At Nursery Online, we are very lucky to be invited to many industry shows across the globe to look at the new trends and products on offer in the nursery, parenting and toy sector.

Last week, KIDS’ TIME Poland asked us to be their UK guest press, along with a team of talented journalists from Italy, the US, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Turkey and Germany.

Set across 8 halls in Targi Kielce, KIDS’ TIME is the largest nursery and toys trade show in Eastern Europe and the second largest all-encompassing industry trade show in Europe, covering everything from toys, prams, car seats to clothing, feeding, accessories and nursery furniture.

In its 11th year, KIDS’ TIME is a 3-day expo featuring the latest products and developments with over 530 exhibitors from 20 countries.

Amongst the exhibitors were Inglesina, Thule, Mattel, Chicco, Childhome, Invictus, Marioinex, Peg Perego, Ceba Baby, ibebe, Eco & More, Faktum and Dorel, as well as some new brands exhibiting for the first time, and of course the Polish distributors Marko, Solution Baby Care, Blue Ocean and Baby & Travel.

A number of workshops and seminars took place including an inspiring and informative talk on toy trends from leading global trend-hunter, Reyne Rice.

The awards, which took place on the first evening after the closing of the show, awarded the best of the best with their seal of approval. Congratulations to all of the winners, including Thule, who won the KIDS’ TIME Star Award in the stroller category.

Entrepreneurial spirit and passion for their brands was definitely not in short supply, as we toured the show to meet some of the newest and innovative brands out there right now.

Key trends…

Some key trends we took away from the show are:

The move to eco

It was great to see a number of eco products, recycled fabrics and the use of natural materials such as wood and bamboo. Eco & More, who distribute Kit & Kin, Jack n Jill and Water Wipes to name a few took time to show us their ranges. A solid shampoo bar for baby and biodegradable cornstarch toothbrush were just a few of the exciting eco products we saw. We also loved the Bamboo furniture range from Childhome, and the recycled plastic range from Done by Deer.

A splash of colour

From the bright neon colours on the Invictus stand to the gold carrycot from Adamex, metallics and brights were not in short supply. For the more reserved amongst us, we particularly loved some of the more earthy colourways, such as the new Sequoia Green from Ingelsina.

Colourful nursery accessories

Tech steps

We know the use of tech in baby products has stepped up a level over the past year or two, but we secretly enjoy seeing a good bit of baby tech at every show! One of our favourite stands from the show, from both a stand and product design point, was Ceba Baby. The use of light sensitive tech in their fabric designs for blankets and pillows, was clever and, let’s face it, really cute. You have to love a llama that changes from white to pink when exposed to the light. It just makes things a bit more fun! On the pram front, the ibebe i-stop with its automatic brake is a clever and useful innovation.

Pushing the boundaries

As fans of home décor ourselves, we loved seeing colours and trends from around the home making their way into nursery furniture and accessories. From the use of regal greens and golds for nursery accessories from Yellow Tipi, to the anthracite furniture collection from Faktum, these nursery trends will be Pinterest and Insta worthy for nursery trendsetters this year.

Colourful nursery

Multi-use, adaptable and space-saving furniture

Childhome, in its 35th year, continues to innovate with its range of accessories. Now available in over 60 countries, Childhome’s products are all designed to make a difference to families. We saw the Evolux Changing Table with 4 different heights, which is ideal for moving around different rooms, and great for parents who are different heights to prevent aches and pains that come from bending down. The space-saving Kitgrow 4-in-1 chair is perfect for kitchen island mealtimes and can be used from baby to 85kg. The best bit is it folds away to fit into any small space!

Childhome

Keeping it in the family

Not really a new trend here, but one we are really glad is still commonplace in the parenting, toy and nursery sector. Isn’t it great how many brands keep it in the family through generations? At the show, we were fortunate to spend time with the lovely Suchanek family who have grown their family business, Marioinex, since 1986. The range of creative toys and durable waffle building blocks cater from the very young to the very old. We have found them great around the office for mindfulness and stress relief! They can be used to create pictures, structures, and can be used in education. We absolutely love them for all the family!

So, that’s our round up, but it would be rude of us not to talk about the array of stand designs. Attending these shows, we see some really inspiring (and some not so good!) stands which do a great job of drawing in the crowds.

Whilst the KIDS’ TIME Awards celebrated the best of the best products, here at Nursery Online, we wanted to award two stands with our Best Design Gold! Drumroll please…Our stand design of the show award goes to not one but two exhibitors… Ceba baby and La Millou, for not just their use of space, but also the eye-catching graphics on the stands!

For any questions about the show or any of the exhibitors, contact Magdalena Bogucka – bogucka.magdalena@targikielce.pl