“Two thirds of parents of toddlers/preschoolers say keeping their kids entertained is challenging. This comes on top of the core parental challenges of health, safety, food and education. Parents are energetically and financially spent and need support from brands to feel confident in the choices they make for the family.”
– Carol Wong-Li, Director – Consumers & Culture
This Report looks at the following areas:
- In-home activities
- Out-of-home activities
- Important factors in choosing activities
- Learning priorities
- Attitudes toward parenting
Collapse All
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Overview
- What you need to know
- This Report looks at the following areas
- Definition
- Market context
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Figure 1: Category outlook, 2023-27
- Opportunities and challenges
- Inflation has strong impact on activities
- Figure 2: Attitudes toward parenting – Inflation (any agree), by financial situation, 2022
- Bundle benefits to add value
- Figure 3: Learning priorities, by gender of parent, 2022
- Assure parents their kids will be engaged
- Figure 4: Important factors in choosing activities, 2022
- Make parents feel like they’re doing a good job
- Figure 5: Attitudes toward parenting – Kids’ free time (any agree), 2022
- Key consumer insights
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Toddlers and Preschoolers by the Numbers
- There are an estimated 24 million kids under age 6 in the US
- Figure 6: Population by age, 2017-27
- Brands are speaking to a largely Millennial audience of parents
- Figure 7: Parents of toddlers/preschoolers, by age, 2022
- Figure 8: Scholastic Inc Instagram post, 2022
- Align to Millennial preferences for simple, neutral colors and even legacy brands
- Figure 9: Consumer preferences, by parent of child(ren) aged 5 or under in the household, 2022
- Majority of parents are working, one in four do so completely from home
- Figure 10: Parents of toddlers/preschoolers, by employment status, 2022
- Figure 11: Parents of toddlers/preschoolers, by work location, 2022
- Home workers utilize child care
- Figure 12: Where kids spend time, by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
- Child care is cost-prohibitive
- Figure 13: Where kids spend time, by financial situation, 2022
- A quarter of parents of preschoolers and toddlers are experiencing financial hardship
- Figure 14: Parents of toddlers/preschoolers, by financial situation, 2022
- A quarter of parents of toddlers/preschoolers are Hispanic
- Figure 15: Parents of toddlers/preschoolers, by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
- Figure 16: Parents of toddlers/preschoolers, by language primarily spoken in the home, 2022
- More than one in 10 parents of toddlers/preschoolers are without a partner
- Figure 17: Parents of toddlers/preschoolers, by marital status, 2022
- Figure 18: Living arrangements of children under 18, 1960-2021
- Relatives play a significant role in child care
- Figure 19: Where kids spend time, by age of children, 2022
- Black parents largely relying on relatives
- Figure 20: Where kids spend time, by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
- There are an estimated 24 million kids under age 6 in the US
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Market Factors
- Inflation has strong impact on activities
- Figure 21: Consumer Price Index change from previous period, 2020-22
- Figure 22: Attitudes toward parenting – Inflation (any agree), by financial situation, 2022
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- Figure 23: Dole Instagram post, 2022
- Inflation has strong impact on activities
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Competitive Strategies and Market Opportunities
- Friends, family and medical professionals influence decisions
- Figure 24: Sources of information, by age of children, 2022
- Tech check
- Figure 25: Attitudes toward technology (agree), by age of children, 2022
- Emphasize and engage all abilities
- Figure 26: Thomas and Friends Instagram post, 2022
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- Figure 27: El Capitan Theatre Instagram post, 2022
- Friends, family and medical professionals influence decisions
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The Consumer – Fast Facts
- TV time, physical activity, story time lead at-home activities
- Outdoor parks/playgrounds lead out-of-home activities
- Parents look for activities that hold kids’ attention and develop social skills
- Social skills and manners top learning priorities
- Inflation seen as having a larger impact than the pandemic
- Chore-related and independent activities can help overstretched parents
- TV time, physical activity, story time lead at-home activities
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In-home Activities
- TV time leads, physical activity and story time aren’t far behind
- Figure 28: In-home activities, by age of children, 2022
- Interactive building activities can serve multi-child households
- Figure 29: In-home activities, by number of children, 2022
- Women significantly more likely than men to engage in in-home activities
- Figure 30: In-home activities, by gender of parent, 2022
