Business opportunity during pandemic - The rising of toy industry

We’ve been ‘stuck’ at home since the beginning of 2020, it is already more than a year nowr. Some countries might start letting kids back to school, some countries might still struggle and decide to extend the lockdown. With this article, I would like to share my observation through all this pandemic time. How it affect our baby product business. You will be surprised that actually the toy industry are rising. And what toy category that rising up so much during pandemic.

Content:

| Toy industry's may be thanking to pandemic

| The rising toy category during pandemic

| Building blocks

| Trampolines and playsets

| Smart toys

| Musical and art & drawing toys

Toy industry's may be thanking to pandemic

Parents pointed to loss of income and uncertain economic climate as two factors that would require them to rethink some of their spending even when stores reopen their doors.  Just another factor certain to affect toy sales this year. 

So what steps can toy makers take to head off these challenges?  They must do what they do best: turn to new bells and whistles and think outside the box.

1. Toy brands should turn to new ways to engage moms and kids which allow them to interact with their toys. 

2. Leveraging influencers to host in-home playdates that allow kids to touch and play with the hottest new toy while moms look on is just one way. 

3. It might also include product demonstrations in driveways and cul-de-sacs, or the seamless integration of social media with platforms that really matter to moms.

Now is the time for toy makers to be as innovative with their marketing as they are with their new products.  With a little creativity and strategic thinking, toy makers have the opportunity to navigate the shift in family toy buying that’s headed their way.

The rising toy category during pandemic

Building blocks

In late April, sales of Legos were up 64% year over year on eBay Australia, and rose as high as 92% one Sunday night. Basic Fun, the maker of Lite-Brite, Lincoln Logs, and K’nex—old-school toys that require users to think creatively and put things together with their bare hands—has also seen sales soar. Chief Executive Jay Foreman told the New York Post that the company had its best first quarter ever this year.

Read also: Building blocks for baby

Our recommendation

Plus-Plus: The construction toy with one shape and endless possibility! Build flat or in 3D. Fun for kids from age 1 to 101.

Newmero: Fun to play with numbers

Read also: Unboxing Newmero - A fun way to let your children falling in love with math

Trampolines and playsets

Toys that let kids get their energy out have jumped: The Asians are interested in mini trampolines, while Americans are furnishing backyards with bounce houses, playground sets, and slides. The Chief Executive of MGA Entertainment, which manufactures play houses, basketball hoops, and trampolines, recently reported that sales were up 100% in March compared to 2019.

Our recommendation

Fold & go kids trampoline: Featuring pre-assembled trampoline mat with a padded frame cover, the Fold and Go Trampoline is easy to set up and doesn't use bungee cords.

Smart toys

Demand for smart toys is on the rise due to its user engaging property. Smart Toys are electronic component embedded toys that have their own intelligence and behaves according to the environmental stimuli. It enables to reduce the smartphone industry threat by using artificial intelligence to attract children. Many smart toys like Spin Master's interactive Luvabella baby doll, Hasbro's bluetooth-connected Furreal motorized pet, Barbie's futuristic hologram Barbie, Lego's app-based coding playset and Mattel "smart" baby monitor have been launched.

Read also: Recommended toys to develop child's skills for the future!

Our recommendation

PLUGO: The physical-virtual play is not only a lot of fun, but highly educational for youngsters.

Read more: 5 Recommended STEAM APP for children in 2020

Musical and art & drawing toys

Without formal art classes to attend, children are expressing themselves through drawing, painting, coloring, sculpting, and crafting. Music classes have been canceled along with the rest of school (not to mention live festivals and concerts).

Read also: Playing open-ended toy with Dena toys - My First Rainbow

Art & Drawing Toys, which includes play dough, putty and drawing tablets, went up in Russia (+35%), the UK (+141%), Germany (+159%), France (+261%), the US (+653%), and Brazil (+674%), compared to January. Musical Toys were also up in the Netherlands (+40) and Brazil (+166%).

Our recommendation

Hay Dough

Welcoming you to be part of BabyLux family, planning to start own business by being baby products distributors but not sure where to start, drop us a message!

