Search for “Lego collection” on TikTok and you’ll find shelves crammed with ornate Lego structures — varying in size and complexity, sometimes hundreds of them lined up on a single wall — and no children in sight.
In fact, it is children who are driving the US toy industry.
A Harris Poll study released Wednesday found that 65% of American adults reported spending $100 or more on playful activities and products, such as craft kits and action figures, for personal enjoyment from June 2025 to June 2026. The survey of 2,158 people ages 18 and older found that 13% of adults reported spending more than $500 during the same period.
“Adults are currently the biggest contributor to the growth of the toy industry,” said Ari Furman, industry leader for U.S. consumer markets at professional services firm PwC. “There’s no age limit to play anymore,” she said, adding that nostalgia and tactile play are increasingly becoming “real spending categories with real money.”
In the U.S. toy industry, adults who typically buy products and activities for children are known as kidults, and the industry will reach $45.6 billion in 2025, according to a spokesperson for market research firm Circana. Some analysts define kidalt as a consumer over the age of 12, and while it’s not an entirely new consumer trend, it’s on the rise, Furman said. Additional data from Circana released on August 12 shows that adult-only households accounted for 55% of toy sales in the first half of 2026, “slightly more than households with children” in the same period.
Retailers are even incorporating Kidult into their seasonal inventory plans. Screen-free gifts like puzzles, board games, and arts and crafts are likely to be popular this holiday season, according to a PwC study released on September 8. Many of them are aimed at adults, Furman said.
At its core, this trend is driven by a sense of security in a stressful world.
“Consumers are focused on their money, but the joy persists.”
For some Americans, play isn’t a childish luxury, says Cass Holman, a New York City-based toy inventor who has worked with executives at Google, Nike and Disney to find ways to incorporate play into work for greater success. It’s a must have.
Holman, author of the book Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity, published in October 2025, says play is “exactly how we reflect and connect with ourselves.” Increasing playfulness can improve creativity levels and productivity at work, according to a March 2023 research article that analyzed how fun at work influenced the behavior of Chinese employees. A small 2021 study of Australians also found that playing more outside of work improved overall happiness among working-age adults.
Additionally, heightened stress increases the lure of nostalgia for consumers, retail analyst Marni Shapiro told CNBC Make It in March. Shapiro, co-founder and managing partner of research and consulting firm The Retail Tracker, said that with Americans struggling with a variety of sources of anxiety, from a tough job market to rising inflation, it’s no wonder they gravitate toward playful experiences associated with their childhoods in their downtime.
Perhaps surprisingly, even after paying more for basic necessities like groceries and gas, people are still willing to spend more on leisure. In the Harris poll, about a quarter of respondents said kidaling helps them stay mentally resilient when things are feeling heavy, and half of respondents cited kidaling as one of their main self-care methods.
“Consumers are focused on money, but it doesn’t take away the joy,” Furman said. “They are becoming more selective about where they find and buy.”
Puzzles, collectibles, and lots of slime
Adults can find joy in fandom. People tend to buy licensed toys for themselves, such as puzzles and collectibles from franchises like Star Wars and Barbie, because “it’s an identity and community they already care about,” Fuhrman said. It’s also a “very accessible way to buy your own experience.”
Fuhrman said other Americans are looking for opportunities for hands-on play, especially at a time when they feel overwhelmed by technology and digital communication. According to founders Sarah Schiller and Karen Robinowitz, Thrumoo Institute was created as such an outlet. His experience playing with slime as an adult led him to open Sloomoo’s first store in New York City in October 2019. Most families go in expecting a child-centered experience, but parents often end up “elbow deep” in the slime, Robinowitz said.
One woman threw a surprise 40th birthday party at Sloomoo’s Chicago store, Robinowitz said. She has seen family gatherings at Thrumoo, where “the youngest kids are 35 years old, and it’s great to see them run through a lake of slime together,” she says.
Holman points out that embracing play doesn’t necessarily have to cost money. If you find yourself feeling stressed, she suggests taking a moment to reconnect with your “silly side.” For example, you can listen to your favorite songs while doing housework, or take a break from dancing every now and then.
“I think we’re taught that playing is childish and being playful is not a good use of our time,” says Holman. “And that’s not true.”
