25 January 2022
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Popular licenses, STEM toys and family play are the key trends making up the 23 must-have toys in 2022 selected by industry experts
Organisers of the Toy Fair, the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) today announced the winners of Toy Fair’s Hero Toys 2022, with Bandai, Character Options, and VTech amongst the winners at the first Toy Fair since the start of the pandemic.
Used as a barometer for what themes will be fashionable in the year ahead, this year’s Toy Fair's Hero Toys include a selection of popular licenses such as Spider-man, CocoMelon and Hey Duggee, a range of products that represent family play, and STEM toys including a medical science kit.
The latest data from The Insights Family shows that the popularity of STEM toys has increased by 122% year-on-year (November 2020 – November 2021), with the majority of this growth driven by girls, where the category has more than doubled in popularity amongst them.*
“Despite challenges in 2021, this year’s list of Toy Fair’s Hero Toys represents the creativity and continued commitment to innovation by the toy industry to enhance children’s play experiences,” commented Rebecca Deeming, Public Relations & Events Manager for the BTHA. “The competition for selection has been strong, and the list is filled with the potential biggest sellers for 2022. While many themes are represented across the 23, educational toys are clearly becoming more popular with consumers, reflected in the higher demand for STEM toys. I’d expect more toy companies to respond to this demand in 2022.”
The Toy Fair’s Hero Toys list consists of 23 products launched at Olympia London on the first day of Toy Fair 2022. The Hero Toy finalists are judged by an independent panel of retailers, and industry experts, to be the most exciting and creative toys unveiled at the event.
All Hero Toys will be released over the next 12 months and cover a wide variety of price points, age ranges and play patterns.
Bladez Toyz Ltd 1:10 R/C Gotham CityTM Racer - £49.99
Bandai UK Ltd Tamagotchi 25th Anniversary Edition - £24.99
Character Options SpyBots T.R.I.P - £22.99
Epoch Making Toys Ltd Pony’s Stylish Hair salon - £69.99
Flair GP Unique Eyes - £24.99
Gibsons Troopers on Tour - £16.00
Golden Bear Hey Duggee Transforming Space Rocket - £44.99
John Adams Leisure Ltd Monster Mash - £19.99
Just Play CocoMelon Learning Adventure Bus - £69.99
MV Sports & Leisure Ltd Spider-man 6v Web Slinger Lights Mini Quad - £134.99
Paper Engine Ltd Build Your Own Pinball Machine - £19.99
Posh Paws International Sesame Street TAlking Cookie Monster Plush - £22.99
Skyrocket Toys UK Mega Chomp - £44.99
Smart Toys & Games SmartMax Roboflex - £24.99
Simba Smoby Toys UK B-Kind Eco Dolls - £29.99
Tactic Games UK Escaperun Alcatraz 2034 - £37.99
Tree Toys UK Ltd Medical Science - £29.99
University Games Ltd Tom Gates Monster Games Compendium - £14.99
Vivid Goliath Group Recyclings Collector Cap Pack (CDU) - £3.99
VTech Electronics Busy Musical Bee - £18.99
Winning Moves Peaky Blinders Risk Board Game - £39.99
TKC Sales Ltd Stomp Racer™ - £19.99
Wow! Stuff Peppa Pig Clever Plane - £34.99