2021's biggest trends underscore the ongoing impact of the pandemic on play; the toy industry's commitment to helping kids become better citizens; and the many social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of mindful, musical, and 'kidult' toys, said Adrienne Appell, senior vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association.
MIXING IN MUSIC
Driven by social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok that have become incubators for viral music and dance crazes, toys that get kids moving and grooving are expected to grow in the toy aisles. This trend includes toys inspired by music-infused social platforms, channels, and programming; innovative new audio players that encourage screen-free play; toys that encourage kids to mix and make their own music; unboxing toys that incorporate music into the reveals; and, of course, classic musical toys.
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Music
and Toys: An Industry Overview
By Paul A. Paterson with Pennie Hoover
November 1, 2002
Musical
toys make up one of the fastest growing sectors of the toy industry.
According to the NPD Group, sales of preschool musical instruments
increased $9 million from 1999 to 2000, and musical instrument sales
in general increased by an impressive $23 million over the same
period. The question of what is driving this trend is an important
consideration for retailers and manufacturers alike because it reflects
changes in society and technology.
Jumbo Music Ball by Neurosmith
Pointing
to the development of learning product lines like the Baby Genius,
Baby Mozart and Neurosmith, Reyne Rice, Director of
Marketing and Communications for NPDFunworld, explains. "With
falling prices on smart computer chips, and the demand for greater
sophistication in all toy products, we are seeing the introduction
of both sound and music in a variety of toy products for children,
especially for the infant and pre-school set.”
"There
has definitely been more buzz in the industry and the press over
the past few years, as to the benefits of early music exposure in
developing children's brains," she says. "Many first-time
parents are waiting until they are older and more established in
their careers before they start families. These older parents seem
to be more aware of these trends and generally have the financial
ability to indulge in these kinds of learning-specific products."
It's
an awareness Carol Penney has seen in her 20 years as an educator
with Kindermusik, one of the largest music instruction franchises
in North America. "We've long known the power of music to energize
and console," she notes. "I think parents are more aware
of the benefits now. We're excited that the whole industry has recognized
that music has many benefits." For their part, Kindermusik
has launched a selection of audio CD's featuring classical compositions
and traditional children's songs.
So,
with more music-related products and more demand from parents for
them, there has been some adjustment in the retail market to accommodate
the new lines, according to Rice. "Although there has not been
an increase in the actual number of specialty stores, there has
been a broader acceptance of these types of learning and educational
products across many store types," she notes.
Pointing
to Imaginarium, which has incorporated with giant Toys R Us as a
store-within-a-store, Reyne continues. "Now, more parents than
ever are exposed to products within Toys-R-Us that used to be the
sole domain of the free-standing specialty retail stores. Most of
these learning-type products are merchandised within the Imaginarium
sections."
While
the educational component of a toy does influence many parents'
purchasing decisions, the bottom line for most experts is the toy
still has to be fun. Any educational benefits are enhanced if the
parent and the child play with the toy together.
Folk
Guitar
by Hohner
"Music
becomes part of the family bonding," explains Penney. "[Parents]
are seeking out the long-range benefits of music. Our wish is that
music has become a part of every day life."
Interestingly,
the fastest growing group of new musical students is the 25-55 year
olds, according to the Music Teachers National Association. Older
students gain the same benefits younger students receive, such as
increased mental acuity and abstract reasoning skills, creative
outlets and anxiety reducing physical, mental and social activity.
There are also studies that connect music making with wellness as
reported by the Music Making and Wellness project done by researchers
at the University of Miami.
It
would not be surprising if parents and mentors believe that passing
these benefits on to their young ones is a good idea.
Can music make your child smarter?
Musical training does shape structural brain development. Long-term instrumental music training is an intense, multisensory, and motor experience and offers an ideal opportunity to study structural brain plasticity in the developing brain in correlation with behavioral changes induced by training. --- Jason Lerch, Andrea Norton, Marie Forgeard, Ellen Winner, Alan C. Evans, Gottfried Schlaug | 11 March 2009,29(10)3019-3025;DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5118-08.2009 (https://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/10/3019)
In 1974, Desmond Sergeant and Gillian Thatcher said: "All highly intelligent people are not necessarily musical, but all highly musical people are apparently highly intelligent."
Studies on the “Mozart Effect” suggest that children under 3 who are exposed to the composer’s music have increased brain development. Other studies indicate that such exposure appears to confer increased temporal-spatial reasoning skills. The net benefit is that such skills can enhance a person’s lifetime abilities in science, chess, math and engineering. It’s an intriguing, if unproven concept.
Musical toys bring the sounds of music into the home without the expense of purchasing real instruments. While some musical toys offer full creativity to children, others simply require that children participate and prerecorded tunes are piped out for them. In many cases, a child’s experience with "pretend" instruments can shape their musical aspirations in later life. Whatever a child’s age, there are plenty of music related toys to stimulate the brain in a fun way.
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