- Arts and crafts brands should keep affordability in mind
- Figure 31: In-home activities, by financial situation, 2022
- Figure 32: Crayola Instagram post, 2023
- TV time leads, physical activity and story time aren’t far behind
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Out-of-home Activities
- Activities
- Turning errands into activities
- Figure 33: Out-of-home activities, by age of children, 2022
- Moms are significantly more likely to be running errands with their kids
- Figure 34: Out-of-home activities, by gender of parent, 2022
- Movie theaters are a popular destination for Hispanic parents
- Figure 35: Out-of-home activities, by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
- Challenges
- Energy and time limit involvement in out-of-home activities
- Figure 36: Challenges to out-of-home activities, 2022
- Dads need help with energy, inspiration; moms are cost-conscious
- Figure 37: Challenges to out-of-home activities, by gender of parent, 2022
- Black families need guidance toward right fit
- Figure 38: Challenges to out-of-home activities, by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
- Bilingual households identify challenge in children’s social skills
- Figure 39: Challenges to out-of-home activities, by language primarily spoken in the home, 2022
- Financial support programs can help rural parents
- Figure 40: Challenges to out-of-home activities, by area, 2022
- Activities
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Important Factors in Choosing Activities
- Holding attention is single top-ranked factor in activity choice
- Figure 41: Important factors in choosing activities, 2022
- Figure 42: Important factors in choosing activities (any rank), by age of children, 2022
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- Figure 43: DreamWorks Jr, 2022
- Parents of only children are interested in activities that build social skills
- Figure 44: Important factors in choosing activities (any rank), by number of children, 2022
- Figure 45: Paw Patrol Instagram post, 2022
- Moms are most interested in engagement, dads want creativity
- Figure 46: Important factors in choosing activities (any rank), by gender of parent, 2022
- Black parents look for social component, creativity draws Hispanic parents
- Figure 47: Important factors in choosing activities (any rank), by race and Hispanic origin, 2022
- Creativity is a strong draw for financially secure parents
- Figure 48: Important factors in choosing activities (any rank), by financial situation, 2022
- Single parents have outsized interest in strengthening parent-child bond
- Figure 49: Important factors in choosing activities (any rank), by marital status, 2022
- Figure 50: Scholastic Inc Instagram post, 2023
- Holding attention is single top-ranked factor in activity choice
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Learning Priorities
- Parents of toddlers/preschoolers want their kids to learn to play well with others
- Figure 51: Learning priorities, 2022
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- Figure 52: Barbie Instagram post, 2022
- Appeal to moms and other time-strapped audiences by bundling benefits
- Figure 53: Learning priorities, by gender of parent, 2022
- Manners, social equity, reading have outsized appeal among Black parents
- Figure 54: Disney Junior Instagram post, 2023
- Figure 55: Learning priorities, by race, 2022
- A focus on skills building can add value
- Figure 56: Learning priorities, by financial situation, 2022
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- Figure 57: Crayola Instagram post, 2023
- Parents of toddlers/preschoolers want their kids to learn to play well with others
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Attitudes toward Parenting
- Kids’ free time
- Parents need a helping hand
- Figure 58: Attitudes toward parenting – Kids’ free time (any agree), by age of children, 2022
- Single parents with kids of all ages may need permission to lean on kids more
- Figure 59: Attitudes toward parenting – Kids’ free time (any agree), by marital status, 2022
- Chores-related activities can appeal to financially tight parents with children of all ages
- Figure 60: Attitudes toward parenting – Kids’ free time (any agree), by financial situation, 2022
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- Figure 61: Toys “R” Us Instagram post, 2023
- Pandemic
- More than a third of parents think the pandemic limited development
- Figure 62: Attitudes toward parenting – Pandemic (any agree), by age of children, 2022
- Parents of toddlers/preschoolers are more concerned about boys than girls
- Figure 63: Attitudes toward parenting – Pandemic (any agree), by gender of children, 2022
- Dads will be stronger target for development catch-up messaging
- Figure 64: Attitudes toward parenting – Pandemic (any agree), by gender of parent, 2022
- Parents with kids of any age who are in healthy financial situations express greater concern
- Figure 65: Attitudes toward parenting – Pandemic (any agree), by financial situation, 2022
- Kids’ free time
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
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