Today’s kids are growing up in a technology driven world, but that does not mean they are trading in dolls and board games for tablets and video games. The latest report from The NPD Group, Kids Share of Time and Wallet 2015, found that traditional and technology play are co-existing as kids are devoting about the same amount of their time on both types of activities.
The study found that traditional play activities, which includes playing with traditional toys and board games, doing arts and crafts, reading, and going to the movies, tops the list of activity types that kids aged 0-14 participate in during their free time, followed closely by technology based activities, which includes playing video games, watching television, listening to music, and using the computer for non-gaming activities. On a weekly basis, 87 percent of kids are engaged in traditional play/activities, while 85 percent are engaged in technology play/activities.
Mobile has impacted the way in which kids engage with TV and movies. Among those who participate in the activity, kids today are spending about 6.7 hours per week watching traditional television and about 4.3 hours watching TV, movies or videos on a mobile device, which includes smartphones, tablets, and iPod touch. The integration of mobile into kids’ daily lives has shifted the technology landscape, and has the potential to influence their relationship with traditional toys. Amidst the growth of technology and mobile device usage, the U.S. toy industry is also growing, and at a higher rate than it has been for the past few years, according to The NPD Group.