Are you ready for a new normal? See how COVID-19 create a new normal

We already been living together with COVID-19 for almost three months. Are you ready for a new normal? Following are the predictions from many sources regarding changes in new normal during and after COVID-19 passes.

Content:

| What will new normal might look like

| The new normal behavior might look like this…

| How we can adapt our business

| Conclusion

Experts had a few suggestions on what the new normal might look like

Wearing a mask everywhere

While a growing number of countries mandate mask-wearing, and dozens of other academics are urging all governments to require their citizens wear cloth masks in all public places.

School safety

Increasing the frequency of cleaning, reducing the used of shared items. Reducing the size of classes and keeping children in small groups without mixing with others.

Bowing or waving hand instead of shaking hands and hugging

Traditions that have lasted for centuries will be extinct by the existence of COVID-19. With the social distancing and contact-free lifestyle that emerged because of COVID-19, we no longer shake hands to avoid the spread of the deadly virus.

Air pollution sharply fell

The busiest city of New York, for example, with a traffic pandemic reduced by 35%, carbon monoxide pollution fell sharply by 50%, and CO2 pollution fell by 10%, as well as methane pollution. In China, only in the span of 2 weeks after the lockdown of energy use and emissions fell by 25%, thus cutting 1% of the total cumulative carbon emissions in China.

Predictions in the new normal behavior

The fall of mobility, the rise of stay at home

COVID-19 practically stop mobility and force people to stay at home. COVID-19 crisis brought humans back to ancient times where they lived only in caves, which means home for us. Welcome to stay at home economy.

Online-shopping widening and deepening: from wants to needs

Online shopping began to shift from products that are desires or wants to products that are the needs. Online shopping customers will widening from buying non-essential goods online to buy daily need. And will deepening where the volume of purchases is getting bigger.

The comeback of home cooking

Having enough free time at home during a pandemic provides an opportunity for you to hone a new skill that is cooking. People said that millennial “kills” home cooking because millennial moms lose their cooking ability. But apparently COVID-19 "turned it on" again. Yes, it is time for me to learn how to cook with my child.

Read also: KiddiKutter kid-safe knife, cuts food not fingers!

Online + home-schooling

COVID-19 triggers two trends at once in the learning process. First online learning or online-schooling using a digital platform. Secondly the role of parents is increasingly large in the child's learning process (home-schooling). I call these two trends: "online + home-schooling". Online + home-schooling is fundamentally changing the face of the world of education going forward, you will need more and more educational toy, while you working at home, your child will also have their time to learn by playing.

Read also: 5 Recommended STEAM APP for children in 2020

DIY & self-care at home

When consumers are accustomed to stay at home, they start trying out new and exciting things. One of them doing self-care or self-rejuvenation such as facials, meni-pedi, spa. Then this do it yourself (DIY) trend can become a new and normalcy purchases of self-care products automatically increase.

Read also: Meni-pedi at home with your kids? SUYON nail polish 100% safe for kids

How we can adapt the new normal to our business

Get online, if you haven’t already

If you had been contemplating about bringing your business online, now is the best time to do so. As people are locked up in their homes, they tend to spend more time online rather than watch television. Get yourself started by creating a website (with content that holds weight).

Picture taken from Google

Use the best collaboration tools

Organizations are using all kinds of collaboration tools such as Teams, Slack, Skype, etc. for daily virtual meetings. This helps in increasing team intimacy and keeping everyone in good spirits.

Reach out to others in the industry

Leverage your virtual tools to reach out to others in your domain or industry. For example, a few high-end luxury brands are making vital medical wear (like scrubs and gowns), and others are following suit.

Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Chanel put their fashion muscle behind face masks

Hold on to clients

Understanding your customers and how they’re changing, here, communicating proactively is the key. Like with everything else in life, remote working also comes with its own gaps, which should be bridged regularly by maintaining a connect with your customers. Inform them of the situation at your end, whether you need to close shop, or the delayed shipments. Provide your services and solutions remotely. Use social media to the fullest. Live stream a prototype, a product launch, and invite questions just the way you would anyway do.

Conclusion

Eventually we will overcome the coronavirus crisis. But the changes left in its wake will be permanent. It is imperative to take steps now to prepare for the new normal because this is the time when customers are forming their habits for years to come.

