# Plywood Pancake Playthings Yang:Ripol Flat Zoo Toys Feature Few Bells and Whistles By Vivian Lau | Published 2012-08-29 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yangripol-flat-zoo References: [fastcodesign](http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670622/a-transformable-menagerie-of-adorable-frankenbeasts) & [fastcodesign](http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670622/a-transformable-menagerie-of-adorable-frankenbeasts) The Yang:Ripol Flat Zoo toys are an impossibly cute collection of critters that are totally planar in nature. The designers at Yang:Ripol obviously think [plush toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emotional-baggage-by-solobo-toys) are a thing of the past, but who knew they could make [thin wooden sheets shaped animals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/raskars) so darn loveable? Kids need only a rubber band to pair these animals up to create new species. By stacking these one-dimensional silhouettes on top of each other, they can potentially create an owl with mouse ears, or a mouse with penguin flippers. The simplistic and design-savvy toys are in fact highly customizable and encourage kids to use their imaginations. It turns out that the secret to having fun in today’s day and age is not an iPad. Rather, it takes an intuitive designer and a [plank of plywood](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flatpack-timber-lamp). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.4/10 - Popularity: 24% | Activity: 39% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Customizable Wooden Toys:** Disruptive innovation opportunity lies in creating a range of customizable wooden toys that encourage kids to use their imaginations. - **Minimalist Toy Design:** Disruptive innovation opportunity exists in designing simple, planar toys that offer a minimalist alternative to traditional plush toys. - **Imagination-driven Play:** Disruptive innovation opportunity lies in promoting play that stimulates kids' imaginations and creativity, rather than relying on digital devices. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Toy Manufacturing:** The toy manufacturing industry should explore opportunities to create customizable wooden toys that offer a minimalist design alternative to traditional plush toys. - **Woodworking:** The woodworking industry can tap into the trend of customizable wooden toys by producing high-quality wooden sheets designed for creative play. - **Education and Child Development:** The education and child development sector could embrace the trend of imagination-driven play by incorporating such toys into curriculum and playtime activities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Geometric Design Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-little-toy-by-eames-office.md) - [Pelata Wooden Toy Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pelata-collection.md) - [Magnetic Wooden Animal Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nini-amici-toy-set.md) - [Artful Plywood Furniture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bla-station.md) - [Pop-Out Pet Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luki-lab-pets-2-love.md) - [Flexible Plywood-Made Pet Houses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tuto-pet-house.md) - [Buildable Paper Playsets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/castle-playset.md) - [Nature-Inspired Pet Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/triangle-toy.md) - [Imaginative Pared-Back Art Supplies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/woset.md)