HOTHOUSE TOY WORKSHOP:TOYS, PLAY, AND TRENDS

Vicky Teinaki16 October 2007

DESIGNING TOYS:

DESIGNING TOYS:

Don’t think toys, think play:toys change over the years; play patterns don’t

Play isn’t always cute and fun either ....

TYPES OF PLAY:

TYPES OF PLAY:

Constructive Exploratory play (e.g. stacking bricks)

Object play (novel uses of objects e.g. cloth, cup)

Creative play (creating with materials/tools for own sake)

Symbolic Symbolic play (e.g. using string to symbolise a wedding ring)

Communication play (mime, singing, poetry)

Dramatic play (presenting a TV show, festive event etc.)

Fantasy play (playing at being a pilot flying a plane etc.)

Role play (brushing with a broom, dialling a phone, driving a car)

Physical Locomotor play (digging holes, building fires)

Rough and tumble play (play fighting, chasing)

Deep play (leaping onto an aerial runway, balancing on a beam)

TYPES OF PLAY RELATED TO 2006 TOP TOYS:

Constructive

Symbolic

Physical

(none)

AGE AND GENDER:

Both very important

Not all types of play are available to younger children

Boys = more orientated towards constructive activitiesGirls = leaning towards narrative

AGE AND TYPES OF PLAY:

Constructive Symbolic Physical Co-operative Games

<2 yrs

2-4 yrs

4-7 yrs

7-11yrs

>11yrs

TOYS AND PLAY QUESTIONS:

TOYS AND PLAY QUESTIONS:

How old is the child?

Boy or girl?

What type(s) of play patterns?

When and where is the play happening?

One or many players?

Does the play have rules?

CRANIUM ‘3 MOMENTS’ MODEL:

1. Situational moment (when and where)

2. Emotional moment (how players feel)

3. Developmental moment (age of players - important)

TOY INDUSTRY:

Building Sets$0.7b (0%)

Arts and Crafts$2.7b (+8%)

Action figures $1.2b (-7%)

TOY INDUSTRY STATISTICS 2006-7 ($US):

Dolls$2.7b (+1%)

Youth Electronics$1.1b (+17%)

Games/Puzzles$2.4b (0%)

Infant/Preschool$3.3b (+4%)

Outdoor and Sports$2.8b (-5%)

Plush$1.4b (+3%)

Vehicles$2.2b (+9%)

RELEVANT TOY TRENDS:

RELEVANT TOY TRENDS:

From edu-tainment to smart toys

Classic toys + electronics

Blurring between role play toys and real tools

Crossing the age/gender divide

RELEVANT TOY TRENDS:

From edu-tainment to smart toys

Musini (Neurosmith)

LeapPad (Leap Frog) Together Tunes (Neurosmith)

RELEVANT TOY TRENDS:

Classic toys + electronics

Webkinz (Ganz)

Furreal My First Pony (Hasbro)

Let’s Dance Barbie (Mattel)

LEGO Mindstorms

RELEVANT TOY TRENDS:

Blurring between role play toys and real tools

Zoombox (Hasbro)Kid-Tough Digital Camera (Fisher-Price) Wherefone

RELEVANT TOY TRENDS:

Crossing the age/gender divide

Polly-Wheels (Mattel)Cranium (Cranium)

TIPS:

TIPS:

What is the ‘hook’?

Can you add a twist (a new spin on an old toy)?

It’s all about play - preferably open ended play....

Children think differently from adults!