Cartoon character toys are some of the most widely distributed toys in the world and some of the most lucrative for toy companies to produce. Toys that have cartoon characters on them or are based on specific cartoons are typically more expensive than toys without characters on them and the reason is not all about licensing agreements. Around the holidays, it is typically the cartoon character toys that every parent is looking for and they are typically the toys that sell out first. So why do kids like cartoon character toys so much? There are many reasons why kids prefer cartoon character toys over other types of toys.

One reason why kids like cartoon character toys is because the figures are familiar. Most kids only want the toys that depict the characters on their favorite shows and they may watch these shows multiple times every week. If a child regularly watches a half-hour cartoon show that comes on every weekday, they are being exposed to the characters on that show for over 10 hours every month. That doesn't include the numerous commercials that they may see for the show or the toys that were created based on the show. This makes the cartoon characters very familiar to the child and ensures that they will want to obtain any toy made that is based on the show and the characters in it.

Another reason why kids like cartoon character toys is because they can act out scenes from the show that they have seen. One reason why kids like the cartoon shows that they like is because the shows interest and entertain them. When the kid also has toys to go along with the cartoon, they can remember and act out the scenes in the show that they liked the best. Sometimes this even occurs when the show is on, with kids acting out the scenes on television with their toys.

Kids like to imagine and create additional scenes in their heads and having cartoon character toys that they are already familiar with gives them a jumping off point for those imaginary journeys. It also gives them a chance to act out scenes that they wish that they could see on television, such as a superhero battling a dinosaur or a bad guy getting eaten by a large stuffed bear. There are no limits to a child's imagination, but sometimes the kids would rather feature characters they know in their imaginings than making up an entirely new character on their own.