Feature
Outdoor Toys
Bubbling
with excitement
While 2023 was a challenging year for Outdoor Toys, it seems that suppliers are ready to draw a line under last year and focus on making 2024 a success. Caroline Tonks looks at what is coming to life across the category and how suppliers are approaching the summer season.
P
unxsutawney Phil, the American groundhog celebrity, gave people reason to celebrate when he didn’t see his shadow this past Groundhog Day. Although this might be a US tradition, the sentiment of having an early spring, rather than six more weeks of winter, is something that everyone around the world can relate to. Here in the UK, children and adults alike are ready for warmer weather, to escape the gloom, shed their winter coats and spend hours in the sun once more. The industry has risen to the challenge, creating a plethora of outdoor toys to satisfy children of all ages. Bubbles are in the air in 2024, with a number of suppliers highlighting bubbles in their portfolios for the year. Funrise’s Gazillion Bubbles is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To commemorate this achievement, there will be a handful of new items launching, such as the Double Bubble Blaster and the Roaring Rex Blaster. Both lines come with a bottle of solution, with the Gazillion Bubbles 2 Litre solution having taken home the title as top bubble item in 2023, according to Circana reports. AB Gee has announced a selection of bubble ranges, with the
Fubbles No-Spill and the Fun-Finiti Bubble Machine. Both ensure maximum fun with no messy spills and are perfect for active play. During his time at London Toy Fair, Thomas Wohl of Argosy Toys was fully booked, seeing many ranges and suppliers. When asked about any standout products in outdoor toys, he selected the Water Wall by Wilton Bradley. “This is something different and really appealing,” he told us. “Children get to put the guttering on the wall in whatever order they please and then make the water flow down. Then they can experiment with moving the parts around.” Simba Smoby and Little Tikes will both be releasing products with a similar theme this year. From Simba Smoby comes the Smoby Activity Wall, a two-sided play wall with activity games on one side and a modular water circuit on the other, equipped with gutters, reservoir, rocker and paddle wheels. Little Tikes’ range includes the bestselling Fountain Factory Water Table and the Build and Splash Water Table, combining building and water play with endless fun. According to Alaina Cornish, senior brand manager at MGA Entertainment, the new Build
Toy World 90
and Splash Water Table will bolster Little Tikes’ sand and water collection and can be used year-round, growing with the child as they develop. “At Little Tikes, we are passionate about creating toys that engage, excite and ignite imaginations. We know this launch will do exactly that,” said Alaina. MV Sports launched over 150 brand-new or refreshed products at Toy Fair. Phil Ratcliffe, commercial director at the company, highlighted the Stitch range of wheeled toys. “Customers are fervently buying in and were very complimentary about the cool Hawaiian colourways and decoration,” he explained. The new range of Squishle Scooters, with squishy plush onboard carry pouches, was also a big hit with customers, along with new light-up 10” Balance Bikes. “These bikes went down a storm across all licences, with funky high intensity daylight visible wheel hubs,” Phil added. The week after Toy Fair, Hy-Pro showcased a selection of products to global retailers at Spielwarenmesse. On display in Nuremberg was the internationally recognised and patented Zinc Flyte 2-in-1 scooter suitcase. “With no assembly required, the Flyte scooter suitcase is the
