As part of the so-called “Maker Movement,” the Toy Industry Association (TIA) has declared that building block sets are to be a top trend this year, which has Click-A-Brick Co-Founder and Brand Manager Georg de Gorostiza reiterating his prediction that building sets are going to see record sales in 2015.
The TIA announced its top toy trends at the recent North American International Toy Fair in New York. Of the Maker Movement trend in toys, the organization said;
“The Maker Movement spotlights toys that allow kids to build and create items that are unique to them. These playthings provide kids with a sense of ownership and pride; they also help children develop important cognitive and physical skills through play. According to 2014 point-of-sales data from The NPD Group, the Building Sets and Arts & Crafts categories grew by 13% and 3%, respectively, proving that kids love to create interesting structures, designs, inventions and other projects that will set them apart from others and let their talents shine through.”
Counted as a separate trend was toys that provide children with Open-Ended Playtime, which the TIA says “help promote creativity, resourcefulness and problem-solving skills by allowing kids the freedom to explore exactly how they want to play, depending on their abilities and interests.”
As building sets are among toys that provide children with open-ended playtime, this means they cover two of the TIA’s seven top toy trends and de Gorostiza says this bodes well for the market this year.
“When the Toy Industry Association says something is a toy trend, you know it’s true. This is the group that has its finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the toy world. At Click-A-Brick, we’re excited to see both that toys that fit into the Maker Movement and Open-Ended Playtime categories are going to be big this year. Building sets are the epitome of both of those categories. They let children create to the hearts’ desire and then play with those creations for hours on end. Back in January when I predicted that building sets would see record sales this year, it was just kind of a gut feeling thing. Now, hearing this straight from the Toy Industry Association, that just solidifies it for me. I’m sure of it now.”
Click-A-Brick made its own contribution to the increase in building sets sales last year with a strong showing of its Animal Kingdom Safari 30pc Educational Toy Building Blocks Set for Boys and Girls on Amazon.com. The company surpassed its opening week sales projections, prompting de Gorostiza to make the prediction that building sets would see record sales throughout 2015.
