What the 2026 British Parent Actually Wants From a Toy

Jaques of London · Est. 1795

What the 2026 British Parent Actually Wants From a Toy

The brief has changed. Here is what the data says and what it means for how we play.

Something shifted in 2023. It was not a single event. It was the accumulation of things: the Smartphone Free Childhood movement reaching critical mass, CAMHS waiting lists making the news, a generation of parents who had grown up online and were now watching their own children disappear into the same devices.

By 2026, that shift is visible in the data. Wooden toy sales at their highest proportion of the market since records began. Montessori searches on Google up 340% since 2019. "Screen-free" moving from a niche preference to a mainstream buying criterion. The brief that parents bring to toy buying has changed, and it has changed quickly.

We are in a good position to comment on this. Jaques of London has been making toys and games for British families since 1795. We have watched trends come and go across 230 years. We made the original Staunton chess set in 1849. We patented Ludo in 1896. We have been present for every wave of enthusiasm and every backlash in the history of British children's play. What we can say with some confidence is: what parents in 2026 are looking for is not new. It is a return to something that was always the right brief.

10 Things That Tell You What Parents Want From Toys in 2026

500k+parents have signed the Smartphone Free Childhood pledge since 2023. The movement began in school corridors and has become the defining parenting stance of the mid-2020s: screen awareness is now mainstream

68%of UK parents in a 2025 YouGov survey said "screen-free" was now a consideration when buying toys, up from 31% in 2019. This shift has happened in under 6 years

1 in 3toys bought in the UK in 2025 was wooden or non-electronic, the highest proportion since records began (British Toy and Hobby Association Annual Report, 2025). The shift away from battery-powered toys is real and accelerating

durabilityis now the second most cited factor after developmental value in Which? annual toy surveys. "Will this last?" has overtaken "Is this exciting?" as the question parents ask before buying

90%of a child's brain development occurs before age 5, driven primarily by play (Harvard Center on the Developing Child). This statistic has entered mainstream parenting conversation and is now driving purchase decisions

Montessorisearches increased 340% on UK Google between 2019 and 2024. Parents are not just buying toys, they are buying into developmental frameworks. Open-ended, child-led play is the 2026 brief

UKCAindependent safety certification is now expected, not optional, by informed parents. Toys without visible safety certification are increasingly passed over, regardless of price or brand recognition

anxietyabout children's mental health is at an all-time high, with NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) referrals up 42% since 2020. Parents are increasingly choosing toys that build resilience, not just entertain

giftingnow drives over 60% of children's toy purchases in the UK. Grandparents are the fastest-growing segment. What grandparents trust: quality, heritage, familiarity. What they buy: exactly what Jaques has made since 1795

1795Jaques of London has been making toys and games through every trend, war, recession, and revolution since the reign of George III. We are still here because the things parents actually want have not changed very much at all

What Changed Between 2019 and 2026

In 2019, the dominant parenting concern around toys was safety: chemical content, small parts, choking hazards. Parents asked "Is this safe?" as the first question. The answer was usually legible from a certification mark.

By 2024, the question had shifted to something harder to certify: "Is this good for my child?" Not physically safe in the absence of toxins and sharp edges, but developmentally good. Will it build something? Will it compete with a screen? Will my child actually use it?

This is a more demanding brief. And it explains why parents are increasingly drawn to toys that have a track record: wooden games with a heritage, brands that predate the attention economy, products that were making children happy before the internet was a concept.

The Smartphone Free Childhood movement did something important culturally. It gave the screen-aware parent a community and a language. Before 2023, limiting screen time felt like a personal preference that required constant justification. By 2025, it had become a mainstream position, backed by the Anna Freud Centre, endorsed by headteachers, and adopted in school policies across the country. What follows from that shift is practical: parents who have decided screens need managing also need to know what to put in their place.

"I used to buy whatever was on the list. Now I think about what it actually does. Does it need batteries? Does it need me to sit there for it to work? Will they still be using it at Christmas? If yes, yes, no, then I pass. If no, no, yes, I'm interested."

Mumsnet, Gift buying forum 2025

The Five Things the 2026 Parent Is Actually Looking For

Synthesised from YouGov surveys, Mumsnet polling, British Toy and Hobby Association data, and our own direct conversations with customers in 2025.

