Feature - Pre-School

Lots for Tots

As some of the most popular pre-school properties celebrate significant anniversaries, Toy World’s Gabriela Jimenez takes a look at the many new licensed products coming out this year, and the demand for toys that support the development of children’s personal and social skills.

Pre-school toys are a core element of most toy retailers’ product offering, and furthermore it is a category that is largely protected from some of the challenges that affect other sectors of the toy market. The pre-school demographic is unlikely to shrink too much as children’s development follows a pretty fixed pattern. Toddlers are less likely to be lost to screen time – or other interests - than older kids, and parents and gift givers will always seek toys that enchant, entertain and support developmental milestones. The category spans many sub-genres; basic construction, role play, early learning – and of course, early fandom of favourite characters.

2024 is a year of celebration for multiple pre-school brands. In February, Peppa Pig’s Cinema Party arrived at global cinemas to commemorate the character’s 20th anniversary and the biggest celebration ever, inviting families worldwide to embark on an eventful experience showcasing 10 exclusive, never-before-seen Peppa Pig season 10 episodes. To support the celebrations, various companies have expanded their Peppa Pig ranges and released fresh new products to excite pre-school audiences.

Hasbro is introducing plenty of newness to its Peppa Pig offering and seeing success with its most recent launches. Fresh Peppa lines include Peppa’s Caravan play set, which enables children to imagine what it would be like to travel in a caravan, just like Peppa and her family, and perform activities such as cooking in the kitchen and sleeping in bunk beds. Other additions include Peppa’s Family Red Car, Peppa’s Family Motorhome and Peppa Pig’s Party Friends, which further celebrates Peppa’s 20th birthday by introducing 12 Peppa Pig friends in shimmery party outfits.

Character Options is launching Sing with Me Peppa, which features a plush version of Peppa Pig wearing her signature red dress and singing three popular pre-school songs. Children can choose to sing in solo mode or join Peppa in a duet by holding the mic close to her mouth. Additionally, joining HTI’s licensed portfolio this year is Peppa’s Dashboard, an interactive, multifeatured toy allowing children to drive Peppa Pig’s car.

The Lion King is celebrating three decades of fascinating children with its classic storytelling and iconic characters. To commemorate its 30th anniversary and the release of the highly anticipated Mufasa: The Lion King movie debuting this winter, Rainbow Designs has launched the Disney Baby Lion King range, including the My First Simba Soft Toy, Simba Comforter and Ring Rattle and a stimulating Simba Sensory Play Mat.

Meanwhile, Paw Patrol, Gabby’s Dollhouse and Bluey have all established themselves as key properties in the pre-school toy category, with licensees continuing to meet demand with fresh products coming to the market in 2024. According to Circana, Paw Patrol continues to be the number one property within pre-school toys, as it has been for the last five years, and it currently has the top three best-selling SKUs in the category. Spin Master is enjoying huge success with its Jungle Pups Vehicle assortment, which showed the best item progression across total toys in February and was the number two-selling item in the pre-school toys category (Circana YTD).

Spin Master’s Gabby’s Dollhouse range is also set to expand, with Gabby’s Purrfect Dollhouse and Gabby’s Dollhouse Purrific Pool Playset joining the company’s product portfolio. Meanwhile, Posh Paws has seen plenty of success with its award-winning Gabby’s Dollhouse plush which continues to thrive. New for this year, the company is ready to bring out a plush play set of Gabby’s dollhouse featuring the same decoration as seen on the show. Simba Smoby, Character Options and HTI are also expanding their portfolios of Gabby’s Dollhouse products, with plenty in the pipeline for the year ahead.

Currently one of the most watched pre-school shows in the UK, Bluey is still a popular choice for young children, and Moose Toys’ brand-new Bluey collection will recreate iconic ‘For Real Life’ moments from the show for an engaging role-play experience. The new range features the Bluey Firetruck, the Mini Bluey Home Playset, the 3-in-1 Bluey Airplane Playset and various other additions. Speaking on the launch of the new Bluey line, Moose’s VP Marketing & Brand Strategy, Logan Stone, told Toy World that the company’s goal is to inspire children and get them to engage in play that mirrors experiences from the Bluey universe, while also fostering a creative environment for them to craft their own unique adventures.

