Kids Want iPads but Parents are Sticking with the Classics

The toy industry is wasting no time preparing for the 2015 Christmas season, and based on new findings from the NPD Group, the bulk of Christmas cash is geared towards parents' nostalgic memories of their childhood.

Research found that while children desire apps and electronics more than traditional toys, more money is being spent—particularly by parents—on traditional toys. Apparently, outdoor toys and sporting goods were the two most commonly purchased traditional toys. In addition, art supplies, games, and stuffed toys were among the other commonly purchased traditional toys, despite a commonly held disinterest by Canadian children.

According to the study, typical electronics purchased for children include smartphones, tablets, or MP3 players: “31 per cent of the MP3 players and 16 per cent of tablets parents purchased were for their children.”

You would think children would be satisfied with more “child-specific” electronic items, such as learning devices and portable video games, but that's not the case. In correlation with an increase in demand for fancy iPads and smartphones, children are seemingly losing interest in modern day Donkey Kong, Sonic, and Mario Kart.

Over 60 per cent of parents said their purchases are most heavily influenced by their children's wants, as well as by toys that promote education and good behaviour. Coming to no surprise, the study found that children are most influenced by what their friends and other children have or what they see in advertisements.

“Toy marketers spend a significant amount of money marketing to both children and parents,” said Alex Teper, toy industry analyst at The NPD Group. “Understanding what children desire and which toys and electronics parents are buying as well as the influencers of these purchases, will assist toy manufacturers and retailers to more efficiently spend and target their marketing dollars.”

This study was fielded to a Canadian sample of male and female adults, ages 25-54 years old with a child age two to 12. A total of 2,377 parents completed the survey.