Category
Life-Stages
Constructible Franchises
Trend cluster
Category
Offbeat
Playtime
Toy designers encourage personal expression with bizarre products.
5.7
Trend score
Trend
What is the Offbeat Playtime trend?
Offbeat Playtime: Toy designers are moving away from offerings that emphasize stereotypically masculine or feminine traits, instead creating a wide array of bizarre and offbeat products that are neutral in gender. Whether it's subverting pop culture characters or simply reimagining a traditional toy in a new form, these products make it acceptable for children to diverge from the norm. This progression speaks both to the fading relevance of the gender binary, as well as the heightened development of personal identity at younger ages.
Trend themes
Themes within the Offbeat Playtime trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Gender-Neutral Toys
Designers are moving away from offerings that emphasize stereotypically masculine or feminine traits, instead creating a wide array of bizarre and offbeat products that are neutral in gender.
02
Educational Subscription Boxes
Subscription boxes with developmental skills encourage kids to think, question and create through experiments and activities on ecosystems, science, ecology, and the solar system.
03
Creative Wearables for Kids
Toy wearables are being designed for children to identify their current moods and express themselves through corresponding colors and app-connected wearable bands.
Industry implications
What the Offbeat Playtime trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Toy Manufacturing
Toy manufacturers can create gender-neutral toys that are unique and engaging for both boys and girls.
For
Subscription Services
Educational activity box subscription services can provide eco-friendly products with developmental skills to encourage creativity in children.
For
App-Connected Wearables
Companies that create wearable technology for kids can create products connecting apps to help kids identify current moods and express themselves.
Workshop question
What can your brand do to encourage individuality and personal expression among youth?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Offbeat Playtime
Trend score 5.7 out of 10, from popularity 84%, activity 78%, freshness 8%.
Popularity84%
Activity78%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z (not a primary audience)
- Millennial (not a primary audience)
- Gen X (not a primary audience)
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
South America
Evidence
Examples of the Offbeat Playtime trend
5 featured examples from Mar 13, 2015 to Jun 21, 2017CategoryLife-Stages
Expressive Toy Wearables
Hasbro's Hanazuki Toy Range Helps to Connect Kids with Their Emotions
Toy manufacturers can explore the development of emotion-tracking wearables and interactive toy experiences to engage with children in new and innovative ways.
CategoryLife-Stages
Liquid Art Toys
'Artsplash' is a Unique 3D Art Toy for Kids That's Powered by Water
Chance for toy manufacturers to develop and produce innovative art toys for children.
CategoryEco
Educational Craft Subscriptions
Green Kid Crafts' Activity Boxes Gift Smarts & Sustainability
Online retailers can explore the niche market of educational craft subscription boxes, offering a convenient way for parents to engage their children in creative and educational a…
CategoryTech
Cute Communicative Robots
'Elfkins' Emotes Messages Between Kids and Loved Ones
Disruptive innovation opportunity: Seamlessly integrate technology into toys to provide meaningful interactions and experiences for children.
CategoryLife-Stages
Gender-Neutral Science Kits
This Educational Toy Introduces Kids to Science at a Young Age
Toy manufacturers can invest in creating more gender-neutral educational toys, including science kits.
