Passport to Preschool

Move over, USA. It's time to make way for preschool toys from across the pond—and beyond. The movement towards European or European-influenced preschool toys has been underway at American specialty toy stores and the growing number of children's lifestyle boutiques for some time. However, the recent recalls of Mattel, Fisher-Price and RC2 toys may soon accelerate this trend as consumers begin to question their toy purchases, giving specialty stores even more of an opportunity to differentiate themselves from big box retailers and the vendors best known for supplying them. As such, retailers are searching out playthings that are the antithesis of mass-market production: simple, sturdy toys made from high-end materials, and fueled by a child's imagination rather than batteries or licensed properties. The best place to find such products, retailers say, is primarily from European suppliers.

PlayFair Toys is one retailer that recognizes the quality of European brands. Among the preschool offerings available at the Boulder, Colo., specialty store are Haba USA, Steiff and, in particular, Playmobil, a brand that CEO Marilyn Walker says sells well based on reputation alone. “Our customers are looking for quality and toys not made in China,” she adds.

At New York City's Kid O, a high-end lifestyle boutique that sells mostly European goods, top brands also include Haba USA and Playmobil, along with Active People, Vilac and Djeco. Owner Lisa Mahar credits Active People for its top-notch designs and open-ended play potential, and Haba for its quality. “European companies tend to make products that have lasting value,” she says. Mahar opts for international imports also because of their open-minded play style. “[European firms] don't have the same fear that American companies do that if it's not 'fresh' or 'unique' it won't sell,” she says. “They're not afraid to sell a design that's been around … if it engages kids.”

Open-ended play is especially key to Playmobil. While it's now a specialty store staple, it was not an instant success here. According to Andrea Schauer, CEO, and Judith Schweinitz, international sales area manager for the U.S., the playsets that first made their way onto store shelves had very little marketing and thus remained relatively unknown to American consumers. It wasn't until the 1986 opening of headquarters in Edison, N.J., that Playmobil USA established itself.

And after years of experience stateside, Playmobil has come to understand what it takes to design successful product for U.S. preschoolers. “Playmobil works to stimulate the child's creativity and imagination,” say Schaeur and Schweinitz. “[We strive] to include as many details as possible, surprising and inspiring the child to engage in fantasy play and role-playing.” Because the playsets are designed to mix and match, they appeal to different skill sets and abilities—a plus when it comes to child development.

This quarter, Playmobil will broaden its line of fantasy and real-life playsets in themes such as Romans, Airport and Hospital, the latter of which Schaeur and Schweinitz say has been the top wish of children who have written to the company. The redesigned and expanded hospital set includes seven figures, a working elevator and an adjustable operating table.

Playsets like these are big sellers in the specialty store channel, a market that Playmobil lauds for its ability to showcase a broad range of products. “By offering that kind of exposure, consumers are able to understand the Playmobil brand and play philosophy, fostering brand awareness in the U.S.,” says Patrick Brennan, Playmobil USA's director of sales and marketing.

Today, the German toy supplier remains true to its roots, as it continues to develop and manufacture in company-owned and operated facilities in central Europe. “We believe this is the best way to ensure maximum quality,” explains Schauer and Schweinitz. “This kind of quality would not be possible if we sourced the product elsewhere—a risk Mr. Brandstatter [the owner of Playmobil] and his team are not willing to take. He wants us to keep an eye on our product and the way it is produced.”

Like Playmobil, all of Haba USA's toys are developed at its corporate Habermaass facility in Germany. But to ready product for American audiences, the Skaneateles, N.Y.-headquartered supplier follows the model of play in Europe where, according to vice president of sales and marketing Lea Culliton, parents are extremely involved in their children's playtime.

“Products are not developed like some in the USA where they are set in front of the child and lights, sounds and buttons produce entertainment for the child alone,” she tells Playthings. “European families will sit with their children as they interact with the toy and perhaps turn it a different way to enlighten the child as to the cause/effect relationship.”

One such example of this style of play is Haba's Animal's Den, which features an animal with a red tail that, when pulled, retracts inside. “Without a parent's guidance, a younger child may not be able to discover this peek-a-boo relationship,” Culliton says.

