Feature - Outdoor Toys

The outside world

Without fail, it always rains when we’re writing articles on Outdoor Toys – but the weather can’t dampen Toy World’s spirits, as we take a look at what’s shaking up the category for 2023 and speak to a selection of major players about their latest (and greatest) launches.

AAt this time of year, the British public are very ready for summer, arguably none more so than the kids that have spent yet another grey/wet/windy/cold (delete as applicable) winter indoors. Happily, as anyone who took a stroll round the London and Nuremberg toy fairs earlier this year will know, there’s a whole heap of outdoor fun coming our way for 2023.

Reydon Sports, which last year became an official Toymaster supplier, considers itself something of a one-stop-shop for sporting goods with toyetic appeal. According to Andy Griffin, marketing manager, Reydon’s range of Franklin Sports and Nerf products perfectly combine sports and play, as does its Spyderpong, dodgeball, bow & arrow, and trick shot golf sets. The company says its Hy-Pro range of team merchandise, such as footballs, goalposts and more, performed particularly well in Q4 2022, and with the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand kicking off in July, the success of these products is set to continue.

“The wholesale marketing team at Reydon works closely with all brands and suppliers to first gather up all relevant assets before then distributing them to our customers,” Andy adds, keen for readers to know more about Reydon’s approach to retail partnerships. “We have a well-structured Google Drive that holds all these assets, ready to download at the click of a button. From here, retailers can share all this powerful content through social media and eCommerce to maximise turnover.”

Innovation – something we saw plenty of during Q1 show season – has the outdoor category on blast. It would be remiss of us not to mention one of the breakout trends for this year: blasters that fire waterbased polymer beads instead of the more typical foam dart or water jet. Gel Blaster, an energetic American start-up which is now going global, is leading the charge with its Surge blaster and Gellet Depot (Gellets being Gel Blaster’s own-brand beads), both of which kept visitors to its stand at the Spielwarenmesse thoroughly entertained.

“Gel Blaster is an Austin, Texas based company that has gone from Kickstarter to a $75m company in just two years,” explains Steve Starobinsky, chief revenue officer, Gel Blaster. “In 2022, we saw immense brand and channel growth, leading the fastest-growing toy segment at retail and on Amazon in the United States. We are the category leader for an emerging $200m business in the US alone, and we are so excited to partner with retailers and distributors in Europe and across the globe. We’ve found a diverse audience of all ages for our brand of play at home because when playing with a Gel Blaster, it’s like a portal to your inner childand we want to share that with the world.”

Other companies are looking to capitalise on the trend, with Hasbro and Mookie Toys amongst the established suppliers who have introduced new lines in this area.

Meanwhile, Zuru’s X-Shot Fast-Fill water blasters have recently received a makeover, marketing manager Miona Milakov tells us, with a new printing technology, Pietzo, used to develop the contemporary Skins range - Pump Action, Hyperload, and Nano Fast-Fill - all of which are available at a sub-£13 price point. Miona adds: “Furthermore, we continue to invest significantly into the blaster category and drive it through its innovation and value-driven approach. Stay tuned for the latest from X-Shot this autumn/ winter.”

Sticking with Blasters, polymer beads aren’t the only new ammo hitting the market this year: Moose Toys has unveiled Föm Mania, the first ever foam blaster range. The Fomilator blasts foam up to 15 feet and is available in a single pack and 2-pack. Both options come with a bottle of foam concentrate and fun Föm play ideas.

From cutting edge newcomers to iconic family favourites, Little Tikes’ Cozy Coupe will be showing off its raft of upgrades from this month. The market leading outdoor toy brand is releasing a Cozy Coupe range with variety of new features: the new eyes align with the characters from the popular Let’s Go Cozy Coupe animated series, there’s an updated handle for double handed pushing and control, and new and improved wheels ready for any terrain. The new Cozy Coupe will sit alongside a selection of best-selling classics as well as new faces including a new Princess Cozy Coupe (coming soon).

“We aim to defend our No. 1 position in the market and will be directing a large proportion of our marketing to support the outdoor category throughout the key spring/summer season,” said Alaina Cornish, senior brand manager, Little Tikes UK & Ireland. “This support will include strategic digital advertising, creative press communications and a heavyweight influencer engagement programme that ensures the brand remains at the forefront of our consumer’s minds. We’re proud to have a robust portfolio of products that span from infants and pre-schoolers up to six years, so it’s important that we are reaching all types of parents and gift givers.”

Pre-school licences including Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol form an important chunk of the Outdoor Toy category, though the NPD Group says there’s room for growth here, with only 8% of the category being licensed toys vs. 31% in Total Toys. Geemac is introducing four new items to its Sportspower x Fisher Price range for this year: 3’ and 7’ trampolines, a playhouse, and a sandpit, all developed in line with Fisher Price’s ethos, ‘Let Kids Be Kids’. Other new products are in development as Geemac further strengthens its partnership with one of the world’s leading pre-school brands.