Welcoming you to be part of BabyLux family, planning to start own business by being baby products distributors but not sure where to start, drop us a message!

Indoor play ideas and daily schedule for your kids during COVID-19

COVID-19 virus has now spread throughout the world. With a fast spreading process, our efforts are needed to reduce the spread of viruses by stay at home. Schools are closed and children studying at home with an online course system. Stay at home, stay indoor and avoid the crowd make children easily get bored. Here is we give you some indoor play ideas and daily schedule.

Content:

| Indoor play ideas for babies 0-9 months

| Indoor play ideas for toddlers 1-2 years

| Indoor play ideas for pre-school children 3-4 years

| Indoor play ideas for young children 5-8 years

| Daily schedule

Indoor play ideas for babies 0-9 months

Peek-a-boo!

All you need to play this game is your hands and a sweet voice. And you must know the rest, it is a very simple game. Your little one will be very happy at watching you disappear and reappear. As your baby gets older, she will start playing back with you.

Name the body parts

Name your baby’s body parts and point to them to help teach her their names. “Where your nose? There it is!” You can point to your own as well to help your baby make the connection between the two: “Where is mommy’s nose? Here it is!”

Read more: Reminders of our ability to stand together during COVID-19

Indoor play ideas for toddlers 1-2 years

Kitchen drummer

Let your toddlers play with kitchen stuffs. Turn over bowls, pots and pans to make a set of drums straight from your kitchen. For drumsticks, grab some wooden spoons. Your little rock star will keep himself entertained exploring all the different sounds they can make. This game is also great for helping them develop their fine-motor skills.

Drawing

Give your baby some crayons and paper and let him draw away! This will allow them to unleash his creativity and enjoy independent, creative play. When they’re done, talk to them about the different colors they used.

Pass the ball

Grab a soft ball and roll it back and forth with your toddler. This back-and-forth play is great for confidence building and teaches them that you will respond to their actions. To make it even more fun, try adding in another ball and talk to them about the one they chooses.

Read more: Multi sensory at-home activities with below 3 years old during COVID-19 outbreak

Indoor play ideas for pre-school children 3-4 years

Dress up

Grab some different fabrics and clothing and encourage your little one to make a pretend costume out of what you have. Then, play a game together based on what they chooses. Who knows what adventures you’ll have!

Chasing around

Play the “I’m going to catch you!” game around the house by playfully chasing your child around your living space. If she has a lot of energy, this will help her to get it all out. You may need to join her for a nap yourself when you’re done.

Name that animal noise

Make different animal noises and have him guess which animal you’re pretending to be. Encourage taking turns and let him make some noises too while you guess. This is a great opportunity to teach him more about the animals you each choose, too.

Indoor play ideas for young children 5-8 years

Wash away!

Grab some toys that can safely go in the water, fill up a bucket and let the fun begin. Encourage them to “wash” their toys by dunking them and playing with them in the water and then cleaning them off with a soft cloth.

Playing make believe

Have them take the lead and encourage them to come up with a make-believe scenario. Follow along with their instructions and ask them questions about the world they have created.

Make a very colorful snack

Have your child help you prepare a snack for the family and challenge them to use as many colors as they can. Grab some healthy options and have them lay them out on a plate in a design she likes. They’ll be proud of their delicious creation.

Read more: 10 Awesome experience gift to give after COVID-19 passed

References: UNICEF Website

Daily schedule

Jessica McHale, a photographer and also a mother who lives in the United States, share a daily schedule on her Instagram account in the midst of isolation to keep herself and her family healthy.

Welcoming you to be part of BabyLux family, planning to start own business by being baby products distributors but not sure where to start, drop us a message!

“This too shall pass.”

10 Best Experience Gifts for Kids (And Why They're Better Than Toys)

As parents, we often default to giving toys as gifts. But in a world full of clutter, have you ever considered giving an experience instead? Experience gifts—from museum memberships to sporting passes—give your children more than just another object for their playroom. They create memories, build new skills, and provide fun for the entire family. It’s a win-win!

Here are 10 of our favorite experience gifts that will be cherished long after a toy has been forgotten.

