Parents Insights

The Insights Family highlights how understanding what kids want from their toys will help brands ensure that they are fulfilling the needs of kids and parents, as well as facilitating growth during playtime.

The toy market is a competitive space, with brands trying to gain kids’ attention and hold it by generating advocacy. In order to be able to compete within the toy space, brands must be aware of what kids are interested in and what they are looking for during playtime in order to anticipate current toy trends. By understanding what kids want from their toys, brands will ensure that they fulfil the needs of kids and parents and help to facilitate growth during playtime.

The popularity of physical toys is increasing among kids. The Insights Family’s real-time data portal shows that 14% of kids aged 3-5 in the UK name playing with toys as their favourite hobby, growing by +147% over the last 12 months. It now ranks as the number one hobby among this demographic. With this evolving interest in toys comes the opportunity for brands to consider what kids are looking to develop during playtime and which toys they are gravitating towards. Our data indicates that kids are enjoying toys that offer opportunities for creative play, with the top toy types for kids aged 3-5 being construction toys (40%), soft toys (38%) and dolls and play-sets (33%).

These toys all offer kids the opportunity to use their imagination to build or develop characters and narratives that are entirely their own. Creativity is also one of the top priorities among parents who value development as well as enjoyment and fun when choosing toys for their kids. This is clearly an important factor when looking to engage the family audience.

Another key area of interest is in classic toys that tie together kids entertainment and nostalgia among parents. Fisher-Price regularly launches toys that emphasise themes from the 80s and 90s such as the baby boombox and toy Game Boy. In line with this trend, we’ve seen an increase in the popularity of board games. Currently, 12% of preschoolers in the UK name board games as their favourite toy type, showing an increase of +36% since the start of the year.

This sheds light on the success of new games hitting the shelves, as well as limited editions of family favourites like Monopoly and Cluedo. This trend suggests that kids enjoy group activities and interactive play, encouraging companies to explore the potential in retro, non-digital toy types. It also highlights the opportunity for collaboration between new licensed IPs and toy companies.

Left: Nick Richardson, ceo and founder, The Insights Family.

Over the last six months, the demand for licensed products has increased. In the UK, kids aged 3-5 are most likely to purchase a toy related to their favourite TV show (49%), closely followed by favourite film (41%). This year has revealed the success of a number of popular IPs which have an audience willing to purchase toys. In the wake of the recent film Minions: The Rise Of Gru, fans of this franchise are +8% more likely than the average kid to purchase licensed toys. Similarly, fans of Spider-Man, currently the third favourite character among UK preschoolers, are +17% more likely to purchase licensed toys. The success of these IPs in the toy shops as well as the cinema indicates how fan favourites can dominate multiple categories across the kids industry. Understanding what’s popular will ensure that new products stay hot on the market.

Brands should consider the impacts of these interests within the kids’ toy space, appealing to current favoured IPs and toy trends to generate brand interest and advocacy among younger age demographics. They should also consider the areas kids are looking to explore and develop through play and how toys might facilitate these growing interests.

The Insights Family is the global leader in kids, parents and family market intelligence, providing real-time data on their attitudes, behaviours and consumption patterns.

Download your free copy here: get.theinsightsfamily.com/ familyreport2022.