MV Sports, a specialist in the licensed outdoor toys space, says Britain’s turbulent economic climate means consumers are seeking dependable licences offering value and longevity. MV’s portfolio of must-have properties includes Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig (both Top 3 properties in the sector) as well as Disney Princess, Barbie Spider-Man, Batman, Nerf and Marvel, all of which are evergreen favourites.

Gabby’s Dollhouse, one of MV Sports’ newer licences, has enjoyed a very positive reaction at previews and trade shows, something Phil Ratcliffe, joint managing director, puts down to the company’s attention to detail. “The amount of features and decoration we pack into each scooter, playhouse or bike really makes MV Sport’s products stand out,” he says. “This is especially important when working with licensed products: we try to imbue some of the character’s DNA into every one of our outdoor toys.” Another great example of that approach is the Encanto playhouse, allowing kids to feel that they are inside their very own Casa Madrigal.

It remains to be seen whether 2023 will witness a repeat of the extreme heatwave much of the country sweltered through in July last year, though it’s pretty likely we’ll see some extended periods of very hot weather at the least, as British summers get warmer with each passing year. Alaina at Little Tikes says retailers are stocking products such as the Fountain Factory Water Table and Turtle Sandbox earlier in the season than they used to; consumers, it seems, are taking a proactive approach to summer heatwaves by securing their outdoor toys well ahead of the rush on shops often triggered by meteorologists warning of an impending hot spell.

Zuru’s Miona Milakov says that as warmer weather lasts longer each year, parents are more likely to look for cost-effective ways to entertain their kids. She explains: “They may be more inclined to invest in durable, high-quality toys that can withstand harsh weather conditions and help beat the heat, and that are fun and easy to use. For retailers, dealing with extreme weather events may mean rethinking their inventory and product offerings to better align with changing consumer demands, emphasising toys that can be used in various weather conditions, and being conscious that outdoor toy seasonality may be getting longer.”

Miona also believes that sustainability is increasingly on consumers’ minds when it comes to purchasing outdoor toys. Zuru has made big strides in this area with its best-selling Bunch O Balloons range. The balloon stems and caps are now made from certified and traceable post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and Zuru is committed to also minimising product and packaging waste to contribute towards the global reduction of 4,000 tons of virgin plastic.

Mookie is introducing an assortment of new, ecofriendly FSC-certified outdoor toys to its TP Toys range, including traditional garden games, a new area for the brand. The sustainable new range will allow kids to play games such as croquet, tumble tower, ring toss and skittles on a much larger scale than they would ordinarily be able to, bringing old fashioned family fun to gardens this summer in an environmentally friendly way. Other new additions for 2023 include Palplay outdoor toys, the result of the 2022 acquisition, and refreshed Scuttlebug ride-ons.

“Mookie Toys remains the largest family-owned toy company in the UK, and this can be felt throughout the business,” explains Lucy Burton, marketing executive at Mookie Toys, when asked what makes the company stand out within the Outdoor category. “Many staff members have been at Mookie ever since its first partnership with Ecoiffier (which we still work with today), right through to where the company is nowowning established brands in the outdoor toy market including TP Toys, Swingball and The Bugs.”

Lucy adds: “Mookie’s UK-based product designers work hard to bring families unique designs whilst never sacrificing quality, ensuring our brands are always growing. Many parents rely on TP products to entertain their children outside, whilst always learning. Mookie brands constantly feature in the top NPD toys year on year, showing retailers they can rely on Mookie to bring their customers products they will love.”

New advertiser KidKraft also keeps the planet front of mind with its range of playhouses, climbing frames, swing sets, sandpits and more. In a nod to the UK’s rather more ‘bijou’ housing, the company has designed some very neat sets that make good use of vertical space, rather than (precious) outdoor floorspace. The two-tier Ainsley Outdoor Play Set, despite its compact size, can entertain up to six kids at once with its swings, slide, rock-climbing wall and shaded upper-level clubhouse with chalkboard tarp. The Toy World team was also lucky enough to have a go with a top-secret new product currently in development while in Nuremberg, which we’ll bring readers more on when we can. What we’ll say for now is that it a) is a huge amount of fun, b) is very addictive and c) will absolutely get kids up and active with next to no encouragement from mum and dad. In fact, mum and dad will probably want to join in.

“As parents increasingly look for active ways to play for their child’s development, KidKraft is excited to deliver the fun outdoor moments that last a lifetime through our quality products,” said Justin Victor, director of Brand Marketing at KidKraft. “Our dedication is to the physical, emotional and mental benefits that parents want for their children, as well as the entertainment of children as they play. KidKraft Swing Sets, Playhouses and Climbers bring your outdoor space to life for the entire family. We are proud to be a leader in wooden outdoor play experiences, the journey of active play for children, and our extensive range of outdoor products that provide years of fun for families.”

In this feature, readers will be able to peruse all the impressive new outdoor toys coming to market this year, as they gear up for yet another summer of fun.