Unboxing 2.0, Compound Crazy, Throwback Toys, Foodie Fun, Inspirational & Aspirational Play, and Explosive Entertainment Named Biggest Trends of the Year
NEW YORK, NY | February 17, 2019 – New ways to explore the unboxing craze, compounds including slime, putty, and sand that foster creative play, and toys that prepare and inspire children for the future are just a few of 2019’s biggest toy trends announced today by The Toy Association at its 116th North American International Toy Fair.
“Parents and kids today are looking for toys and games that are fun, engaging, and keep them coming back for more, but that also enrich the play value to help build lifelong skills,” said Ken Seiter, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “The toy industry is doing an amazing job of providing innovation along with classic toys and games to deliver cutting-edge playthings to the toy aisle. The top trends announced today reflect a continued demand for toys that include a surprise element, toys that tap into nostalgia, playthings that encourage kids to try out different activities and explore new worlds, and unique licensed-based toys that enhance developmental skills through play.”
The Toy Association’s team of trend experts predicts that 2019 will see some of the most creative and imaginative new products to hit store shelves in recent years. The team meets with hundreds of global toy companies throughout the year to track the latest developments in toys and youth entertainment. At Toy Fair New York, the team combs through thousands of products on the show floor before making an official announcement of the year’s hottest trends at a “Toy Trends Briefing” for media, buyers, and other show guests. The briefing was held this afternoon at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center; products shown during the presentation will be hitting stores in time for holiday ’19.
A summary of the top six trends follows:
- Unboxing 2.0
Unboxing continues to be a big trend as kids love the surprise element of unwrapping a toy and enjoy searching for rare or limited-edition versions. Unboxing goes to a whole new level in 2019 with added play patterns and features that extend the elements of surprise by encouraging new ways to play with the toy, making this trend more than just unwrapping and collecting. This is done when the unboxing play becomes “part of the story,” such as a secret decoder or unique packaging that transforms into storage or playsets, etc.
- Compound Crazy: Dough, Slime, Sand and More….
Creative and reusable compounds like slime, kinetic sand, dough, putty, and others are popular not only on their own such as in playdoh sets or as part of the slime craze, but also within the unboxing trend, where compounds are being seen as another layer kids have to “dig through” to get to the prize – adding even more suspense to the toy. Activities that are compound-based are a good way to get kids to tap into their creative side, allowing them to familiarize themselves with different textures and styles of design and construction. According to The Toy Association’s Genius of Play initiative, creative play provides children the freedom to explore new possibilities and to learn to think outside the box, enabling them to practice original thinking and devising unique solutions to challenges they face – a skill kids will likely need later in life. This element of educational value is sure to get parents on board with the craze for compounds.
- Throwback Toys
2019 will usher in big anniversaries for some of the entertainment world’s most beloved characters and movies, as well as iconic toys and games that will ignite a wave of nostalgia for parents and grandparents back to their childhood. Parents are looking to share toys and characters that played a big part of their childhoods with their kids and this will include classic low-tech playthings.
- Foodie Fun
From trendy foods to farmer’s markets to food trucks, there are a myriad of scrumptious and creative ways that food and drink items have made their way into the toy aisle as popular playthings. This is a reflection of the strong priority that millennial parents have placed on being health conscious and fundamentally aware of where their food is sourced. It is also apparent that both girls and boys are equally interested in toys and games that reflect the foodie culture. In addition, from fruity to spicy to even off-putting or gross-out smells, scented toys have become a must-have item for kids, who find it fun to pick a scent that appeals to them and to collect characters, toys, backpack charms, and other playthings that consist of a favorite smell.
- Inspirational and Aspirational Play
Whether it’s a fashion designer, a chef, or learning to build a robot, there is a growing trend of toys, games, and activities that can help prepare and inspire kids for the future. These playthings incorporate features that enhance learning, such as using innovative technology, nurture a child’s natural curiosity, and motivate them to explore skills and interests that could potentially lead to their future career path. According to The Toy Association’s Decoding STEM/STEAM report, toys play a crucial role in teaching STEAM concepts to kids by helping develop these necessary skills and competencies through play. In addition, the report said toys can motivate kids to get excited about new areas, make mistakes without fear, and help facilitate collaboration among peers.
- Explosive Entertainment!
In 2019, the entertainment industry has a number of family-friendly movies sure to delight the kid in all of us. From live-action remakes such as The Lion King and Aladdin, to Toy Story 4 to the next Star Wars and Avengers installments, not to mention the hugely popular Frozen is finally getting a sequel in 2019, it should be a busy year not only on the big screen, but also for licensed toys and games. Licensing continues to be a huge part of the toy business, representing about 30 percent of all U.S. toy sales. These playthings continue to be enhanced – infusing popular licensed properties in all types of unique products from plush to playsets to tech toys.
Additional information about these trends is available on-site at Toy Fair in the Press Center (through 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19 in the South Concourse, above Hall E) or via e-mail to The Toy Association’s public relations contact listed on this release. A video of the presentation will be available for viewing at ToyAssociation.org in the coming days. Visit TheGeniusofPlay.org to learn about the many developmental benefits of play.
ABOUT THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR www.ToyFairNY.com
Toy Fair is an annual event that is produced by The Toy Association. The largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, Toy Fair takes place each February at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. The show brings together more than 1,000 exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers, and sales agents to showcase hundreds of thousands of toys and youth entertainment products to retail outlets and trade guests from 100 countries.
ABOUT THE TOY ASSOCIATION www.ToyAssociation.org
Founded in 1916, The Toy Association , Inc. is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $110.9 billion, and its 1000+ members drive the annual $28 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play, and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, government, consumers, and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.
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