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Welcome toSmall Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2019 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

In an age of screens, augmented reality games and YouTube kid millionaires, it might seem unlikely that wooden peg boards, felt nesting baskets and pretend tissue boxes are filling up today’s playrooms. But toy industry experts say these beautifully crafted baby toys are making a comeback, thanks to the unique demographics of today’s parents. And they’re certainly flooding Instagram feeds.

Companies like Lovevery, Monti Kidsand KiwiCoare capitalizing on the demand with offerings that aim to bring meaningful fun, backed up by child development experts, to the youngest kids.

“It’s not really as much about the stuff,” said Jessica Rolph, co-founder of Lovevery, “as it is about building out this kind of intentional parenting and being able to help people understand what’s happening.”

Lovevery is a subscription toy service founded by Rolph and Rod Morris that aims to make “cognitive development approachable” with curated boxes of simple toys, books and play guides for parents that are based on their child’s age.

Speaking to the market

The educational aspects of the products are front and center on Lovevery, Monti Kids and KiwiCo. There, parents quickly learn the toys are made of sustainable and organic materials, “backed by science,” “designed by experts” and that "85% of brain development happens in the first three years.”

They’re a stark contrast to the homepages for massive toy companies like Hasbro and Mattel, which tout long-established brands and movie-themed playthings. Lovevery and Monti Kids toys are mostly made of wood, with neutral color palettes and very few bells and whistles.

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Toy experts say these companies are simply speaking to the market. Today’s parents are pushing back on plastic products, including toys; worried about screen time; care about aesthetics; and are too busy to stroll toy aisles.

They’re moving away from the trends of their own 1990s childhoods when toys like Baby Einstein focused on school smarts. “Curiosity now and creativity are finally part of the conversation,” said Stephen Gass, president of The Gass Company, a children’s media production and strategy firm. “For years, we weren’t quite sure whether or not they were valuable skills. It was only academics, academics.”

There’s a shift in demographics too. Birth rates are declining and first-time parents are older. To fill the revenue gap as toy sales also wane, toy companies need to sell items at a higher price point, and that leads to better materials and products, said Richard Gottlieb, founder and CEO of Global Toy Experts.

What’s more, parents are more likely to buy toys when they have been told of their developmental benefits. As part of The Toy Association’s Genius of Playcampaign, a studyfound that moms who remember hearing about the positive benefits of play, based on the campaign’s research, intend to spend 44% more money on toys, games, and other play-related items than those who didn’t.

It's also worth noting that these toys are marketed at babies and toddlers – kids who are too young to go to school. It's an age where childcare options can be very expensive and of uneven quality.

Loving relationships are key

Josh Golin, executive director of Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, said he’s happy to see a departure from screens and digital toys. Research does show that simple, open-ended toys are betterfor young children. And Lovevery, Monti Kids and KiwiCo all cite independent studies about children’s development or name expert advisors on their websites.

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But, Golin said, parents also should be wary of claims that a specific product is educational or necessary, assertions toy companies have made and not always backed up.

“This approach is much better for children,” he said. “But we don’t want to go too far and add the pressure on the parents that you have to buy so many of these things.”

And, he points out, services like these aren’t affordable for many families. Lovevery subscriptions, for kids ages 0 to 2, start at $36 a month. Monti Kids, which includes a private online community led by child development experts and is designed for kids 3 and under, costs $297 every three months. KiwiCo’s Tadpole Crates, for kids under age 3, start at about $17 a month.

Dr. Kori Flower, a pediatrician and associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine, agrees that parents who can’t or don’t want to buy high-end toys shouldn’t worry. Those stacking cups in the kitchen work just fine too, she said.

While young children need to be exposed to different textures, sights and sounds, the most essential ingredient for brain development is a secure attachment to loving caregivers and interactions with them, said Flower, who also recommends reading to children daily from birth.

“Toys,” she said, “are good when they are used in the context of that interactive, loving relationship.”

Read more great stories from Small Humans:

• Please don't waste your money on a 'smart diaper'

• Another video on YouTube intended for kids is going viral for all the wrong reasons

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