Apart from hunting for the best deals, shoppers are also looking at toys that teach and stimulate, from companies that pledge social responsibility in their products.
Quinn Byrne, 5, shops with her mother Jamie Byrne, at a Learning Express store in Lake Zurich, Illinois, United States Sep 26, 2023. While still in its early phase, a growing number of toy marketers are embracing MESH — or mental, emotional and social health — as a designation for toys that teach kids skills like how to adjust to new challenges, resolve conflict, advocate for themselves, or solve problems.
“Tighter budgets are definitely something toymakers have put into consideration,” said Ms Isabel Carrion, senior director of digital communications at Toy Association, the trade association for the US toy industry. “I would say if this came out 18 months ago, it would have been closer to US$44.99 … so very much changing the way things are developed from the get-go of how can get the prices down.”
One such vendor was In Kidz, a firm which creates children’s play products that focus on learning about different cultures. “We have seen in the past six or seven years, the explosion of sensory and fidget toys, either hardline toys that crackle and pop and snap, or soft, squishy things. It reflects the needs of society,” said Mr Aaron Muderick.
The company’s co-founder and CEO Ted Fischer said the toy pets can help alleviate loneliness and cognitive decline, and aid those with Alzheimer's or dementia in interacting with their caregivers and loved ones. Stapelstein is one such toymaker using a new eco-friendly plastic to produce bright, stackable, recyclable domes designed for multifunctional and long-term use.
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