Type "Lego collection" into TikTok and you will find walls of elaborate builds - and the builders are often adults. The industry calls them kidults, a group that buys products or does activities once thought to be for kids.
A Harris Poll published Wednesday, which surveyed 2,158 people ages 18 and up, reported that 65% of American adults laid out $100 or more on playful products or activities for their own fun during June 2025 through June 2026, with 13% topping $500 in that span. The U.S. toy market hit $45.6 billion in 2025, per Circana. Some analysts define kidults as people over age 12, and PwC's U.S. consumer markets industry leader, Ali Furman, says the segment's momentum is growing.
Circana's additional data, released Aug. 12, shows adult-only households accounted for 55% of toy sales in the first half of 2026, edging past households with children over that period.
Retailers are now planning seasonal assortments with kidults explicitly in mind. A Sept. 8 PwC survey points to screen-free presents - such as puzzle sets, classic board games, and arts-and-crafts projects - as likely holiday winners, and many of those items are built for adults, Furman says.
Her read on what is driving the receipts: nostalgia and hands-on play have become "real spending categories with real dollars behind them." She also notes that fans often buy licensed toys tied to franchises like Star Wars or Barbie, in part because "it's an identity or community that they already care about," and it is a "very accessible way to buy yourself an experience."
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In March, CNBC Make It spoke with retail analyst Marni Shapiro, who linked rising anxiety to a resurgence of nostalgia. With pressures from a tough job market to higher inflation, it tracks that adults might reach for childhood-adjacent fun in their downtime.
The Harris Poll adds a mental health angle. It found that roughly one in four respondents view kidulting as a way to remain emotionally resilient when life feels heavy, and that half consider it a primary form of self-care. Research echoes the benefits. A March 2023 article on Chinese workplaces linked playfulness to higher creativity and productivity, while a small 2021 study of working-age Australians tied more play outside of work to better overall well-being.
Some want analog, tactile experiences. That is the pitch behind the Sloomoo Institute. Co-founders Sara Schiller and Karen Robinovitz, after their own slime adventures, launched their debut site in New York City in October 2019. Parents who expect a kids' outing often end up "elbows deep" in slime, Robinovitz says, recalling a surprise 40th birthday in the Chicago site and family visits where "the youngest kids are 35."
Play is not frivolous, argues New York City toy inventor Cas Holman, who has collaborated with executives from Google, Nike, and Disney to bring play into work. It is "really how we reflect and connect with who we are." Her advice for low-cost play: lean into moments of silliness, put on favorite music while doing chores, or take a quick dance break. And the mindset shift: "I think we are taught that to play is childish, and being playful is not a good use of time," she says. "And that is not true."
In plain English: adults are a demand engine for toys and related experiences. The numbers back it up - 65% of adults spent $100 or more during June 2025 through June 2026, the market reached $45.6 billion in 2025, and adult-only households led first-half 2026 sales at 55%. That mix of nostalgia, collectibles tied to big franchises, and offline, tactile play is shaping what gets made and stocked.
The bottom line: if toy makers, retailers, and experience venues can convert adult fandom and stress relief into repeat purchases, revenue mix and holiday winners could keep tilting toward grown-up play.
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