Dolls no longer top children’s favourite toys, century-long play study reveals

Dolls have lost their long-held position as children’s most beloved toys in Finland, according to a new survey by Museo Leikki (the Play Museum) in Espoo, which has documented children’s play culture for over a century.

The shift is linked to the rise of smartphones, while teddy bears, Lego, and wooden toys have retained their popularity, the museum’s findings show.

Since 1926, Finnish schoolchildren have recorded their play habits as part of a national tradition to preserve cultural heritage. This year, pupils from five schools across Finland—including Joensuu’s Karhunmäki School—participated in the latest documentation project. Third-graders there revealed that dolls no longer rank among their top toys, though stuffed animals remain favourites.

Smartphones and shifting trends

Eila Vehviläinen, owner of a Joensuu children’s store, noted that dolls are now primarily bought for preschoolers. “Before smartphones, even third- and fourth-grade girls played with dolls,” she said.

The museum’s curator, Anna Salonen, emphasised that while trends in toys change rapidly—driven by media, social media, and entertainment—children still form deep attachments to certain toys. Some cherished items, like a stuffed animal, may comfort a child during hospital visits or carry memories of a separated parent.

Legacy toys endure

The study also observed a rise in wooden toys, such as magnetic fruit sets, alongside enduring classics like Lego, which arrived in Finland in the late 1960s. Salonen noted that despite faster trend cycles, long-term favourites persist.

As part of the project, children drew and described their favourite toys, contributing to a travelling exhibition that will be photographed for the museum’s archives.