Science & Nature

With many of the nation’s schoolkids still locked down at home, remote learning remains the order of the day, and time spent in nature has been limited (due to both Covid restrictions and miserable British weather). But with education in the spotlight and the changing seasons bringing the promise of much more time spent outdoors, Rachael Simpson-Jones finds out how toy companies are throwing open the doors to a world of discovery this year.

Traditionally a category that sees its strongest sales at Christmas, when parents and grandparents aim to stick at least one educational gift under the tree, a year of on-off school closures has seen science toys come to the rescue of home-schooling parents across the nation. As Simon Tomlinson, marketing manager at Learning Resources, notes, before the pandemic children in school were largely being educated screen-free in the classroom, with screen play restricted to evenings and weekends. However, the switch to home learning means children are on screens pretty much all day. Learning Resources’ own research now indicates that 82% of parents are looking for ways to encourage their child’s learning through play, while 72% are actively taking steps to limit screen time.

As a brand, Learning Resources is ideally placed to answer these concerns. The company offers strong sub brands in the Science and Nature category including its Primary Science, GeoSafari and GeoSafari Jr. ranges, and a selection of engaging new products is on the way. Coding is also a strong area of growth. The company ensures its toys are easily accessible and appealing to children by designing the products with them in mind, allowing kids learn by themselves as well as with others, inspiring their curiosity, and giving satisfaction through play.

“I’m really excited by our new Circuit Explorer range, which takes learning about circuits off a flat board and into a 3D space-themed world,” Simon enthuses. “Children can build a Rocket that lights up, a Rover that lights up and moves, and a Deluxe Space Station that incorporates lights, motion and sound into the play experience. It’s a really innovative approach to developing STEM learning and helping children discover the basics of circuitry through play. When children line up the circuitry graphics on the pieces of this STEM construction toy range, and snap them together in the correct order, the pieces power up. Each toy in the range includes robot and astronaut figurines and is great for hours of pretend play, and the child-safe circuits mean kids can keep connecting on their own. The range looks really cool too.”

Brainstorm Toys, a name synonymous with highquality educational toys, recognises that over the past year, kids have missed out on many of the interactive learning elements they would experience in the classroom, from experiments to exposure to different educational materials. Its toys, therefore, which help kids learn about subjects during key stages of the curriculum in a fun way, have been extremely popular - and have inspired a thirst for further independent learning opportunities.

Space – which the latest NPD results show is the second fastest growing toy theme in the UK – comprises a major part of the Brainstorm portfolio. And with NASA having just put out a major call for female and disabled astronauts to possibly travel to Mars, interest in space exploration and the planets is likely to increase even further this year (applications close 31st March, if anyone reading this is interested). Timed to perfection, the introduction of Night Sky to the range lets kids discover stars, the solar system, constellations and the moon, all projected straight onto the ceiling up to 3.65m wide.

“The past year has shown that toys are important purchases for parents and 2020 has made them assess what benefits their child gets from a toy - anything that helps with home learning rates highly,” says Debra Tiffany, marketing manager at Brainstorm Toys. “I think 2021 will be a brilliant year for science and STEM products across all categories; we’re looking forward to seeing not only how successful our products are, but how innovative the industry is as a whole.”

Simon at Learning Resources also tells me that kids are ‘yearning to get outside and play, discover more about the world around them, and return to the basics of getting their hands and knees dirty with their families and friends’. As discussed in our Outdoor Toys article this month, outdoor play is certainly going to be a major focus for parents and caregivers over the coming months, with experts highlighting the importance of time outside for stress management. We already know that spending time in nature is good for us, whether that’s a walk in the woods, nurturing plants on a balcony, or spotting birds in the garden with the aid of some binoculars (and some tea and biscuits). Programmes such as David Attenborough’s latest, somewhat heartbreaking, documentary series, A Perfect Planet, will also have helped foster a love of and interest in the natural world and its inhabitants, and Lego’s Young Explorer competition, held last summer in partnership with the National Trust, encouraged budding explorers to create imaginative and adventurous nature scenes using Lego bricks. Thousands of children got involved, demonstrating the huge appeal of combining nature with play. Hopefully, we’ll see similar events this summer – demand is most definitely there.

