Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
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- Figure 1: Households, by presence and ages of own children, 2020
- Changes in pre-primary enrollment
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- Figure 2: Out-of-home activities – Preschool and day care, January 2021
- Impact of COVID-19 on activities of toddlers and preschoolers
- Explaining and adjusting to the pandemic
- Parents feel guilty that their young children are missing out
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- Figure 3: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on activities of toddlers and preschoolers, March 2021
- Opportunities and challenges
- Social development is a top concern
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- Figure 4: COVID-19 parenting – Concerns for children, January 2021
- Moms take the lead, but there is room for dads to be more involved
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- Figure 5: family analog activities, by gender of parent, January 2021
- There is some staying power in virtual
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- Figure 6: Out-of-home activities, January 2021
- Increased screen time offers digital entertainment opportunities
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- Figure 7: Family digital activities, indexed to all parents, January 2021
- Parents are taking an active role in education
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- Figure 8: Learning priorities, January 2021
Target Audience – Key Takeaways
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- Market will remain stable
- Keeping kids physically and emotionally healthy
- Enrollment in childcare and pre-primary programs impacted
- Keeping children entertained is a struggle
- Opportunities for learning resources
Toddlers and Preschoolers by the Numbers
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- Number of toddlers and preschoolers will remain stable
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- Figure 9: Households, by presence and age of own children, 2020
- Household make-up
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- Figure 10: Composition of family households with own children under 6, December 2020
- Language spoken at home
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- Figure 11: Population distribution, by age and race/Hispanic origin, 2021
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- Figure 12: Language spoken at home, January 2021
- California is paving the way to support dual language toddlers and preschoolers
Impact of COVID-19 on Toddlers and Preschoolers
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- COVID-19 has affected even the youngest Americans
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
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- Figure 13: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on activities of toddlers and preschoolers, March 2020
- Parents struggle to explain the pandemic to their children
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- Figure 14: COVID-19 parenting – Struggles, January 2021
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- Figure 15: Sesame Street, Elmo’s World News - #Caringforeachother, July 2020
- Children are adjusting well, but parents worry about the long-term effects
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- Figure 16: COVID-19 parenting – Adjusting, January 2021
- Keeping kids entertained through the pandemic
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- Figure 17: COVID-19 parenting – Entertainment, January 2021
Market Factors
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- The changing market for pre-primary education
- Enrollment in day care, preschool or kindergarten
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- Figure 18: Percentage of 3-5 year olds enrolled in pre-primary programs, 1900-2018
- Effects of the pandemic on employment and childcare
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- Figure 19: Out-of-home activities – Preschool and day care, January 2021
- Some parents are holding kids back a year
- Working parents are juggling their jobs and childcare
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- Figure 20: Pandemic employment situation, by gender, September 2020
- Brand spotlight: Folgers
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- Figure 21: Parenting : 15 | Coffee Commercial | Folgers, February 2021
- Higher family income does not always result in larger budget
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- Figure 22: Median household income of families with related children, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2007-19
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- Figure 23: Household income distribution, by type of household, 2019
Market Opportunities
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- Offer opportunities to celebrate
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- Figure 24: COVID-19 parenting – Making up for child missing out, January 2021
- Provide more age-appropriate video content
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- Figure 25: COVID-19 parenting – Age-appropriate content, January 2021
- Partner spotlight: Common Sense Media
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- Figure 26: Apple Tv partnership for content that sparks empathy and courage, July 2020
- Help parents optimize their child’s sleep health
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- Figure 27: Areas of health concern for children, November 2020
- Help parents teach STEM skills
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- Figure 28: Elinor Wonders Why – The science of staying warm/the seed of an idea, September 2020
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Brands focus on supporting wellbeing
- Digital entertainment solutions combine education and entertainment
- Brands step up to provide guidance and new experiences
Competitive Strategies
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- Mintel Global Trend Drivers
- Mintel Trend Driver, Wellbeing
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- Figure 29: Mintel Trend Driver, Wellbeing
- Wellbeing strategy: help make healthy choices easier
- USDA provides new nutrition and dietary guidelines
- Crayola makes wearing a mask fun and functional
