August Issue

• It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
  - Editorial
• The Baby Boutique
  - What's hot for tots in 2010
• Up the Garden Path -
  - Quality assurance, high-design and originality . . . gardens are calling the shots
• Make it a Wrap
  - First impressions do count, which is why beautifully wrapped gifts are so enticing.
• Get Sharp
  - News from the sharp side.
• Festive Forecast
  - What's hot for this Christmas season?

The Baby Boutique . . .
What's hot for tots in 2010

In a world where product sales are increasingly driven by fads and trends, savvy retailers know that few industries rival fashion and toys for the need to know what's hot … and what's not.

REYNE RICE, TOY TRENDS SPECIALIST OF THE US TOY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, REPORTS

Though tweens and teens may top the charts of trend-driven product sales, tots and toddlers also ride the wave of latest styles. Products designed for the youngest consumers (0–24 months) must attract the attention of mums and dads, aunts and uncles, grandparents or other adult shoppers before making their way into a shopping basket.

Forward-looking and fast-acting retailers who stay abreast of the latest styles can stock shelves with innovative products – from eco-friendly to tech-laden toys – that attract attention in the aisles. Equally important is the selection of products that will empower shoppers with choices that will keep the intended user of those toys safe.

The North American Toy Industry Association (TIA) has developed a free
brochure – Fun Play, Safe Play (available for download from www.ToyInfo.org) – to help consumers and retailers understand a growing baby's rapidly changing skill-sets and identify the types of toys that best align with each of several defined steps in the evolution from newborn to toddler and preschooler. A balanced assortment of toys and games will contribute to the development of active minds and bodies. Certain products are geared towards a child's motor skills (from gross-motor skills such as reaching, crawling and walking to fine-motor skills such as the use of hands and fingers) while others promote critical thinking, creativity and imagination, language, social and emotional skills and self-esteem.

Child development experts agree that each child is unique and will develop at his or her own pace, but certain stages are fairly predictable. For example, children generally sit up unsupported in the middle of the first year and take their first steps in the early half of the second year. These averages help toymakers design and label playthings that will be safe for and appealing to children of a specific age group. The practice of ‘age grading' has become an important (and legally required) safety feature that fosters fun by taking some of the guesswork out of choosing toys that are appropriate for the age of the child that will be receiving the toy.

AGE: Birth to six months

In the first six months of its life, babies use their senses to learn about their world. New babies are unable to grasp objects with their hands, but do certainly enjoy exploring with their ears and eyes. Retailers will want to fill their shelves with toys that make noise or feature high-contrast, blackand- white or brightly coloured images. Once infants can reach for objects, they enjoy toys that are textured and safe for mouthing.

Examples of toys appropriate for this age include:

• Crib-attachable toys such as mobiles
• Light and sound soothers or musical and chime toys
• Rattles and teethers
• Stroller-attachable toys
• Soft plush (appropriately age-graded and for play outside the crib).

A few of the many hot products and manufacturers to watch for in this category during holiday 2010 are baby soothers from Cloud B; crib mobiles and soothers from Cloud B and Fisher Price; teethers, mobiles and rattles from Hape, Haba, Plan Toys, Battat B-Line; and eco-friendly (green) soft and fabric toys from Mary Meyer, Learning Curve Lamaze, Goldberger, and Hosung's My Yim and Dr. Seuss lines.

AGE: Six months to 12 months

During this developmental period, babies are mastering the motor skills that enable them to play with toys in new and exciting ways. When babies can sit up, they enjoy toys they can bang, drop, stack, put in and take out, and open and shut. And once they start moving – whether that be crawling, ‘cruising' (walking while holding something), or walking – then they enjoy things that move along with them. Toys that show cause and effect are also particularly thrilling at this age. In addition to the products listed above for ages 0–6 months, toys appropriate for this age group include:

• Activity centres
• Bouncers
• Shape-sorters, stackers and safe, unbreakable mirrored toys
• Hand-held baby “manipulatives” (such as more complicated rattles and toys with sounds and textures) and simple push-pull toys
• Bath toys.

Among the many great toys and manufacturers illustrating hot trends in this category for holiday 2010 are Sprig Toys' new infant stacker; Soft Delingos by Geared For Imagination; colourful plush by Douglas Cuddle Toys; active play toys by Melissa and Doug, VTech and the Learning Curve Brands' Lamaze line; bath toys by Funrise, Bandai Pocoyo and more.

AGE: One to two years

In their second year of life, children are explorers. Fuelled by curiosity and wonder, toddlers are also incredibly active. A busy toddler needs toys for this physical play – walking, climbing, pushing and riding – and ones that encourage experimentation and manipulation. At this age, children imitate adults and enjoy props that help them master life skills. Retailers will also want to stock up on imaginative and educational toys, as well as games that teach nurturing and other social skills. A few examples of toys appropriate for this age include:

• Ride-on (feet propelled) and push-pull toys
• Chunky toddler construction toys that develop grasping and stacking skills
• Cause-and-effect toys (push-open doors, peek-a-boo play patterns, etc)
• Nurturing toys, such as first baby dolls
• Simple crafts such as finger-painting, colouring, and collage work.

Some of the many toymakers with product lines illustrating top category trends in 2010 are Fisher Price, Hasbro Playskool, Playmobil, MegaBrands and Crayola; Alex Toys Little Hands line; LEGO's Duplo line; soft dolls from Corolle and Madame Alexander; Moon Dough and Moon Sand from Spin Master and Playdoh from Hasbro; puzzles and other creativity-inspired projects from Ravensburger and Fundex; and matching games from Briarpatch, Leapfrog and Pressman.

More top picks

In addition to the tips found in the Fun Play, Safe Play brochure, another resource on www.ToyInfo.org (found under the ‘Trends' tab of the website's navigation menu) is the May 2010 ‘Reyne Talks Toys' video featuring toys for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Products shown in the video and in this article were among the thousands debuted in February 2010 during the American International Toy Fair. To attend the next Toy Fair, 13–16 February 2011, and see first-hand the newest emerging trends for toys for tots to teens, visit www.ToyFairNY.com

“The practice of ‘age grading' has become an important (and legally required) safety feature that fosters fun by taking some of the guesswork out of choosing toys that are appropriate for the age of the child that will be receiving the toy.”