Odette Williamson takes a look at what’s going to be wheeled out in outdoor toys this year
After predicting the hottest summer on record this time last year, only to be met by one of the biggest wash-outs on record, the outdoor category has had a tough year. However, the amount of new product that will be available this year, much of it licensed, suggests that manufacturers are still feeling positive about the coming summer.
One issue facing outdoor companies this year is the amount of surplus stock many retailers will have left over from last year as a result of the poor weather. With retailers soon to be dusting off last year’s offerings in time for the start of the season, the weather is sure to play a part in whether retailers feel ready to order extra stock for the summer months. There are however other factors bound to have an effect on how successful the outdoor category will be this summer.
The past few years have seen an increase in the amount of higher price-point large play frames and products available for the garden. Many manufactures can now help out retailers with limited space by offering catalogues and delivering product directly to the customer.
One way that manufactures are addressing the variable British weather conditions is with licensing. Many compares are producing licensed product, as a way of ensuring children will want to play whatever the weather. Pre-school outdoor product this summer will feature the usual array of toddlers’ favorite characters ranging from smaller items like Mattel’s latest LazyTown products up to larger items like Mookie’s Peppa Pig scooter and Martin Yaffe’s Bob the Builder play table. At the other end of the age spectrum, the right licence can also help to extend the appeal of a product. Hy-Pro is hoping to achieve this with its Street Gliders range. By adding High School Musical and Spider-Man license, the company expects children up to 12 will maintain an interest in its products.
It’s not just licensed products that will be fighting for attention this year. There are many companies who are hoping that by using innovation the product will stand out by itself. Atomic’s latest addition, the Yackle Ball is an X-shaped throwing toy that the company hopes will catch imaginations this year. Similarly the Rainbow Skipper from Character Options proved to be a big hit last summer and will now be joined by a Rainbow Hop-it.
Mattel
Fisher-Price welcomes the return of popular classic Dizzy Daisy into its outdoor portfolio for 2008. Bringing exciting play to outdoor time, this giant daisy sprays water as it twists and turns around. Available in three colourways, children can play in the spray or grab the foam flower to direct the sprinkler. Another classic, the Bubble Mower continues to be a strong focus for summer. Ready for the rough and tumble of the garden, this pre-school role play item features sounds and blows bubbles as it’s pushed along.
Hot pre-school licence, LazyTown, continues to make its mark in outdoor play with popular products including Stephanie and Sportacus Sing ‘n’ Jump items, Get up and Roll Inline Skates, Get up and Roll Switchboard and Sportacus Football Challenge.
Key outdoor lines will be supported with TV and PR activity.
Learning Resources
Learning Resources is launching two exciting new outdoor games for 2008.
Smart Toss Bean Bag Activity Set engages kinesthetic learners with four different ways to play; colours, numbers, shapes or free play to create a unique game. The set includes a wipe-clean vinyl board, which folds flat for storage, 12 bean bags and an activity guide. The perfect summertime activity for reinforcing maths skills learned at school- and kids will have so much fun they won’t even relies they’re learning.
All Around Learning Activity Set features a giant circular floor mat with different colours, numbers and shapes. Children can take part in a range of different activities using the included giant inflatable dice and colour bean bags.
Atomic Sports
Atomic Sports is excited to launch its latest outdoor toy – the award-winning Yackle Ball.
Atomic has secured exclusive distribution rights for the X-shaped throwing ball in the UK and Ireland. Yackle Ball has a unique shape and design and allows multiple games to be played offering users competitive fun and exercise.
Yackle Ball Junior is also in an x-shape and the softness reduces the fear factor of catching a ball. Also available in the range is the Night Yackle that glows in the dark.
The X-shape gives Yackle Ball impressive aerodynamics and momentum, making it fly further than a football or tennis ball. Constructed from premium quality water-resistant marine vinyl, it is suited to any weather at home, at the beach or park and in the school-yard.
The colour-coded prongs of Yackle Ball make for numerous interesting games. Users are awarded points for catching the ball on their designated colour. Yackle Ball Junior will retail at £15 with the larger Yackle Ball and Night Yackle coming in at £18.
Vivid Imaginations
This spring/summer Vivid Imaginations’ outdoor line covers both dry and wet outdoor play.
TV supported lines include Jump n Jam, which is an inflatable bouncing platform with music, lights and sounds retailing at £29.99. For sunnier days there is Splash Out, the game of catch where if kids are not careful they will get wet. Splash Out retails at £7.99. Retailing at £14.99 Vivid has Colour Stream Blasters, a new water gun concept that allows kids to paint their opponents the colour of defeat. Also great for summer months is the Skim Board Slide, which at £39.99 brings the surf to gardens everywhere with a real skim board.
Within Vivid Imaginations’ Fifi and Roary licences there are skates retailing at £12.99 and for Roary there is a scooter retailing at £19.99 and a rid-on with sounds at £29.99.
