Feature - Pre-School

Laying the foundations

Content continues to play a huge role in the Pre-School space, as Sam Giltrow discovers when chatting to a selection of suppliers about their plans and new launches for 2023.

You only have to look at the success of the likes of Bluey and CoComelon to see that content is still a huge driver for the Pre-School category. Bluey, in particular, remains a dominant property in the Pre-School space, with the animated show about a lovable Australian blue heeler dog becoming a runaway hit in the UK since the first series launched on BBC iPlayer in April 2021. Last year, Bluey recorded the biggest YOY growth in Pre-School in the UK, and it is also the number one show on CBeebies and Disney+ in the UK (Q4 2022).

Multiple new toys have been released under the Bluey licence including Moose Toys’ latest release, the Bluey Treehouse Playset, which launches this spring and is inspired by the Poinciana tree from the Heeler family’s backyard. Kim Bell, global & US director of Marketing –Pre School at Moose, says: “Bluey continues to win over audiences and be a lead focus for the Moose business globally, capturing fans of all ages through imaginative play. We presented some strong new products at London Toy Fair for this autumn/winter, whilst also introducing seasonal lines that got a great response.”

Another strong licence for Moose Toys is Octonauts, a brand that has so far attracted over 2.9b content views on YouTube globally. The collection of Octonauts figures, vehicles, plush and play sets which launched last August was created in partnership with Silvergate Media, producer of the popular animated TV property. The range is based on the Octonauts characters and the latest series Octonauts: Above & Beyond, all designed to capture the hearts and imaginations of young children who love the animated adventurers’ mission to explore, rescue and protect beyond the sea and onto land.

“Octonauts has had a promising start and established as a top 10 Pre-School property in Circana (formerly NPD) rankings,” Kim tells Toy World. “The licence can only get stronger with the Above & Beyond series going onto CBeebies this autumn, as well as already airing on Netflix. Vehicle play is key to Octonauts fans, and the Above & Beyond content allows us to develop exciting new land-based vehicles as well as underwater.”

Also capitalising on a popular pre-school animation series, Jazwares is following the success of its Spidey and His Amazing Friends vehicles and plush ranges, by expanding into die-cast vehicles in AW23 with the introduction of Amazing Metals. Holly Oldham, managing director, UK & Nordics at Jazwares, comments: “This is a winning segment in the Pre-School category and the products look fantastic. We are confident that this will be a hugely popular line.”

Jazwares is also boosting its popular CoComelon line and, at the Spielwarenmesse in February, unveiled its new Squishmallows collection, the latest range to join Moonbug’s line of CoComelon merchandise. CoComelon HugMees by Squishmallows is the latest addition to the range of high-quality plush toys made with ultrasoft materials, which features beloved CoComelon characters wearing their pyjama onesies, including fan-favourite JJ and his best friends Cody, Nico, Nina, Cece and Bella.

As global master toy partner for CoComelon, Jazwares took over direct distribution of the licensed toy line in the UK & Ireland as of January 2023. “We have a newly reconfigured line that our younger fans will love,” says Holly. “Our figures have a chunkier form factor for tiny hands, and we will transition our little plush into the adorable HugMees by Squishmallows. A personal favourite in the line is our new interactive Peek-a-Boo JJ Doll launching later this year.”

Flair GP says it is excited for the launch of its new licensed product ranges based on popular Pre-School shows. For SS23, it will release a range of Pinocchio & Friends toys based on the CBeebies show, and for AW23 it is launching Gigantosaurus product, based on the show on Tiny Pop.

“Content, whether it is a TV series on kids channels or digital content, is extremely important to drive growth within the Pre-School category,” explained Flair GP’s UK Country Manager, Julia Cake. “Content keeps children interested in the brand and also engages adults, encouraging them to purchase a particular brand above another one.” She believes that key licences will continue to make a valuable contribution to the Pre-School category and educationally focused product will become more important than ever, with parents and gift-givers looking to buy accredited lines.

This July, Flair will also be launching Bildo Play-Doh Blocks and licensed role-play ranges, to include L.O.L Surprise, My Little Pony and Little Tikes, with wide support from retail. “It is great news for Flair’s Pre-School portfolio as not only will we be introducing a fantastic, licensed role-play range in Little Tikes, but we will also be adding to our construction toy and creative play portfolio with Bildo Play-Doh Blocks,” says Julia.