Although the latter licences take the crown as some of the hottest pre-school brands right now, there are always new properties attempting to break into the pre-school market, and with the rise in popularity of streaming platforms including Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube, kids are now exposed to more pre-school licences than ever before.

The Creature Cases has rapidly become a highly popular children’s programme on Netflix, gathering more than 68m hours of viewing time. Following the success of the show, master toy partner PMI is ready to launch a brand-new range of collectible figurines, plush toys, articulated action figures and vehicle play sets arriving in the spring of 2025. Later on in this feature, we bring Toy World readers an article in conjunction with PMI discussing why it believes that Creature Cases is a breath of fresh air for the pre-school category (See page 130, 131).

Away from the pre-school licensed segment, many toy companies produce toys that will aid the development of children’s personal, social and emotional skills, with parents seeking toys that will encourage self-confidence and inspire creativity in children. Toynamics is one of the companies aspiring to keep up with these trends by launching products that will introduce children to the concepts of socialisation.

“As Covid babies are now reaching pre-school age, it seems there has been a rising trend from parents who understand the importance of supporting their child(ren) to have a positive sense of themselves, respect for others and developing social skills”, comments Emma Damerell, head of Marketing at Toynamics. The brand has recently announced the expansion of its Hape portfolio, introducing plenty of new role-play toys. Recent additions include the Sizzling BBQ Set, which features various accessories and sound effects to engage children and stimulate their imagination while encouraging the development of critical thinking, social and emotional skills, hand-and-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Rainbow Designs has also created pre-school toys that encourage children to tap into their creative side and develop their interpersonal skills. “There is a growing popularity for pre-school toys that encourage open-ended play, allowing children to explore their imagination and creativity freely. These versatile toys offer multiple play possibilities, encouraging independent thinking and imaginative exploration”, says Rainbow Design’s marketing director Zara Grindrod. Following the success of the award-winning The Adventures of Paddington TV show, which is returning for a third season, the company has recently expanded its best-selling Paddington Bear range. New additions include soft toys and play sets designed to enhance pretend play experiences and encourage pre-schoolers to develop important social and emotional skills through role-playing, storytelling and interactive play scenarios.

As the movement towards adopting eco-friendly practices gains force, toy companies are placing more emphasis on creating products that feature green manufacturing and materials, while also educating children about the importance of living sustainably from an early age. Jura Toys’ Janod brand, which specialises in the manufacture of traditional wooden and cardboard toys, is soon to release the FSCTM wooden Farmers Market. The role-play set comes with 32 accessories to create a grocery shop, including an eco-friendly mesh shopping bag and kraft paper that introduces children to the use of eco-friendly packaging.

Casdon is taking steps towards developing high-quality and environmentally friendly products as it prepares for the launch of its new pretend-play pizza oven collection with Ooni. Managing director Phil Cassidy tells Toy World: “Sustainability has been a growing concern for consumers for some time and while our product range has always been focused on quality, with the view of toys lasting the years, Ooni has been a significant step change for us, as the line has been manufactured from recycled plastics from PC mouse cases and food containers.”

With parents and gift givers as the main purchasers of pre-school toys, it is vital for companies to have a robust marketing strategy in place to cater to those with the buying power. Mattel is constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ways to engage with adult purchasers. “It always starts with showcasing how the product will benefit child development and lead to happier parenting”, says Mattel’s senior UK director of marketing Kelly Phillip. “Whether that’s lifestyle-led media investment or QR code shopper engagement to bring product features to life and aid purchasing decisions, we look at the path to purchase holistically for optimal audience engagement.”

Kelly continued to explain that, with parents carrying such busy lives, they may not often find the time to research which toys to buy their children. Hence, it is a must for retailers to make shoppers’ lives easier with fast and effective communication that is both authentic and will aid sales. Phil Cassidy from Casdon takes a similar approach to marketing strategies, saying: “Parents are possibly the most time-poor of all the consumers, which is why we ensure that all our advertising and communication focus on the essential details – what does the product do, what are the benefits from a developmental perspective and what do other people have to say about us through trusted reviews.”

In the following few pages of product-focused copy, readers can find out more about some of the ranges that were mentioned in this article, amongst many other new lines that will be entering the pre-school market this year.