Click the text below to copy the story to clipboard
The survey of 2,000 parents of a Gen Alpha child examined early childhood development and how it’s impacted by playtime and creative storytelling.
Along with that, it also looked at how parents believe artificial intelligence (AI) will impact their children’s careers and ways they’re planning ahead for it.
Parents reported that their children displayed, or will display, the most creativity at age seven. However, more than a third (36%) predicted that their child’s creativity and imagination will decline as they get older.
Conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Littlest Pet Shop, (https://www.littlestpetshop.com/gen-alpha-storytelling-characteristics/) the survey found that creativity is a top consideration for parents, as most (85%) reported that creativity is a skill that will help their children stand out in the future job market.
The research also revealed that parents believe AI will have an impact on the youngest generation and their creativity.
Nearly half (47%) of those are worried about AI impacting job availability for their kids and 45% are concerned AI will harm their children’s ability to generate new ideas and original thoughts.
Taking a step back to see the whole picture, 68% of parents reported that today’s children are more creative than they were at their age.
When asked which skills they believe are most essential in childhood development, parents said creativity (69%), problem-solving (63%) and social skills (63%).
Four in five parents (81%) also believe storytelling should be a part of their child’s daily schedule and to foster the unique skill of creative storytelling, parents are reading to their kids (54%), telling them stories (52%) acting out stories with their children (35%) and playing dress up (30%).
“The importance of cultivating creativity in early childhood development can’t be emphasized enough,” said Maureen Dilger, vice president of global brand marketing at Basic Fun!, manufacturer of Littlest Pet Shop. “And under the umbrella of creativity, there’s creative storytelling. This is an essential skill that kids will carry and use throughout their entire lives and in their careers. It’s so important that parents have easy and accessible ways to help their kids grow the skill of creative storytelling.”
Nearly all parents (91%) said toys are important for imagination development in children and almost half (46%) will prioritize buying toys that help with creativity building and imagination.
A third (36%) also prioritize buying hands-on toys for their kids.
Parents are cultivating creativity during playtime by encouraging drawing (62%), listening to music (55%), completing puzzles (48%) and dancing (40%).
However, three-quarters of parents surveyed (76%) wish they had more ideas for engaging in imaginative play with their child.
“The study found that although parents do want to cultivate creativity and imagination in their kids, they wish they had more tools to encourage these skills even more,” said Dilger. “A good option for these parents is to look to trusted brands to get new ideas to help their kids grow their creative storytelling skills.”
Survey methodology
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 U.S. parents with a Gen Alpha child (born between 2010-2024); the survey was commissioned by Littlest Pet Shop and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Aug. 30 and Sept. 4, 2024.
Read more on about our methodology.
Copy, images + video are free to use
Please credit Talker Research &
the entity that commissioned the research
Click infographic to open
Republishing guidelines and AI policy
All Talker Research content is made freely available to journalists, editors, publishers and media groups with the goal of helping to drive engagement through interesting data-led text, infographics and videos. If you use our content in any capacity, do let us know via media@talkerresearch.com. We love to see how it’s used.
Guidelines:
You may republish our articles as-written, or use portions of the text, including whole paragraphs, specific sentences, or individual data points, or you may reference or re-write any of the above to fit your publication’s editorial style.
We ask only that you credit Talker Research, in addition to whatever entity may have underwritten the research (e.g. “…conducted by Talker Research on behalf of [ENTITY]” — or any similar version of the preceding example.)
Talker Research content is made available unrestricted with regard to being published on pages surrounded or interrupted by run-of-site or banner ads or video pre-roll ads (or similar).
Likewise, Talker Research content is made available unrestricted with regard to pixel trackers.
All Talker Research content is available for use in perpetuity on all platforms.
Read more about our republishing guidelines.
AI policy:
All of Talker’s stories are created by people, not AI. AI tools support background tasks such as analysis, or production efficiencies, but the core creative work, writing, editing, and shaping the narrative is done by a human.
Media contact
If you have questions about this survey story or would like the data set and visual assets sent to you, please submit the request form or email media@talkerresearch.com.