Feature
Construction Toys
Building sights Ravensburger
The Construction Toys category has certainly come a long way from the days of simple square and rectangular blocks and bricks – kids can now build pretty much anything they like, from licensed vehicles and bird houses to working cranes and marble runs that appear to defy the laws of physics. Toy World takes a look at what this burgeoning category has to offer in 2022.
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ast year was another strong 12 months for Mattel’s Mega Bloks construction brand, which grew significantly in both share and value. Mattel not only ended the year as the No.2 Manufacturer in the Building Sets Supercategory, but its 60-Piece Bag remained the No.1 item in Junior Building Sets, providing a strong foundation for continued growth into 2022. Mega continues to expand its offering, which now spans ecofriendly options, licensed sets and figures. “We pride ourselves on providing innovative play experiences, authentic details and accessible price points for fans and families,” explains Kelly Philp, Mattel UK marketing director. “This year, within our Mega Bloks range, we launched Mega Bloks Green Town, a new construction line for children aged one and above, made from responsibly sourced materials. The Green Town toy line is a certified Carbon- Neutral product by Natural Capital Partners. Part of our sustainability mission is to create products that are long-lasting, which is why we’re so proud that our new plant-based blocks are designed to be just as durable as our classic blocks. Mega is also part of the Mattel Playback scheme, which encourages sustainability by recovering and reusing materials from outgrown toys.” Kelly goes on to add that within Mega’s standard
building set range, the micro action figures are the most detailed, poseable and customisable of any on offer within the construction toy aisle. Mattel has also partnered with a selection of popular licences that appeal across the ages. Kelly explains: “Pokémon has a loyal kid following and strong collector base, whilst Halo offers a lot to adult fans. We also welcomed Barbie to the Mega family in 2021, with a range of building sets that are designed for young fans and offer storytelling play with every step of building.” Lego, meanwhile, continues to push the boundaries of the construction toy space. As detailed by Isabel Graham, head of Marketing at the Lego Group UK & Ireland, the company recently took a step back from its traditional approach to construction with its new story-based building experience, Lego City Missions. The range promotes free-building and interactive engagement driven by related stories. While children will be given inspiration for the core model builds, they'll also be encouraged to constantly rebuild and adapt their creation according to the different scenarios presented to them, as well as the prompts and missions they encounter throughout each story. Head to p.114 to read our exclusive Q&A to find out more. This year, Ravensburger launches the latest addition
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to its GraviTrax range, GraviTrax Power, which follows the earlier 2022 introduction of GraviTrax: The Game. The company has seen much-deserved success with this range at retail, as Katy Fletcher, head of Marketing and Product Development, explains. “GraviTrax is a unique construction play product in so many ways, beginning with the way its original innovation offers endless play opportunities,” she says. “Considering the brand has only been at retail for five years this autumn, the breadth of the range and the many extensions available means that players really have grown with the product - and we continue to provide opportunities to do so. The GraviTrax construction system lends itself to countless play patterns and can be built both vertically and horizontally with any number of add-ons. The thrill of watching your marble (or marbles) get to the finish line, and of continually tweaking the track, provides hours of entertainment for solo and collaborative players. And this reinforces our brand mission: that anything is possible with GraviTrax. This brand provides much more than the usual ‘construct, play and repeat’ pattern.” The core Starter Set, Katy tells Toy World, allows kids to unlock their creativity and take the action further with every track, making it a great introduction to the
