Yes, there are some toys that never go out of fashion. Children will always want to get creative with LEGO and families will always argue over a Monopoly board. However, the toy landscape is indeed changing, and the wants of the upcoming generation are shaping it in some surprising ways. Here are some of the toy trends that could be seeing the more traditional type becoming less and less popular.
An era of digital entertainment
Nintendo has been a household name since the 80s, so some might consider games consoles a toy that never really goes out of fashion. However, no-one could have imagined back then how much video games would grow, nor the new ways kids would be interacting with them. Kids aren’t just playing video games now, they’re watching them online through streams, they’re competing in them professionally, and they’re affecting pop culture in ways that would probably have seemed impossible even ten years ago. Floss dancing, anyone?
Gadgets that get you out
A couple of decades ago, the kind of gadget you could market as a toy might include a Furby or a spy watch. Nowadays, it’s real, versatile tech that both kids and adults love. And more than that, gadgets are actually getting people outside and interacting with their world and environment in brand new ways. The clearest example of this is the drone, as shown at dronesuavreport.com, where you can see how operators used drones to completely change an experience as traditional as fishing on the river. Talk about the old meeting the new.
The surprise of it all
These toys are a combination of two trends, rather than one individual one. The idea of a toy hatching from an egg is being combined with the fact that kids are really into not really knowing what they’re getting. Compared to the little surprise eggs of the past, products like Hatchimals from spinmaster.com are much more impressive. And they’re far from the only brand to make use of this combination, with Orbeez being another big one. Part of this craze might be thanks to the growing user base on kids on Youtube and the increasing popularity of “unveiling videos” for that audience.
Goo, putty, and other gross things
Kids have always loved this kind of thing. Just look at how incredibly common “slime” was in Nickelodeon shows back in the mid-to-late 90s and you can see that. However,, slime, goo, putty or whatever else you want to call it has absolutely exploded as of late, with kits to make your own, slimes that glitter, slimes that change colors and much more. Again, part of this popularity might be related to the rise of slime videos on kids’ Youtube, but there is actually a scientific reason kids love slime, too.
Of course, kids (and big kids) can find the opportunity to play in just about anything. Really, it’s more about how attitudes and perceptions change what they want to play with. Crazes will come and go, but the love of toys will always remain.