Why dolls, figures and playsets are so popular
Fashion dolls topped the class in US retail sales in 2019 according to NPD, closely followed by action figures, particularly licensed toys, so it’s clearly an important category that retailers should be watching closely. In addition, the ‘Kid Powered’ trend announced by The US Toy Association at Toy Fair New York in February 2020 continues to rise in popularity. ‘Kid-powered’ toys see the children themselves taking control of the play, helping them to learn critical-thinking skills, creativity, confidence, leadership and discipline. Open-ended toys such as action figures and customisable dolls both fall into that category.
Taking control
Baby Brands Direct stocks quality brands in this category including the much-loved Playmobil and Fisher-Price Little People sets. Creating imaginary scenarios using these sets and figures can help children to understand others, learn how actions can have consequences and develop important skills such as empathy. Children live in a world where everything is bigger than them – people, chairs, cars, TVs – everything is built on a large scale. Being able to shrink real-life situations down to child size with dolls, activity sets and action figures can help little ones to make sense of the world around them and learn to cope with situations that they may find difficult. It takes away the loud, chaotic feeling of the real world and brings it to a place where they are in control. Powerful stuff!
Learning to nurture
Dolls also encourage the development of nurturing skills – an important skill for both boys and girls to learn. And when they use their dolls to create or recreate real-life situations, they can learn about conversation, developing their communication skills, learning how to solve problems and develop empathy for others. Dolls also encourage self-expression, something that can be missing from traditional ‘boys’ toys. Encouraging emotional intelligence is a vital part of a child’s development, and a life skill that is becoming more and more important in our world. For pre-schoolers, playing with dolls can help to improve fine motor skills, as any adult who has tried to dress a fashion doll can testify! It can also improve communications skills, and help them learn how to interact socially.
Diversity and inclusion
On the other hand, action figures encourage children to use their imagination to the full. Imaginary or creative play is really important. It helps to develop language skills as they give their chosen character a voice, invent a story and act it out. All valuable skills to learn that will be useful in literacy work at school. Away from the fantasy figures, modern dolls reflect the world that children live in. They can also help children learn more about diversity and inclusion. Brands such as Barbie (the second-biggest property in the category in 2019) have made great inroads into representing a diverse range featuring different skin tones, disabilities, and body shapes. It’s a brand and range that Baby Brands Direct is particularly proud to stock.
