# Mess-Filled Play Toy brands offer hands-on activities that encourage messy play. By [Tana Makmanee](https://www.trendhunter.com/tmak), SVP, Research Services at Trend Hunter | Published Jun 1, 2018 | Category: [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/pro/category/life-stages) Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/messfilled-play ## Key Figures - Trend score: 3.7/10 - Evidence articles: 4 ## What is the Mess-Filled Play trend? **Mess-Filled Play:** Tapping into a bit of nostalgia, toy brands are reverting back to hands-on activities that not only encourage interactivity, but that entail mess as part of the process . Appealing to various sensory elements, brands are offering kids toys that encourage behavior like getting your clothes wet to creating custom-made slime. This turn toward more messy, hands-on activities suggests a shift back to not only more analog activities for kids, but activities that encourage disorganized, unconventional play. ## At a Glance - Evidence: 4 featured examples - Articles from: May 11, 2017 to Mar 7, 2018 - Published: Jun 1, 2018 - Patterns: [Redirection](https://www.trendhunter.com/pattern/redirection) - Megatrends: [Gamification](https://www.trendhunter.com/megatrend/gamification) ## Audience - Gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Alpha, Gen Z - Top markets: North America ## Themes within the Mess-Filled Play trend ### Sensory play The trend of offering toys that encourage multi-sensory, hands-on and often messy play appeals to nostalgia and a shift back to unconventional activities. ### Customization Brands that offer toys that can be customized and personalized provide an opportunity for unique engagement with consumers and differentiation from competitors. ### Chance-based games Games that rely on chance, suspense, and often involve messy or gross elements provide unique, highly shareable, and viral content for social media. ## What the Mess-Filled Play trend means for industry ### For Toy Industry Opportunities exist for toy makers to create multi-sensory, hands-on experiences and highly-sharable games that appeal to social media consumption and reward repeat purchases. ### For Social Media Creative and challenging games and experiences that generate uniquely hilarious, gross, or surprising content encourage social media sharing and engagement. ### For Consumer Goods Companies that can create customizable products that engage consumers with more immersive and experiential play or activities can differentiate from competitors and provide highly promising upsell opportunities. ## Workshop question In what ways could you adapt your product or service to be simpler in design and function? What nostalgic elements could you integrate? ## Trend signals for Mess-Filled Play Trend score 3.7 out of 10, from popularity 60%, activity 43%, freshness 8%. - Popularity: 60% - Activity: 43% - Freshness: 8% ## Examples of the Mess-Filled Play trend 4 featured examples from May 11, 2017 to Mar 7, 2018. - [Soaking Watermelon Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/watermelon-smash): Yulu's 'Watermelon Smash' Turns Cooling Off with Water into a Fun Game (Category: Life-Stages) Implication: Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore new game concepts and toy designs to cater to consumers' desire for interactive and entertaining play experiences. - [DIY Slime Playsets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/so-slime-diy): Canal Toys' 'So Slime DIY' Range Makes Slime with the Addition of Water (Category: Life-Stages) Implication: The toy industry can leverage the trend of customizable playsets to create a wider range of DIY kits that meet the demand for interactive and experiential play. - [Stinky Family-Friendly Board Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/who-tooted): YouTubers Jake and Ty Demonstrate How to Play 'Who Tooted?' (Category: Life-Stages) Implication: Opportunity for toy and game companies to develop and market family-friendly board games. - [Sculpting Clay Stepping Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dont-step-in-it): Hasbro's 'Don't Step In It' Has Players Avoid a Squishy Compound (Category: Life-Stages) Implication: Innovative game concepts like 'Don't Step In It' have the potential to drive growth and interest in the toy industry. ## Recent trend clusters - [Constructible Franchises](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/constructible-franchises) (Life-Stages) - [Assisted Choices](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/weight-loss-medication-support) (Lifestyle) - [Storyline Sips](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/themed-drink-menus) (Lifestyle) - [Bedtime Cocoon](https://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/sleep-sensory-blocking) (Lifestyle) ## Trending in Life-Stages - [Retro Graphic Tees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nostalgic-graphic-tees) - [Screen-Free Kids Phones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/screen-free-kids-phones) - [Edible Oil-Based Lubes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coco-lube) - [Women's Health-Focused Probiotic Supplements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/womens-health-probiotic-capsules) All articles: [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages)