Remember what it was like to be a tween? How could we possibly forget the all-encompassing crushes on boy bands, the numerous bar/bat mitzvah parties, and the after-school fights with parents that are a right of passage for many? But what most clearly characterizes this in-between age demographic is a lack of understanding. Tween-agers often feel like no one is listening to them — and it’s only right that the toy industry is finally heeding their roar. 

In the past few months, while the rise of the kidult consumer has grabbed mainstream headlines, the toy aisles have been brimming with a resurgence of tween-targeted toys. Can this tween reboot simply be attributed to a re-emergence of all things 2000s? Judging solely from the fashion industry, this may be the case. However, the answer seems to be more complex than that. 

Horizon Group products
Source: Horizon Group USA

“It may be driven by a recognition that tweens are at a point in their lives when they start asking themselves some big questions,” says Zoe Fraade-Blanar, Chief Creative Officer at Squishable. “They may be considering ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Where do I belong?’ for the first time in their lives.” She continues, positing that tweens occupy an unusual cultural space. “They are doubtlessly feeling societal pressure to start rethinking their relationships to the ‘childish’ objects, symbols, and routines in their lives, but at the same time, it’s natural for them to still feel enjoyment from many of them. A good tween-targeted toy serves both.” 

Source: ChattySnaps

AGREE TO DISAGREE

ChattySnaps co-founders Annalee Oakley and Alicia Schwartz put the blame on the pandemic. “Many of these kids weren’t tweens when the pandemic started and are having trouble adjusting to their new phase of life,” they say. “As a result, they may still be working through added trust issues, loss of self-esteem, and confidence. Toys bring people together in a fun way and fill the gap of learning social skills that only happen in person.” 

On the other hand, tweens have always been a popular category for the toy industry. “Tweens have consistently been the leading segment of kids driving the toy industry’s popular trends,” says Hiu Lee, Chief Marketing Officer at Horizon Group USA. “In today’s world, tweens are more connected than ever before, so products that allow them to self-express without boundaries will continue to resonate.” Although experts offer different opinions on why the tween category is booming, they all agree that toys are a way for this in-between demographic to express themselves at a time when they are questioning everything around them. 

And another thing these experts agree on? The fact that social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram have fueled this new frontier for the toy industry. “There is no denying that social media platforms are an important way for tweens and adults alike to discover new products,” Lee says. “Great products can spread a lot more virally in this always-on environment — but it also means that trends can come and go quickly, so it’s pertinent to remain true to providing great, hands-on experiences beyond the screen.” 

Fraade-Blanar agrees about social media’s fickleness: “Like the occasional lottery winner, it is possible to name many toys that have had viral marketing success on, say, TikTok. But in reality, each one represents thousands of accounts that did not. When it comes to social media in general, luck and volume both play a much bigger role than I think we credit.”

Fidgety slide toys. | Source: TopTrenz

THE ERA OF THE TWEEN-AGER

In the past, it’s been difficult for the toy industry to create toys specifically for tweens. There was a common sentiment that kids would “age out” of toys by the time they hit 10 or 11. But now, something has changed. Companies are pivoting their marketing strategies to cater directly to tweens. 

“We try to meet these kids where they are, stuck between being a kid and a grownup,” Oakley and Schwartz say. ChattySnaps’ products — collectible pins that feature trendy sayings — give tweens a way to connect without the use of a screen. “We offer them a way to have face-to-face conversations … without all the awkwardness of actually starting to have one.” 

Starting these types of dialogues can be hard for tweens, especially since they are beginning to question their identities. That’s why companies such as Horizon have elected to focus on DIY toys that aim to keep tweens in the creative space. If they can’t verbally say how they feel, perhaps they can express it. “The DIY products in our tween lineup of STMT, Just My Style, and It’s So Me offer just that — a way for tweens to add their style and vocalize their personality through custom accessories, journaling, nail design, and so much more,” Lee explains. 

But it’s not just creativity that helps tweens express themselves. Sensory toys can help them process their emotions as they journey into the great unknown — aka, puberty. We aren’t talking about the fidget spinners of 2017. Now, sensory and fidget toys have gotten a serious upgrade and come in all different shapes and sizes. Later this year, TopTrenz will launch its Squishmallows sensory toy collection in collaboration with Jazwares. These toys are “mindless, but keep [tweens’] hands busy or occupied,” says Corey Glassberg, President at TopTrenz. They “almost double as an accessory that they can take on the go.” 

Horizon Group USA creates on-trend products that help tweens express themselves. | Source: Horizon Group USA

LET TWEENS BE TWEENS

It’s also incredibly important for retailers and manufacturers to create that first connection with tweens as they age out of traditional toys. “With the use of toys now spanning into adulthood, making a connection at the tween point is only the beginning of the consumer relationship,” Glassberg says. “There is a new social norm that toys are not only for kids.” 

Although bridging that gap between kids and adults is critical, it’s also necessary to let kids know that they don’t have to grow up fast. “Our internal catchphrase is ‘rebelliously cute’ — the idea of fighting against adulthood using the power of adorable,” Fraade-Blanar says. “The world tells me I need to behave more grown-up? Well, I’m going to hug this [Squishable] avocado, and no one can stop me.” Tweens don’t need to become an adult all at once. It’s okay to still be a kid. 

Lee echoes this mentality. “Don’t define [this group] too narrowly,” he says. “There’s the macro trend of how tweens want to express themselves … but you need to pair that with micro moments, like tweens’ never-ending thirst for all things sparkles and glam, or mini and squishy.” Tweens contain multitudes. They aren’t the grade-schoolers of yesteryear anymore, but they also aren’t fully aged out of their childhood. Giving them space to grow on their own, especially in their play patterns, is paramount.

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Ultimately, tweens can talk a big game. Although they might crave independence, at the end of the day they are just beginning their journey into self-expression and adulthood. It’s valid that their desire for self-reliance is shared equally with their passion for all things miniature and sparkly. And the toy industry is learning quickly: Clearly, tweens can’t be pigeonholed into one category or one demographic. After all, that’s what it means to be in-be(tween).


A version of this article was originally published in the 2023 Classics & Specialty Issue of The Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!

About the author

Hannah Sacks

Hannah Sacks

Hannah Sacks was an editorial assistant at The Toy Insider, The Pop Insider, and The Toy Book. An avid reader, her first love is late Victorian literature paired with a huge plate of dumplings. When she’s not reading, she loves to attend concerts, cook elaborate dinners, and snuggle up with her two cats, Oscar and Percy.

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