Before, toys just made playtime fun and sparked kids’ imaginations. This year, toys are about entertainment and educational value, fostering creativity, and promoting inclusivity. New technology like augmented reality and artificial intelligence makes play more exciting, and old-fashioned toys that remind people of their childhood are popular with all ages. These trends create a fun and varied market for everyone. This article will delve into the Toy and Play Trends Guide in 2024, and the toy trend updates from the previous year.
Toy and Play Trends Guide: The 8 Popular and Exciting Games!
Eco-lasting Play
According to a Toy Association survey, 45% of parents under 40 consider a toy’s environmental impact when buying. In 2024, toymakers will prioritize sustainability, committing to eco-friendly materials and aligning with evolving consumer values. This shift reflects a broader trend in consumer behaviour, where environmental consciousness increasingly influences purchasing decisions. The Deloitte 2023 Sustainable Consumer report highlights that 58% prioritize durability over quantity, indicating a strong preference for high-quality, long-lasting products. This emphasis on quality over quantity reshapes the toy industry, pushing manufacturers to innovate and create more sustainable options.
This trend goes beyond being environmentally friendly; it focuses on creating toys and brands built to last. The emphasis is on quality craftsmanship and heirloom qualities, ensuring these toys can be passed down through generations. Additionally, the extended play value of these toys means they are designed to grow with children, adapting to different stages of development and providing long-term engagement. By prioritizing durability and adaptability, toymakers respond to consumer demands for products that offer lasting enjoyment while minimizing environmental impact. This holistic approach to sustainability meets the needs of environmentally conscious consumers and supports a more sustainable future for the toy industry.
Vitamin P(lay)
In this era of mindful parenting, the toy industry is stepping up to offer a diverse range of toys that benefit both mind and body. This trend combines emotional intelligence, screen-free active play, and sports-inspired fun, effectively redefining the landscape of children’s play. Toymakers increasingly craft items that encourage physical activity ignite creativity, support emotional well-being, and enhance social engagement.
This holistic approach to child development acknowledges that play is crucial for entertainment, learning, and growth. Reflecting this, some U.S. states are now mandating play-based learning in educational settings, with research indicating that “playing with a purpose” leads to a deeper understanding of the curriculum. Such educational policies underscore the importance of integrating purposeful play into daily routines to support cognitive and emotional development.
The excitement surrounding the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics is expected to boost the popularity of sports toys, further emphasizing the importance of physical activity in play. As this global event captures the world’s attention, it will likely inspire a surge in demand for toys that encourage physical activity and sportsmanship. These toys improve children’s physical health and teach valuable life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. By aligning with such significant cultural moments and promoting active play, the toy industry is well-positioned to support well-rounded development in children. This trend demonstrates a commitment to creating enriching play experiences that are both fun and beneficial, fostering a generation of healthier, more emotionally intelligent, and socially adept individuals.
Eerie Enchantment
Mystical, magical, and supernatural toys are set to transport kids and adults alike on an enchanting journey, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. A resurgent cultural interest in spooky, mystery, and horror genres across movies, TV, and literature has sparked this trend, leading to an array of toys that leverage new technologies, hidden features, secret codes, and unfolding narratives. These elements tap into our natural curiosity and explore the thrill of the unknown, guiding kids to discoveries and adventures. This trend reflects a broader fascination with the supernatural and eerie, encouraging imaginative play that delves into fantastical worlds and mysterious stories. As children interact with these toys, they engage in storytelling and problem-solving, fostering creativity and critical thinking.
The popular Netflix series Wednesday, a 2024 license to watch, drives this growing interest. It set a record with 341 million hours watched in its first week, surpassing Stranger Things’ previous 335 million hours. Such influential media properties fuel the demand for toys that mirror their eerie and captivating narratives. Expect to see toys inspired by Wednesday and similar properties, offering immersive experiences that blend horror and fantasy with interactive play. These toys will likely feature intricate designs, clever mechanisms, and engaging storylines that captivate young minds. By merging the thrill of supernatural adventures with innovative play features, this trend offers an exciting realm of eerie enchantment that captivates children and adults, enriching their playtime with mystery and magic.
Anime Mania
A fervent global fandom is bringing anime to the forefront in 2024, with its impact on the toy space reaching unprecedented heights. Teens and adults are deeply engaged in the anime community through conventions, online forums, and social media, where they actively participate in discussions, fan art creation, and cosplay tied to anime content. This enthusiasm, coupled with the increased accessibility of anime through streaming channels like Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Max, has propelled the genre from niche to mainstream.
The cultural impact spreads beyond entertainment and adults, influencing various consumer product categories, including children’s toys. Last year, Bandai opened a flagship Tamashii Nations store in Times Square, offering a diverse selection of anime figures. Additionally, marketing collaborations like the one between Spy X Family in Japan and Disney, which promoted their films Wish and Code: White, highlight the trend of crossover promotions.