Within the Bildo Play-Doh Blocks range, there are educational sets such as the Shapes & Colours and Letters & Numbers Activity Packs, as well as themed sets, including Police Rescue, Fire Station and Farm play sets. Flair will also continue to support its heritage brand Stickle Bricks, which is a perfect first construction toy for toddlers. “Educational value as well as play value is key for consumers, which is why Stickle Bricks is such a great brand and why we are very excited about the launch of Bildo Play-Doh Blocks,” adds Julia.

Also building its range on a foundation of strong educational value is Mattel. Its Fisher-Price brand has 60-years’ experience of helping to create fun and enriching toys through the Fisher-Price Play Lab, a stateof-the-art toy research, design and testing facility where ECD Experts and tiny testers from newborn to five years old help create, evaluate and improve Fisher-Price toys. “Consumers are looking for pre-school toys that help with their child’s development as well as having fun. At Fisher-Price we are constantly looking at new, innovative ways to improve our products that support children and their parents, using technology alongside great evergreen toy experiences for pre-schoolers,” explains Kelly Philp, marketing director, Mattel UK.

Mattel will add a wide range of new products to its pre-school portfolio in 2023 including lines from FisherPrice, Thomas & Friends, Barbie, Little People and Mega Bloks. This year, Barbie has introduced My First Barbie to its range, which is the first-ever Barbie doll specifically designed for Pre-School children. “The My First Barbie doll features the same look and feel that Barbie fans know and love but is updated with large accessories, easy-todress fashions and a larger, softer doll body made for smaller hands and growing imaginations,” states Kelly.

Mattel is also excited to relaunch the iconic Barney franchise to a new generation with a brandnew animated series set to debut globally in 2024, as well as the roll out of film, YouTube content, music and a full range of kids’ products including toys, books, clothing and more. Apparel and accessories for adult fans, featuring classic Barney, are also in development.

When marketing its PreSchool toys, Kelly says the media landscape is ever-complex and “it’s all about keeping the consumer or shopper at the heart of the plan and constantly monitoring and evolving it.”

She adds that Mattel is also continuing to see brand success driven by content such as Thomas & Friends, which features an updated 2D animation style.

“We continue to inspire the next generation of fans while still retaining core characteristics of continuing characters and the Island of Sodor that make them easily recognisable. The consistent refresh of the content with the changing times means it remains relevant with pre-schoolers and parents, as they relate to the journeys that Thomas embarks on.”

However, US-based company KidKraft, known for its award-winning dollhouses and play kitchens, says that while it is always looking to align with variating levels of content, it believes the foundation of the Pre-School category will always be anchored by tried-and-true classic structures and themes that stand the test of time. “Three to five-year-olds love to experiment and test out their emerging physical skills and, much like our target consumers, the KidKraft Pre-School category is all about testing and bringing innovation to the core play pattern,” explains Justin Victor, director, Brand Marketing at KidKraft. “Our product portfolio provides children with the opportunity to bring the world around them to life in fun, active and imaginative ways.”

For 2023, the company will introduce new twists on classic play where consumers can expect to see a mix of large, beautifully crafted play kitchens with new modern aesthetics and themed structures. The company is also planning to expand its presence in the European market with new KidKraft kitchens inspired by true European aesthetics and size of living spaces in the market.

Commenting on the trends KidKraft is seeing in PreSchool, Justin says the importance and prioritisation of sustainable materials, in the toy space and beyond, continues to become increasingly popular as consumers actively seek out high quality, eco-friendly products. “KidKraft has always prided itself on providing consumers with play sets made of premium materials that families invest in to pass down from generation to generation,” he says. He also highlights a desire from parents to decrease the use of electronics during play time for younger age groups and instead prioritise active play experiences. “When shopping for this incredibly fun age group, KidKraft’s play sets provide opportunities for little ones to explore and have fun, while fostering their imaginations and development without screen time,” adds Justin.

We asked leading suppliers in the Pre-School space to tell us which products from their latest ranges they are most excited about. Find out what they selected over the next few pages, then see a more comprehensive overview of what’s new in Pre-School Toys in our special feature over the subsequent pages.