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Toys for the mind. |
The Chinese mainland toy industry has had to struggle to stay afloat under the combined pressures of the global financial crisis and international trade barriers. The Toy Expo in Shanghai has been an alleviating factor, opening channels for domestic sales.
Toys aimed at challenging logical thinking and imagination were big sellers, with the export volume of items like jigsaw puzzles, building blocks, kaleidoscopes and Rubik's Cube rising in conjunction with the number of dealers.
Demand for different types of alphabet-orientated learning games and toys remains good, with domestic sales and exports increasing.
Interactive displays made a breakthrough, with many producers hiring models to demonstrate products. Buyers were invited to watch shows and hold up cards to support preferred brands.
The winning entries to the Innovative Toy Design Competition were exhibited in Hall 5 on 14 October to give buyers a better look at the industry's latest, which include infants' and children's products, pre-school and educational toys.
The VIP Buyer Zone was for 11 premier buyers and influential sourcing agents both from overseas and the domestic market. This was a unique feature and provided a convenient trading platform for buyers and sellers.
Adventure toys make the running
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| A perfect habitat for learning. |
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Pino's Archaeological Discovery series was developed by Fuzhou Business Window Trading Company and started a craze for archaeological adventures at this year's Toy Expo.
With "I want to be an archaeologist" as its slogan, this series of products simulated the on-site excavation work of palaeontologists - and the toys revealed before visitors and prospective buyers aimed at unlocking the secrets of more than 100 million years of history.
This series is divided into five sub-series, including Redivivus Dinosaus, Revivify the Army Corps, Track the Bones, Project to Explore Treasure and Discovery File. The products are made of resin and plaster.
By separating the resin from the plaster using a razor blade, the player reveals the real features of pre-historic creatures and objects, such as bronze masks, pre-historic monsters, terracotta warriors, sabre-toothed tigers, bones and dinosaurs.
According to sales staff, resin and plaster are used for this series of products because of their texture and durability. They don't change shape and are easy to wash after playing.
Also, each sub-series comes with a booklet showing the history of different types of living creatures so that children can learn about the ancient past while playing.
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| More intelligent toys are in demand. |
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Learning through play. |
Wooden toys in the frame
The wooden toys industry is a dominant one in Lishui City, Zhejiang. After years of development, it has expanded into an industry cluster. Many wooden toy makers from there took part in this year's Toy Expo. Most had special areas at their counters for visitors to play with toys.
Children's toys played a predominant part in previous expos, but wooden toy manufacturers from Yunhe, Lishui City presented many intelligent toys for adults, such as the Dragon Rubik's Cube, the regular Rubik's Cube and Domino Cube this year.
One company is concentrating on developing wooden toys for adults in a bid to venture into the popular board game market.
Wooden toys are more environmentally-friendly and healthier to play with than other toys, allowing city children to get a feel for nature while developing their minds.
Children's intelligent toys made by international producers like Plan Toys include dollhouse, cooking and music series and are made of 100% eco-friendly materials. They help kindergarten age children develop their mind and understand the world through simulation.
More and more kindergartens are getting inspiration from such intelligent toys games, which include teaching tools.
Future architects can have a set that includes the equipment necessary for building bridges and highways. Visitors find out for themselves how these building toys work for children.
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Dream house. |
Tomatoes, green peppers and onions are made of wood. They look so real it might be tempting to give them a bite! Even more amazing is that the set comes with a full range of wooden cooking utensils, including hot pots, bowls, ladles, rolling pin, egg beater, cooking shovel and toaster.
A dollhouse kit allows the child to decide how many storeys it's going to have and how it is going to be partitioned. There's the choice of an American country style or a European Baroque style, along with furniture, bathroom fixtures, kitchen, as well as swings, dollhouses and even little playmates.
The concept reaches planning entire cities, with the prospect of building a museum, a sports stadium, a city ring road and a central green belt.
Creative play dough
Modelling clay has always been children's favourite. As a modern toy, it replaces mud and clay with its suppleness and elasticity. All kinds of creative play dough was available at the Expo.
The material is light in weight, not greasy, non-toxic and tasteless, and doesn't stick to hands or clothing or pose a health hazard.
This modelling material is brightly coloured and can be mixed with other colours. Paper clay is reusable and the products can be kept forever, as they won't change shape or lose quality, crack or fade.
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| Lifelike models. |
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4D puzzles are more real and visual than their 2D predecessors. Many 4D puzzle manufacturers took part in the Expo alongside makers of traditional 2D puzzles this year. Exhibits included lifelike animals, human body models, model cars and dinosaur skeletons.
By assembling the puzzles, children come to know the names and species of the animals, understand the shapes and colours of the objects and increase their capacity for logical thinking.
The China Toy Expo promotes the export of Chinese toys and attracts the entry of foreign brands into the China market. At the same time, it also offers a platform for Chinese toy enterprises to open up the domestic sector.
Worth mentioning is that the burgeoning adult toy market is opening new horizons for Chinese toy makers.
from Eve Wang and Jennifer Xu, Shanghai Office
