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Stuffed Animal Trends

Stuffed Animal Trends September 14, 2022

Toys, like with anything are constantly changing to keep up with the times and trends. It is no surprise then that stuffed animals and toys in general are increasingly smarter and more interactive as toy makers are trying to tap in to the smartphone driven society that we live in. Living in a technological world gives us the opportunity to talk to each other instantly and find directions, answers to questions and much much more just by talking to our phone or tapping its screen. Kids who have grown up in this environment expect their toys to keep up so to speak and keep up they do.

One of the big trends with stuffed animals is their interactive ability like the My Jumping Pug that, when you pet his head will jump and try to play all while looking for attention from the user. This is a lifelike quality in a toy that is all the rage these days, with everything from Zoomer Pup and Zoomer Kitty still quite popular with kids who perhaps are allergic to the real thing or are not allowed a real pet. Also on trend is a robotic cat that is geared specifically to older people who may miss having a pet but are not able to take care of a real one properly. The cat will sit on a lap and ‘purr’ when petted just like the real thing and when you don’t touch it for a predetermined amount of time it will look like it is sleeping. This gives the senior the sense of having that companion without any of the feeding or other responsibilities that come along with pet ownership.

A lot of stuffed animals and toys new to the market also have that internet connectivity aspect that allows them to speak and interact with kids similar to the new Hello Barbie or Trobo who can tell stories to kids while teaching them about nature and languages.

While being interactive is all the rage, there are some toys that are trending this year that are reboots of older ideas. Puppy Surprise was first launched in the early 1990’s but is new again as parents want their kids to play with the same things that they had back in the day. Puppy Surprise comes with a litter of puppies in her tummy, the surprise being how many puppies you get. They are all a bit different but do look like their mommy in some aspect and todays version sport plastic faces with eyes that open once cold water is applied. How long before Puppy Surprise becomes interactive remains to be seen, but connectivity and smart toys are certainly here to stay.