The Toy Association unveiled the 2026 toy and play trends at its 120th Toy Fair, celebrating play as a heartfelt source of comfort, creativity, and connection. Reflecting shifting lifestyles and cultural influences, the trends show how toys continue to bring people together.
“Play is no longer defined by age,” said Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “It’s about how people want to feel. In 2026, we’re seeing a growing interest in play that inspires creativity, encourages out-of-the-box thinking, and celebrates self-expression—from collectible fandoms to toys and games that offer moments of calm and comfort. These trends reflect how play continues to evolve alongside culture, while remaining a meaningful and essential part of life at every age.”
The trend findings below are based on extensive, year-round meetings held by The Toy Association’s trends team with toy companies of all types and sizes, as well as Toy Association commissioned research1 on U.S. parents’ views on toys, play, and shopping habits and budgets. The research was presented today during a “Toy Trends Briefing” for media, buyers, and other guests at Toy Fair in New York City.
A summary of the top trends follows:
Forever Young
Toys are no longer something you age out of.
The toy audience has officially expanded beyond kids, with adults now serving as one of the fastest-growing segments of the market. Adults (18+) account for roughly one-fifth of U.S. toy sales (Circana), spanning collectors, gamers, puzzle fans, parents, and even seniors. The Toy Association’s own research shows that 81% of parents in 2025 were likely to add a toy or game for themselves to their holiday shopping list, up from 72% the year prior. As a result, toymakers are designing products that balance play value with display appeal, nostalgia, and premium finishes.
Cozy Culture
As digital life speeds up, families are choosing tech-free toys that help them power down and reset.
The Cozy Culture trend reflects a growing fondness for low-tech and no-tech play experiences that help families counterbalance constant digital stimulation and overstimulation. Across age groups, consumers are embracing toys and games that prioritize comfort and engage the senses (think: tactile materials, gentle interactivity, botanical-themed, or natural design aesthetics). Rather than rejecting technology outright, this movement represents a conscious reset, with play serving as a screen-free space for emotional regulation, creativity, and connection. The result is a surge in demand for toys that feel intentional, calming, and human-centred.
Inspiring Inventors
Creator culture is driving demand for toys that encourage building, designing, and customization.
Kids today are growing up watching creators on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and streaming channels build, design, and make projects in real time. This cultural shift is fueling demand for toys that encourage kids to put down their devices and become makers themselves. The global STEM toys segment is predicted to nearly double between 2024 and 2034 (market.us), and 78% of parents want more toys that help their kids develop skills like creativity and problem-solving, according to The Toy Association’s recent survey of U.S. parents. Parents view open-ended kits, modular building platforms, and design-driven creative toys as tools to empower kids to explore ideas and bring their own designs to life.
Express Yourself
Today’s toys are collectible, wearable, shareable, and personal.
Toys are expressions of personality as much as playthings. Beyond collecting, bag charms, clip-on minis, and flocked figures now function as personal badges for kids and adults alike (reflecting fandom, humor, or aesthetics), amplified by haul culture and social sharing. More than half of U.S. parents (52%) report purchasing a blind box toy for their children or themselves in the past year, also signaling renewed momentum for surprise-driven play1. At the same time, tweens and teens are more openly embracing toys as tools for self-expression, stress relief, and emotional well-being, reflecting a broader cultural shift toward individuality and away from pressure to conform to traditional ideas of what’s “cool.”
Throwback Toys
Toys pulled from the vault aren’t just returning to shelves; they’re going viral.
Nostalgia continues to fuel consumer interest in toys, but today’s throwbacks aren’t necessarily being fueled by childhood memories. Teens and young adults (many of whom didn’t grow up with these toys) are tapping into cultural relics from decades past as a form of exploration, inspired by aesthetics, fashion, and social media. Reflecting this cultural appetite, Pinterest Predicts 2026 reported a 140% surge in searches for 2000s-era kids’ toys. Toymakers, in response, are refreshing heritage IP through updated mechanics, cross-category collaborations, and social-first storytelling to create viral, culturally relevant moments.
Fan-Driven Play
Toy companies aren’t waiting for the next blockbuster hit; they’re adapting to cultural moments in real time.
Licensing now accounts for over one-third of all U.S. toy sales, underscoring just how central fandom has become to the category. From the FIFA World Cup and the 2026 Winter Olympics, to streaming hits, “memeable” moments, and viral fandoms, cultural touchpoints are driving toy momentum faster than the traditional movie-led cycle. Instead of hinging on a single release date, a new era of licensing in toys is driven by fresh content drops, cross-platform storytelling, and thoughtful fan-first designs. This also extends beyond IP-led product, with many companies creating non-licensed toys inspired by online and real-world fan behaviors. The result: toys that feel timely, culturally specific, and distinctly relevant across both kid and kidult audiences.
