Activities in November, complete with recipe cards and plating suggestions. The sets provide kids with tools such as rolling pins and sauce ladles designed for little hands, allowing them to create real foods, including pizza, burgers, and breakfast treats. The line launched in conjunction with the premiere of the fourth season of Fox’s TV series MasterChef Junior, which offers kids ages 8 to 13 the chance to put their cooking skills to the test. The popular TV series reflects an influx of cooking challenge and reality shows, which helps fuel the cooking toy trend. ”Cooking and cable networks are expanding dramatically, and that tends to roll down to the kid level,” says Mershon. ”Overall interest in food and cooking in general has skyrocketed. There are so many cooking channels and shows across multiple networks,” explains Burns. ”Chefs of all ages are becoming celebrities.” As cooking toys continue to heat up, social media proves to be an important factor, with both parents and kids eager to snap close-ups of their food creations and share their creativity with friends and family. YouTube unboxings and demonstration videos also contribute to the
MasterChef Junior Pizza Cooking Set
cooking craze, especially since taste is an important factor in picking the right foodplay toy.
Make-a-Meal Fun Set was the No. 1 selling Yummy Nummies kit during the first four months of the product launch.
LIFE IS SWEET—AND SAVORY
FINDING A HOME
While chocolate, cakes, and cookies are standard mix options when it comes to cooking toys, Yummy Nummies kits feature lots of unique savory options, such as chicken nuggets and tacos. ”The buying community appeared to be a little bit more nervous about the savory side, but we knew that we needed to be unique,” explains Blip Toys’ Mershon. With retailers and consumers alike a bit apprehensive about the flavor of these kits, YouTube provided the perfect outlet for real consumers to share their experiences with Yummy Nummies, helping to dispel any wariness. ”The number of views we got in our first month was shocking,” says Mershon. ”Anytime we have a new food, we automatically send new samples to our channels with our greatest viewerships.” Blip’s Best Ever Burger Maker
Mass and specialty retailers alike are carrying an expanded selection of food play toys, but there’s some debate about where to put them on the shelves. Cooking toys are often lumped into the activities section, which includes basic arts and crafts, jewelry makers, and do-it-yourself and design-your-own kits. Some retailers, such as Target, are working to develop food statements that give products like Yummy Nummies, the Chocolate Pen, and Easy-Bake Oven their own 8-foot home separate from classic activity toys. Eva Lorenz, toys and games category leader at Amazon.com, says the online retailer added kitchen toys as a browse category in response to an increase in consumer searches for food-related toys. ”Interactive and educational toys are big hits with kids and parents,” says Lorenz. ”We expect this trend to continue, especially with new toys that produce edible food.” With manufacturers mixing up new products heading into 2016, one thing’s for certain: kids are hungry for more. »