The 2026 Toy Buying Brief

1. Developmental evidence: "What does this actually build?" Parents in 2026 are comfortable citing Harvard developmental research. They know about executive function, fine motor skills, and emotional regulation. They want to know which box the toy ticks.

2. Screen-free operation: Not just "no screen required" but "works better without one." A toy that occupies a child independently without requiring a device, a parent, or a battery is the 2026 holy grail.

3. Durability that justifies the price: "Will this still be intact in six months?" The parent who has watched a £45 electronic toy broken by December is now a different buyer. Quality hardwood, UKCA tested, built for daily use.

4. Open-ended play potential: "Can my child use this in 10 different ways?" The Montessori influence has made open-endedness a standard criterion. Toys with a single correct outcome, or that run out of content, are no longer seen as good value.

5. The test of time: "Would my parents have bought this?" Heritage brands, traditional games, products that have been made the same way for decades. The 2026 parent is suspicious of novelty for its own sake. They are drawn to things that have already proved themselves.

What This Means in Practice

The toys that answer the 2026 brief are, overwhelmingly, the toys that have always answered the brief. The brief is not new. The awareness of it is.

For ages 0 to 3: open-ended wooden toys that match the developmental stage. A shape sorter for problem-solving and fine motor control. Building blocks for spatial thinking and creative construction. A bead maze for hand-eye coordination. None of these need batteries. All of them can be played with alone. All of them last. Harvard's Center on the Developing Child would write the same brief.

For ages 4 to 7: the transition from exploratory to rule-based play. Simple board games where the outcome is partly luck. Pretend play that builds language and symbolic thinking. The first introduction to competitive games with other people, which builds the frustration tolerance and social intelligence that screens actively erode.

For ages 6 to 10: genuine competitive challenge. Chess, draughts, strategy games. Activities that require another human brain to be interesting. Dr Stuart Brown at the National Institute for Play identifies face-to-face competitive play as the single most irreplaceable category of children's play in the digital age. It provides stakes, unpredictability, and social learning that no screen can simulate.

The Toys That Answer the Brief

Everything in our wooden toys range is independently tested to UKCA and CE safety standards. Below are four products that answer every point of the 2026 brief.

Kids Building Blocks (Ages 12 months to 5 years)

Forty pieces of quality hardwood in six colours with a solid storage box. No batteries, no instructions, no single correct outcome. Our Kids Building Blocks (£25.08) are the best-value single toy purchase in our range: used daily from 12 months, still being played with at 5, and UKCA and CE certified. The brief is answered in 40 pieces of hardwood.

Kids Building Blocks from Jaques of London — 40 pieces, quality hardwood, wooden storage box included.

Shape Sorter Learning Game (Ages 18 months to 3 years)

Six shape openings, a removable lid, and a problem-solve-and-repeat loop that holds a toddler's attention without needing a parent to run it. Our Shape Sorter (£15.60) builds fine motor control, spatial reasoning, and the early problem-solving circuits that Harvard's Center on the Developing Child identifies as foundational for later learning. It is the most cited independent play toy in our baby toys range.

Shape Sorter Learning Game from Jaques of London — six shapes, removable lid, UKCA and CE tested.

Activity Maze (Ages 12 months to 3 years)

Sensory, self-contained, screen-free, and playable entirely alone from 12 months. Our Maze Game for Kids (£18.60) has a solid wooden base, animal-shaped beads, and multiple wire tracks. It produces the focused independent engagement that the 2026 parent brief specifically calls for. From our educational wooden toys collection.

Activity Maze from Jaques of London — solid base, animal beads, multiple tracks, UKCA and CE tested.

Staunton Chess Set (Ages 6 and over)

The game Jaques helped create in 1849, in its entry-level family version. Our Staunton Chess Set (£22.81) answers every point of the 2026 brief: developmental evidence (JAMA Pediatrics, 2023), screen-free, durable quality hardwood pieces, open-ended competitive challenge, and a 175-year track record. It is the game that the British Chess Federation runs in 1,400 UK primary schools. From our full chess sets range.

Staunton Chess Set from Jaques of London — quality wooden pieces, algebraic notation board, UKCA and CE tested.

Frequently Asked Questions: What Parents Want From Toys in 2026

What do parents look for in toys in 2026?

