Why Do Kids Love Collecting Things?
The Kids Engagement Series #07 | What Pokémon teaches us about progress, anticipation and giving children a reason to come back.
Think back to your childhood for a moment.
Did you collect football stickers, swap trading cards in the playground or carefully arrange your favourite treasures in a box?
Perhaps you remember the excitement of opening a new packet, hoping to find that one elusive sticker you needed to complete a page.
There was something wonderfully satisfying about watching a collection grow. Every new addition felt like an achievement, and every missing piece gave you something to look forward to.
Children have been collecting things for generations, and while the objects themselves have changed, the reasons behind their appeal remain remarkably consistent. Collecting gives children a sense of discovery, ownership and progress. It can also create opportunities to connect with friends, share interests and develop their own sense of identity.
Few brands have understood the power of collecting quite like Pokémon.
With its enormous cast of characters, trading cards, games and wider world of experiences, Pokémon has turned the simple idea of discovering and collecting creatures into a global phenomenon. But beyond its commercial success, there are some fascinating lessons for organisations trying to create more meaningful experiences for children.
And perhaps the most important is this: the most engaging experiences don't always end when the first activity is complete.
The psychology behind collecting
At first glance, collecting might seem like a fairly straightforward activity. Children find something they like, acquire more of it and enjoy watching their collection grow. But there are several reasons why the experience can be so compelling.
Firstly, collecting provides a visible sense of progress. Whether a child is filling a sticker album, completing a series of challenges or earning badges for different achievements, they can see how far they've come. That sense of accomplishment can encourage them to continue, particularly when each new addition represents something they've discovered, learned or experienced.
Secondly, collections allow children to express their individuality. Ask a group of Pokémon fans to name their favourite character and you're unlikely to receive the same answer from everyone. Some children are drawn to the appearance of a particular creature, others to its abilities or personality. The collection becomes personal because children make their own choices about what matters to them.
Then there's the social element. Collections give children something to talk about, compare, exchange and share. A trading card can become the starting point for a friendship, while a completed badge collection might become something a child proudly shows their family.
Of course, not every child enjoys collecting, and the experience shouldn't depend on competition or completing a perfect set. But when it's approached thoughtfully, collecting can transform a series of small interactions into a much more meaningful journey.
What Pokémon gets right
One of Pokémon's greatest strengths is that it gives children an enormous world to explore while allowing them to develop their own relationship with it.
A child might enjoy collecting cards, playing the games, drawing their favourite Pokémon or simply learning about the different characters. There isn't just one way to participate, and that flexibility allows children with different interests to find something that appeals to them.
The characters themselves are another important part of the formula. Pokémon are recognisable, varied and full of personality, giving children opportunities to develop favourites and emotional connections. A card isn't necessarily interesting simply because it's another card; it may feature a character the child particularly loves or one they've been hoping to discover.
The collecting element also creates anticipation. There are always more characters to discover, different challenges to complete and new experiences to explore. Instead of treating each interaction as a standalone event, Pokémon creates connections between them.
For organisations developing children's resources, that's a particularly interesting principle. What would happen if we thought less about creating one activity to occupy a child and more about designing an experience they could return to, build upon and remember?
Turning a single activity into an ongoing experience
Imagine a family visiting a holiday resort. On arrival, their children receive an activity booklet containing puzzles, colouring pages and a few games. They enjoy completing some of the activities during their stay, and the booklet may or may not make it home.
Now imagine that same family receiving an explorer passport.
Inside, children can record the places they've visited, complete challenges, collect stamps and discover activities they might otherwise have overlooked. Each section encourages them to explore another part of the resort, and by the end of their holiday, the passport has become a personalised record of their experience.
The difference isn't necessarily the amount of content. It's the way that content connects together.
A similar approach could work brilliantly for visitor attractions. Instead of providing a single activity sheet, children could collect different character badges as they explore an attraction, with each badge linked to a particular discovery or challenge. Returning visitors might encounter new activities, giving families another reason to engage.
For councils and holiday activity programmes, achievement stickers could recognise children for trying new foods, participating in creative challenges, getting active or demonstrating kindness. The emphasis wouldn't need to be on winning or being the best, but on celebrating participation and personal achievement.
Charities and educational organisations could also use collecting to make complex subjects more accessible. A series of characters, collectible facts or themed challenges could introduce information gradually, helping children explore important messages in a way that feels manageable and engaging.