Hippychick
Cool and ultra popular, the beautifully designed and award winning Kiddimoto Scrambler and Superbike trainer bikes are a high quality, wooden ride on, designed to look just like the real thing. Kiddimoto helps children develop confidence, balance and coordination, all essential skills to learn before riding their first bike. Specially designed without pedals or stabilisers children graduate from keeping feet firmly on the ground and pushing, to scooting along with feet off the floor.
Recently up-dated to feature pneumatic tyres, both style of Kiddimoto bikes come in four bring colourways with the Scrambler also available in natural wood. Highly covetable because of their sleek racing looks, they’re a stylish introduction to the joys of two-wheeled fun. The bikes are suitable for ages two to five years.
IMC Toys
New for spring/summer 2008 IMC Toys will launch a range of outdoor toys focusing on its new Barbie range.
Included in the range are the new interactive and musical outdoor toy and sports range, which will include the ‘musical jumping rope’, which comes complete with Barbie music that plays to the rhythm when the little girl skips. The rope can be cleverly adjusted to fit the size of the child, which will assist with the fitness of today’s children. Also included in the range are the ‘musical jumping hoop’ and ‘musical hoola hoop’, both again with Barbie music that plays to the rhythm and after hours of outdoor fun and play.
All products are available to order now for April shipment, just in time for the summer sales season.
Spin Master
2008 will see the launch of Storm Hawks toys into the UK market. The Storm Hawks Condor is the ultimate playset and role-play toy. Kids can launch three skimmers in a row with a simple pump-action and rapid-fire motion. Planes deploy by popping out of the launch pad and unfold in flight. There’s cockpit, two pontoons for easy storage and multiple play areas.
Also available from October 2008 is the Air Hogs Switchbalde that floats like a UFO and can fly like a plane. The Switchbalde is a ready to run full control aircraft, which can take off from the launch base like a UFO and transforms in flight into a traditional flight airplane. It can also fly up to 50 feet in either mode and boasts a 150-foot R/C range. The switchblade comes complete with plane and controller/charger, is suitable for age 14 and up and retails at £99.99.
Mookie
The Smart Trike from Mookie is suitable for children from 10 to 36 months as the trike actually grows with the child. The trike features a telescopic steerable, adjustable and removable parent handle. The bike also has a detachable sunshade, removable rigid safety support, a press-out clutch for free wheeling or pedal power, retractable footrests and rubber wheels.
New this year is the Skipmate Razzle Dazzle range, which includes the Skip Jumper that tests balance and skill with four different tunes. The Swingball range sees new additions including Pro Swingball, which features a heavy-duty metal pole and an all-surface larger base, which transforms into a carrying case. Also new to the Swingball range this ear is the Smash ‘n’ Go table tennis game. Other items available this year include the Swingball Flying Rocket Ball, Swingball Flying Disc, Swingball Mini Badminton, Swingball X Catcher and the First Swingball range.
Mookie also has a wide range of licensed product available for 2008 including The Simpsons Bowl-a-rama, Simpsons Ball Blaster and Simpsons Super Shoot Out. The Peppa Pig licensed range features a Peppa Pig ride-on, tricycle, playground ball and scooter.
Hy-Pro
Hy-Pro has an extensive and varied outdoor range to keep youngsters active with Street Gliders, Street Gliders Bounce and the Street Gliders Scooter. Street Gliders are easily and safely attached to trainers and the LED lit wheels incorporate ABEC 5 bearings. The high specification in Street Gliders means more stunts and tricks. The newly acquired High School Musical and Spider-Man branding has further increased their appeal to the six to twelve age range. One size fits all, so kids never grow out of them.
Street Gliders Bounce have also benefited from the new Spider-Man branding. These unique all-terrain low impact boots are easily strapped on to enable boys and girls to defy gravity, bouncing around in superhero mode. Fun to wear, these appeal to energetic youngsters with a real sense of adventure who like to be outdoors and physically active.
Finally, the Street Gliders Scooter with light up deck adds an element of cool to make speeding around a fun and effortless experience.
Character Options
The colourful Rainbow Lights range from Character Options has already proved a great outdoor hit, with Rainbow Racer and Rainbow Skipper lighting up playtime across the country.
Now Character is launching more from the Rainbow Lights category with Rainbow Hop-It, which is a fantastic light up skipping ball that’s also a fun way to stay fit. Hop-it works by twirling the ball around one foot and hopping over it with the other, creating rainbow coloured light patterns.
As well as brightening up playtime, Character’s hugely extended flying robotic range is set to launch outdoor play to new heights.
Flying marvels FlyTech Butterfly and Mosquito are great for outdoor play as well as being ideal for beginners. Each has an ultra light ‘high-flex’ crash resistant structure, is easy to operate and a great design that children will love.
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