“Millennial parents care about how things look in their homes,” Ms. Wainer said. The nursery must be Instagrammable with wooden toys in neutral colors or a whimsical play tent in an inoffensive gray shade. Gen Z, meanwhile, seems more interested in toys that will go viral on TikTok, such as Squishmallows, round pillow-like stuffies that come in an assortment of characters.I asked if it was the hard yellow plastic frame that did my preferred toy in. Ms. Waller said plastics were still popular despite consumers’ expressed desire for sustainable materials, such as wood and fabric. “I will tell you that the plastic toy industry is not going anywhere,” Ms. Waller said. “That is not how they’re buying.”(Dr. Golinkoff, the professor who studies child play, confirmed that American parents “love …
