Nearly 75% of parents are worried imaginary games are waning in popularity as TVs and computer games take over play time.

The study also showed that a quarter of parents said their sons or daughters can be reluctant to play on their own and instantly turn to technology like smartphones or tablets to entertain them.

Jamie Dickinson, marketing manager at Playmobil, commented: “Imagination is such an important part of childhood, and something that as parents we all want to nurture in our children.

“However with the rise of technology there are now more options than ever for children when it comes to choosing how to spend playtime. It is sometimes hard for parents to get children to spend time away from the computer or TV screen and use their imagination to create their own world using toys like Playmobil, but it is a vital part of play.”

Dr Claire Halsey, clinical psychologist and child development and independent parenting expert, worked with Playmobil to investigate the results of the research.

Claire commented: “It’s important to remember that play is for fun. Play is the everyday ‘work’ of children and it is how they explore, learn and satisfy their own curiosity about their world. With so many positive areas of learning and development linked to play, it’s no surprise that it’s important for parents to ensure their child experiences a wide variety of play. Striking the right balance is key for children’s development in a multitude of ways, and parents play the central role in making good decisions.”

Interplay has announced that its new website is live and ready to view.

Featuring optimised technology and search features, the new Interplay website aims to engage consumers, customers and trade with the latest videos, product imagery and information from the enchanting Interplay brands.

Offering an enhanced, fast loading experience for use on popular mobile and computer platforms, the new layout is designed with simplicity, ease of use, and accessibility in mind.

Maximising connectivity across social media platform, Interplay brands are also linked to Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest pages, so visitors can access all information with a click.

Trade customers will also benefit from an online trade catalogue and contact form, as well as trade contact details.

Meric Pekcan-Butcher comments: “We are pleased to announce that our new website is live and ready to be viewed. The new design reflects our beautiful and enchanting product range and we hope you’ll find the new site easier on the eye, faster to load and most importantly easier to use.”

Amazon’s sales in Germany grew by 42% in 2017, while in France toys sales grew by 78%.

In Europe, Toys is a major product group for Amazon, pulling in nearly €2b in sales between the company’s major localised sites in the UK, Germany and France. In market share terms, Toys is one of the few product groups in which Amazon is performing better in Europe than in the US, the company’s home market.

New data from One Click Retail has revealed that most of Amazon’s product groups in Europe earn roughly 20-30% of what they earn in America. For Toys, that number is over 50%.

Amazon’s penetration in Germany is especially impressive. The UK is Europe’s biggest toy market and in that country Amazon’s growth rate of 10% is consistent with the growth of the overall market. In Germany, where the toy market is about 20% smaller than in the UK, Amazon’s sales of Toys were 65% higher, and are growing at a much more rapid rate of 42% YoY.

Top toy categories in 2017 included Robotic Toys, Building Sets/Construction Toys, and Arts & Crafts, while the top brands were Anki, Lego, and VTech.

In 2017, Robotic Toys ranked among the top 5 bestsellers for each of Amazon’s three major European sites. Though total sales in this subcategory remain relatively small, the category leaders were some of the most popular Toys of 2017, led by the Anki Cozmo which was the No. 1 best-selling toy in both the UK and France.

Construction sets from Lego also rank highly, especially in Germany where each of the three best-selling toys are from Lego’s Technic line.

Andy has over 25 years’ experience in the toy industry, and has now decided to set up his own business.

Having worked for major brands including Crayola, Mega Bloks, and Mattel, Andy has now decided to set up by himself as an independent international toy sales and marketing specialist.

Addo Play released the following statement: “’Having been instrumental in the early stages of the set-up and initial launch of the Addo Play business, Andy Critchlow – international business development director – has decided to move on and to focus on his core competencies and strengths, and will leave the company at the end of January 2018. David Martin and Mary Price – joint managing directors of Addo Play – wish Andy all the best for the future, and Andy in turn wishes the whole Addo team every success in the years to come.”

Andy commented: “I’ve decided the time has come to work for myself with a select portfolio of companies, helping them develop their business in the sometimes difficult international toy arena, and passing on some of the knowledge I have gained over a very successful career in international sales & marketing management to date. I’m currently in discussion with several companies, but am open to further discussions and opportunities, and can be contacted by phone on 0039 345 1131470 or at andyc@treasurebox.fun.”

Spin Master has regained its spot as No.1 RC Brand in the UK according to NPD (YTD Dec. 2017).

Recent NPD data has confirmed Air Hogs has seen an uplift of +29% YOY, finishing 2017 with a 9% share of the total UK RC Category.

