Activities
the new of activities
by MARISSA DIBARTOLO, senior editor MOM WAS WRONG: APPARENTLY, IT’S more than OK to play with your food. Since the inception of Kenner Toys’ Easy-Bake Oven in 1963, kids have been expressing their creativity in the kitchen by baking up miniature sweet treats. And while the Easy-Bake Oven is one of the most iconic toys ever made, inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2006, new toys that let kids make and decorate real, edible foods are eating up shelf space like never before.
line launched by Blip Toys in 2015, includes no-bake cooking kits for kids ages 6 and up. ”In some cases, kids do need to use a microwave, but only for 10 or 12 seconds. It’s not a long, drawn-out process,” says Rick Mershon, vice president of sales at Blip Toys. ”Kids want something that’s instant.” Yummy Nummies are marketed toward boys and girls alike, with gender-neutral
CULINARY KIDS In the ’60s, the Easy-Bake Oven was largely marketed toward girls, but with male chefs like Bobby Flay, Michael Simon, and Gordon Ramsey taking center stage on reality TV, both boys and girls are developing an appetite for toys that let them develop their culinary skills. Wicked Cool Toys, maker of the Toy of the Year (TOTY)-nominated Girl Scouts Cookie Oven, also released a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Oven in late 2015, designed with boys in mind. The green and purple oven includes mixes to let kids cook up the crime-fighting turtles’ favorite dish: pizza, dude. Additionally, Hasbro introduced the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven in 2013, which is available in a cool blue and black design.
NO BAKING REQUIRED It’s not all about the ovens. Additional new players in the cooking space include companies introducing products that don’t require any baking at all. Yummy Nummies, a
the Chocolate Pen,” says Kristy Burns, vice president of marketing at Skyrocket Toys. ”Kids get excited by the awesome treats they can make and parents who already cook with their kids say it ‘ups their game’ when it comes to baking and decorating.” The Chocolate Pen allows kids to use warm water to melt chocolate encased in plastic and then use the motorized pen to draw freehand or fill in molds to create unique chocolate designs. The pen’s design allows for easy clean up and doesn’t require an electric heat source.
COOKING 101
Yummy Nummies Cinna Rolls
packaging designed to appeal to all kids. ”We’ve never endeavored to be just focused on one or the other. What boys would not want cakes and cookies?” explains Mershon, who estimates sales of Yummy Nummies to measure about 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys. Another oven-free food play toy that has enjoyed great success since its inception is Skyrocket Toys’ Candy Craft Chocolate Pen, which topped hot toy lists and also earned a TOTY nomination in 2015. ”Parents and kids love coming together in the kitchen over
26 THE TOY BOOK | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2016 | TOYBOOK.COM
Parents’ main criticism with cooking and food-themed toys is that you could get similar results by using standard cooking and baking products, but using tools designed for adults can be challenging for kids. Manufacturers say toys allow kids to get familiar with the concepts of cooking by using tools and mechanisms specifically designed for them. ”Toys like the Chocolate Pen bring fun and accessibility to cooking,” says Burns. ”Even though parents have always cooked with their kids, now we offer new materials, tools, and toys that make it easier for parents, more accessible for kids, and more exciting for everyone.”
AS SEEN ON TV In addition to its kid-friendly ovens, Wicked Cool Toys launched a MasterChef Junior line of cooking accessories at Walmart