There is really no right or wrong way for kids to play, but based on the trend, it looks like more and more parents are inclined to spend money on the toys that they do not really view as toys, but educational and learning aids. And this is the reason why retailers are banking on this growing sector of their market.
Manufacturers and retailers are showing eagerness in investing in the growing STEM market that aims to help kids learn more on the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, according to Fast Company. Some retailers like Best Buy, Target and Walmart fill in their aisles with more STEM toys, while Toys "R" Us and National Geographic are creating their own line of STEM merchandise.
Amazon, on the other hand, launched a monthly STEM Club where the kids who subscribed will receive new toys that will help hone their skills on STEM, for $19.99 a month. They make sure that the toys will be appropriate based on the age of the kids.
While the sales in STEM toys does not make up a huge percentage of the toy market, this sector is said to be growing fast, according to Juli Lennett, toy industry analyst for NPD Group. Not only parents do love these toys, even kids have more fun with the toys that help them learn.
According to The Wirecutter, a developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik described the way kids learn by playing. She said that when children play toys, they act like scientists who are making their own experiments, which is why they choose to play with toys that will teach them the most, and the toys that will make them learn more and give them more information about how the world works.
