Toy manufacturers and retailers now have huge marketing and advertising budgets heavily touting the benefits of todays electronic toys and games and the perceived educational stimulii provided by their hi-tech gadgetry. The expansion of the electronic learning toy market has boosted sales for the 0-3 year old age group by 9 per cent over the last 12 months, to a staggering £660m in retail sales. With one of the highest growth rates within the electronics industry, is it any wonder that more and more far eastern electronics companies are now entering the toy market.
With increasing regularity, parents are being deluged by the marketing "spin" of electronic toy manufacturers such as Vtech and Leapad. The Toy Retailers Association "dream toy list for Christmas" featured Vtechs "V Smile Infant Development System" targetted at youngsters between nine months and 3 years, an activity centre which plugs into the TV and is supposed to teach shapes, numbers and colours, as well as "baby sign language". Vtech said that consumer feedback was very positive about the new V Smile range, which is designed to give "parents and children a magical learning experience together" adding "we appreciate that learning with a parent is an important component in a childs development". Now I am not singling out Vtech for criticism, but merely stating the manner in which such toys are portrayed and marketed, so is there any real benefit or are we as parents being "sucked in" by the hype?
Tags: Development, Education, learning, Technology, Toys, traditional, Traditional Toys, Wood