Air Hogs Thunder Trax was the No. 1 RC item followed by Hyper Drift Drone at No .4, DR1 Micro Race Drone at No. 5 and the DR1 FPV Race Drone at No. 6.

All the new 2017 Air Hogs lines that were TV advertised featured in the top 10 2017 RC items.

The DR1 Micro Race Drone also received a late boost in December, with a strong feature in Philip Schofield’s Christmas TV programme, How to Spend It Well at Christmas, where Philip included the drone as the number one of his Christmas Stocking Top 3. The impact was phenomenal and saw the last remaining stock sell out overnight.

Air Hogs senior brand manager Ranjit Dhutti, commented: “We were aware that we had a phenomenally strong product line up for 2017 but the success has surpassed our expectation. Thunder Trax is without doubt one of the most exciting RC vehicles to be launched for some time, living up to expectation – and then some.”

Leading manufacturer Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty has addressed consumer concerns following a viral Facebook post. 

A statement released on the Crazy Aaron’s website reads: “Please be assured that the trending article from the BBC targets a specific knockoff magnetic putty, and is in no way indicative or representative of the safety of genuine Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty. Crazy Aaron’s is an innovator and world leader in the next generation of creative play. As part of our commitment to our customers, we have closely followed reports about a competitor, copycat putty being pulled from the market due to likely contamination.”

The statement was released following a recent Facebook post, which has reignited safety fears after a child was found to have arsenic poisoning after playing with unbranded putty purchased from Amazon.

Neve Kelly was found to have 10 times the safe level of the substance in her urine after playing with cheap, unbranded magnetic putty, according to her mother Frances. Frances claimed that the toy was bought as a Christmas present for her two daughters before she was warned about its possible toxic contents. Toxicology testing revealed high levels of arsenic in the girl’s urine.

Green Elephant Trading, UK distributor of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking reassurance about putty safety.

Nici Wilcox, managing director at Green Elephant trading, commented: “We are receiving many enquiries from concerned consumers following the continuing news articles and a post on social media regarding a specific knock-off magnetic putty. We would like to make clear that genuine Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty is non-toxic and is compliant with all applicable worldwide toy safety laws including EN71 parts 1, 2 and 3. All the relevant certification has also been checked and approved by Trading Standards here in the UK.”

A number of retailers have also put out their own announcements, encouraging consumers to buy quality, branded putty from reputable stores.

For the full Crazy Aaron’s statement on safety, please click here.

OnBuy.com is backing a popular rock festival that is helping to lead the fight against children’s cancer.

Teddy Rocks Festival will take place from 4th May to 6th May at Charisworth Farm, Blandford, Dorset, and is being headlined by chart-topping rock bands Feeder and Ash.

OnBuy, the largest UK-owned online marketplace, is now partnering with Teddy Rocks Festival, providing significant financial and commercial support to help grow the event and make 2018 its biggest fundraising year ever. OnBuy is also working in close partnership with the Newton family, founders of the festival, by providing specialist online, commercial and design support for the event from its in-house team of experts.

All proceeds from Teddy Rocks Festival go to the charity Teddy 20, which provides emotional and financial support to children and young people suffering and undergoing treatment for cancer. The charity was set up in memory of Ted Newton, who died at the age of 10 in 2010 from a rare form of bone cancer after a brave battle with the disease.

The charity has raised more than £250,000 over the years and the Teddy Rocks Festival has been a significant part of that total, raising £167,000 in the past six years.

Primary boys category and Primary girls category both came out on top, reporting increases across the July to December 2017 period.

Although the original Disney animation was released over four years ago, its press title, Disney Frozen, remains the largest title in the girls market. It may be testament to its second release, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, including many of the original cast, that the title remains so successful within the sector, averaging a circulation of over c.61,000 in spite of a -10% PoP decline.

The Primary Boys sector also saw growth this period, in particular with Beano growing a surprising 8% YoY. However, the ABC results saw Toxic suffer particularly badly, falling -28% PoP. Toxic’s downfall can largely be attributed to Lego publications continuing to dominate the Boys market, with all four publications sitting within the top five. With the release of the Ninjago film this summer, it is no surprise to see a 7% increase in circulation YoY.

Although the largest sector in the children’s market, only four Pre-school publications saw YoY increases throughout 2017, with the overall market resulting in a -7% decline. CBeebies and Peppa Pig titles remain the dominant brands, accounting for a 36% share of the Pre-school market despite CBeebies Art delivering a double digit decline YoY (-13%). Aside from Peppa Pig, 2017 saw PJ Masks follow other licensors, including Paw Patrol and Thomas and Friends, into the Pre-school market. The publication had a strong start to the year, circulating just shy of 40,000 copies and placing comfortably in 8th position.