Feature - Dress up & Role Play

Changing gear

Role-play, along with dress-up, puts kids into a creative mindset where they can become whoever they want to be whether that is a chef, hairdresser or superhero. With a whole range of toys and accessories to chose from in the sector, Marianna Casal finds out more.

The world of role-play allows kids to explore activities they’re curious about without any of the dangers or responsibility they may be faced with ‘in real life’. A vast array of replicas of reallife objects lets children join in with everyday activities and learn life skills as they copy their grown-up role-models. Role-play also helps kids build empathy and understanding as kids step into someone else’s shoes.

Casdon recently unveiled an exact replica – in miniature form – of the De’Longhi La Specialista Barista Coffee Machine. Phil Cassidy, managing director at Casdon, tells us such items remain firm favourites in play scenarios: “What is considered a chore to many grown-ups appears magical to little ones. Children develop their sense of independence from an early age – often mimicking what their role-models at home do on a daily or weekly basis, making it a natural way to learn through play while also developing those all-important core motor skills.”

He adds: “Role-play is, and will continue to be, a vital component of children’s learning and development for the future. One of the key messages which came out of the market research we conducted last year is that adults and parents of children aged 3+ years place significant value on the benefits of role-play and often utilise our Casdon toys to engage in play with their children. While there is always a time and place for screens and games, nothing beats good ‘old-fashioned’ role-play. It stimulates young minds and really does give parents a feel-good factor.”

Casdon’s bestsellers, which have stood the test of time, are its Henry and Hetty, well as Dyson, vacuums, proving that parents enjoy giving their children a product that they once played with when they were kids.

Kitchen toys are a major trend in the role-play sector, as cooking and food preparation is something kids see every day and an ideal way to interact with other people. Casdon’s licensed Joseph Joseph range continues to grow, and the company is looking to launch a new Joseph Joseph salad set later this summer.

HTI has introduced popular characters to its role play offering with a licensed Hey Duggee Mini Kitchen and Peppa Pig Kitchen as well as a Bluey Kitchen Trolley set. The company’s pre-school licensed ranges are some of its most popular items and also include My Little Pony, Baby Shark and Paw Patrol. Peppa's Keys and Peppa’s Boombox are brimming with interactive elements ideal for small hands and there’s a Bluey Camera with LED flash for capturing adventures. For budding emergency service officers, HTI also has a popular selection of police and firefighter equipment.

Two leaders in the dress-up category, a key aspect of role play, are Amscan and Rubies which each create both generic and licensed costumes all year round; everything from superheroes to animals and popular characters from page and screen. Despite Halloween being the peak season, sales are also high in the lead up to Book Week and Carnival, although kids (and adults) enjoy dressing up throughout the year.

Sophie Greenbank, product manager at Amscan, says: “Everyone loves a party and especially children, who will often take the opportunity to dress up, so this is an area that has continually performed well for us. Plus, there’s always the next generation of children wanting to have fun with dress up. Even through Covid, children loved to dress up as it was a great form of escapism. Whether it’s at home, school, for a party or given as a gift, dress up never fails to bring joy."

Pete Silver, head of Sales at Rubies, adds: “Dress-up and costumes are all about the power of imagination. Although the characters may look different to the ones children were choosing ten, twenty or even fifty years ago, the imaginative play and developmental benefits that dressing up delivers to little ones will never change.” Pete stresses that the consumer is at the heart of everything Rubies develops. “We’ve got our eye on the ball of pop culture and use our great relationships with our licensors to provide us with unique foresight into what’s going to be popular in the next quarter or even year. All of this feeds into the conception of our designs.”

New movies can have a huge impact on dress-up sales as children seek to become their favourite character. The companies continue to grow their portfolios of licences each year to bring in the latest TV and cinema favourites.

Key licences for Amscan include Harry Potter and DC Superhero characters – most recently The Flash. For Book Week this year, the Roald Dahl range, including Matilda, was very popular. New costumes for the Paw Patrol Movie have been released and Wednesday costumes have been a big hit following the hit series on Netflix this year.

Sophie explains: "We begin the process by researching and finding gaps in the market to make sure we have something unique to offer our customers. We also like to make the most of exciting opportunities such as new movie releases or key events to lead our inspiration and costume decisions. We try to bear in mind the global trends that are influencing consumers so we can strive to be innovative and always leading in the market. Sustainability is always part of our development considerations too, continuing to lead the way in the industry."

At Rubies, Spidey and His Amazing Friends, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and classic Avengers characters continue to perform strongly, year on year. On top of that, the company has had an amazing reception on its collection for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, following the recent movie launch.

The go-tos for parents, who are the biggest consumers for Rubies, are the heroes that inspire their little ones. Batman, the Avengers and Miraculous Ladybug always sell well as they are at the forefront of pop culture, as well as new and updated franchises like Monster High. Acting out movie scenes – or even everyday jobs - can teach confidence and communication skills and provide kids with inspiration for what and who they could one day become.

Both dress-up companies are also seeing accessories rise into their bestsellers lists and are looking at new ways of incorporating a wider selection of accessories for future ranges, so children can expand their dress up possibilities.

Over the following pages, Toy World takes a look at the latest offerings from the dress up and role play sectors.