Senior citizens play wooden brain-training toys at an elderly care service center in Yunhe County of Lishui City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)
Every morning at 7 a.m., a sprightly figure appears in the garden of a residential compound in Hangzhou's Gongshu district in east China's Zhejiang Province. Chen Zuxing, 81, has recently taken an interest in senior-friendly toys and makes it his routine to play with them outdoors when the weather allows.
The older man's living room is now filled with educational and fitness toys bought by his grandson, Chen Jiaqi, ranging from a table tennis trainer and an elastic band strategy game kit to a ring toss set and a boxing reflex ball. These toys have brought joy and vitality to his retirement years.
"This table tennis trainer is exactly what I needed," said Chen Zuxing, placing the device in the center of his living room for a practice round.
"I've loved sports since I was young. Back then, playing table tennis meant gathering people, finding a venue and setting up tables — a real hassle. Now I can play anytime, whether in my living room or downstairs, and it keeps my body agile," he said.
Chen Jiaqi explained his motivation: "As my grandpa gets older, I wanted to buy him toys that could keep him both entertained and active." He buys the items online, complete with instructional videos, and personally teaches his grandfather how to use them.
"These little gadgets work better than health supplements," Chen Zuxing joked. "Moving your hands and exercising your brain is a hundred times better than just sitting at home watching TV or scrolling on my phone," he added.
As more seniors turn to these products, businesses are responding. At the Yiwu International Trade Market, the world's largest wholesale market for small commodities in Zhejiang province, vendors are adding assembly kits and craft toys designed for older buyers.
"Educational toys designed for seniors also provide emotional value," said Zhang Yan, who has operated a toy business at the market for years. She said opportunities have grown since the "silver economy" was highlighted in China's government work report for two consecutive years.
"When elderly people weave baskets or bags, they're not only creating something but also enhancing hand-eye-brain coordination," Zhang said.
Senior-focused toys go well beyond "time-killers," said Chen Meijun, vice president of the Yiwu toy industry association. She said they meet older adults’ needs for fulfillment, companionship and health.
The market now offers a wide selection of senior-friendly toys that are both useful and thoughtfully designed. "Many older adults value quality of life and spiritual fulfillment, and they are willing to pay for toys that deliver happiness, health gains and social connection," said Chen Meijun.