The opportunity is to connect individual activities through a shared purpose, so that every interaction contributes to something bigger.
Why the smallest rewards can create the biggest memories
One of the most interesting things about children's collections is that their emotional value doesn't always reflect their monetary value.
A sticker might cost pennies to produce, but if it represents the first time a child tried climbing, completed a difficult challenge or discovered something exciting, it can become surprisingly meaningful.
Think about the little things children bring home from holidays: wristbands, tickets, certificates, postcards and souvenirs. To an adult, they might appear fairly ordinary. To a child, they can represent a brilliant day out, a new friendship or something they're particularly proud of achieving.
This is where collectible resources become especially powerful for organisations. A passport, journal or sticker collection can serve as a tangible reminder of an experience, extending its value beyond the original visit or activity.
At The Wonder Company, this is something we're particularly interested in when developing activity books, packs, journals and interactive resources. We want children to do more than simply complete the content we've created. We want them to add their own experiences, discoveries and achievements so that the finished resource becomes something personal.
After all, there's a big difference between taking home a booklet someone has given you and taking home something that tells the story of what you've done.
Collecting with purpose, not just for the sake of it
There's an important consideration here, though. Just because children enjoy collecting doesn't mean every experience needs a collection attached to it.
Poorly designed collecting mechanics can become repetitive, expensive or frustrating. When progress depends on chance, repeated purchases or access to activities that aren't available to everyone, the experience can quickly lose its positive appeal.
It's also worth remembering that children respond to different forms of motivation. Some love completing a full set, while others prefer open-ended exploration, creative challenges or simply enjoying an activity without keeping score.
For organisations, the answer is to make collecting purposeful and inclusive. Children should feel proud of what they've achieved without feeling pressured to obtain every item. Rewards should celebrate meaningful participation rather than encourage unnecessary spending, and the activities themselves should remain enjoyable even without a collectible attached.
A well-designed explorer passport, for example, might allow children to choose their own route and complete challenges at their own pace. Some might collect every stamp, while others focus on the activities that interest them most. Both experiences should feel equally worthwhile.
The objective isn't to make children feel they need more. It's to help them recognise the value of what they've already experienced.
The Wonder Test: Pokémon
As part of our Kids Engagement Series, we look at how different brands and experiences perform against six principles of meaningful children's engagement.
The Wonder Test | Verdict | Why it works |
PICK IT UP | ✓ | Recognisable characters and the excitement of discovering something new |
GET INVOLVED | ✓ | Opportunities to collect, play, trade and choose favourites |
STICK WITH IT | ✓ | Progress, discovery and ongoing challenges encourage continued participation |
KEEP IT | ✓ | Cards and collections can become treasured personal possessions |
SHARE IT | ✓ | Trading, comparing and discussing collections creates social opportunities |
REMEMBER IT | ✓ | Favourite characters and collecting experiences can become lasting childhood memories |
Wonder Score: 6/6 ⭐
This score reflects Pokémon's strengths as an engagement example, rather than an endorsement of every purchasing or collecting mechanic associated with the brand.
The Wonder Verdict
Pokémon demonstrates how powerful it can be to give children a sense of progress, ownership and anticipation. By connecting individual interactions through characters, discovery and collecting, it creates experiences that children can continue exploring long after their first encounter.
For organisations, the lesson isn't simply to add stickers or badges to everything. It's to consider how individual activities might become part of a more meaningful journey.
A thoughtfully designed collection can encourage exploration, recognise achievement and create something children feel proud to keep. And when those collectibles represent real experiences, they can become lasting reminders of the places they've visited and the things they've accomplished.
One thing to take away…
Next time you're creating an activity book, pack or experience for children, consider whether it could become part of something bigger.
Could children record their discoveries, collect memories or celebrate achievements along the way? Could one activity naturally lead to another, encouraging them to explore further or return for a new experience?
Because sometimes, the most memorable thing we can give a child isn't another activity. It's something that helps them remember everything they've already done.
About The Wonder Company
Every organisation has a story to tell. We help children discover it.
The Wonder Company creates engaging activity books, packs, games and resources that help brands and organisations connect with children in ways that are fun, meaningful and memorable.
From a simple idea to a completely bespoke children's engagement campaign, we design, create and print resources that children actually want to pick up, interact with — and take home.
Want to create something children will remember?
Comments