Published
1. Oct. 2026
Author
Hellen Norman,
Technical Editor
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Not just child’s play: how flexible NFC is transforming toys and games
What if a toy could remember where its adventure began? Or interact with other physical toys, simply by being brought together? Technology Editor Hellen Norman looks at how NFC is bringing a digital dimension to traditional toys and games.
The toy industry is having something of a growth spurt. According to recent research¹, global toy sales reached $123 billion in 2025, up 8% on the previous year. Games and puzzles were among the fastest-growing categories, with sales up 30%, while building sets grew 18%.
But it’s not just that more toys are being sold. The nature of play is changing too.
Adding a digital layer to physical play
Toys are increasingly part of wider entertainment ecosystems. Collectibles are growing, licensed properties remain powerful, and adults are becoming an increasingly important audience. (In fact, consumers aged 15 and over have driven toy sales growth of 111% since 2020.)
For toy and game makers, this creates an interesting opportunity. What if a toy could remember where its adventure began? Come to life on screen and unlock new levels? Or interact with other physical toys, simply by being brought together?
Near-field communication (NFC) makes these experiences possible – connecting physical toys and games with the digital world through a simple tap. And the new ultra-thin, flexible generation of NFC chips do it seamlessly, without compromising the design – or the fun.
One-tap interaction
NFC is already familiar to consumers as the one-tap technology behind contactless payments. It allows a smartphone or other NFC-enabled device to exchange small amounts of information with a nearby tag, without needing a dedicated battery.
That makes it particularly interesting for toys and games.
When an NFC-enabled figurine, card, game piece or accessory carries its own digital identity, it provides the key to a whole treasure trove of interactive experiences. With just a single tap, it could:
- Unlock new characters, levels, sounds, animations, or digital content
- Launch a game or reveal additional content
- Create limited-edition, custom experiences related to events or product launches
- Save progress or personalised information to individual toys or game pieces
- Track moves, scores, achievements or game history
- Access hints, instructions or supplementary content
- Connect physical toys to mobile games and apps
- Make different toys or game pieces interact with one another
- Build collections where every item has its own digital identity
- Trade or transfer digital content associated with physical collectibles
For toy designers, though, adding electronics creates a challenge.
Toys are designed to be touched, held, squeezed, bent and played with. Their appearance and tactile qualities are part of the experience. Adding a conventional silicon chip can introduce a rigid element that – while small – is difficult to hide, potentially creating a noticeable bump or compromising the finish of the product.
This is where flexible chips, such as Pragmatic NFC Connect, offer a different approach.
Flexible NFC: seamless intelligence, design without compromise
There’s a difference between putting NFC into a toy and making it genuinely part of its design.
An ultra-thin, physically flexible NFC chip like NFC Connect can be integrated into curved, irregular or space-constrained products with no impact on the look and feel. Even collectible cards can enjoy smart functionality with no telltale lumps or bumps.
For toy makers, that means greater freedom to integrate intelligence without compromising on aesthetics. The technology disappears, but the digital experience remains.
What’s more, NFC adds digital interaction to traditional toys and games without fundamentally changing how they’re played. The physical object simply becomes the trigger for new experiences.
And because digital experiences can evolve, the relationship with a toy doesn’t have to end when the initial play session does. New content, challenges, rewards and experiences can encourage repeat engagement.
Smart, real-world play – without screens
Parents are increasingly conscious of how much time children spend looking at screens. In fact, the latest research from the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) found that 55% of parents of 8- to 17-year-olds think their child’s screen time is too high – and 37% of children in the same age group agree.
NFC can add an element of surprise, discovery or interaction to a physical toy or game while keeping physical play at the heart of the experience. As the toy market continues to expand, this may prove to be the sweet spot: toys that are connected enough to feel fresh and fun, but physical enough to encourage children to put down their phones.
NFC can add connectivity while keeping real-world play at the centre of the experience. So the toy still feels like a toy. It just has a little more to say when you tap it.
Hellen Norman
Technology Editor
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