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Lasting Value

Playthings that maintain their post-holiday appeal

By Nancy Zwiers -- Playthings, 8/1/2008

Let's face it, most kids have a lot of toys. Of the plethora of plastic and plush in the toy box, which toys have the most play value? As we head into the holiday season, product design and marketing firm Funosophy Inc. asked 198 mothers of boys and girls ages 6 to 8 to share the names of the holiday gifts their child received last year that are still offering play value long into 2008.

Topping the charts

The mothers surveyed offered 103 unique responses to our question. Interestingly, moms consider video game platforms, video games and electronics to be “toys,” as those were included in their top responses at rates equal or higher than pure toys. Responses that received multiple mentions included five video games/platforms, eight traditional toys and two electronic products.

Toys hold their own

Although a full quarter of moms who participated in the survey nominated video games as last year's holiday toys still offering the most play value today, nearly 60 percent offered up the names of various more traditional toys or toy categories, including Lego building sets, American Girl and Barbie dolls, and Ganz's Webkinz plush. The remaining votes went to electronic products and “others.”


Author Information
Nancy Zwiers is CEO of Funosophy Inc., the Long Beach, Calif.-based children's products marketing and design firm. For more information on this month's survey, email info@funosophy.com or call the company at (562) 436-5251.

 

Please think about the types of toys your child received as gifts last holiday season. Which type is still offering the most play value?

  • Video games 25%
  • Dolls 20%
  • Other 10%
  • Construction toys 8%
  • Electronics 7%
  • Plush 7%
  • Vehicles 6%
  • Arts & crafts 5%
  • Action figures 4%
  • Outdoor toys 3%
  • Role play 2%
  • Trading cards 2%
  • Games 1%
  • Science kits 1%

Please think about the toys that your child received as gifts last holiday season. Which one is still offering the most play value?

  • Nintendo DS 6%
  • Nintendo Wii 6%
  • Webkinz 6%
  • Lego 5%
  • American Girl doll 3%
  • Littlest Pet Shop 3%
  • Art Easel 2%
  • Barbie 2%
  • Guitar Hero 2%
  • Leapster 2%
  • Lincoln Logs 2%
  • MP3 player 2%
  • Nintendo DS Lite 2%
  • Nintendo Gameboy 2%
  • Transformers 2%
  • None 2%
  • All others 51%

What's The Appeal?

Quotes from the survey's respondents on particular products' continuing play value:

  • Guitar Hero for PS2. "Ashley and her siblings spend a lot of time playing this game together. Also, when Ashley's friends come over, everyone wants to play it."
  • "His Hot Wheels because they are the one thing that he continually plays with!"
  • My Little Pony. "She plays with them everywhere in and out of the bathtub."
  • "Xbox games because, unfortunately, kids seem to like playing video games a lot more than playing with conventional toys."
  • "Transformers do not break!"
  • Lincoln Logs. "He plays with them several times a week and never seems to get tired of them."
  • Nintendo DS games. "She plays the games whenever we are in the car or away from home."
  • Wii. "He plays it a lot and it gets him off the couch."
  • Webkinz stuffed animals. "She can take the actual stuffed animal wherever she goes. Then it allows her play time on the computer, getting her more comfortable with using the computer."
  • Nerf dart tag game. "It has been three months since he got it, and he and his brother play with it regularly. It's fun for them, and has held together quite well!"
  • Legos. "They force him to use creativity and mechanical skills to put little pieces together to make big structures. Also, Legos don't cost that much and he can use them to make many different things."
  • "My Twinn doll—no batteries, computer chips, just the girl and the doll! She must use her imagination to make the doll interact with her. We bought a couple of matching outfits for girl and doll to promote the imaginary play and that helps a great deal with tea parties, playing school, etc."
  • Cars Play Tent. "Although he got multiple toys, this seems to be his fav[orite]. He uses it for all sorts of things, from cops and robbers, to plain old camp outs, indoors, of course!"

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