Healthy development of children through play

By Urszula Kaszubowska

Lack of exercise, poor physical condition, bad eating habits and obesity as a lifestyle disease—these problems are leading to a generation of children with social and physical disabilities.

A few months ago the Polish Ministry of Education and the University of Health and Sport Sciences initiated the program “Active Today for Health in the Future.” This is the result of studies conducted on a representative group of primary school students, which confirm that 94% of the surveyed students have an insufficient level of motor skills, and almost the same number of children aged 6–8 are unable to correctly throw or catch a ball. This can be a significant barrier to preparing for physical activity in adulthood, thereby negatively affecting health. Lack of physical activity (hypokinesia), children’s mental health issues, obesity and other lifestyle diseases can threaten public health.

Encouraging Sports

According to health experts, children aged 1–4 should spend at least 3 hours a day engaged in various physical activities. In the toy industry there are many options that help fill those 3 hours a day, and — importantly — the number of them is steadily increasing. This is likely driven by the market itself and the growing awareness among parents, who understand that promoting physical activity is necessary from early childhood.

Any toys that encourage children to be physically active can help. Hobby horsing is a new sport that involves riding a horse prop (a horse's head on a wooden stick). It particularly attracts girls and teenagers. There are even championships held in this discipline. The HoppiHorse by Hoppimals was created in close collaboration with children who actively train and participate in professional hobby horse competitions.

A simple yet engaging game is Mölkky (by Tactic Games) — a wooden block-throwing game. The goal is to knock over numbered pins. The game originates from Finland and is made from eco-friendly wood; in 2015 it won the Green Toy of the Year award.

Heavy problem with weight

Another health issue is obesity resulting from poor eating habits and lack of physical activity. From 1990 to 2022 the percentage of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years living with obesity increased fourfold, from 2% to 8% globally. And it’s still increasing. As of 2020, it was estimated that 38.9 million children under 5 years of age had overweight.

Childhood and adolescent overweight affects health and is associated with a higher risk of various diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. Obesity during childhood and adolescence has negative psychosocial consequences; it affects school performance and quality of life. Children with excess body weight are more self-critical and have low self-esteem. They more often face rejection from their peers.

Therefore, education on proper nutrition and awareness of the dangers caused by consuming highly processed foods also seem important. The market is offering games and toys that teach good eating habits.

Toys that raise awareness of proper nutrition 

With the Magnetic Food Diary by Classic World children can learn about various food groups, such as carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, fruits and sweets. They can arrange different food magnets on the plate and learn to balance their daily diet by including food from each category.

The brand Erzi offers food-themed play in the form of wooden food products. The realistic-looking toys encourage kids to create their own dishes and engage in imaginative cooking play. The Nutrition Plate teaches children the importance of healthy nutrition.

Benefits of the ToyTrend 2025: Healthy Heroes

Child health experts are raising alarms that a generation of children with physical and social disabilities is on the rise. The toy industry has the potential to solve this problem, as it offers many products that can engage children and teach them to care for their health.

About the author

Urszula Kaszubowska is editor-in-chief of Branza Dziecieca, Poland's largest trade journal for toys and baby products. She is also a member of the selection panel for the “Toy of the Year” competition, which is held every year in Poland. Urszula Kaszubowska also has publishing experience, having worked for one of Poland's largest publishing houses for 17 years, including as publishing director for hobby magazines. 

Find out more about the Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee.