The 'kidults' hoping for a toy this Christmas: One in five sold this festive season will be bought for grown-ups, data shows

Published: 17:39 EST, 14 November 2026 | Updated: 18:02 EST, 14 November 2026 What does the adult who has everything want for Christmas? This year, it's probably a children's toy.For one in five toys sold this Christmas will be bought for adults, new data shows.Sales to 'kidults' – adults who play with or collect toys – are up 15 per cent year-on-year in the UK, according to market data specialists Circana.Toy sellers have reported a boom in demand for construction sets and collectible toys for grown-ups. Many have relaunched new ranges of nostalgic 80s and 90s toys to attract older buyers this festive season, including Tamagotchi, Pokémon and Hot Wheels.Britain's toy market has seen its fastest growth in a decade so far this year, with sales up by 13 per cent overall in the first nine months of 2026. But this has largely been driven by growing demand from adults, with around 20 per cent of all toys now purchased for over-18s. A third of total sales are for toys for over-12s, according to Circana data.Toy manufacturer Paladone, which creates 'licensed' toys featuring characters from film, television and games, told the ToyWorld industry magazine that kidults now outnumbered pre-schoolers as its single biggest group for toy sales.People in their 20s and 30s without children are the fastest-growing group of adults buying toys, according to separate analysis by Wordpanel Plus by Numerator. It said sales to this group had grown 20 per cent year-on-year and were worth £940 million in the UK in the year to October 2026. New data has revealed one in five toys sold this Christmas will be bought for adults (Pictured: Classic Hot Wheels tracks) Lego's Botanicals range for over-18s is expected to be a bestseller this festive seasonExperts said social media was driving trends for younger adults to collect toys and 'unbox' them – filming themselves opening up a toy's packaging for a social media video. But older adults were also buying nostalgic toys to relive their youth.Bia Bezamat, of market researcher company Kantar, said 'kidults' of all ages saw toys as a treat for themselves and an escape from online pressures.She added: '[It's] part of the wider treatonomics trend we're seeing where people are seeking out small, attainable moments of joy when many of life's bigger milestones feel hard to reach. It's less about wanting to be a child again and more about adults giving themselves permission to switch off and find comfort in things that might once have been considered as for just for kids.'Many British toy retailers have launched separate 'kidult' sections to appeal to adults.The Entertainer chain said it was expecting several of its Christmas top-sellers to be kidult toys, saying: 'Christmas toys aren't just for children anymore.'Its Christmas kidult specials feature toys and construction sets aimed at adults who want to combine a mindful building activity with something to display on their shelves. It is tipping its kidult bestsellers to include Meccano sets like its £180 Meccano Aston Martin Aramco Formula One and £40 Ducati Monster motorbike, both aimed at over 16s.Other kidult toys expected to be bestsellers include Lego's Botanicals range for over-18s, where people can build artificial Lego flowers to display as ornaments, and the new £120 E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Lego model set. It is aimed at people who grew up watching the 1982 film.Crayola, the pen manufacturer, has also launched an 'All Grown Up' range for over-18s this year, targeted at adults who are fed up with screens, AI and the world of work. It said: 'In a world obsessed with outcomes… it's a chance to reconnect with the joy of making, to explore without fear or judgement, and to remember that creativity is a lifelong journey.'