ScoubidouSo, what is the latest craze sweeping the UK amongst children at the moment? Is it a Star Wars toy or something from War of the Worlds? Is it the new Monopoly, updated to include new London sites and streets? No, none of that…
The latest craze is the Scoubidou (pronounced Scooby-Doo).
What is a Scoubidou? They are multi-coloured thin plastic strings-like wires that children weave together to make necklaces, key-fobs, friendship bracelets and so on.
The size of the craze? I kid you not – it is enormous! They retail as cheap as 95p for a small bag of Scoubidous. Woolworths say that they are outselling PlayStation 2 stuff, Nintendo products and Star Wars light sabres by 2-1. They are outselling Batman products by 3-1.
And here’s the amazing thing about them – there has never been any advertising or marketing for the Scoubidou at all. None. Not a single advert anywhere. It is literally a product coming from the street – a consumer-product led by consumer demand.

Amanda Miles, 33, found them in France and decided to import some for her younger sister’s friends. She found a supplier in Holland, took a risk, and imported 100,000 packets. Now she sells 500,000 per week with even shops like Harrods, Argos and Hamleys using her business.
Elephant ScoubidouScoubidous are amazing. Rebekah, our daughter, is addicted. She has switched off the game-cube and now spends her time on these things. It is great to see her developing a love for crafts and she is getting really advanced, making human beings, helicopters and all sorts. Even our two boys, Scott and Lee, are into the Scoubidou craze.
What is interesting, of course, is that the new craze amongst millennial children is one based around domesticity and creativity. We talk in our Mind the Gap presentations about the protected nature of our children and the importance of home and family life. I wonder if the Scoubidou craze is a natural extension of that through the enjoyment of a domestic craft.
6 months ago, our kids would spend the evening in the games room, away from me and Jo, on the gamecube or PlayStation. Now they are just as happy to sit with us while we catch up on Corrie or Eastenders (UK soaps) and they can watch TV with us, Scoubidou and chat.
Will a revival in knitting be next? If it means a return to “family time” but on their terms rather than ours, I am all for it…

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