The Nuremberg Toy Fair, the world's largest trade fair for toys, ended almost three months ago. For years, a trend has been evident throughout the halls of this fair, and this year it even received its own dedicated stand: toys for "kidults," or adults. The kidult market is currently booming. In the five largest European countries, kidults already account for a third of the entire toy market – and the trend? Strongly upward. This topic has been of particular interest to me professionally for some time now. Therefore, in this brief overview, I'd like to take a look at the kidult boom and offer my perspective on why I believe adults will be a crucial factor in the future of the toy industry.
The term “kidult”
I'd like to begin by clarifying the term "kidult." It's simply a combination of the English words "kids" and "adults." Specifically, the term refers to adults who consciously pursue hobbies or engage with products that are, or rather, were, associated with children. This definition is in no way negative, because if you're reading this blog, you very likely belong to the kidult group yourself. Yes, because board games and video games are also a form of play. And play is something that, in its original sense, is associated with children.
The impetus for the kidult boom comes from a growing sense of nostalgia and the "nerdiness" in pop culture. Series like The Big Bang Theory and Stranger Things, for example, tapped into this and enjoyed enormous success. A longing for a break from the stresses of everyday life and a kind of reminiscing about the good old days also played a role. Adults sought activities or products that evoked precisely this feeling of nostalgia or escape. People turned to a wide variety of things: board games, video games, collectible figures, trading cards, building blocks, and so on. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, gave the whole thing a significant boost. The desire for distraction, relaxation, a break, or simply good old memories was especially strong during that time.
The market leader
According to the market research institute Circana, construction toys were the best-selling toy in 2025, dethroning board games and puzzles (excluding collectible cards like Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, etc.). One company, in particular, naturally stands out. LEGO has been by far the world's largest toy manufacturer for years and continues to be one of the fastest-growing manufacturers in the market. This is partly because LEGO has perfected the kidult approach. According to Circana, the LEGO Game Boy (72046) is the top-selling construction toy in the USA. It's a toy that relies heavily on nostalgia and is clearly aimed at adults.
LEGO has grasped something valuable here: adults buy toys and they love to display them. They are also a high-spending group, since, unlike children, they earn their own money and are willing to spend it. Furthermore, if you look at the LEGO website In the adult section, it is full of nostalgic, pop-cultural, or more complex building sets that can easily cost several hundred euros.
An insight into the world of building blocks
For our little Kidult excursion, I asked two giants of the building block world for review sets – LEGO and the German manufacturer BlueBrixx. I wanted to find out for myself how construction sets can be so popular – after all, our beloved board game segment has only landed in second place among the best-selling toy categories. What I received LEGO's 76463, the Hogwarts Hospital Wing and Modbrix 108467, the diorama steam locomotive on a viaduct. You can find a review of each item in separate articles..
I admit, the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, with its recommended age of 9+, is more of a children's set than a set for kid-adults. What I found difficult to understand while building the LEGO sets What I noticed, though, is that this set manages to evoke pure nostalgia. A memory of building with (interlocking) bricks in my childhood. LEGO perfects this memory with sets that trigger even more nostalgia. For example, with licensed sets like the Harry Potter one, which captures several little film moments. But I've also personally noticed that with age, I've developed a desire to build more complex and beautiful sets. Sets that offer deeper brick-building experiences and that can be displayed decoratively in my china cabinet or something. Why? Because it was somehow relaxing to build something after work. And it was simply fun. The hospital wing, however, is designed for ages 9 and up and is more of a playset. It doesn't look particularly attractive either. – I'll ask LEGO again about a set specifically for adults and possibly write a follow-up article.
It's good that I still have that Set by BlueBrixx I received a set that clearly draws inspiration from a scene in the same popular magical world, without being a licensed set. The difference was immediately noticeable during the build. This set was significantly more complex and detailed. It was frustrating at times, fascinating at others. In the end, however, I was very happy with this set, as it is truly beautiful and I will be adding it to my figure collection. And that's the key point: I want to display this set and show it off. An important aspect of toys specifically for kids. It was a distinctly different building experience, but one that was still a lot of fun.
BUT! Toys for kids aren't just made up of building blocks.
But it's not just building block sets that have conquered the kidult market. Many different toys have now been adapted for adults. For example, Ravensburger At the toy fair, it was made clear that many of their products are also aimed at adults. These include various games and puzzles, as well as the Pac-Man marble maze from Brio Games. Wooden construction sets that create either figures or beautiful book nooks are also popular. Stuffed animals, action figures, craft kits… various toy categories now also include products for adults.
The collectability factor plays a major role. Many toys are meant to be displayed. The more rare a toy is, the more presentable it becomes. In 2025, for example, Labubus attracted a great deal of attention – small plush toys, one of which was particularly rare. Funko, too, has been relying for years on limited special edition figures or mystery bags, from which you can pull random small figures, backpacks, or pins.
In my opinion, the adult toy market has great potential. For years, various toys for adults have been among the top titles in Germany. These often include LEGO with its Botanicals, Amigo with its Pokémon cards, or most recently, Jumbo Spiele with Hitster – a game that strongly taps into the nostalgia of all generations. However, the current situation is that only a few toy manufacturers have recognized this and are actively capitalizing on it. "A generational shift is needed in the executive suites," marketing expert Toan Nguyen stated in an interview with TOYS magazine. "As long as there are people in charge who grew up with the stigma that 'toys are only for children,' this step will be difficult."
Toy manufacturers simply need to recognize that this market exists and how strong its purchasing power is. They need to understand what adults are looking for and recognize the potential of their brands and toys. I believe that the kidult market can be, and will be, the market of the future.
Review of the LEGO Hogwarts Hospital Wing: https://spielpunkt.net/kidult-spezial-unsere-meinung-zum-lego-76463-hogwarts-krankenflugel/
Review of the Bluebrixx/Modbrix Diorama Steam Locomotive on Viaduct: https://spielpunkt.net/kidult-spezial-unsere-meinung-zum-modbrix-108467-diorama-dampflok-auf-viadukt/
