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A12 HEALTH
Monday 16 october 2023

Amid a mental health crisis, toy industry

takes on a new role: building resilience

By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — As more
children emerge from the
pandemic grappling with
mental health issues, their
parents are seeking ways
for them to build emotional
resilience. And toy compa-
nies are paying close at-
tention. While still in its early
phase, a growing number
of toy marketers are em-
bracing MESH — or men-
tal, emotional and social
health — as a designation A "Gravity Maze" game, left, and "Rush Hour" game, from
for toys that teach kids skills ThinkFun, are displayed at the 2023 Toy Fair, in New York's Javits
like how to adjust to new Center, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.
challenges, resolve con- Associated Press
flict, advocate for them- considered MESH happen not really the job of the
selves, or solve problems. to already be in children's toy industry. " Experts say
The acronym was first used toy chests — like memory childhood depression and
in child development cir- games, puppets, certain anxiety were climbing for
cles and by the American types of Legos, Pokémon years, but the pandemic's
Camp Association 10 years trading games, and Dun- unrelenting stress and grief
ago and gained new reso- geons & Dragons. The magnified the woes, par-
nance after the pandemic. concept was highlighted ticularly for those already
Rachele Harmuth, head of at the toy industry's recent grappling with mental
ThinkFun, a division of toy four-day annual show in health issues who were cut
company Ravensburger, New York, which featured off from counselors and
and resilience expert and an abundance of toys from other school resources dur-
family physician Deborah the likes of hand2mind and ing remote learning. Many
Gilboa, formed a MESH Open the Joy that encour- educators began empha-
taskforce earlier this year age children to express sizing social emotional
with the goal of getting their feelings with mirrors or learning in response, which
manufacturers to design puppets. teaches children soft skills
toys with emotional resil- James Zahn, editor- in-chief like helping them manage
ience in mind and to have of the trade publication the their emotions and create
retailers market them ac- Toy Book, noted the bulk of positive rapport with oth-
cordingly. the new toys being devel- ers. Dave Anderson, vice
"We just need to educate oped with MESH in mind will president of school and
parents and educators just be out starting next year. community programs and
a little bit to know that we But some worry the MESH a senior psychologist in the
could be using their play approach might end up ADHD and Behavior Disor-
time a little bit intention- promising parents some- ders Center at the Child
ally," Gilboa said. thing it can't deliver. There's Mind Institute, applauded
The plan is to certify MESH also a risk of companies the toy industry's efforts to
toys by mid-2024 the same preying on parents' anxiet- likewise address emotional
way the Toy Association did ies about their kids' men- resilience. But he said par-
for STEAM toys, which em- tal health. "My fear is that ents need to be careful
phasize science, tech, en- MESH will be used as the about claims that compa-
gineering, arts, and math. next marketing gimmick," nies may be making. While
Adrienne Appell, a spokes- said Chris Byrne, an inde- there's evidence that skills
woman at the Toy Asso- pendent toy analyst. "It will highlighted by the MESH
ciation, notes that MESH is create a culture of fear taskforce can build resil-
an area it will continue to that their children are not ience, there's no evidence
monitor as it evolves. developing socially and that the toys themselves
Many toys that could be emotionally. And that's will, he said.
"The concepts are evi-
dence based; the toys
themselves are not," he
said.
Bryne notes that the skills
being highlighted by the
MESH taskforce are the
basics of play, whether it's
skateboarding that builds
perseverance or learning
how to share toys to help
with conflict resolution.q