As the CEO of a company in the kid and family space, it’s my job to keep my finger on the pulse of current trends. I obsessively monitor our sales to see what’s hot and what’s not so we stay on trend with what our customers want. My two kids are also a great barometer of what’s cool and trending, and I’ve learned a lot from being around them and their friends.
So, without further ado, here’s my picks for the HOTTEST trends in the kid and family space this year.
1) Pop Up Experiences – This is just the beginning for this new trend that I am watching literally ‘pop up’ all over the U.S. We even did a blog post on CertifiKID about it. Check it out to find out about some of the coolest experiences out there right now across the country such as,, Candytopia, HAPPY PLACE, The Foodie Space, Color Factory and much more! These pricey one-time events are here to help you get your social media accounts ‘on fleek.’can’t seem to get enough. I first stumbled upon one of these in Beijing, China and had no idea what it was but based on the lines I knew eventually it would make its way to the U.S.!
2) Glamping – When it comes to travel, we have featured deals on CertifiKID for families from tents to 5-star hotels. But what is trending the most right now is the new family category of “glamping.” Glamping is defined by Wikipedia as, “a portmanteau of glamorous and camping and describes a style of camping with amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with ‘traditional’ camping.” Some interesting glamping experiences I have seen include safari glamping and Dude Ranch glamping where you sleep in a luxurious teepee. What is the reason behind this explosion? Once again, like the pop-up experiences, social media and the posting and sharing of experiences are what launched this into the ‘hot trends’ of 2019. This is also a fun way to give kids and teens a nature-type experience without having to actually rough it in the outdoors like us older generations!
3) Indoor Ropes/Ziplining/Ninja Course Facilities – My kids can’t get enough of these places!, They take off as soon as they can to try the funky equipment and totally forget about their beloved video games at home. Parents love them because they allow the kids to release their energy and get some exercise, and they are also great for building strength and confidence. These facilities are more expensive to own and operate, so they are slower to pop up across the U.S. I am sure American Ninja Warrior inspired this trend. Whenever we put a deal upfor one of these types of facilities, they sell like hot cakes! However, I am noticing that even this type of place needs to keep reinventing itself because kids are constantly wanting something NEW and EXCITING and get bored so quickly.
4) Upscale Indoor Playground – For the little ones, we are starting to see these gorgeous play structures popping up all over. They are bright colored, very simple, with no computerized components, and bring back the good old-fashioned playground fun. You will typically find slides and climbing equipment, but inside and protected from the sun, seasons and outdoor pests. They are a great option for parents on cold, rainy or hot days when they can’t be outside at a park.
5) Farm Tours & Pickings – Parents are loving the idea of teaching their children where food comes from and the whole farm-to-table process. We are working with more and more farms to help them put together programs that bring them additional revenue now that this trend is starting to become so popular. I believe you will start to see this trend grow in the coming years as both parents and kids are becoming foodies!
6) Subscription Meal Delivery – There is no industry spending more money right now than these meal companies. Their commercials are running all the time and you are probably receiving at least one big mailer a week from them. We get at least one inquiry a week from a meal subscription company asking to advertise. I am not sure how they will all stay alive, but it’s certainly interesting watching the whole fad unfold. Basically, these are the companies that send you all the ingredients and step-by-step instructions to craft the meal so that you can cook a healthy, delicious meal in 30 minutes for your family without having to grocery shop, meal plan or prep. There are also some subscription services that will even deliver the meal already cooked to your front door. These are subscription-based and usually offer a promo code for the first month or week, so that you can try it and get into a routine of using them (and then forget to cancel on your credit card!).o.
7) STEAM/ Education – I can’t tell you the number of camps and programs we have running right now on CertifiKID that fall into this category – from robotics andcoding to science andmedia labs and so much more. A decade ago, I would have never predicted this stuff would be COOL and that parents and kids would not be able to get enough of it. In 2011, we ran our first LEGO camp and we sold 100 slots in less than a day! From there, it just spiraled and everyone has been jumping on the bandwagon to add some form of STEAM to their camp options.
8) Private Training for Anything & Everything – Another trendI recently discovered, especially with my kids, is private training in ‘everything and anything you can think of -’ from baseball coaching to instruments to dance to chess. Many parents are willing to dish out big bucks for their kids to get a leg up on the competition in their favorite activities, regardless of what the activity is or the price point, and hopethis investment will pay off in the future in the form of an academic or athletic college scholarship.
9) Fortnite/Online Gaming – I have been waiting for this trend to fizzle out and die, but with my trend knowledge, my prediction now is that when the Fornite craze is over, there will just be another game to replace it. I wake up early most days only to find my son playing Fortnite at 7 a.m. with his friends and chatting away on his phone or headset. It’s the only thing that gets him up that early (so take note parents, this is how we can train them to become early risers!)! The upside is that these games provide a social experience, but the downside is how addictive they become, as well as how gruesome some of the games are. Although I hope this is just a phase, like my phase with Super Mario as a kid, I have heard of adults and college kids getting sucked into the Fortnite world with no end in sight.. Another side effect of these games is that our kids then spend so much time on YouTube watching other people play the video games as a way to train themselves! Sigh…
10) Slime/DIY – This is the other trend I can’t wait to end. Slime is just glue, detergent, and shaving cream mixed together to create a slimy substance dubbed ‘slime.’ You can decorate it by adding food coloring, glitter, beads or anything else creative you can think of. Kids are making videos of themselves playing with slime and other kids seriously sit there transfixed watching it! My daughter has been at this for a long time now and has perfected the art of slime making. I predict another DIY trend to follow this, and hopefully one that is less slimey.
So, these are the hot trends of 2019. Have I missed any? If so, please leave a comment below. I will do another article in 2020 to keep you posted on the evolution in these trendy industries!