At Guidecraft, the belief is that play is more beneficial when it is centred upon nature, because, as humans, we have an inherent inclination to respond favourably to it. Lorna Smith, director of sales EMEA, says: “Whether consciously or subconsciously, nature stimulates all of the senses and enhances a child’s physical, mental and emotional growth. Positive experiences with natural materials also strengthen a child’s respect for the natural world in the long-term. Lockdowns and limited access to family-friendly activities during the peak of the pandemic, as well as continued online learning for many young children, has resulted in an increased interest and need for outdoor, nature-based activities. Natural, organic toys that connect children to their environments became necessary during screen breaks and provided safe ways to play.”

Guidecraft products encourage a relationship between creative play and the natural world, best supported by the application of materials. For example, items such as Guidecraft Little Pavers can be used with natural earth elements including water, clay, sand and dirt. Discovery Frames, meanwhile, let kids create artistic designs with items and objects found in nature - leaves and other plants (collected mindfully), stones and pebbles, sticks and bark. “Early exploration may be sporadic and organic, but with experience, and growth through play, children can use their twine Discovery Frames canvases for more purposeful, mixed-material works of art,” adds Lorna. “Display, suspend, submerge, wave or spin the frames for additional cause and effect discoveries.”

“Nature toys are uplifting in more ways than one,” says Paul Reader, marketing manager at Toymaster. “More and more of our members are now offering these sorts of lines, and we’re seeing traction on products like bug farms and bird feeders really increase; let’s face it – kids just love bugs, whether it’s digging them out from under logs or observing captive colonies of ants. Our members are also reporting great success with PlayMonster UK’s Fairy Garden range and the Peppa Pig Grow & Play flowerpots too, which are helping bring pre-schoolers into this area for the first time.”

The Grow & Play range is being expanded for 2021, across brands including Peppa Pig, My Fairy Garden (it’s worth noting that Fairies have also made NPD’s list of fastest growing toy themes for this year) and My Living World. PlayMonster UK says children of all ages identify with these brands, and that they provide a creative link to the natural world, letting kids connect with nature by exploring natural bug habitats and creating miniindoor gardens. “One of our most exciting new products being launched in the Science and Nature category is the My Living World Bug Photography Kit,” says Justin Clasby, senior marketing manager, PlayMonster UK. “This product allows the child to see nature’s creatures in a special viewing capsule via a macro lens that attaches to a smart phone camera to get even closer to their insect subject matter.”

He adds: “We have already seen strong success, with My Fairy Garden appearing on TV from January, and we’re rolling out further investment to drive awareness across social, digital and in-store POS. All campaigns will continue to focus on nature and preservation of the natural world, and tie in to school STEM programmes/forest schools to help teach children about the importance of nature and it’s link with the future of our planet.”

Brainstorm Toys worked closely with its retail partners throughout 2020 to fully support their marketing efforts. Debra says the company will continue the maintain these close relationships, helping retailers maximise sales of its products both in store and online. She says: “We have really robust and ambitious marketing plans for 2021 including TV advertising, which we have increased year on year. This will focus on key lines including Aqua Dragons as well as core Brainstorm Toys products. Our social and PR activity will also ramp up to drive brand awareness and traffic to our retailers and will increase during key selling periods.”

Simon Tomlinson, meanwhile, explains how Learning Resources marketing plans reflect the changing nature of the toy market. “There can be no question that how customers research and shop in the toy market has changed due to the pandemic,” he says. “The shift to online and eCommerce cannot be ignored, and many of our retail partners have developed their online offerings accordingly. We will continue to invest in digital search and display, eCommerce partnerships and promotions. We have also seen huge growth in audience and engagement on our social media channels. Social influencers have also been very effective for us, with our home learning content and products driving significant brand awareness. Like everyone, we are keen to see bricks & mortar stores reopen so that we can once again support our retail partners with in-store support and experiential activity, and, as in previous years, will work with retailers to form bespoke plans to support seasonal and product campaigns.”

Over the next few pages, Toy World brings you a selection of the newest Science and Nature toys keeping kids happy this year, whether that’s outdoors, indoors, or in home classrooms.