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- Figure 30: Halloween Crayola Kids Mask Set, September 2020
- Big Little Feels helps navigate children’s feelings
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- Figure 31: Tantrum try saying, January 2021
- Brands show the importance of learning how to swim
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- Figure 32: PAW Patrol and Michael Phelps Water Safety PSA Sing-Along!, July 2020
- Mintel Trend Driver, Technology
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- Figure 33: Mintel Trend Driver, Technology
- Digital entertainment strategy: a blend of education, entertainment and characters
- Standout toddler and preschooler television content
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- Figure 34: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – Daniel Gets Mad, July 2020
- Top free streaming content
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- Figure 35: Yes Yes Vegetable song + More nursery Rhymes & Kids songs Cocomelon, September 2018
- New content to watch
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- Figure 36: The Snoopy Show – Official Trailer, January 2021
- Mintel Trend Driver, Experiences
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- Figure 37: Mintel Trend Driver, Experiences
- Experiences strategy: offer playful options in a stressful time
- Virtual story time offers new reading experiences
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- Figure 38: Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, reads “Duck! Rabbit!” for Archie’s birthday, May 2020
- Free play may offer more benefits than youth sports
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- Figure 39: Out-of-home family entertainment activities – Participation in organized sports, January 2021
- Reflect the new reality in play
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- Figure 40: Work from Home Toys, August 2020
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Changes in digital behaviors
- Audio entertainment opportunities
- Virtual staying power
- Analog activities are still a priority
- Moms take the lead
- Social development concerns
In-Home Digital Activities
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- More time is being spent with technology, but screen time is still a concern
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- Figure 41: COVID-19 parenting – Screen time, January 2021
- Opportunities for more toddler and preschooler audio content
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- Figure 42: Family digital activities, indexed to all parents, January 2021
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- Figure 43: Science of canned laughter, February 2021
- Tablets are a popular digital device for content viewing
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- Figure 44: Device used for watching video, indexed to all parents, January 2021
In-Home Analog Activities
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- Free-form play away from screens is a priority
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- Figure 45: family analog activities, indexed to all parents, January 2021
- Brand spotlight: Melissa and Doug
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- Figure 46: Deluxe magnetic standing art easel, February 2020
- Moms lead involvement in analog activities, with more room for dads’ involvement
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- Figure 47: Family analog activities, by gender of parent, January 2021
Out-of-Home Activities
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- Outdoor play saved 2020
- Brand spotlight: Wild Mountain Child
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- Figure 48: Flower Press Kit, November 2020
- Playdates are still popular, but parents are cautious
- Parents plan on their children taking skill-building classes
- Families await theater reopenings
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- Figure 49: Out-of-home activities, January 2021
- Some parents have struggled to get tickets to out-of-home leisure activities
Characteristics of Toddlers and Preschoolers
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- Understanding toddlers and preschoolers
- Preschoolers show (slightly) more reserve
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- Figure 50: Characteristics of toddlers and preschoolers, by age of child, January 2021
- Moms are more perceptive of their young child’s milestones
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- Figure 51: Challenges and milestones, by parent’s gender, January 2021
- Siblings encourage both social and skill development
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- Figure 52: Challenges and milestones, by number of children, January 2021
- Brand spotlight: Magna-Tiles
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- Figure 53: Magna-Tiles cooperative play, July 2020
Learning and Education Priorities
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- Development concerns because of COVID-19
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- Figure 54: COVID-19 parenting – Concerns for children, January 2021
- In their own words: measuring a child’s development
- Parents are taking a more active role in education
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- Figure 55: COVID-19 parenting – More active role in education, January 2021
- Soft social skills are top-learning priorities
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- Figure 56: Learning priorities, January 2021
- Moms are prioritizing most skills over dads
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- Figure 57: Learning priorities, by gender of parent, January 2021
- Younger parents prioritize more progressive values
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- Figure 58: Learning priorities, by age of parent, January 2021
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 59: Projected 5-year age groups and sex of the population
- Figure 60: Language spoken at home other than English, January 2021
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- Figure 61: Percentage of 3-5 year olds enrolled in preschool programs, by parent’s employment status, October 2018
- Figure 62: Percentage of 3-5 year olds enrolled in preschool programs, by race and Hispanic origin, October 2018
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