In 2024, expect more crossover partnerships and toymakers leveraging anime’s distinct, beloved stories and aesthetics to create toys that resonate with hardcore and casual fans. These collaborations will likely result in various innovative toys inspired by popular anime series, blending iconic characters and narratives with creative design and functionality. The integration of anime into the toy market will captivate a broad audience, from dedicated collectors to young children experiencing anime for the first time. This trend signifies a dynamic shift in the toy industry, where the rich and diverse world of anime continues to influence and inspire product development, ensuring that anime mania leaves a lasting mark on the global toy landscape.
2023 Q4 Toy Trends Update
It is fantastic to be a Kidult
Holiday wish lists aren’t just for young kids anymore. According to surveys, a staggering 89% of parents are shopping for toys for grownups this holiday season, with 43% explicitly shopping for their spouse or significant other. Interestingly, more than half of the men surveyed (53%) plan to buy toys for themselves, reflecting a growing trend of self-indulgence in toy shopping. This trend is particularly pronounced among millennial parents under 40, with 48% purchasing toys themselves.
The data reveals a significant shift in the spending habits of adults, opening up new opportunities for toymakers catering to a wide age range – from tweens to older people. With nearly 4 in 5 parents acknowledging a decrease in societal stigma around tweens and teens playing with toys, there’s been a surge in products designed to inspire play among this demographic. From collectibles and games to fidget toys and items inspired by social media, toy manufacturers are tapping into the playful spirit of teens and tweens.
Moreover, the benefits of play aren’t limited to younger generations, as evidenced by 20% of parents planning to purchase toys for aging relatives. With 70% of parents citing mental stimulation as a critical positive impact of play for older adults, it’s clear that the joy of play knows no age limits.
Conscientious Consumers
Today’s parents are increasingly conscientious about the companies they support, with 31% emphasizing the importance of aligning with companies that share their core values – a sentiment extreme among dads, with 38% expressing this desire. Several vital themes shape toy purchasing decisions as the holiday season approaches, including sustainability, diversity, and representation. Many parents have already begun prioritizing toys designed to educate their children about diversity, equity, and inclusion, with nearly a third making such purchases. Additionally, 45% of parents under 40 are paying a premium on the sustainability of toys when purchasing.
In response to these shifting preferences, we anticipate a surge in toys that not only address these social issues but do so in authentic ways. This may involve strategic partnerships and the adoption of innovative techniques and technologies to ensure that dolls and other toys authentically represent diverse backgrounds and cultures, reflecting the values and desires of today’s conscientious consumers.
Playing it Smart
Parents understand the pivotal role of play in their children’s learning and development, with a striking 81% expressing a solid inclination to ensure they purchase at least one toy with educational value. Whether engaging in coding activities, playing games that enhance reading skills, or immersing themselves in role-playing scenarios that foster social skills, toys provide a tangible pathway to learning through play.
Nearly two in three parents (65%) prioritize selecting toys that contribute to building essential skill sets, particularly those related to STEAM concepts and practical life skills such as cooking, sewing, baking, and cleaning. Additionally, just over half (51%) of parents are mindful of whether a toy promotes mental well-being when shopping for their children, underscoring parents’ holistic approach to their children’s play experiences.
Pop Culture at Play
Toys profoundly influence pop culture, weaving intricate connections across generations and stirring up waves of nostalgia. Against the backdrop of a stellar year for blockbuster toy-related movies such as The Little Mermaid, Barbie, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a notable 38% of parents express keen interest in purchasing toys inspired by these cinematic and entertainment juggernauts. Similar to the fashion world, there’s a resurgence and reinterpretation of toys from the 1990s and the Y2K era, captivating a new generation with their retro charm. Nostalgia emerges as a potent force driving the resurgence and expansion of specific toy categories and brands, with a significant 2 in 5 parents indicating a likelihood to purchase toys reminiscent of their childhood playthings.
Moreover, franchises linked to gaming and anime are rapidly gaining mainstream traction, mirroring their growing prominence in popular culture. A notable 26% of parents are inclined to buy toys based on gaming or anime content, signalling the widening appeal of these digital entertainment realms. As gaming and anime continue to shape contemporary culture, their integration into the toy market reflects a dynamic convergence of entertainment mediums, offering diverse play experiences that resonate with children and adults alike.
Conclusion:
The 2024 Toy & Play Trends showcase a rich tapestry of influences, from sustainability in Eco-lasting Play to the allure of Anime Mania and the nostalgia of Pop Culture at Play. These trends reflect evolving consumer values and preferences, emphasizing the importance of play in learning and development. As Conscientious Consumers drive demand for toys aligned with their values, the industry focuses on sustainability, diversity, and representation. Overall, these trends promise exciting opportunities for play and discovery, bridging generations and inspiring joy.
