As the Australian Toy, Hobby & Licensing Fair approaches, early 2026 reveals an industry focused on refinement — with learning-led, open-ended play setting the tone!
January has long served as a moment of quiet calibration for the toy industry — a pause before the pace quickens and the year’s priorities come clearly into view. As this publication launches as a new pre–Toy Fair initiative, it does so against a backdrop of steady and measurable change. With the Australian Toy, Hobby & Licensing Fair returning to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 1–4 March 2026, the weeks leading up to the event offer a timely opportunity to examine the forces shaping assortments, conversations and commercial decisions across the sector.
What’s gaining traction ahead of March is PLAY WITH PURPOSE and STAYING POWER.
Globally, one of the most consistently reported trends is the continued growth of educational and purpose-led play. Data from Circana (formerly NPD Group) indicates sustained value growth in learning, activity and construction-based toy categories across key international markets, driven by demand for products that support creativity, problem-solving and extended engagement.1 The Toy Association’s annual trend briefings reinforce this direction, noting a clear shift toward open-ended play systems that evolve with a child rather than deliver a single outcome.2
The Australian market reflects these dynamics in a distinctly confident way. Local brands are increasingly visible across export and specialty retail channels, particularly where products align with learning-through-play principles. Melbourne-founded Connetix provides a useful example, with its magnet-based construction system gaining international traction for its emphasis on imagination, spatial reasoning and collaborative play. This approach aligns with findings from OECD research linking open-ended play environments with positive cognitive and social development outcomes in early learning contexts.3
Sustainability remains an important influence on product development. Rather than functioning as a standalone category, it is increasingly embedded in design decisions around durability, modularity and material choice. The LEGO Group’s publicly reported progress toward renewable and bio-based materials reflects a broader industry effort to future-proof core product lines while maintaining play value and commercial viability.4 For the trade, this has translated into ranges that support repeat purchase through systems and compatibility, rather than rapid replacement.
What connects these trends is not reinvention, but intent. Education and skills frameworks from the World Economic Forum continue to highlight creativity, adaptability and critical thinking as essential future capabilities — attributes now clearly reflected in the toys gaining traction across global markets.5 As such, the products expected to stand out at this year’s Australian Toy, Hobby & Licensing Fair are likely to be those that balance strong design with meaningful, repeatable play experiences.
The strongest opportunities in 2026 sit at the intersection of PLAY VALUE and COMMERCIAL RESILIENCE.
As the industry looks ahead to March, buyers, licensors and suppliers alike enter 2026 with a shared focus on refinement, durability and long-term value as they prepare to come together at the fair.
This article originally appeared in Edition 19 of The Toy Universe Magazine
- Circana (formerly NPD Group) — Global Toy Industry Performance & Category Trends, 2024–2025
- The Toy Association — Toy Trends Briefings, 2024–2025
- OECD — Starting Strong: Early Childhood Education and Care
- LEGO Group — Sustainability Progress Report, latest edition
- World Economic Forum — Future of Jobs & Education Frameworks
