Feature - Construction Toys

Building sights

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.

Last 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 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 brand and suitable for those new to GraviTrax, or just beginning to enjoy construction toys. GraviTrax Pro, meanwhile, lets builders take their tracks to the next level and the action up a gear, and the new Power range is all about controlling the action. New extensions and elements that use radio signals to communicate with each other offer an introduction to coding as well as construction.

A fresh face within Toy World magazine, Connetix is an Australian business creating award-winning, globally recognised, STEAM magnetic construction toys that the company says are favoured by families, educators and allied health professionals. For this year, the company is launching expansion packs for its best-selling ball run set in various piece counts and featuring exclusive pieces that offer exciting new ways to play and race.

Alice Tate, marketing manager at Connetix Tiles, told us: “Connetix was launched in 2019 by two Australian families who value the power of highquality, open-ended toys. Co-founders Brea and Dave saw an opportunity to launch a safe, high-quality product with a twist. Connetix magnetic tiles are uniquely bevelled; manufactured with quality, food grade plastic and benefit from the inclusion of extra rivets and ultrasonic welding.”

“From the beginning, there has always been an aim to not only provide high quality toys that the whole family can enjoy, but to also ensure incredible levels of service to both customers and resellers with a goal to build solid relationships with retailers,” Alice adds. “Connetix is proud to champion the value of learning through play by creating high-quality, open-ended resources that inspire creativity and imagination while promoting a range of educational and developmental skills.”

A leader in the magnetic toys space, Geomagworld continues to innovate while remaining true to its ethos of protecting the planet for future generations. Magnetism lies at the very heart of Geomag construction toys, facilitating building, encouraging exploration and creativity and allowing the company to produce fun and stimulating platforms that reinforce positive learning. MD Clive Wooster says: “Our vocation at Geomagworld is to encourage learning through play with our magnetic construction platforms and the magic of invisible forces.”

The Geomag range is now made from 100% recycled plastic, from its rods, panels and bases to its handy new storage box, which lets kids take their Geomag building materials with them on the go. Clive says the transition to recycled plastics has been very well received by consumers, and that when it boils down to a choice between two or more products, consumers seem to want the one that's been made responsibly. He adds: “We like the fact that consumers are asking how we can possibly spend time caring about the healthy development of children, while not wanting to be responsible for the health and future of the environment they live in. The answer is of course that as a society we can't, and for this reason Geomagworld has made sustainability and social responsibility the two pillars of its company philosophy.”

Safeguarding the planet is also a top priority for Red Toolbox, which is why all the wood used in its building sets is FSC-certified, ethically sourced and environmentally responsible. Red Toolbox’s highquality Stanley Jr. and Black and Decker D.I.Y. Kits allow families to spend quality time creating and building together, which in turn naturally releases serotonin, the chemical in the brain responsible for feeling happy. Other sets include the Candy Maze Kit, Catapult Kit and Treasure Chest Builders kit, as well as the Custom Racer Kit and Bird Feeder Builders Kit. This range is well worth a look.

Two companies are bringing realistic construction play into the category this year, with Hexbug and Toynamics both launching sets that let kids build the vehicles and structures you’d usually see on a building site. Hexbug’s Vex Construction range includes the Vex Construction Zone Backhoe, Vex Construction Zone Crane, and Vex Construction Zone Dump Truck, which can either be purchased separately or together in the Vex Construction Zone set. Meanwhile Toynamic’s popular Hape brand welcomes the impressive crane lift, which comes with plenty of accessories. Cobi has history covered with the new Battleship Yamato and Gneisenau sets, plus World War I and World War II additions such as the Sopwith Camel F.1, the Rolls Royce Armored Car and a number of new tanks, cars, planes and vehicles. And Hornby’s Airfix Quickbuild range is releasing other options for fans of vehicle construction in the form of the Jeep Gladiator Quicksand Concept and Jeep Gladiator Overland.

Mattel has a strong marketing campaign in place for Mega Bloks this year, according to Kelly Philp. She tells Toy World that the company will be engaging in a targeted digital parental outreach campaign, designed to help them understand how playing with Mega Bloks can help kids enhance their fine motor skills. At the same time, YouTube and other relevant digital platforms will generate excitement among Pokémon fans for the brand’s new licensed construction sets by illustrating how they can create their own world of Pokémon in stunning detail. When the campaign goes live, Barbie fans will also be pleased to see that they too can build their favourite Barbie locations.

Ravensburger’s GraviTraxer ‘display and play’ team will be back on the road from autumn through to the Christmas countdown, showcasing the new GraviTrax Power range both in-store and shopping centres. Katy Fletcher says: “The key to consumer engagement really is all about letting them see and experience the product for themselves, and this has always proved a positive selling point for GraviTrax. Our road trips will also be backed by an impactful consumer marketing campaign spanning TV advertising, social media, live events, influencer outreach and PR.”

Clive Wooster at Geomagworld tells us the company will continue its annual PR campaigns with the support of its global PR Partner, Media PR. He says: “We work closely with parent bloggers and influencers. Over and above our strong PR campaigns, we also work directly with retailers on account specific digital activity.”

Clive adds: “Independent retailers can showcase Geomag products brilliantly, so it’s crucial for us to encourage them to do so. We supply play trays with stock to put out on-shelf, our Magicube play area simply and effectively provides an area for safe and fun play, and many other POS materials are available too. Simply put, if retailers are able to present our products well, they sell.”

In this comprehensive feature, Toy World brings you a selection of the newest and most innovative construction toys building upon the category’s popularity this year.