SECTOR FOCUS: CREATIVE PLAY & ROLE PLAY Inset: Casdon’s hero item for 2023 is the De’Longhi Barista Coffee Machine.
Creative play and role play are deemed to be a major component of children’s learning and development, so it’s no wonder that there is such a wide selection of product on the market – from dressup and miniature home appliances, through to dough and compounds and paint sticks. PPS finds out more from some key suppliers before checking out some new launches.
IMAGINATION STATIONS “C reative play is so important for preschoolers as it’s tactile and openended,” explains Grant Gie, md at Creative Kids. “It drives imagination, creativity, shared play and role play. I believe it teaches them to explore their own imagination and to create unique designs. There are no rules to follow, no instructions, no start and no finish. There is also a calming element found within creative play and huge sense of achievement.” Creative Kids is just one of the companies that has been reaping the benefits in the creative play and role play space, as parents and retailers continue to consider the category as one which is essential for children’s development.
Grant says that Creative Kids has been enjoying success with its Play Doh Air Clay range, which has driven business significantly in the past eight
Below: Janod’s Dentist Set is among the top sellers for the company. Below right: Creative Kids’ Kiddy Dough brand will expand with the launch of the Shape N Learn Sound Tablet.
months on top of its existing core arts and crafts and compound business with Kiddy Dough. New innovation will come in the form of Kiddy Dough Shape N Learn Sound Tablet, which brings together colours, shapes and sounds with the dough allowing children to learn phonetics and the letters of the alphabet. For Neil Montgomery, UK commercial director at Juratoys, creative play is a key category which sees growth year after year. Joining the
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03/05/2023 15:04