3D printing is already a lot of fun, but there’s nothing like cutting loose to play. CGTrader, the online community and marketplace for 3D graphics and 3D printing specialists, is calling on you to harness the inner child and that playful spirit for the 3D Printed Kids’ Toys Challenge, with a deadline of January 20, 2015.
While the toy market has traditionally been a difficult one and has in recent years been eclipsed by video game sales, 3D printing is changing things up, shaking up so many sectors, that it is expected it will begin to affect the toy market as well. CGTrader wants to know if that is true, and they invite you to participate in this creative experiment to explore another possible ‘emerging niche’ for 3D printing.
Affordability in prototyping and production is what makes 3D printing attractive for the toy market, with a report by McKinsey&Company stating that ‘many benefits of 3-D printing could cut the cost of market entry for new players,’ and that’s a prime consideration in the toy market. They go further to state that overall 3D printing could have ‘an impact of up to $550 billion a year by 2025.’ Those are some impressive figures to contemplate, and obviously CGTrader has been doing just so.
While it seems that 3D printing is a logical choice to change the face of toy making, prototyping, and manufacturing, there is no crystal ball. But there is always the option of taking the reins and doing to see what happens, and how it can affect the marketplace.
“3D printing technology is developing at an explosive rate and many industries, including the toy industry, will feel the ripples of the impact it makes on the manufacturing process and product design. We believe that 3D printing can help democratize the toy sector and give every child a unique educational experience. The design competition is intended to make the research and discovery process more exciting for those who hold the creative power in their hands,” said Marius Kalytis, the founder and CEO of CGTrader.com.
What 3D printing magic have you got in your queue? The challenge will offer prizes in the categories of Best Model and Best Portfolio. The winners will receive:
- Two color printed models from The Object Shop
- NinjaFlex filaments from Fenner Drives
- Subscriptions from Digital Tutors
- CGTrader credits
- CGTrader promotional features
Judging will be based on quality and innovation, as well as (very important!) descriptions and instructions for use — with extra brownie points if you include high quality images of designs that are 3D printed. Encouraging you to think of previous unlikely toys that became bestsellers (think jigsaw puzzles, Legos, Rubik’s Cube, etc.), CGTrader suggests ideas like:
- Puzzles
- Action figures
- Board and desk games
- Playsets
- Educational toys
CGTrader is calling on designers to use this innovative technology to blow the toy market out of the water. They are depending on today’s creative talent to provide truly innovative designs — something that might have parents waiting in lines around the block and scrambling online like the dickens to order for their kids for Christmas.
Got any ideas? Let us know in the CGTrader’s 3D Printed Kids’ Toys Challenge forum over at 3DPB.com.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
You May Also Like
3D Printing News Briefs, June 11, 2025: Sustainability, Automotive Tooling, & More
We’re starting with sustainability news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as EOS has strengthened its commitment on climate responsibility, and Zestep is making 3D printing filament out of eyewear...
3D Printing 50 Polymer Stand-In Parts for Tokamaks at the PPPL & Elytt Energy
Of all the world’s things, a tokamak is one of the hardest, most complex, expensive and exacting ones to make. These fusion energy devices make plasma, and use magnets to...
3D Printing News Briefs, May 17, 2025: Color-Changing Materials, Humanoid Robot, & More
We’re covering research innovations in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs! First, Penn Engineering developed 3D printed materials that change color under stress, and UC Berkeley researchers created an open source,...
Firehawk Aerospace Partners with JuggerBot 3D, Gets $1.25M from AFWERX for 3D Printed Propellants
Texas-based Firehawk Aerospace, an advanced energetic materials firm that works with aerospace and defense applications, announced a strategic partnership with JuggerBot 3D, an Ohio-based large-format 3D printer manufacturer. Together, the...