The new toys that Santa Claus could bring this year, the most original, with educational intentions, which invite respect for the environment, social integration and suitable for any disabilities, were presented at the last Toy Fair, 2020 edition, the most important event dedicated to the world of toys that takes place every year in Nuremberg.
To these are added other games on which the hype on the main online shopping platforms has begun.
Below is a reasoned guide in choosing gifts for Christmas, which also takes into account the educational purpose of the game.
1) The first new strand was renamed
'Toy for future
', follows the activism and demonstrations of the' Fridays for future 'inspired by Greta Thunberg who, before the pandemic, engaged millions of young people around the world.
“Even the youngest children are receptive to play by understanding the issues of environmental awareness and sustainability” explain the managers of the fair.
Whether it's new books, science kits or board games,
topics like wind energy
and recycling can be explained very easily through fun.
The new toys are made
of corn starch
, sugar cane or old plastic bottles such as the renowned 'Ocean Buddies' baby rattles and puppets by Sinhalese Tikiri, made of pure natural rubber grown on the island of Sri Lanka in an ethical way.
For children up to 3 years, you can choose
the toy trucks for waste collection
(six different types to learn how to recycle properly) of the German brand EverEarth, renowned for its FSC-certified wooden toys and saliva-resistant water-based paints.
It is the new 'Clip-it' of the French company
Waste is More
which proposes ways to entertain children in a 'recycling' key.
These are small clothespins with which to hook the caps of plastic bottles (milk or water) together, creating colored 3D figures dictated by the imagination of children.
Then there are the mini beehives, both toy with wooden baby bees to play at home or real mini hives to put in the garden.
Among the gift ideas in a green key, books dedicated to the climate for children also stand out.
Among the most interesting innovations the new 'Pinguini all'equatore' by Luca Perri (astronomer) and Serena Giacomin (physicist and meteorologist), with drawings by Caterina Fratalocchi.
The volume contains a string of nonsense about climate and global warming, dismantled one after the other with science and laughter to find out what really happens to our planet.
In second place the illustrated booklet 'WHo is Greta Thunberg?'
(in English, on sale from November 17 in Italy) dedicated to the story of the young Swedish student who unleashed a world revolution in defense of the environment.
2) The love for the environment is followed by the trend
'Digital becomes physical'
which induces children to abandon consoles and tablets to play with their favorite videogames now on sale in toy format.
Digital natives were born with smartphones in hand and in just a few months they know how to click with the mouse and 'shake' the images of the tablet and the mobile phone.
Computer games fill professional competition stadiums and the e-sports market continues to grow unabated.
Digitization has invaded all sectors and also inspires the world of classic toys, - reads us in the Nuremberg report.
We thought that the virtual would have canceled the classic game, instead it happens that the stars of the virtual world move into children's bedrooms in the form of
soft toys, action figures, board games, puzzles
and much more.
It was done by the videogamer influencers among the best known in Italy, Me against You, who have become dolls.
Ditto the family of sharks repurposed in
Baby Shark's
sonic puzzle
(whose video is driving the little ones crazy by collecting over 3.8 billion views on YouTube, the song even entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts).
Followed by the characters Ragnarok, Rex, Cuddle Team Leader and Brite Bomber, or the most loved characters of the online game Fortnite, the cooperative survival video game with over 250 million registered players, a mass phenomenon that has surpassed the previous leader, Minecraft .
3) The third trend in the world of educational games has been dubbed
'Be yourself'
and includes play as a means of encouraging new generations to learn to be more tolerant and respect differences, supporting and supporting the difficulties of the most fragile.
“Children have no prejudices, they still approach others with a total lack of prejudice.
With increasing age, however, they become more wary of strangers, instead the game facilitates knowledge and sharing '- explain the authors of the 2020 trends. - In addition, people with special needs and disabilities can train their skills even in your free time or doing therapy through play.
Every human being is different.
It is what gives color to our world.
The differences in the way we look, origin, age and religion enrich the diversity in our life.
Through play it is possible to encourage interaction and learn to be tolerant ".
They range from
Desi Dolls, Muslim rag dolls
, from Fatimah to Mohammed, to Barbies with different colors of skin and hair, in different sizes and with different body shapes, as well as Barbie in wheelchair and one with prosthetic leg. “Dolls - say the experts - should, above all, appeal to children living with a disability and give them a toy that resembles them. This opportunity for identification can mean a lot to them ”. With Sense & Focus - 4 seasons program, the Chicco brand also aims to stimulate sensory development and concentration in children from 6 months using light and sound according to methods developed by educators and neuropsychiatrists. Using different materials, light impulses, natural sounds and music, the path offers stimuli that aim to focus and hold the child's attention and are therefore also designed for children with attention disorders and autism. Feel and Race (from the HABA education brand) is a board game with a board with fewer fields and fewer figures to make the game shorter. The pieces are easy to grasp and cannot fall, as well as being shaped in such a way as to be recognized even by the blind.
4) The novelties in an educational and social key are followed by many games of the moment, selected by the online sales platforms (which for the 2020 holidays will make the lion's share of Christmas shopping for children avoiding queues and time). At the top of the wishlists stand the plush of
'Baby Yoda' The Child
, the most loved character from the latest Star War The Mandalorian, in addition to the entire
Lego Star Wars series
(with the coveted 1351-piece Millennium Falcon). The new entry
Playstation PS5,
which together with the FIFA and Fortnite video games will be among the most desired gifts, together with the Barbie with rainbow hair to style and the
Barbie Color Reveal
collection
,
a bucket containing more than 50 surprises including dolls that, when immersed in water, they color it. The wow effect, surprise, is very popular with the little ones, in fact among the most sought-after toys again this year there are the '
unwrapped dolls'
, the lucky series of dolls to compose
LOL Surprise
, now in the third OMG 3 series with 20 surprises strung in the layers to be unpacked. Even the most popular classic board game, the Monopoly which turns 85 this year, is back on the list of the most considered gifts by adults and children in the luxury version Monopoly 85th Anniversary, with golden pieces but success is also expected of the provocative “Losers' Revenge” version that reverses the rules and makes those who generally lose win.
