Feature
Outdoor Toys
Everybody out! Coming into 2022, interest in outdoor toys – from bikes and mud kitchens to play houses and climbing frames – is at an all time high, and the options on offer continue to grow. Rachael Simpson-Jones talks to a number of suppliers specialising in different areas to find out how the category is shaping up this year.
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’ve noticed a curious thing over the years: it’s always raining when I sit down to write articles about the Outdoor Toys category. Today the weather could be more accurately described as sluicing down, and my husband informs me the builders working on our house have retreated into their van to avoid drowning. Still, summer is round the corner and with it, the opportunity to get outside and play. In December, data from The NPD Group showed that the Outdoor Toys category was up +8% value share vs. 2019, and suppliers are certainly seeing plenty of demand. The trials of lockdown have had a lasting effect on the family psyche, with time spent outdoors, be it in a garden, playground, park or forest, now an undisputed factor in a healthy childhood. The pandemic showed us that too much time spent inside is no good for anyone, and with restrictions all but entirely lifted across much of the UK, parents and kids will this year be keener than ever to spend
quality time out of the house. Indeed, the impact of lockdown is being seen in this year’s newest outdoor products: for example, Mookie is launching a charming range of potting benches from its TP Toys brand that will cater to those kids who discovered a love of gardening while stuck at home. Geemac, which offers the leading Sportspower brand of trampolines, climbing frames and more, says the growth of the category shows no signs of slowing and that, moving forward, the year ahead looks very positive indeed. Key account manager Adam Pearson expanded: “The message we continually hear is that parents want and need kids outside and active. Health is everything these days so as long as we drive innovation and excitement into our development, we can be confident the category can continue to thrive.” SJR Associates has also seen a big increase in the demand for outdoor toys over the past two years, according to Steve Richardson, managing director
Toy World 92
at the company, which distributes the Dolu range within the UK & Ireland (highlighted this month as a top outdoor supplier by Toy Barnhaus). The brand doesn’t exclusively produce outdoor toys, but certainly offers a lot of them and has become a major supplier: the range includes play houses, slides, play gyms, sand and water tables, sand shells, picnic tables, football goals, tractors, trikes, ride-ons and much more. One of Dolu’s biggest strengths, Steve tells me, is that everything is delivered direct from the Turkish factory, making it very competitive on price. He adds: “As a company we offer a bigger range than most, along with what we hope are the best margins possible. We’ve had great success in the past few years with our outdoor lines. We’ve expanded the colour options and also colour coordinated our outdoor toy ranges; we’re aware that consumers are conscious of the aesthetics of matching items, even in the garden, so we offer a complete colour matched range
