15.

Employee Benefit Plans

Mattel and certain of its subsidiaries have qualified and nonqualified retirement plans covering substantially all employees of these companies, which are more fully described in “Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements–Employee Benefit Plans” in its 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

A summary of the components of net periodic benefit cost for Mattel’s defined benefit pension plans is as follows:


	For the Three Months Ended						For the Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2014			June 30, 2013			June 30, 2014			June 30, 2013
	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	2,715		$	3,789		$	5,312		$	7,688
Interest cost		6,978			6,635			13,919			13,265
Expected return on plan assets		(8,020	)		(7,329	)		(16,023	)		(14,658	)
Amortization of prior service credit		(264	)		(126	)		(528	)		(252	)
Recognized actuarial loss		3,589			5,106			7,176			10,212

	$	4,998		$	8,075		$	9,856		$	16,255


A summary of the components of net periodic benefit cost for Mattel’s postretirement benefit plans is as follows:

	For the Three Months Ended						For the Six Months Ended
	June 30, 2014			June 30, 2013			June 30, 2014			June 30, 2013
	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	20		$	22		$	40		$	44
Interest cost		452			338			904			676
Recognized actuarial loss		75			40			150			80

	$	547		$	400		$	1,094		$	800

During the six months ended June 30, 2014, Mattel made cash contributions totaling approximately $7 million and $1 million to its defined benefit pension and postretirement benefit plans, respectively.