by JENNIFER LYNCH, content developer, The Toy Association
The Toy Association’s trends team will unveil the hottest toy trends for 2023 during the Toy Trends Briefing taking place March 8 during The Play Date, an exclusive, media-only event presented by The Toy Association and Adventure Media & Events — publisher of The Toy Book — in New York City. While The Play Date exhibitors showcase their 2023 toys to top-tier media, the trends team will present new insights into the types of toys kids will be clamoring for throughout the year.
“Our team will give media an inside look at new and emerging trends impacting toys and how kids, tweens, teens, and adults will be engaging with toys and play in 2023,” says Adrienne Appell, Executive Vice President of Marketing Communications at The Toy Association. “The presentation will include brand-new products from Play Date exhibitors to exemplify each trend and will cover trends in parallel industries that are impacting the play landscape.”
In the months leading up to the Toy Trends Briefing, the trends team took virtual and in-person meetings with toy companies to preview hundreds of products and scouted trends across social media, tech, fashion, and other industries to identify five themes as ones to watch in the toy aisles in 2023. To illustrate these trends, the Association’s trend experts will use examples straight from The Play Date’s exhibitors. Plus, a longer-form digital presentation featuring additional toy examples will follow the announcement and will be made available online at toyassociation.org/trends and on The Toy Association’s YouTube channel.
“From toys that encourage families to step away from their devices to learn new skills and focus on self-care to jumbo- and micro-size toys that tap into the novelty of scale, the trends will provide media with key insights as they look to develop stories about the industry and the future of the play space.”
— Adrienne Appell, Executive Vice President of Marketing Communications, The Toy Association
This year’s report will also look at how toymakers are continuing to take advantage of trends driven by social media as well as opting for partnerships with verified experts in fields related to education, diversity, and sustainability to ensure their products are authentic and deliver on the values that matter to today’s families.
“Today’s consumers are savvy,” Appell says. “They not only care about the price of the toys but also want to support companies that are true to their word and authentically bring to life everything from critical social issues to educational concepts for kids.”
While past years have focused on the growth of kidult toy buyers, this year the team is predicting the rise of tween and teen shoppers. As this demographic continues to have more influence on what’s trending, it presents another opportunity for toymakers to grow their consumer base, and age-up and age-down lines to reach this critical audience.
“What the pandemic showed us is that while it used to be taboo to play with toys past a certain age, that’s no longer the case and all ages are embracing their playful side,” Appell says.
A version of this article was originally published in the 2023 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
