While still in its early phase, a growing number of toy marketers are embracing MESH - or mental, emotional and social health - as a designation for toys that teach kids skills like how to adjust to new challenges, resolve conflict, advocate for themselves, or solve problems.
The plan is to certify MESH toys by mid-2024 the same way the Toy Industry Association did for STEAM toys, which emphasize science, tech, engineering, arts, and math. Adrienne Appell, a spokeswoman at the Toy Industry Association, notes that MESH is an area it will continue to monitor as it evolves.Many toys that could be considered MESH happen to already be in children’s toy chests - like memory games, puppets, certain types of Legos, Pokémon trading games, and Dungeons & Dragons.
“My fear is that MESH will be used as the next marketing gimmick,” said Chris Byrne, an independent toy analyst. “It will create a culture of fear that their children are not developing socially and emotionally. And that’s not really the job of the toy industry. ” “In my opinion, if you live in a healthy home and you’re having healthy play and your parents are engaged, the MESH stuff kind of happens automatically, ” he said.
Richard Derr, owner of the Learning Express franchise in Lake Zurich, Illinois, said that he trained his workers on helping parents this past spring to pick the right toys. But the challenge is not to scare parents.
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