Role-play, along with dress-up, puts kids into a creative mindset where they can become whoever they want to be whether that is a chef, hairdresser or superhero.
With a whole range of toys and accessories to choose from in the sector, Marianna Casal finds out what this year’s trends are in the Dress-up & Role-play sector.
Casdon recently unveiled an exact replica – in miniature form – of the De’Longhi La Specialista Barista Coffee Machine. Phil Cassidy, managing director at Casdon, says: “What is considered a chore to many grown-ups appears magical to little ones. Children develop their sense of independence from an early age – often mimicking what their role-models at home do on a daily or weekly basis, making it a natural way to learn through play while also developing those all-important core motor skills.”
Kitchen toys are a major trend in the role-play sector, as cooking and food preparation is something kids see every day and an ideal way to interact with other people.
HTI has introduced popular characters to its role play offering with a licensed Hey Duggee Mini Kitchen and Peppa Pig Kitchen as well as a Bluey Kitchen Trolley set.
Two leaders in the dress-up category, a key aspect of role-play, are Amscan and Rubies which each create both generic and licensed costumes all year round; everything from superheroes to animals and popular characters from page and screen.
New movies can have a huge impact on dress-up sales as children seek to become their favourite character. The companies continue to grow their portfolios of licences each year to bring in the latest TV and cinema favourites.
Key licences for Amscan include Harry Potter and DC Superhero characters – most recently The Flash. New costumes for the Paw Patrol Movie have been released and Wednesday costumes have been a big hit following the hit series on Netflix this year.
At Rubies, the company has had an amazing reception on its collection for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, following the recent movie launch. Batman, the Avengers and Miraculous Ladybug always sell well as they are at the forefront of pop culture, as well as new and updated franchises like Monster High.
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