Blind boxes rely on the same mechanisms of seduction as loot boxes in video games – and so demand the same scrutiny.
Articles on Children's toys
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Christmas toy shopping is stressful enough. Here are the toys that need an extra safety check.
Research has shown gendered marketing in toys can shape kids’ future aspirations.
Some finds toys for toddlers based on digital devices a bit confronting. But really they’re just updated versions of traditional toys for make-believe play such as doctor and tradie tool sets.
The most thoughtful gifts can also be the most sustainable, and last long after Christmas has ended.
The ethics of specifically targeting children with a collectibles promotional campaign are questionable.
For six decades, young girls have played with Barbie dolls. But she’s changed a bit recently.
Many children receive gift cards or even ask for them so they can choose their own presents. But are youngsters ready to handle the wiles of advertisers and the complexities of ‘credit’ on a card?
Blocks probably won’t top Christmas wish lists, but they have many benefits including developing fine motor skills, social, cognitive and language skills, and spatial reasoning and language.
Adults are dumbfounded – and according to an expert on fads, that’s probably the point.
Welcome to no-gender December, where parents (and Santa) are being encouraged to give children gender-neutral Christmas presents.
Barbie has a forgotten history of changing in response to market pressures. Are her multiple new bodies ushering in an era of ethical body inclusiveness, or is Mattel just shifting deckchairs on the Titanic?
These cute little critters have used natural selection to thrive in a global habitat.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Marketing, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania
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Emeritus Professor, University of Tasmania
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Associate Professor, Ecology, Northumbria University, Newcastle
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Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
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Senior Lecturer in Psychology, City St George's, University of London
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Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education, Griffith University
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Associate professor Early Childhood and Primary Education, University of Canberra
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Associate Professor in Marketing, Director Centre for Organisations and Social Change, RMIT University
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Marketing Academic, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol
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Research Fellow at Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Queensland University of Technology
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Lecturer, Southern Cross University
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Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Loughborough University
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Associate Professor in Sustainable Product Design Engineering, Loughborough University