Give your child the toy they want for the holidays this year – four out of five parents confirmed that their child is happier, more social and more confident when playing with their favorite toy or doll.
A survey of 2,000 American parents of school-age children found that 63% believe that if their child plays with toys or dolls early in life, they will have an easier time making new friendships later in life.
Ahead of the holidays, the survey commissioned by fashion doll brand Rainbow High and conducted by Talker Research found that 69% of parents confirm that their children play with dolls and action figures. Likewise, 69% said their children have a lot or “a fair amount” of friends.
A third (36%) of parents said that dolls are used to create memories for their child to experience with their friends; 34% said that dolls have helped their child make new friendships with other children.
Interestingly, 60% of parents agreed that the pressure to “grow up” or succeed negatively affects their child’s self-esteem. Confidence is not defined through success, but rather through a sense of self and building strong friendships.
And 52% said their child believes their favorite color matches their personality.
The study also looked at what parents want their children to learn or discover while playing with their toys and dolls. The most important thing was for the children to learn “how to socialize” (50%).
This was followed by problem solving (43%), finding personal interests (41%) and communicating with peers (40%).
Interestingly, less than a third of parents named academic skills as a key lesson, indicating a stronger interest in instilling social and emotional values.
“For children, vacation is about play and is a crucial time for their self-growth,” said Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, a clinical psychologist and therapist. “The ability to play and change colors helps children navigate their world and sense of self, so the more parents introduce the colors of the rainbow during the gift-giving season, the better they can help children them to become more confident and social.”
The survey delved deeper into the influence of color on childhood play. Two-thirds (68%) said their child would likely want a doll or toy that comes in their favorite color.
Additionally, 61% of parents agreed that their child feels safer if they can choose toys based on the colors of the rainbow.
And most (91%) agreed that if children have the opportunity to choose fashion – whether for themselves or their dolls – that represent different colors, they will feel more confident and expressive.
Even beyond the mainstream color spectrum, 65% of parents noted that it is important for their child to have toys or dolls that are different and represent different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Almost two in three parents (64%) would even actively seek out toys or dolls that represent different personalities or interests unique to their child. This matched the number of parents who were likely to buy dolls for their children with different skin colors, body types, or cultural or social backgrounds.
The study also revealed how on-screen characters have an impact on which toys and dolls children will play with. Almost half (46%) of parents say their child often or always plays with toys or dolls based on characters from TV shows and/or YouTube.
And most (91%) noted that their children recreate what they see on TV and/or YouTube with their toys or dolls.
When asked what they would like their children to take away from what they watch on TV and/or YouTube, 49% of parents named problem solving as the number one solution. Other important issues included discovering their personal interests (41%) and building trust (40%).
“Parents are experiencing an increasing presence of digital content in their children’s playtime,” said Josh Hackbarth, Director of Marketing, MGA Entertainment, Rainbow High’s parent company. “Key themes from Rainbow High such as problem solving, discovering personal interests and character traits, and building self-confidence are important points that our children should benefit from consuming the content.”
7 MAIN WAYS FOR CHILDREN TO EXPRESS SELF-CONFIDENCE
- Trying new things – 53%
- Making friends easily – 51%
- Sharing their achievements and/or ideas with friends/family – 51%
- Identifying and explaining their feelings and interests – 46%
- Using their imagination during play – 43%
- Display of personal style (clothes, accessories, hairstyles, etc.) – 42%
- Greeting new people – 37%
SURVEY METHODOLOGY:
This double-choice random survey of 2,000 American parents of children ages 4 to 17 was commissioned by Rainbow High between May 1 and 10, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, team members of of which the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Association for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR) are members.
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