Marketers and Parents: Don't Forget Traditional Non-Tech Toys

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Forget the beeps, buzzes and whistles – while tech toys are still popular, non-tech toys remain strong favorites. This is according to a new study released today at the Sandbox Summit^®, New Playing Fields: Building a 21^st Century Sandbox, in New York City.

“How much do you agree or disagree with the following?”

“While traditional toys are still popular, the nature of “play” is changing for today’s youth, both in terms of the activities they participate in and the outcomes they expect from play. In today’s world, kids are actually more likely to be playing alone with their favorite toys versus playing with others. While the most important goal that kids have when playing is still to have fun, toy makers and marketers need to keep their designs and messages in tune with evolving forms of play – across age ranges and gender preferences-- in order to engage with kids and their parents in current, relevant and profitable ways,” says Peter Shafer, Vice President for the Youth Center of Excellence.

Harris Interactive’s Youth Center of Excellence collaborated on the development of this study with Claire Greene and Wendy Smolen, founders of the Sandbox Summit, an organization dedicated to looking at how technology is changing the way kids play, learn and connect in today’s world.

According to Claire Green, co-founder of Sandbox Summit, “We’ve crossed the digital Rubicon. We know technology is here to stay. As adults we have a responsibility to understand how tech toys, from electronics to online communities, affect the way kids learn to play and think.”

Some striking findings from this study include:

Over 3 in 5 Tweens agree that toys are necessary to have fun (62%). When naming their favorite toys an actual brand/toy name is mentioned nearly two thirds of the time (67%) with Tweens are more likely than teens to mention a brand/toy name (74% Tweens vs. 65% Teens). When specific brands are looked at, the top two favorite brand mentions are toys with no batteries or electronic technology.
Probably not surprising, imagination, challenge and ease of use outweigh the desire for social and learning aspects of toys. For Tween girls it is important that toys are fun (88%), easy to use (78%), and makes them use their imagination (69%). For Tween boys it is extremely/very important that toys are fun (93%), makes them use their imagination (66%), and are challenging (61%).
Boys and girls differ in what they value in play experiences. Tween boys like the challenge of playing with their favorite toy (Tween boys 21% vs. Tween girls 11%). Tween girls like the ability to play with their favorite toy in different ways (Tween girls 22% vs. Tween boys 16%). When asked what they enjoyed most about playing with their favorite toy, the top five responses reported were fun (22%), variety of ways to play (22%), pretend role play (20%), creativity and building (16%), and imagination (13%).

According to Dr. Suzanne Martin, President of Martin Consulting, “In a time when youth’s lives are filled with increasingly rigid scheduling and structure, they desire and appreciate toys that afford them the opportunity to express themselves, be creative, and offer options for a variety of experiences. Furthermore, an individual’s perceived level of creativity may have implications for future career choices.” Self perceived creativity goes down with age, with over half (53%) of Tweens and 45% of teens self reporting as extremely/very creative. Youth who described themselves as extremely or very creative are more likely to see themselves in a technology or engineering related job more than those who described themselves as creative/somewhat creative/not all creative (33% vs. 22%).

“As toy makers plan for the future, they need to keep several youth requisites in mind”, according to Shafer. “Toys need to be easy to use, and simple to interact and play with. It’s also vital that these toys are designed to deliver a variety of experiences, in a single product. Youth today are demanding a lot in a toy, it is now up to the toy makers to deliver that to them.”