10 Awesome Experience Gifts for Kids

1. A Gift Card to a Family-Friendly Restaurant

Eating out becomes a special occasion. Giving a gift card to a fun, kid-friendly restaurant encourages a dedicated family meal where everyone can connect without the stress of cooking or cleaning up.

2. Trampoline Park Passes

We all know trampolining is fun, but it's also a fantastic physical outlet. As kids bounce, their bodies get a great workout, which increases energy levels and makes them feel more alert and happy! A pass to an indoor trampoline park is the perfect gift for a rainy day.

3. Zoo or Aquarium Membership

A membership often comes with unlimited express entry for a full year. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, allowing for spontaneous afternoon trips to see the animals and learn about the natural world.

4. A Trip to a Bookstore to Pick Out New Books

Reading with your child promotes brain development and imagination. Make it an event! A "gift certificate" for a special trip to a local bookstore lets your child be the decision-maker, empowering them to choose the books that spark their curiosity.

5. Local or National Park Passes

A park pass encourages a full year of outdoor adventures. Exploring nature has profound benefits for a child's well-being, and it provides a beautiful, screen-free backdrop for making family memories.

6. A "Ticket" to Visit Someone Special

The best gift of all can be time with loved ones. Create a special "plane ticket" or "train ticket" for a dedicated trip to visit Grandma, Grandpa, or a favorite aunt. These family trips create some of the most cherished memories of childhood.

7. An Art Museum Pass

Museums are a feast for the senses. Visiting a museum encourages children to ask questions, discover new subjects, and develop their own creative eye. Many museums also have dedicated children's areas with hands-on activities.

8. A Kids' Cooking Class

Cooking is a critical life skill, and it's also a fantastic developmental activity. A cooking class teaches kids about ingredients and nutrition, enhances their fine motor skills through mixing and measuring, and builds their confidence as they create something delicious.

9. Season Passes to a Local Attraction

Whether it's a theme park, a water park, or a local children's discovery center, a season pass turns a one-time treat into a recurring source of joy and excitement for the whole family.

10. Swim, Music, or Art Lessons

Lessons are a gift of skill and confidence. Whether it's learning to swim, play an instrument, or paint, lessons help children develop new talents, build muscle coordination, and learn valuable social skills in a group setting.

Bring the Experience Home: Gifts That Create Memories

Sometimes, the best experiences happen right in your living room. The right "toy" can be a tool that creates an unforgettable family experience.

• For the Family of Builders: Give the gift of large-scale creation with Makedo. This award-winning toolset empowers kids to turn simple cardboard boxes into life-sized forts, robots, and cars, creating an engineering adventure for the whole family.

• For the Future Scientist: Bring the museum home with an immersive science kit from Abacus Brands. Their AR/VR-enabled kits let kids explore chemistry, biology, and more in a tangible, exciting way that feels like magic.

• For the Digital Explorer: Transform screen time into a learning experience with PlayShifu. Their "phygital" (physical + digital) games use augmented reality to teach everything from geography to problem-solving. For screen-free learning, Sphero indi teaches the fundamentals of coding through a fun, hands-on race car, no screen required.

• For Quiet Connection: The shared experience of completing a beautiful puzzle together is a quiet, powerful way to bond. Mudpuppy creates stunning, museum-quality puzzles with gorgeous artwork that the whole family can enjoy.

An Open Letter for You: Let's Stand Together during COVID-19

With the overwhelming news on COVID-19, what we need most right now are reminders of our ability to stand together, as partners, so that each of us can rise to this challenge.

Reminders of our ability to stand together during COVID-19

Here’s what we can do together.

Plans may change, but we commit to being brave. We understand that many of us are facing fear and physical isolation, in this time, it is essential that we find ways to connect with others digitally and check in with our family, friends and colleagues with kindness and encouragement.

News also causes anxiety which in turn may lead to sleep disturbance. In combination with isolation that comes from social distancing, we may experience poor mental health and other negative outcomes. Moreover, this resulting sleep disturbance may end up hampering their immune response that is so vital to fight diseases. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories.

Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. Maintain healthy relationships and build a strong support system. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep.

Read more: 5 Family bonding activity to play at home and 'hide' from Coronavirus

Sleep well to keep the virus away.

