According to research and analysis by consulting and intelligence firm Arizton, the global educational toy market size in 2020 is 19.2 billion US dollars, and is expected to reach 31.62 billion US dollars by 2026, with a CAGR growth rate of 7.12% during the forecast period. The easier process of children learning quickly with the help of educational toys is expected to drive the growth of the global educational toys market. The recent trend of augmented reality (AR) learning toys is likely to drive the demand for educational toys year-over-year.

The learning toy market is witnessing growth due to the impact of digital consumerism on learning toy sales. Suppliers are embracing e-commerce distribution channels to increase market profits. Amazon, eBay, Tmall and JD.com are some of the most prominent providers in the online retail space. As awareness of toy safety increases, authorities have introduced new regulations to ensure materials are safe for end users. Educational games that improve cognitive skills are expected to experience the fastest growth with a CAGR of 9.25% over the forecast period.

Continued efforts by several governments to reduce plastic use are likely to shift consumer consumption away from plastic to sustainable materials that are easy to recycle. There are various retailers such as Frida and Friedrichoff that focus on offering eco-friendly eco-label non-toxic products.

Business Case

In July 2020, the Alex brand was acquired by "Going Global First" to form a new company, Alex Global Products. Alex Global Products offers products under a broad portfolio of brands including Alex Toys, Ideal, Backyard Hunting, ZOOB and others.
In September 2020, Vtech announced the expansion of its Go-Go smart wheel product line with the launch of new interactive STEM toys for babies and toddlers. These help children enhance their imagination and promote joy and fun.
The APAC region is expected to have the highest growth rate of 10.92% in 2020, with the largest market share of educational toys at 28.10%.
The growth of the STEAM category in Japan has led to a rise in the share of educational toys in the country.
Educational toys growth factors

Inspirational and self-motivated toys have grown rapidly as parents want their children to learn about various career options. Hence, this segment is driving the growth of learning toys globally.
Playing with action figures and vehicles develops a child's imagination, which allows them to think outside the box, which is not so effective in online and video games. As a result, sales of these games are booming in the global educational toy market.
Brand loyalty is an important aspect of the growth of retail suppliers in the learning toy market.
Smart toys are increasingly gaining momentum, enabling children to learn about the latest technology and its capabilities. Suppliers are expected to develop smart models to capture growth opportunities in the global market.
Educational Toys Market Segmentation

Types of educational toys
Educator Type
age group
distribution channel
type
geography

Insights by Educational Toy Type

Academic toys accounted for the highest proportion among educational toys, accounting for 36.69%.

The growing awareness of children's education in APAC, Latin America and Arab countries has driven the demand for educational toys in countries such as South Korea, Brazil, India, South Africa, etc. The development of STEM toys that make learning complex concepts easy and fun is expected to drive the demand for academic toys across countries. During Covid-19, when most people are locked at home, some suppliers are struggling to find ways to improve their product lines and expand their offerings in the market.

Educator Type Insights

Classroom games have a huge share of 21.39% in the educational toys market.

Classroom toys promote learning in a fun way and prevent kids from getting bored. These institutions are adding board games and toys to promote formal education. This is expected to drive the demand for classroom games in various schools ranging from kindergarten to secondary school in various countries.

Insights by age group

The 3-8 age group is the leader in the educational toy market, accounting for 34.47% of the market.

Children at this age need to develop several social and emotional skills. Games such as kitchen utensils, doctor utensils, ice cream parlors, machine tools and more are still popular among children. These encourage physical activity and promote children's motivation. Hence, the demand for such toys is expected to support the market growth in the coming years.

Insights by distribution channel

Offline distribution channels dominate the educational toys market share and are expected to register an incremental growth of USD 5.99 billion over the forecast period.

Visual merchandising plays a prominent role in promoting offline sales of toys as it seduces children and influences them to convince parents to buy toys. Offline sales have a high market share in India, Turkey and other countries where online channels and e-commerce sites are less reliable due to the prevalence of various perceptions.

The penetration rate of online multi-channel platforms is expected to be high during the forecast period. Suppliers are expected to expand their online presence through their e-commerce platforms and partnerships with other e-commerce companies. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the global demand for educational toys.

Insights by Category

Indoor educational toys lead the market with 62.03% share

These all help to improve the child's IQ level and knowledge base. Parents are increasingly aware of the importance of fast and innovative thinking, which has contributed to the development of indoor educational games. These products are free of harmful toxins and are environmentally friendly, which may increase the demand for indoor educational toys.

Geographical Insights

The US and Canada are the main countries driving demand in North America.

The majority of the U.S. population belongs to the under-20 age group, which is a major contributor to the educational toys market. People in this area are early adopters of any new technology. Manufacturers use the latest technology to continuously innovate and develop new games, which are more and more popular with children. The United States holds the highest share of the global market at 58.94% due to the increasing emphasis on children's education. The country has a high literacy rate and parents are more focused on enhancing their children's critical thinking.

Major players in the global educational toys market include LEGO, Mattel, Hasbro, Vtech, Spin Master, Bandai Namco, and others. The current situation is forcing suppliers to change and refine their unique value propositions in order to achieve a strong presence in the learning toy market. The focus is shifting towards the use of eco-friendly raw materials in the manufacture of educational toys. Suppliers are expected to shift production from plastic to recycled toys. Competition will further intensify as global technological innovation increases.