In the living room, the tablet is beginning to lose ground to colourful pieces and dolls scattered across the floor. The scene reveals a shift that could influence children’s consumption: grandparents encouraging their grandchildren to rediscover play beyond the digital environment. Less familiar with the logic of electronic devices, older adults are looking for alternatives that help them increase interaction with children.
“The shortest path today to reconnecting with little ones is through play.” This is how Cátia Zwarnieski explains the success of her felt and fabric toys. Founder of the eponymous brand, the entrepreneur says there is strong demand for her creations driven by the encouragement of analogue experiences, mainly by grandparents.
This perception is not isolated. The behaviour is beginning to be incorporated by the industry as a whole. At Fit Pueri Expo, the leading business event for the children’s sector, manufacturers report growing consumer concern regarding early and excessive screen exposure, which directly impacts the way products are developed.
Kidino, an exhibiting brand at the event, points out that demand for Montessori toys has grown significantly over the past year, reflecting the beginning of a shift in consumption patterns. Based on an approach that encourages autonomy, concentration and learning through exploration, these products are gaining ground among families seeking alternatives to passive screen based entertainment.
“We have noticed a very significant increase in demand for toys that encourage discovery, reasoning and independence, especially among families who want to offer children more complete experiences as an alternative to the use of technology,” says the brand’s manager, Heitor Ghiraldi.
Daniela Gonzalez, representative of Fit Pueri Expo, highlights that the phenomenon points to a structural change in the consumption dynamics of Brazilian families. “This movement indicates that the purchase decision is becoming more distributed, as grandparents gain prominence by seeking purposeful products that encourage interaction and children’s development in a healthier way. This has led the industry to rethink products and strategies,” she says.
If toys were once seen merely as entertainment, they now carry a symbolic value connected to the creation of memories and emotional bonds. As a result, the sector is responding to what may be a transformation that begins at home, where quality time is once again gaining space, away from screens.
About Fit Pueri Expo
Fit Pueri Expo is the trade fair created from the union of the established Fit/016 and Pueri Expo events, focused respectively on childrenswear and childcare products. With this merger, the event has become the largest children’s and baby universe trade fair in Latin America. It presents global trends, innovations, product launches, services and solutions, as well as strategic content for entrepreneurs.