Toys and play 2026
With 159 million pageviews on toys and play conversation and an estimated £944 million in potential spend, Mumsnet puts brands in front of high-intent parents at the point of decision
(Research published: February 2026)
This piece spotlights the screen-time findings from our wider Toys & play research, exploring parents’ sense that screens are “winning” - and what brands can do to better support screen-free time. It’s a short preview of one section of the full study.
In our Toys and play insights for 2026, we discover:
Parents are under sustained pressure to manage screen time, support children’s development, and create moments of independent play, all while juggling limited time, space and emotional capacity.
Toys are no longer judged on entertainment value alone. They are evaluated on how well they reduce parental guilt, fit into real routines, last over time and align with family values.
These pressures play out openly in conversations, where parents candidly assess what works, what falls short and what they would recommend to others.
Screen-free play has become a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator, durability has emerged as the most believable form of sustainability, and independent play is valued most when it offers parents breathing space without emotional compromise.
Partnering with Mumsnet places brands inside these high-intent evaluation moments, where trust is built through lived experience and emotional reassurance rather than marketing claims.
