3 minute read
Parents Insights
PLAYTIME BRINGING THE FAMILY TOGETHER
Latest trend data from The Insights Family is showing an increased sense of parents and children enjoying playtime activities all together as a family unit.
Over the last 18 months, families around the world have become much more tightknit as they have spent the majority of their time together inside homes during the lockdown and Covid restrictions.
Our latest trend data shows an increased sense of togetherness and kids and parents enjoying activities all together as a family unit.
According to the Kids Insights data, preschoolers in the UK spend more time playing in general than their peers elsewhere across Europe. On average this year, 3-5 year olds in the UK play with toys and games for 1h 35m every day, compared to 1h 32m in Italy, 1h 30m in France and 1h 24m in Spain.
The UK also has one of the highest rates in the European 5 when it comes to parents playing together with their children - with 44% doing this at least once per day, compared to 32% in France. 1 in 5 parents of 3-5s (equivalent to 2.4 million) also report that playing board games and puzzles as a family is their favourite family hobby. Of these parents, 55% report that this helps them to bond as a family, making it the second top reason for it being their favourite hobby.
These attitudes are translating into consumption shifts, too. Over the last three months, the number of parents 3-5s in the UK who purchase toys because it is something that they can play as a family has grown by 47%. This takes it from the seventh most influential factor to the fifth.
In Europe, parents place even more importance over family play when it comes to purchasing toys and games. In fact, in Germany, 32% of parents of preschoolers are buying toys to play all together as a family, as well as 28% in France, 28% in Spain and 22% in Italy.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU…
With families seeking out products and experiences that help them bond, there’s an opportunity for brands to adapt their marketing messages to emphasise any features that promote family time. When we also consider a world where parents are increasingly concerned about screen time (52% of UK parents with 3-5 year olds are concerned about screen time and how much time their child is spending on devices), toys are well positioned to serve the demand for family bonding. In the increasingly digitised kids’ entertainment world, the sheer number of apps, content and platforms available to this generation can potentially be overwhelming for parents.
It’s clear parents understand the positive impact toys can have on their child’s wellbeing and development.
Over recent months, our data has shown how parents are looking for more than just fun and entertainment when purchasing toys. This year following the growth of initiatives prioritising mental and physical wellbeing, families are showing the importance of spending time together and developing their skills and knowledge, and brands that can help enable this are likely to resonate with both parents and kids alike.
With kids holding more influence than ever before in the house, it’s never been more important to understand and define your audience.
Left: Nick Richardson, ceo and founder, The Insights Family.
To help brands understand the latest changes in the market, The Insights Family produced Media Planning Playbook. It's designed to provide brands with an update of the key trends including the latest viewing habits, the power of a Metaverse and family gaming. The Playbook also provides an understanding of the end-to-end campaign process, and how insights have to play in maximising ROI this Christmas. To learn more about the attitudes, behaviour, and consumption patterns of kids, parents, and families, and to get freemium access to The Insights Family realtime data portal, please visit: get. theinsightsfamily.com/mediamix.
