How many toys do we need?

There’s a tendency to think more is better regarding children’s toys, with the average UK family spending around £400 on toys per year, per child. Surely if we buy enough toys, we can effectively support our children’s development, and they’ll grow up smarter, stronger, and happier… right?

It’s actually been shown that the more toys a child has, the less likely they are to engage in prolonged, quality playtime. Without which, children miss out on many of the developmental benefits of their play. A study found that youngsters displayed higher degrees of creativity when given less toy options to play with; they interacted with each toy for double the amount of time and thought of more ways to use their toys. 

So how many toys is the right amount of toys?

Research has shown that as few as 4 or 5 high quality toys, can effectively support children’s development. Despite this, the average child owns around 238 toys… only 12 of which are used on a regular basis. 

If we consider that 90% of these toys are made out of a cheap mix of plastics which can’t be effectively and safely recycled, that leads to around 200 wasted plastic toys, per child, straight to the landfill. It’s a pattern that doesn’t support our children, or our earth.

So why do we do it?

Unfortunately, many modern toys are designed to offer very limited options for play. The ‘Double Poppin’ Dino’, for example, only offers one option for play - put the balls in, spin the wheel, and watch as the balls jump out from the dino’s belly. It’s likely a whirl of fun the first time, and does offer a chance to develop motor skills as children chase and return the balls. Yet, sadly, it’s repetitive design is unlikely to engage anyone for sustained period of time

Without offering opportunities for children to explore and create, with their own imagined world of play, these toys tend to live a short life, quickly replaced with the next upgrade. We’re on a mission to reduce this waste, through toy designs which offers limitless engaging play, and won’t be outgrown in a day.