The ideal childhood should be made up of rainbows and butterflies without a worry in sight, but kids today are growing up in a hectic world and it’s taking a toll on their mental health. As a result, manufacturers are creating more toys in the activities category that are incorporating themes of wellness and mindfulness to help kids process their emotions and learn important life skills.
Hands-on activity sets and crafting kits can serve as a creative outlet, giving kids tools to address how they’re feeling while they design and experiment. Horizon Group USA’s product theme for the year is “Wellness for Kids,” and the manufacturer is incorporating the trend into many of its brands, including Just My Style, STMT, It’s So Me, and SlimyGloop.
“We want to give kids a chance to explore and learn about themselves through the realms of personalization, DIY crafts, and imaginative play,” says Horizon Group USA Executive Vice President Hiu Lee. “A lot of what we do allows them that chance to connect with themselves and that’s really a platform for them to release any negative energy that they might be harboring.”
Both the names of the products and the packaging strongly convey the wellness theme, with products such as the STMT Self-Love Club DIY Nail Art Studio, the STMT Tru2U DIY Positivity Mirror Kit, and the It’s So Me Be-YOU-tiful Self-Care Studio. “I think that a lot of consumers these days look for a full-on experience,” Lee says. “You’re dealing with a bunch of consumers who are well educated and perceptive, and they can find information right at their fingertips. There’s no fooling them. So, we can’t just have a bunch of marketing, verbiage, and callouts that are just surface-level. We’ve got to give them a full-on wellness experience when it comes to our products.”
MEandMine also incorporates messages of self-love on its packaging, including the quote, “I hope you discover the magic I see in you,” on each STEAM-based activity kit. Elinor Huang founded the company in 2019 with a mission to help kids build resilience and self-esteem. The science kits take kids on anatomical adventures to teach them how different parts of our bodies manage our emotions, making connections between physical and mental health. Kids can learn about healthy eating habits with the Aha! Digestion kit or explore ways to express feelings with the Aha! Emotions kit.
“If kids can understand and appreciate how their body, mind, and emotions work, they can also appreciate themselves and become empowered to take care of themselves in a healthy way,” Huang says. “They can develop a greater sense of self-esteem and self-worth, and that can really carry them further in life.”
Bright Stripes launched its Wish*Craft line in 2020 to give tweens and teens intention-filled crafting activities with a tactile, meditative nature, such as weaving with yarn, painting wood, and journaling. The activities are designed to help kids set goals and feel gratitude. For example, the Wish Jar Inspirational 3D Journal features prompt cards that kids can fill with uplifting messages and the Moon Journal encourages mindful self-awareness by teaching kids how to chart their goals.
More companies are marketing journals as toys by incorporating activities and other features. Bright Stripes’ therapeutic Art Journals each feature a different theme to encourage self-discovery. The Sparkling Aspirations Journal includes a project called “Creating Light in the Dark,” in which kids write down the names of people, pets, or activities that help bring light into the darkness. Similarly, hand2mind’s Express My Feelings Journal helps kids identify emotions and reflect on what makes them feel the way they do.
Wellness activities can also be tactile. Educational Insights is investing in the mindfulness trend with new toys such as the My Feelings Bean Bags. Each bean bag features a different emotion and texture, and kids can use the activity guide to help identify their feelings.
In a world full of uncertainty, wellness has become part of a larger conversation — and kids are benefiting with activity toys that help them reach their fullest potential.
This article was originally published in the May 2022 edition of the Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue!
