LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rainbow High™, the leading fashion doll brand from popular toy and entertainment company MGA Entertainment,today announced new survey data that reveals kids’ toys may be the key to lifelong confidence to form strong friendships and sense of self. Commissioned by fashion doll brand Rainbow High and conducted by Talker Research, the survey data is announced in celebration of National Youth Confidence Day, taking place on October 20. 

The top five takeaways from the poll of 2,000 U.S. parents of school-aged kids include: 

1. Sixty-three percent believe if their kid plays with toys or dolls early in life, they’ll have an easier time fostering new friendships later in life.
2. A whopping 81% of parents confirmed that their child appears happier and more social/confident in themselves when they play with their favorite toy or doll.
3. Sixty-one percent of parents agreed that their child will feel more confident if they have the opportunity to choose toys based on colors of the rainbow.
4. Even beyond a primary color spectrum, 65% of parents noted that it's important for their child to have toys or dolls that are diverse and represent different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
5. The vast majority (91%) of parents noted that their kids reenact what they see on TV and/or on YouTube with their toys or dolls, naming problem solving (49%), discovering their personal interests (41%) and building confidence (40%) as the top takeaways they’d like their kids to experience. 

Clinical psychologist and Play Therapist Dr. Sheryl Ziegler has teamed up with Rainbow High to raise awareness among parents that dolls have a significant impact on self-confidence and, therefore, a healthy and social childhood. In fact, 41% of parents say their child’s confidence can be attributed to playing with friends, and 19% attribute this self-confidence directly to toys. 

“I love Rainbow High’s message of colorful, creative confidence,” said Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, a leading play therapist, author of Mommy Burnout and host of Dr. Sheryl’s PodCouch. “The ability to play with and change colors helps kids navigate their world and sense of self – play is a child’s natural language, and toys like dolls are their words. The more parents can understand this language, the better they can help their kids discover their self-identity, improve their relationships and engage in more meaningful communication with family and friends.”

Diving into the data deeper, the survey uncovered that more than a third of parents (36%) say that dolls are used to create memories for their child to experience with their friends, and 34% say dolls help their child develop new friendships with other children. 

When asked what they'd like their child to take away as a result of playing with toys/dolls, 50% of parents said "how to socialize." Interestingly, less than a third of parents named academic skills as a key learning, showing a stronger interest in instilling social and emotional values. In fact, 60% of parents agree that the pressure to be “grown up” or achieve success negatively impacts their child’s self-confidence. The next skillsets within the top five desired takeaways from playing with dolls include: problem-solving (43%), finding personal interests (41%), communicating with peers (40%), and learning confidence (40%). 

Most parents (61%) agree their child will feel more confident if they have the opportunity to choose toys based on colors of the rainbow. This sense of color was unpacked in the survey, revealing: 

• Most parents (52%) say their child believes their favorite color matches their personality, and 68% percent said it is likely their child want a doll or toy that comes in their favorite color. 

• 91% of parents agree that if kids have the option to choose fashions (for themselves and/or their dolls) representing different colors, they will feel more confident and expressive. 

• Even beyond a primary color spectrum, 65% of parents noted that it's important for their child to have toys or dolls that are diverse and represent different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

Rainbow High offers dolls with multiple skin colors and hair types, as well as fashions and accessories that represent the full rainbow color spectrum, in its core collection and beyond. Rainbow High dolls are diverse, providing kids with different options for them to build a sense of self and find their own place among the rainbow. 

“Dolls are the cornerstone of childhood play, helping to instill confidence and build friendships at an early age,” said Josh Hackbarth, Chief Marketing Officer, MGA Entertainment, Rainbow High’s parent company. “Beyond the intrinsic social value of the doll, what we’re seeing in this survey is a strong correlation between colors of the rainbow and self-confidence, and Rainbow High is proud to offer kids a diverse portfolio of colorful dolls to choose from when playing with friends and family.”

New dolls in the Rainbow High collection this fall and holiday season include:

• Rainbow High Watercolor & Create ($29.99): An expansion from the popular Color & Create dolls from last holiday season, this collection lets kids create their own unique doll with classic rainbow washable watercolors that work on the dolls clothes and hair. Just dip, dab, tie-dye, rinse and repeat! 
• Rainbow High Winter Wonderland ($29.99): Just add water to the “snow” inside each doll’s dress and watch the outfits puff up for a bold transformation. As a bonus, each doll also includes a make-your-own snowman kit with moldable “snow” and fun accessories. This fashion concept is shown in season 5 of the Rainbow World animated series. 
• Rainbow High Littles ($9.99): These smaller, 6-inch fashion dolls are the little sisters of the beloved Rainbow High dolls and come with their own magical pets. The Rainbow High animated series includes the little sisters and themes of sisterhood throughout.

Screens are often unavoidable for parents with young kids. Luckily, there are positive takeaways for those watching their favorite doll characters on screen, which translate into physical play. In fact, 91% of parents noted that their kids reenact what they see on TV and/or on YouTube with their toys or dolls. Parents named their top desired takeaways from this content, like problem-solving (49%), discovering personal interests (41%) and building confidence (40%). Each of these values are evident in Rainbow World, the newest season of YouTube’s Rainbow High and yet another confident-building touchpoint. 

For more information, follow Rainbow High on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook and visit the official Rainbow High YouTube channel to watch the new season. All Rainbow High dolls are at major retailers such as Target, Walmart and Amazon throughout the holiday season. 

About MGA Entertainment 
MGA Entertainment is one of the largest privately held toy and entertainment companies in the world, known for its commitment to creativity, quality, and innovation. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices globally, the company creates innovative, proprietary, and licensed consumer products and entertainment properties, including toys, games, dolls, apparel, consumer electronics, home décor, stationery, sporting goods, movies, and television series. The MGA family includes award-winning brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!™, Little Tikes®, Rainbow High™, Bratz®, MGA’s Miniverse™, Yummiland™, CarTuned™, GrossMos!™, Pixel Petz™, Micro Games of America,  Fluffie Stuffiez™, BABY born®, and Zapf Creation®. For more information, please visit us at www.mgae.com or check us out at LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.   

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• Rainbow High Watercolor & Create Dolls Help Instill Confidence
• Rainbow High Watercolor & Create Dolls

Amanda Magalski
FINN Partners for MGA Entertainment
mga@finnpartners.com

MGA Newsroom
MGA Entertainment
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