Let us together monitoring the progression of the COVID-19 but please remain calm and don’t spread hoax. Be aware that there may be rumors during a crisis, especially on social media. Always check your sources and turn to reliable sources of information like your local government authorities.

Ensure your safety and put all the necessary preventive measures in accordance with the recommendation of local and global health authorities, such as:

• Sanitize office and warehouse

• Enforcing good personal hygiene to our staffs and us

• Have your team member to wear face masks while working

• Make sure our team member and us always wash hands when handling the products

And if you have toddler at home, go check this article for at-home activity ideas.

We truly hope this pandemic will end soon and hope all of you are safe and healthy!

We are so thankful to have such supportive partners during this hard time.

With love,

BabyLux

5 Easy and Fun Sensory Activities for Toddlers at Home

Editor's Note:

This article was originally written to help families during the global pandemic. We have updated it to be a timeless resource for any parent looking for fun, screen-free ways to keep their children engaged at home, whether it's a rainy day, a school holiday, or just a quiet afternoon.

How do we keep our young children busy, learning, and happy at home, especially when there isn't much space to run around? The answer is sensory play! One fun activity per day can keep the stress away and create wonderful bonding moments.

Did you know that when a child uses two or more senses at the same time, their brain works more optimally to absorb and store new information? That's why experts agree that multi-sensory activities are a more productive and beneficial alternative to screen time.

The best part? All of the following activities can be done with simple materials you likely already have at home.

5 Multi-Sensory Activities for Children Under 3

1. Edible Finger Painting

This is often a child's first art project and a perfect multi-sensory activity. It introduces textures, colors, and even tastes! Because younger children love to put everything in their mouths, it's best to DIY an edible paint that is completely safe.

How to make it: Simply mix cornstarch with water until you have a smooth consistency, then divide it into a few cups and add a different drop of food coloring to each. Voila! You have a safe, vibrant paint ready for little hands to explore.

2. "Dinosaur Dig" Treasure Hunt

This activity is perfect for introducing letters and concepts while playing. Fill a bucket or storage container with clean sand, uncooked rice, or dried pasta. Hide some small dinosaur toys within the sand. For an extra learning step, you can stick letters on them (e.g., the letter 'D') and have your child group them as they find them. This simple game teaches texture, discovery, and early literacy skills.

3. Water Balloon Bath

Make bath time even more fun and educational! Fill several colored balloons with water. In the tub, your child can explore the balloons, introducing a rich vocabulary of descriptive words: slippery, smooth, heavy, light, squishy. This turns a routine activity into a fun sensory lesson.

4. Creative Play with Rice

Rice is a fantastic and inexpensive alternative to sand for sensory bins. To make it even more exciting, you can color it by shaking a cup of rice with a few drops of food coloring and a teaspoon of vinegar (the vinegar smell will disappear as it dries).

You can use your colorful rice for all kinds of activities:

• Bury "treasure" like small toys or blocks for a treasure hunt.

• Pour it into clear plastic bottles to make colorful shakers.

• Simply let your child run their hands through it to enjoy the texture and sound.

5. Jello Dig

This activity turns snack time into a productive and exciting sensory experience. Simply make a batch of gelatin (Jello) as usual, but before it sets, add large pieces of fruit (like mandarin orange segments or berries) or other edible, baby-safe objects. Your child will love digging through the jiggly, cool texture to find the treats inside. It stimulates all their senses and fills their tummy at the same time!

6. Explore with Open-Ended Sensory Toys

Not all sensory play has to be a messy DIY project! Some of the world's best toys are specifically designed to engage a child's senses in an open-ended way.

• For pure sensory exploration, nothing beats the Swiss-designed toys from MOLUK. Their products are made from high-quality, food-grade silicone with unique, tactile shapes. They can be spinning tops, bath toys, or stackable objects, encouraging play that is driven by a child's own curiosity.

• For a different kind of tactile building, the flexible magnetic pieces from Clixo click and bend in satisfying ways, merging the art of origami with construction.

• The simple, single-shape design of Plus-Plus provides a wonderfully tactile experience as children connect the pieces to create 2D mosaics or 3D structures.

It turns out it's not difficult to create multi-sensory activities at home. While they might get a little messy, the developmental benefits and the joyful memories you create are absolutely worth it.