To help communicate the concept of interactive play, Haba relies exclusively on its independent retail partners, the channel Culliton says most appreciates Haba's mission. “The specialty retailers who care about the history, reputation and direction of the company's products … are doing the best for Haba,” she says.

The need for information about Haba is something Culliton deals with on a daily basis, receiving numerous consumer inquiries as to where the company's toys are manufactured. And even though Haba has turned to China for some of its own production needs, the company plans to designate a permanent employee overseas to constantly monitor production. “I will send any consumer a spreadsheet showing where our products are manufactured; it is not something which we hide,” she states.

With more than 300 new products manufactured each year, Germany's Gollnest & Kiesel has more than enough offerings to satisfy even the most discriminating American consumer. “Nowhere in the world are so many wooden toys made than in our country,” enthuses spokesperson Helmut Roloff. The company prides itself on its long-term experience in working with both wood and textiles, Roloff says, and has been selling its high-end toys in the U.S. since 2003.

New for 2007 are Birte and Ben, two flexible puppets that come in a small wooden box with 14 sets of clothing; the Stacking Villa, 14 pieces of wood that, when completed, create a house with a smiling “owner” peeking out the front door; and My Little Zoo, a 220-piece, customizable animal sanctuary set.

“Our designs are focused on the needs of preschool children, using warm and bright colors,” explains Roloff, adding that the company chooses hues that are tested and produced in Germany and Switzerland. Additional measures are taken to ensure safety and certification at the company's European facilities.

Despite such efforts, Roloff says it is still challenging to find suitable U.S. retail partners. The company works with specialty stores that tend to be located in high-income areas, which leads him to believe that wooden toys are not as widely represented in U.S. markets as they are in Europe. “That's a pity,” he says. “We know that playing with wooden toys is very important for the favorable development of children.”

With a decade of experience in the U.S. marketplace, Bojeux of Quebec, Canada, knows a thing or two about making toys for the 3- to 5-year-old set. “Our concept for preschool children is based on creating products made for little hands,” says sales coordinator Catherine Muraca. “Being able to create and use [their] imagination creates magic in children's eyes.”

Bojeux's new preschool offerings are based on a family of characters that enable kids to discover the world of dough modeling. The Dohbodies Tutti Fruitti playsets, which come in fire truck and octopus themes, contain fruit-scented dough that can be moisturized with a drop of water. “Tutti Fruitti gives children a high sense of experience that teaches colors, scents, shapes and manual dexterity, and provides opportunities for social interactions,” notes Muraca.

She praises Bojeux's U.S. retail partners for communicating this message well to American shoppers. “Knowing our products and the quality of our products has helped our presence in the retail marketplace,” states Muraca.

Another Quebec-based toy maker, McWiz, is also making strides in the preschool space with its educational games. The company first came on the scene in 2001 with just two titles. Six years later, McWiz boasts a selection of 28 games for different age groups. Bob McDuff, McWiz president, believes Canadian manufacturers have an advantage when targeting the American toy market. “Our products, especially those created in Quebec, tend to resemble European toys more than American toys and games,” he notes. And while the quality of the materials is a bit higher—and thus more expensive—the content of the games is typically more educational than in European counterparts, McDuff says.

Two McWiz games that reflect this philosophy are Insecto and Metamorfo. Insecto introduces kids ages 3 and up to board games without any reading or counting via magnetic playing pieces in the likeness of colorful plush bugs. For 4-year-olds, Metamorfo offers checkers with the help of caterpillar playing pieces that 'transform' into butterflies.

McDuff lauds U.S. specialty stores for their willingness to try out the company's new products, no matter how different they looked at first glance. “American retailers have always congratulated us on our packaging and the content of our games,” he says, crediting them for helping establish McWiz in the U.S.

When it comes to designing playthings for preschoolers, McDuff says it boils down to three main ingredients: age-appropriateness, because “a game that is too difficult will discourage any child”; safe and sturdy construction, because regardless of manufacturer warnings, “of course, children will be taking the playing pieces to their mouths”; and the all-important fun factor. “We want the youngsters to be hooked on games for life.”