Great Gizmos
Blind them with science Science and nature toys are as popular as ever, so what’s up next for this category, which is always a sure-fire winner for retailers?
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oys based around science and nature have experienced a real surge in sales over the past 18 months or so, and with more families spending time outside, has this increased interest, particularly in the nature part of the category? Great Gizmos sales director Sarah Dayus thinks so. “With people spending more time at home and outside, we have seen a huge increase in sales across our science kits,” she says. “We have seen a particular rise across our Green Science range, which encourages children to learn all about renewable energy including solar power, wind power, and more. We have expanded this range to keep up with demand, and our customers are very happy with the innovation and variety.’’ The story is the same at Thames & Kosmos, says sales director Jo Drage: “Educational board games and STEM kits are our bread and butter, and we have various kits in our ranges which are designed to be used both inside and out.
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“Take our bestselling FEAK range for example, which over the first half of 2021 has seen soaring sales - and particularly our Rubber Band Racers, Solar Powered Rovers and the Ultra Light Airplanes, which can be played with indoors or outdoors and provide educational fun while not breaking the bank.’’ Toynamics has also focused on its nature range, says managing director David Allan: “This year we have extended our Hape Nature Fun range, which has been very popular with shoppers interested in educational play, and an increased desire for toys for outdoor play, appealing to children engrossed by nature, bugs and watching plants grow.’’ So why has there been an increase in interest in this sector? Jo Drage at Thames & Kosmos thinks that “a lot of parents have rediscovered their passion for STEM while helping their children throughout the pandemic and have really enjoyed the learning journey together. This trend appears
Curiosity-led learning Scientist Renee Watson, founder and head of explosions at The Curiosity Box which offers science-based subscription boxes, explains the benefits of curiosity-led learning Toys that are made for curiosity-led learning, that help children to explore and understand the world around them, have so many benefits. Not only do they encourage curiosity, they also build confidence in science and engineering (STEM) skills and a connection to the natural world that we know boosts wellbeing. Neuroscience tells us that when we are curious, the pleasure centres of the brain are switched on. Couple this with the benefits of being in nature, and it’s no wonder that creative, curiosity-catalysing toys are so popular with children and their grown ups. Curiosity Boxes fuse a child-led approach to learning, similar to the Montessori method, with seriously fun handson STEM activities. What is important is that we move on from one-hit wonder STEM toys like the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar volcano, to exploratory toys that give children all the tools they need to lead their own discovery, and to understand something new about their world. That could be anything from what we can learn from our poo, to how CO2 changes our oceans.
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