Preschoolers Are Primed For Skill and Action Games

The game category is standing strong, with offerings appealing to kids of all ages and both genders. In fact, last holiday season, more boys ages 6-11 hoped to receive games (board games, trading cards and handheld electronics) than any other type of toy. And more than half of girls the same age hoped to receive them as a holiday gift, too, But what kinds of games do game players prefer? In particular, what kinds of games do younger kids like best?

Funosophy asked the parents of 200 3- to 5-year-olds about the kinds of games they own, the frequency with which their kids play with them, and the kinds of games they think their kids might like. Game sub-categories included in the survey were:

• Card Games (like Uno)
• Dice Games (like Yahtzee Jr.)
• Board Games (like Candy Land)
• Skill and Action Games (like Ants In The Pants)
• Word Games (like Scrabble Jr.)
• Electronic Handheld Games (like the Beginner Gamer The Little Mermaid Handheld)
• TV/DVD Games (like the Sesame Street Plug 'n' Play TV Game or the Candy Land DVD Game)
• Educational Games (like Zingo!)

More than 90 percent of those surveyed reported owning board games. Another 88 percent have card games like Uno at home, and more than half of all kids have dice games, skill and action games or word games. Notably, TV/DVD games have grown household penetration quickly, with 51 percent of households with preschoolers saying they own them.

We asked the parents of kids who own each type of game about the frequency with which their kids are playing with them. It turns out that more kids are playing with board games than any other type of game. Card games, handhelds and TV/DVD games also had ratings at or above the 60 percent mark.

Among non-owners, skill and action games have the highest untapped market interest. The survey found a 12 to 1 ratio between people who would like to own such games versus those who wouldn't. Board games and TV/DVD games had the next highest ratios of people who would like to own such games. And while preschoolers' cupboards are stocked with low-tech items like board and card games, interest in plug-and-play TV games, DVD games and electronic handhelds is growing fast, and there is a definite opportunity in the skill and action games sub-category.