TABLE 1
“How important are each of the following when thinking about toys that you would play with?”
Summary of Extremely/Very Important

Base: 8-12 Year Olds
	Males	Females
	%	%
Fun	93	88
Makes me use my imagination	66	69
Challenging	61	51
Easy to use	57	62
It allows me to play with others	43	48
Teaches me something	34	40

TABLE 2 “How much do you agree or disagree with the following?” Summary of Strongly/Somewhat Agree

Base: 8-18 Year Olds
	8-12 Year Olds		13-18 Year Olds
	Males	Females	Males	Females
	%	%	%	%
The most important part of a toy is that it is entertaining.	86	83	72	69
When I travel on car trips with my family it is important that I bring toys or games to use in the car.	84	79	53	58
Toys that involve technology, like video and computer games and handheld games or toys, are more fun than other toys.	84	69	71	53
I enjoy toys or games that make me think.	82	79	73	77
I would rather have a toy or game that is fun to play even if it does not help me learn.	75	67	61	48
Toys are important in our lives to help us learn.	67	63	60	53
We need toys to have fun.	64	60	46	36

TABLE 3
“What do you like most about playing with your favorite toy?”

Base: 8-18 Year Olds
	8-12 Year Olds		13-18 Year Olds
	Males	Females	Males	Females
	%	%	%	%
Challenging	21	14	12	11
Playing to win	20	11	12	4
Playing in different ways	16	22	15	12
Spending time with friend(s)	9	8	8	8
Pretending	9	16	2	35
Making up stories	4	7	6	14
Able to play with it alone	15	19	13	12
Other	6	5	9	6

TABLE 4
“How do you usually play with your favorite toy? Please select all that apply.”

Base: 8-12 Year Olds
	Males	Females
	%	%
By myself	78	84
With a friend/friends	51	46
With a brother or sister	45	37
With my Parents	33	26
With someone else	17	11
With my Grandparents	12	8

TABLE 5 What do/did you enjoy most about playing with your favorite toy?

Base: 8-18 year olds
	8-18 year olds
	%
Creativity and Building	16
Imagination	13
Social	11
Challenge/Competition	10
Educational/Makes Them Think	6
Physically Active/Coordination	5
Entertaining/Takes up Time/Relieves Boredom	4
Problem Solving	2
Other	2
Not Sure/No Answer	5

Methodology

This survey was designed in collaboration with the Sandbox Summit and was conducted online by Harris Interactive within the United States by Harris Interactive on July 16 to July 24, 2008 among 1,353 U.S. 8-18 year olds (538 8-12 year olds; 815 13-18 year olds) in collaboration with Sandbox Summit. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, parental education, and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. With a pure probability sample of 1,353 one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/-3 percentage points. Sampling error for subsamples is higher and varies. However this does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. 8-18 year old population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

About the Harris Interactive Youth Center of Excellence

The Youth Center of Excellence conducts research among children, teens, parents, educators, administrators and policy makers that assists in understanding the lives of children, teens and college students. The team specializes in research related to marketing geared toward the young consumer, to public policy related to youth and education, to family and parenting issues, and satisfaction studies and research that measures the standards of K-12 and higher education in districts across the nation. The practice conducts custom and syndicated studies both for non-profit and for-profit organizations.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About Sandbox Summit

The Sandbox Summit was created in 2007 to open the discussion and promote research exploring how technology affects the ways kids play, learn, and connect in today’s world. The goal of Sandbox Summit ™ is to ensure that the next generation of players becomes active innovators rather than passive consumers of technology.

Through high-energy panels, hands-on demonstrations, and thought-provoking discussions with industry leaders, journalists, analysts, and educators, Sandbox Summit™ brings a new dimension to conferences and conference tables.

The first Sandbox Summit ™ was held at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show. The combined conference and exhibition examined the way kids play in today's digital world and showcased the latest high-tech gadgets and media that they are using.

Two additional Sandbox Summit seminars are planned for 2008. Further information can be found at www.sandboxsummit.org.

Cofounders Claire S. Green and Wendy Smolen bring a wealth of experience and insight to this subject. Claire is president of Parents’ Choice Foundation, the nation’s oldest nonprofit service organization devoted to advancing parents' informed participation in their children's learning. The coveted Parents’ Choice Awards recognize the very best products in children’s toys and media. Wendy is the Editorial Director of Toy Wishes, a former editor of two parenting magazines, and a mother of three in-house toy testers. She has been evaluating toys and kids’ activities professionally for over fifteen years.

Harris Interactive Inc. 9/08