Toys are not only entertainment, but also a learning tool. Through them, children learn to know themselves, to relate to others and to better understand the world around them.
But on top of that, toys reflect the preferences of children of each generation. The toys that our parents played with are not the same ones that we play with or those our children play today. Times have changed and toys, with them. They respond to the needs, desires and preferences of the little ones in every historical moment. But What are today's children looking for in toys?
An interesting investigation of the AIJU (Toy Technology Institute) entitled Toy Trends 2012: Insights of the Now Generation in which the emotions and feelings of the children have been analyzed to better know their preferences when choosing a game or toy.
AIJU is dedicated to observing where the tastes and behaviors of the current generation of children go, who, if you observe the title well, defines it as The Now Generation, the 'Generation of Ya'. That information is what they then consider to develop children's products.
What children value in toys
In general, there are four values that all children's social profiles look for in toys.
These are: the imaginary world (be creative, imaginative and inventor), the humor (be funny, laugh or entertain), The surprise (surprise and surprise) and the tribe (feeling of belonging to a group).
Not all children are equal and each social profile has its own characteristics, but these four aspects are what most children value.
Then each group and each child looks for different values when it comes to play, that meet personal needs. Is what they call differential insights, among which stand out the competitiveness, secrets, freedom, friendship or being different, among others.
Toy trends
The research also analyzes where the toy market is going, according to children's tastes and behaviors.
Today's children prefer products with which they are obtained higher added value such as gameplay with games two for one or more game time.
They opt for technological toys It is sometimes difficult to define the product as a toy or as a gadget.
They want play everywhere, so they look for toys that allow them to continue enjoying them anywhere and while doing other daily routines. Come on, like adults with mobiles.
Looking to the future, but also to the past: It turns to the classics by adapting them. Toys of other times become reinvented and updated.
The tendency of parents to want children to only learn through toys is changing. Although they still believe it is important to learn, it is even more important. have fun and have a happy child.
Aesthetic trends in current toys
Finally, a section of the investigation that has caused me grace is that of the aesthetic trends that are having great interest in children of nowadays.
One of them, indisputable, is the trend casual dark, a gothic aesthetic, dark but fun, casual and even sexy, related to monster stories. It seems to be the rage of the moment among girls, the proof of this is that Monster High dolls are sold out this Christmas because they are their favorite.
Another trend is the urban, which refers to the street world and everything that arises from it. And finally, the trend ecofuture, which refers to a friendly, organic, ergonomic and, above all, ecological technological future.
If you doubt, AIJU research helps us to know better what are today's children looking for in toys in order to know better their preferences and to understand a little more this generation of children already-teconological-gothic-ecological.