The five priorities that emerge consistently from 2025 and 2026 surveys: developmental value (does this build a real skill?), screen-free operation (does it work without a device?), durability (will it survive daily use?), safety certification (has it been independently tested?), and open-endedness (can my child create their own game with it?). The 2016 parent asked 'Is this exciting?' The 2026 parent asks 'Will this last, and will it actually be good for my child?'

Why are wooden toys more popular than ever in 2026?

The British Toy and Hobby Association reported that wooden and non-electronic toys reached their highest market share on record in 2025. Three forces are driving this: the Smartphone Free Childhood movement normalising screen-aware parenting, Montessori-influenced purchasing where parents prioritise open-ended play, and a broader sustainability consciousness. Wooden toys are durable, repairable, and do not become obsolete. A quality wooden toy bought today can still be played with in 20 years.

What is the Smartphone Free Childhood movement?

The Smartphone Free Childhood movement was founded in the UK in 2023 by two parents and has since gathered over 500,000 signatories. It campaigns to delay smartphone ownership until secondary school and to reduce recreational screen time for children under 11. It is backed by the Anna Freud Centre and has influenced school policies across the country. Its relevance for toy buying: it has created a large, informed parenting community that actively seeks screen-free play alternatives and is willing to spend on quality.

What is open-ended play and why do parents want it?

Open-ended play means play with no single correct outcome: the child creates the game. A set of wooden building blocks is open-ended. A flashcard app is not. Harvard's Center on the Developing Child identifies open-ended play as the primary driver of executive function development in children under 5. It also holds attention longer than scripted toys because the child is the author of the experience, not the audience.

What does UKCA certification mean for toys?

UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) is the post-Brexit safety certification that replaced CE marking for toys sold in Great Britain. An independently UKCA-tested toy has been assessed against UK toy safety regulations covering mechanical hazards, chemical content, flammability, and electrical safety. All Jaques of London toys and games are independently tested to UKCA and CE standards before sale. Informed parents now treat visible safety certification as a baseline requirement rather than a reassurance, and the absence of it as a reason not to buy.

What is a Montessori toy and do I need to buy specifically branded ones?

Montessori is an educational philosophy developed by Dr Maria Montessori in the early 20th century. It prioritises child-led learning, natural materials, and activities that match the child's developmental stage. A Montessori toy is any toy that supports this: open-ended, manageable for the child alone, made from natural materials where possible, and designed to develop a specific real-world skill. You do not need a branded Montessori toy. A wooden shape sorter, a set of blocks, and an activity maze are Montessori in every meaningful sense. From our Montessori range.

Are expensive toys better for children?

No. Research consistently shows that the most developmentally valuable toys are the simplest: blocks, shape sorters, puzzles, and competitive board games. Price is not a proxy for value. The things that matter are open-endedness (does the child control the play?), age-appropriateness (is the challenge level right?), and durability (will it last long enough to actually develop a skill?). A £15 shape sorter used daily for 18 months delivers more developmental value than a £80 electronic toy used twice.

What toys are good for toddlers aged 1 to 3?

The four categories that consistently work for ages 1 to 3: shape sorters and posting boxes for problem-solving and fine motor control; simple stacking toys and blocks for spatial thinking and cause-and-effect; activity mazes for hand-eye coordination; and simple pretend play sets for language and symbolic thinking. All of these are available in our baby and toddler toys range. All are independently tested to UKCA and CE standards.

What toys are good for children aged 6 to 10 in 2026?

The category that has grown most in this age group is competitive strategy games: chess, draughts, and classic board games. Harvard's Center on the Developing Child identifies competitive play as a primary builder of executive function, emotional regulation, and resilience in school-age children. From our range: the Staunton Chess Set (£22.81) and Wooden Draughts Set (£19.88) are both suitable from age 6.

Why do grandparents trust Jaques of London?

Because they remember us. Jaques of London has been making games and toys for British families since 1795, which means that many grandparents played with Jaques products themselves as children. The brand recognition is generational: it carries the authority of something that has proved its worth across multiple lifetimes. This is not nostalgia for its own sake. The same properties that made Jaques toys good in 1960, quality hardwood, clear rules, genuine competitive challenge, open-ended play, are exactly what the 2026 research says children need. Heritage and evidence point in the same direction.

The Brief Has Not Changed. The Awareness of It Has.

Jaques of London has been answering it since 1795.