Toy Trends 2025: Caring for and promoting healthy bodies, minds, and our planet
As we move further into 2025, the educational toy scene continues to evolve with an increasing focus on sustainability, wellness, and holistic personal development. At Commotion Ltd, we are committed to staying ahead of these trends whilst creating products that educators, parents, and children love. Here is our overview of the most impactful toy trends shaping the industry this year and beyond.
Eco-Friendly Toys
Sustainability is becoming the standard expectation for educational toys and resources. In 2025, we are seeing unprecedented demand for toys that minimise environmental impact while maximising learning potential. Educational institutions increasingly include environmental criteria in their purchasing decisions, reflecting a growing commitment to sustainability.
Key features of this trend include:
- Biodegradable materials replacing traditional plastics
- Plastic-free packaging solutions that reduce waste where possible
- Longer product lifecycles and resources that can be used in a variety of ways and subject areas
Here at Commotion, we prioritise sustainable packaging. Our boxes contain at least 70% recycled material and often use glue-free designs for easier recycling. We've reduced single-use plastics, switching remaining bags to recyclable LDPE. Our printed materials use biodegradable soy ink, and we've replaced plastic ties with recyclable paper alternatives.
Our toys are designed to last, built for daily play and to be handed down through generations. They offer open-ended play possibilities that evolve with each child, providing years of learning through play without limiting imagination or requiring numerous additional purchases.
FSC®-Certified Wooden Toys
Wooden toys have always been a favourite amongst parents and educationalists, but with valuable concerns about sustainability, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certification has become essential. FSC-certified wooden toys guarantee that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
We've observed a significant increase in demand for FSC-certified wooden toys in educational settings over recent years. This trend reflects broader societal shifts toward traceable, ethical supply chains and natural materials that stand the test of time.
At Commotion we are delighted to be FSC accredited, ensuring we can bring our customers exceptional educational resources that also contribute to forest conservation and creating a sustainable future for the children that enjoy them!
Healthy Heroes: Toys that promote physical wellbeing
In response to growing desire to promote physical wellness from a young age, educational toys that help develop gross motor skills and set a foundation for an active lifestyle have gained significant traction in 2025.
The most successful products in this category are toys that:
- Incorporate movement into cognitive learning experiences
- Teach essential healthy living concepts through play
- Support development of fine and gross motor skills simultaneously
tickit products such as our new Whizz Bikes, Balance Board and SiliShapes® Sensory Circle Set support this area of learning as they teach physical coordination and improve gross motor skills through movement-based play.
While resources such as our tickit Wooden Lacing Fruits, Wooden Sorting Fruit & Vegetable Crates and Fruit and Vegetable Match promote the exploration and discussion of different food groups and what a healthy diet should consist of without wasting food.
Mindful Play: Toys that support mental wellbeing
Another key area of focus in 2025's educational toy market is resources that support mental wellbeing through play. Educators and parents are seeking toys that support emotional regulation, mindfulness, and resilience.
This area of learning encompasses several key product categories:
- Sensory toys that help children self-regulate through tactile experiences
- Emotional intelligence products that teach recognition and management of feelings
- Mindfulness tools designed specifically for developing brains
Products like our My Emotion Tiles, Understanding Feelings Set and Expression Mirror Faces have been developed by us to help children identify and discuss feelings, and our flagship Sand Timers and Sensory Ooze Tubes have been created to make taking time out (or brain-breaks as we’ve heard them called) and breathing exercises accessible to young children, while helping educationalists incorporate these activities into their settings with ease.
The most innovative products of 2025 are those that recognise the inherent connection between physical and mental health. These holistic toys support development across multiple areas at once. For example, our SiliShapes® Sensory Circles provide a perfect combination of sensory and physical play, while our Wooden Balance Board offers both a physical activity and emotional regulation through movement. Find out more about how the Wooden Balance Board can be used to cover a multitude of areas in a UK primary school here: https://commotion.co.uk/news/tickitBalanceBoard
As we continue through 2025, we expect these trends to deepen rather than fade. At Commotion Ltd, we're committed to leading this evolution with products that not only meet current trends but anticipate future needs. All our products are designed and manufactured to the highest quality, and we expect them to be used across different age groups for many years, again mitigating and removing unnecessary waste. Our research and product development team works closely with educators and child development specialists to create toys that are beneficial to children, communities, and our planet.