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Although toys are still tops with younger kids, the appeal of electronics is spreading from older kids to their younger counterparts faster than you can e-mail a digital photo from your My Scene Prepaid Cell Phone.
To keep up with the craze, many toy manufacturers are producing “toyetic” electronic products, marrying high-tech functionality with tried-and-true toylike play patterns. This winning combination has hit a sweet spot with kids and the results are going to be astounding this holiday season.
According to the KidzEyes/Funosophy 2005 Holiday Wish List Survey conducted this October with thousands of kids ages 6 to 17, these hybrid toy/electronic products are at the head of kids’ holiday wish lists. Boys and girls young and old showed intense desire for the latest electronic releases.
Out of more than 30 of this season’s top gender-neutral toys, including both electronic and nonelectronic products, kids rated the electronic products tops. In fact, when asked which toys they wanted most, three of the top five were electronic products. Also interesting is that the other two were vehicles. No traditional toys made the top spots.
Five Faves – Gender Neutral Toys
(Ranked alphabetically)
Boys and Girls Ages 6 to 17
“Which of these toys would you like the most this holiday season?”
| Toy |
Manufacturer |
| Honda Mini-Moto Maxii Electric Bike |
Manley Toy Quest |
| Plug N Play TV Games |
Jakks Pacific |
| Razor Dirt Rocket Electric Scooter |
Razor |
| Video Now XP Color |
Hasbro |
| Vidster Digital Video Camera With Movie Editing Software |
Mattel |
Clearly electronics are here to stay. Kids are going to demand more and more sophisticated technology. The toy manufacturers who can deliver it to them, while maintaining an age-appropriate sense of play, will be long-term winners.
Written by Nancy Zwiers, CEO of Funosophy Inc., a brand-building consulting and research firm in the toy industry. License Tracker research was conducted by Funosophy and its research partner KidzEyes among a nationally representative sample of kids ages 6 to 17 years. It is available for purchase. For details, go to www.funosophy.com or call (562) 436-5251.
