Parents are buying up puzzles, books, and toys to entertain quarantined kids offscreen. While screen time and media consumption have gone up for kids as they spend more time indoors, families are also trying to find ways to unplug and sales for tangible entertainment has been on the upswing. According to UNESCO, toy sales grew by 26% last week, with games and puzzles the fastest-growing category, jumping 228%. (We covered how puzzles in particular have gotten a boost because of the COVID crisis.) The same report found that outdoor and sports toys also grew by 20%, while kids’ nonfiction books sales grew 66%. Some parents are even using old-fashioned teddy bears to create scavenger hunts around neighborhoods as an outdoor activity for social distancing kids. (Kidscreen, NYTimes)
