When the pandemic started just over two years ago, the world suddenly shut down, leaving all the luxury of physical connection and outdoor fun behind. In the pursuit of giving our kids some entertainment while staying indoors, TOYS, PUZZLES & GAMES came to the rescue.
Families with children (of all ages!) had numerous challenges thrown at them during the various lockdowns, but one silver lining, was the slowdown. Now, as the world has opened up, and life has returned to some kind of normal, activities returned, and yet many parents have been determined to hold on to the more-relaxed pace.
Many beautiful stories have unfolded about families reconnecting; stopping the busy, stopping the ferrying around to sporting games and dance classes, after-school activities, birthday parties and playdates, stopping the endless hours commuting to work. Instead, it gave many families who'd been caught up in the busy, the chance to bake and cook together, time to chat, play games and puzzles, watch movies, explore new ways to connect.
Like many locally-owned small businesses, here at Toy Kingdom we sprang into action. We offered in-person (safe!) DELIVERY in our region, and orders for old-school favourite games and puzzles flooded in online and via the phone, and we pumped out those orders to get them delivered as fast as we could. Mountains of supplies from our stockists continued to flow in. Local toy and collectables shops around Australia knew that we had an important role to fill, in order to help fight boredom and frustration while families were in various stages of lockdown.
During this time, something interesting was happening behind the scenes ... did you notice it, too?
These past couple of years have seen the CLASSIC TOYS, OLD-SCHOOL or RETRO TOYS making a massive comeback! AND boy oh boy, they're giving us all the feels. Our kids have embraced them with open arms and excitement, and we've enjoyed the nostalgia, feel-good memories of our past. It's been incredible watching adults full of delight to see their old childhood favourites on the shelves of our stores and on our website.
To give you some idea of what we're talking about, here are a few toys from the 80s that are making a comeback with a few upgrades.
Why are classic/traditional toys making the rounds again?
Barbies, Hot Wheels and Lego have been big sellers, and puzzles and board games sales haven't slowed down since our lockdowns stopped. In fact, it's been wonderful to see that statistics have shown many families want to continue their slower pace of life, even as the world opens up to us.
Many families are enjoying a slower pace at home and spending more time outdoors. In a recent poll of over 2,600 parents, 31% of families said they are planning on doing fewer activities than before the pandemic, or none at all. It shows a clear evolution in how families are prioritising their time.
Whether it’s a yearning for nostalgia or because we all want our kids to be less time on their screens, parents and caregivers have been buying old-school favourites, which has been great for many, including the toy industry!
Classic toys have powerful appeal for adults who want their children engaged in open-ended play for long periods of time.
“It’s all about the tried-and-true, the toys that are already familiar,” said Jay Foreman, chief executive of Basic Fun, the Florida-based company behind toys classics such as Tonka, Lincoln Logs, Lite-Brite and Care Bears. “Parents and grandparents are not watching Nickelodeon or YouTube to see what’s new. They’re buying toys they know: Barbie Dreamhouse, Tonka Mighty Dump Trucks."
Check out our list of toys that have made a comeback:
- Mouse Trap Board Game by Hasbro
- Lego
- Monopoly
- Tamagotchi
- Furby
- Bop It
- Dinky Diary
- Electronic Diary
- Rubik's Cubes
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
- Game Boy
- My Little Pony
- Cabbage Patch Kids
- Lite Brite
- Speak and Spell
- Koosh Balls
- Super Soaker
- Tech Deck
- Fashion Plates
- Tazos
Are you a 70s, 80s, or 90s kid? Which of the toys mentioned above had you played before? OR do you still have them?
For more tips and tricks, recent toy updates, and special offers, make sure that you are subscribed to our VIP mailing list to be the first to know! We've also written a separate blog on how important play is and what are the different toys that help develop your kids' fine motor skills. Read more about that here!