Despite the influx of modern day toys that incorporate new technologies into them, wooden toys are still very much in high demand. The simplicity of these toys paired with the hours of fun that children of all ages can get from them is what really attracts consumers. And many of the wooden toys available today are modern versions of the toys that older generations would have enjoyed playing with, bringing a nostalgic feeling to the mix.
Table of Contents
Overall global market value of wooden toys
Factors to consider when choosing wooden toys
Types of wooden toys
The future of wooden toys in the market
Overall global market value of wooden toys
Wooden toys don’t have the features that modern electronic toys do, but that doesn’t make them any less fun or any less educational. Toys made of wood have been popular for centuries, and there’s a reason that they continue to maintain their popularity while other types of toys rise and fall. Wooden toys are once again seeing a steady increase in terms of global sales, and their popularity isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
By 2027 the overall global market value of wooden toys is expected to reach USD 28.11 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 3% over a 6 year period. This rise in popularity is down to a number of factors such as parents being aware that wooden toys are much less dangerous than other materials and the learning benefits they have for children of a younger age.
Factors to consider when choosing wooden toys
Not all toys are built the same, which is why there are some very important factors to consider when choosing the right type of wooden toy to purchase.
Suitability
One of the most important factors to consider is if the toy is suitable for the child or children in question. This covers not only what the toy can offer the child in terms of fun and education, but also if its age appropriate. Depending on the age of the child, it may or not be the best option to keep them engaged and it may not match their overall personality. There’s also the size of the wooden toy to consider, as some toys may be too big or small.
Usability
The next thing to consider is how usable the toy actually is. The toy doesn’t necessarily need to have a lot of features added to it in order for it to be useful or fun. If the toy is too complicated to use for a child of a younger age, the chances are that it won’t interest them enough to try and play with it. For older children, if the wooden toy is too simple and baby-like, the same outcome will occur.
Safety
Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to children’s toys so it’s vital to assess if a toy is appropriate or not for children to use. Many parents and teachers turn to wooden toys over other materials such as plastic because the edges of the toys are more likely to be softer or curved. Other things to consider include if a toy can close too quickly, is easily breakable, can cause splinters when rubbed, or if it’s a choking hazard.
Quality
The final factor to consider when purchasing wooden toys for children is the overall quality of the product. This is true for the quality of the wood as well as the paint. If the paint can come into contact with water and not lift off then the quality is acceptable for children who may be chewing the toy or spilling drinks on it.
Types of wooden toys
Due to the high demand for wooden toys among both parents and teachers, there are many unique toys in today’s market to choose from which all offer something a little different. The building blocks racetrack, the tiered car racing game, and wooden calendars are three of the most popular types of wooden toys that can be used for many different age groups.
Building blocks racetrack
Building blocks have always been popular, and are a great way for children to learn about the different structures and angles that can be made with cubes. A fun alternative to traditional building blocks is the building blocks racetrack which is predominantly used with marbles but other small balls can also be played with on the racetrack too.
The idea of this wooden toy is for children to build their own racetrack from scratch. This will help to generate an interest in architecture and at the same time will help with their problem solving abilities and communication if they’re building the racetrack in a group. As long as the track has been built properly and all of the pieces fit together then there are hours of fun to be had racing marbles. It’s a toy that binds traditional toys with modern ones.
Tiered car racing game
It’s no secret that children love to play with toy cars. They also enjoy building tracks for these cars to be raced along, and this tiered car racing game offers users the ability to change up the way the cars will fall and is a fun yet competitive way to play. What’s unique about this type of toy is that it will help to improve the hand eye coordination of the child as well as improve their overall visual tracking abilities as they watch the wooden cars fall from platform to platform.
The different colored cars of the racing game are also more appealing to children than simple wooden cars, so the paintwork of the track and the cars work together to keep the children interested and engaged. Overall, the tiered car racing game is a great way for children to have fun and work on their cognitive abilities.
Wooden calendar
One of the latest toy trends is the wooden calendar. This isn’t a new toy invention by any means, but in recent years more activities have been added to it in order to keep children more engaged and work on different skill sets. The newest versions of toy wooden calendars help to not only improve children’s logical thinking ability, it also makes children improve their hands-on skills, promotes hand-eye coordination, and improves their ability to distinguish between shapes and colors.
Rather than simply having the days of the month on the board, wooden calendars include clocks, seasons, months, weather, and days of the week. This means that while children are playing with the calendar they’re learning at the same time which will help them develop overall.
The future of wooden toys in the market
The implementation of modern features to traditional wooden toys is helping to drive sales in the wooden toys market. Factors such as suitability, usability, safety, and overall quality all need to be taken into account when choosing the right toy, and the market has seen an increase in demand for building blocks racetracks, tiered car racing games, and wooden calendars.
Although many new toys can be used with smart devices or have electronic features to them, nothing quite beats the positive impact that wooden toys have on children and their learning process. In the coming years, the market is expecting wooden toys to continue with their popularity among children of all age groups, with newer features that will appeal more to the modern consumer.
