Activities of Toddlers and Preschoolers - US - March 2021

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Key issues covered in this Report
Definition
COVID-19: US context
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Top takeaways 
Market overview 
Figure 1: Households, by presence and ages of own children, 2020
Changes in pre-primary enrollment 
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
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 
Figure 4: COVID-19 parenting – Concerns for children, January 2021
Moms take the lead, but there is room for dads to be more involved
Figure 5: family analog activities, by gender of parent, January 2021
There is some staying power in virtual 
Figure 6: Out-of-home activities, January 2021
Increased screen time offers digital entertainment opportunities
Figure 7: Family digital activities, indexed to all parents, January 2021
Parents are taking an active role in education
Figure 8: Learning priorities, January 2021
TARGET AUDIENCE – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
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 
Number of toddlers and preschoolers will remain stable 
Figure 9: Households, by presence and age of own children, 2020
Household make-up
Figure 10: Composition of family households with own children under 6, December 2020
Language spoken at home
Figure 11: Population distribution, by age and race/Hispanic origin, 2021
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 
COVID-19 has affected even the youngest Americans
Lockdown
Re-emergence
Recovery
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
Figure 14: COVID-19 parenting – Struggles, January 2021
Figure 15: Sesame Street, Elmo’s World News - #Caringforeachother, July 2020
Children are adjusting well, but parents worry about the long-term effects
Figure 16: COVID-19 parenting – Adjusting, January 2021
Keeping kids entertained through the pandemic
Figure 17: COVID-19 parenting – Entertainment, January 2021
MARKET FACTORS 
The changing market for pre-primary education
Enrollment in day care, preschool or kindergarten
Figure 18: Percentage of 3-5 year olds enrolled in pre-primary programs, 1900-2018
Effects of the pandemic on employment and childcare
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
Figure 20: Pandemic employment situation, by gender, September 2020
Brand spotlight: Folgers
Figure 21: Parenting : 15 | Coffee Commercial | Folgers, February 2021
Higher family income does not always result in larger budget
Figure 22: Median household income of families with related children, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2007-19
Figure 23: Household income distribution, by type of household, 2019
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES 
Offer opportunities to celebrate
Figure 24: COVID-19 parenting – Making up for child missing out, January 2021
Provide more age-appropriate video content 
Figure 25: COVID-19 parenting – Age-appropriate content, January 2021
Partner spotlight: Common Sense Media
Figure 26: Apple Tv partnership for content that sparks empathy and courage, July 2020
Help parents optimize their child’s sleep health 
Figure 27: Areas of health concern for children, November 2020
Help parents teach STEM skills
Figure 28: Elinor Wonders Why – The science of staying warm/the seed of an idea, September 2020
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
Brands focus on supporting wellbeing 
Digital entertainment solutions combine education and entertainment
Brands step up to provide guidance and new experiences 
COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
Mintel Global Trend Drivers
Mintel Trend Driver, Wellbeing
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 
Figure 30: Halloween Crayola Kids Mask Set, September 2020
Big Little Feels helps navigate children’s feelings 
Figure 31: Tantrum try saying, January 2021
Brands show the importance of learning how to swim 
Figure 32: PAW Patrol and Michael Phelps Water Safety PSA Sing-Along!, July 2020
Mintel Trend Driver, Technology
Figure 33: Mintel Trend Driver, Technology
Digital entertainment strategy: a blend of education, entertainment and characters
Standout toddler and preschooler television content
Figure 34: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – Daniel Gets Mad, July 2020
Top free streaming content 
Figure 35: Yes Yes Vegetable song + More nursery Rhymes & Kids songs Cocomelon, September 2018
New content to watch 
Figure 36: The Snoopy Show – Official Trailer, January 2021
Mintel Trend Driver, Experiences
Figure 37: Mintel Trend Driver, Experiences
Experiences strategy: offer playful options in a stressful time
Virtual story time offers new reading experiences
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 
Figure 39: Out-of-home family entertainment activities – Participation in organized sports, January 2021
Reflect the new reality in play
Figure 40: Work from Home Toys, August 2020
THE CONSUMER – KEY TAKEAWAYS 
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 
More time is being spent with technology, but screen time is still a concern
Figure 41: COVID-19 parenting – Screen time, January 2021
Opportunities for more toddler and preschooler audio content 
Figure 42: Family digital activities, indexed to all parents, January 2021
Figure 43: Science of canned laughter, February 2021
Tablets are a popular digital device for content viewing 
Figure 44: Device used for watching video, indexed to all parents, January 2021
IN-HOME ANALOG ACTIVITIES 
Free-form play away from screens is a priority 
Figure 45: family analog activities, indexed to all parents, January 2021
Brand spotlight: Melissa and Doug
Figure 46: Deluxe magnetic standing art easel, February 2020
Moms lead involvement in analog activities, with more room for dads’ involvement
Figure 47: Family analog activities, by gender of parent, January 2021
OUT-OF-HOME ACTIVITIES
Outdoor play saved 2020
Brand spotlight: Wild Mountain Child
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
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
Understanding toddlers and preschoolers
Preschoolers show (slightly) more reserve
Figure 50: Characteristics of toddlers and preschoolers, by age of child, January 2021
Moms are more perceptive of their young child’s milestones
Figure 51: Challenges and milestones, by parent’s gender, January 2021
Siblings encourage both social and skill development
Figure 52: Challenges and milestones, by number of children, January 2021
Brand spotlight: Magna-Tiles
Figure 53: Magna-Tiles cooperative play, July 2020
LEARNING AND EDUCATION PRIORITIES
Development concerns because of COVID-19
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 
Figure 55: COVID-19 parenting – More active role in education, January 2021
Soft social skills are top-learning priorities 
Figure 56: Learning priorities, January 2021
Moms are prioritizing most skills over dads
Figure 57: Learning priorities, by gender of parent, January 2021
Younger parents prioritize more progressive values
Figure 58: Learning priorities, by age of parent, January 2021
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Consumer qualitative research
Direct marketing creative
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
APPENDIX – THE MARKET 
Figure 59: Projected 5-year age groups and sex of the population
Figure 60: Language spoken at home other than English, January 2021
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