'Kidults' Fuel Toy Industry in 2024 For children, toys are for fun and learning. For adults, the same toys can bring back nostalgic memories of childhood. And recent research shows more adults are buying toys for themselves. According to the consumer research group Circana, adult toy buyers in the US, sometimes called "kidults," bought more toys for themselves than were bought for 3-5-year-olds in the first quarter of 2024. And despite an 8% decrease in US toy sales last year, adult sales remained strong. Circana reported that US adults spent over $1.5 billion on toys and games in just the first quarter of 2024, with popular items including Lego sets and "Squishmallows" stuffed toys. Frédérique Tutt, a global toy industry analyst at Circana, told Business Insider that in the US, adults made up 17% of total toy sales in 2023, worth about $6.7 billion. Europe saw a similar trend, with adults over 18 accounting for about 16% of toy sales, totaling about $2.8 billion. Tutt describes this "kidult" market as a "global phenomenon" — one that's especially strong in Japan and South Korea. She also says the release of popular entertainment like The Mandalorian and the Barbie movie have boosted adult interest in related merchandise. Barbie is made by Mattel, a California-based toy maker. In October, Steve Totzke, Mattel's president and chief commercial officer, told the Los Angeles Times that adult interest in brands like Barbie has grown significantly, with adults making up as much as 25% of sales of some of the company's toy lines. The driving force behind this trend seems to be a sense of nostalgic escapism, says Tutt. Adults are drawn to toys that remind them of their childhood favorites, and brands are using this feeling to boost sales. Mixing nostalgia and play might be one of the best ways for adults to escape daily stress and enjoy simpler times — so go ahead and release your inner child!