Children are ditching traditional teddy names, such as George or Edward and replacing them instead with obvious descriptions like Doggy, Piggy and Teddy.
A survey of 1000 parents comparing teddy names over two generations revealed children are drawing on physical characteristics, rather than their parents convention of naming their favourite toy after a family friend or relative.
The survey, commissioned by Galt toys, revealed that 47% take inspiration from their favourite TV programmes such as, Peppa Pig, Bob the Builder and Shaun the Sheep. However, a further 37% of children did rely upon parental suggestion, rather than coming up with names themselves.
According to John McDonnell, Managing Director of Galt Toys, said: “Naming a toy Ted, Ducky or Piggy comes at an early stage in a child’s development when they are saying what they see rather than being more elaborate or imaginative”.
“Children will often say the funniest things and create ‘new’ words and names during make-believe play although it seems as though the popularity of TV programmes is having more influence on teddy names which is a shame.”
Nearly all parents (99%) believe that children need time for imaginative play but, according to 6 out of 10, children aren’t given enough time and space for this type of play.
Stimulation of the imagination is a key part of a child’s development. However, along with the increased use of gadgets and the rise in popularity of pre-toddler and children’s TV shows, imagination is no longer the key factor for inspiration when it comes to playtime.
Top Five Teddy Names Across the two generations
Parents Children
1 Edward Teddy
2 Rupert Ted
3 Alice Doggy
4 George Mousey
5 Wendy Bob
