Educational toys aim to be smart choice of retailers
Author: Drug Store News

There's a brain wave hitting retail, as more mainstream manufacturers than ever are selling kids and parents the healthy and lucrative concept that learning is fun.

While computer and CD-ROM educational products for the home are pushing this surge of interest in knowledge, the brain wave is also causing a surge in low-tech educational toys.

Manufacturers and retailers are targeting busy parents who hope that playtime will pay off in better grades and more quality time at home. Like a seal of approval, the human brain (in a variety of colors) is showing up lately in more names and logos for kids products.

In the recently released Duracell Toy Industry Forecast, 60 percent of the toy industry analysts, manufacturers and experts surveyed said they expect an increase in sales in educational toys this year.

Ruth Roufberg, an independent toy consultant and nationally recognized industry expert who participated in the Duracell study, said, "The expected increase in sales of educational toys reflects a better educated parent population that realizes the importance of education and is eager to supplement their children's schooling with playthings that combine fun and learning."

One of the drivers behind the growth of educational toys with a brainy theme is the popular game Brain Quest, published by Workman, in which players answer questions in the tradition of board games like Trivial Pursuit.