted up the criteria by which we drilled down into the strengths of each submitted product. We increased the number of product features we asked our reviewers to score from 13 to 24. This was followed by in-depth follow up interviews by our staff with each tester to better understand their experiences and feelings about each product they reviewed. We feel that this new stringent methodology resulted in keeping with the rigorous standards people have come to expect from TNPC for identifying only the finest products being marketed to parents and their children. We want to thank everyone involved in helping us complete our ongoing mission during these challenging times.


**The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval recognition

does not imply or guarantee the safety of products listed.
**

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HOW IT WORKS

 

A Seal of Approval review involves a multi-step process conducted over an eight-week period.

Parents and children, experience and review submitted products and services either already released or coming to market.

Participants fill out questionnaires for each product or service they test. They score based on 13 levels of criteria including quality, appeal, design, price, packaging, directions, desirability, stimulation, replay factor, and more. Results are based on both statistical averaging and comments received by testers.

There are three testing periods each year:

Report Period Testing Begins Submission Deadline Testing Ends Report Issued
SPRING ’24 February 15th March 13th April 19th May 8th
FALL ’24 June 1st June 24th July 31st August 15th
HOLIDAY ’24 September 1st September 24th October 31st November 15th

Each submission must be accompanied by a $295 product testing fee (we offer multiple submission discounts). This fee covers the cost of testing, nothing more. It is non-refundable and has no bearing on the result of the testing. Additionally, we require three samples of the product or access codes for online submissions.

FYI about the Seal of Approval

* The Seal’s winners will be announced in a media release distributed to over 4,700 media outlets, including Facebook, Mommy bloggers, TV stations, newspapers, and parenting influencers.

* The report is forwarded to buyers at over 350 major retail and online stores including Amazon, Walmart, and Target. Amazon features Seal winners on product pages.

* Each report is featured on TNPC’s website as well as TNPC’s Twitter & Instagram accounts and Facebook Page.

* Links to company websites and a license to utilize the trademarked Seal of Approval artwork on marketing, packaging and web design are available exclusively to Seal winners for additional fees.

* Submitting a product does not secure or guarantee being awarded a Seal of Approval

To submit a product click here.

HOW IT WORKS

 

A Seal of Approval review involves a multi-step process conducted over an eight-week period.

Parents and children, experience and review submitted products and services either already released or coming to market.

Participants fill out questionnaires for each product or service they test. They score based on 13 levels of criteria including quality, appeal, design, price, packaging, directions, desirability, stimulation, replay factor and more. Results are based on both statistical averaging and comments received by testers.

There are three testing periods each year:

Report Period Testing Begins Submission Deadline Testing Ends Report Issued
SPRING ’23 February 15th March 10th April 24th May 10th
FALL ’23 June 1st June 23rd July 31st August 16th
HOLIDAY ’23 September 1st September 22nd October 30th November 15th

Each submission must be accompanied by a $295 product testing fee (we offer multiple submission discounts). This fee covers the cost of testing, nothing more. It is non-refundable and has no bearing on the result of the testing. Additionally, we require three samples of the product or access codes for online submissions.

FYI about the Seal of Approval

* Winners of the Seal will be announced in a media release which is distributed to over 4700 media outlets including Facebook, Mommy bloggers and TV station websites.

* The report is forwarded to buyers at over 350 major retail and on-line stores including Amazon, Walmart and Target. Amazon features Seal winners on product pages.

* Each report is featured at TNPC’s web site as well as TNPC’s Twitter & Instagram accounts and Facebook Page.

* Links to company websites and a license to utilize the trademarked Seal of Approval artwork on marketing, packaging and web design are available exclusively to Seal winners for additional fees.

* Submitting a product does not secure or guarantee being awarded a Seal of Approval

To submit a product click here.

HOW IT WORKS

A Seal of Approval review involves a multi-step process conducted over an eight-week period.

Parents and children, experience and review submitted products and services either already released or coming to market.

Participants fill out questionnaires for each product or service they test. They score based on 13 levels of criteria including quality, appeal, design, price, packaging, directions, desirability, stimulation, replay factor and more. Results are based on both statistical averaging and comments received by testers.

There are three testing periods each year:

Report Period

SPRING '24

FALL ‘24

HOLIDAY ‘24

Testing Begins

February 15th

June 1st

September 1st

Submission Deadline

March 13th

June 23rd

September 24th

Testing Ends

April 26th

July 31st

October 31st

Report Issued

May 14th

August 15th

November 15th

Each submission must be accompanied by a $295 product testing fee (we offer multiple submission discounts). This fee covers the cost of testing, nothing more. It is non-refundable and has no bearing on the result of the testing. Additionally, we require three samples of the product or access codes for online submissions.

FYI about the Seal of Approval

* Winners of the Seal will be announced in a media release which is distributed to over 4700 media outlets including Facebook, Mommy bloggers and TV station websites.

* The report is forwarded to buyers at over 350 major retail and on-line stores including Amazon, Walmart and Target. Amazon features Seal winners on product pages.

* Each report is featured at TNPC’s web site as well as TNPC’s Twitter & Instagram accounts and Facebook Page.

* Links to company websites and a license to utilize the trademarked Seal of Approval artwork on marketing, packaging and web design are available exclusively to Seal winners for additional fees.

* Submitting a product does not secure or guarantee being awarded a Seal of Approval

HOW IT WORKS

A Seal of Approval review involves a multi-step process conducted over an eight-week period.

Parents and children, experience and review submitted products and services either already released or coming to market.

Participants fill out questionnaires for each product or service they test. They score based on 13 levels of criteria including quality, appeal, design, price, packaging, directions, desirability, stimulation, replay factor and more. Results are based on both statistical averaging and comments received by testers.

There are three testing periods each year:

Report Period

SPRING '24

FALL ‘24

HOLIDAY ‘24

Testing Begins

February 15th

June 1st

September 1st

Submission Deadline

March 13th

June 23rd

September 24th

Testing Ends

April 26th

July 31st

October 31st

Report Issued

May 14th

August 15th

November 15th

Each submission must be accompanied by a $295 product testing fee (we offer multiple submission discounts). This fee covers the cost of testing, nothing more. It is non-refundable and has no bearing on the result of the testing. Additionally, we require three samples of the product or access codes for online submissions.

FYI about the Seal of Approval

* Winners of the Seal will be announced in a media release which is distributed to over 4700 media outlets including Facebook, Mommy bloggers and TV station websites.

* The report is forwarded to buyers at over 350 major retail and on-line stores including Amazon, Walmart and Target. Amazon features Seal winners on product pages.

* Each report is featured at TNPC’s web site as well as TNPC’s Twitter & Instagram accounts and Facebook Page.

* Links to company websites and a license to utilize the trademarked Seal of Approval artwork on marketing, packaging and web design are available exclusively to Seal winners for additional fees.

* Submitting a product does not secure or guarantee being awarded a Seal of Approval

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