British toy retailer The Entertainer (The Toy Shop) has released a guide to help shoppers know exactly what children are looking for in toys. Toyology, AZ’s Guide includes the symbolic words and jargon kids use to describe their favorite toys.
This guide is designed to translate current toy trends, terminology, and products into phrases that those with purchasing power can recognize. According to recent research, only 29% of adults are confident they understand the meaning of their children’s “toy lingo,” and 79% feel that their children have moved on to a new craze or trend before they grasped the first one.
Research also highlights that 57% of parents and grandparents feel confused when discussing toys with their children, and 50% feel that it is harder for them to connect because they cannot understand their children’s interest in toys. Additionally, 30% of adults don’t understand what their children want and buy the wrong toys during the holidays.
To clear up these misconceptions, The Entertainer’s new resource, “Toyology, an AZ Guide,” sets Squishmallows apart from other plush toys, highlights which new products are suitable for obsessives, and more. Parents and retailers can download the digital guide at thetoyshop.com, but it may not be viewable by readers outside the UK and EU.
The company also recently aired a new holiday ad. In the ad, an abandoned toy Ray sings Roxette’s “It Must’ve Been Love” in a family hallway while watching children play with other toys. Eventually, Ray understood that the holidays had brought a new favorite toy, and his relationship with his child was over. The film ends with the words: “For the next love of their lives.”
The Christmas ad campaign includes a Ray plush toy, the character’s adoption certificate as well as a number of Ray-inspired emojis, coloring pages and drawing sheets. Kids can even listen to Ray’s favorite songs on Spotify playlists.
The ad was tied to a new toy translation resource – Ray realized that children could quickly develop new interests and new favorite toys, making it harder for parents to keep up with their children.
Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Elizabeth Kilbey said: “In this fast-paced world, it can be difficult for parents to find the time and space to connect with their children, even more so when they feel they are struggling to keep up. It’s hard. Children develop so quickly that we often feel like we’re catching up with them as they move on to new skills and interests.
With the new guide, shoppers can easily learn about their kids’ new obsessions—even the ones that make Ray fall out of the toy box. The guide and The Entertainer’s Ray-focused Christmas advertising campaign can be viewed on thetoyshop.com and The Entertainer’s YouTube channel.
