Adult Women and Kidults Are Fueling a Toy Industry Boom in 2026

Quick Facts

U.S. toy industry dollar sales grew 13% through April 2026, with unit sales up 5% and average selling prices up 7%, per Circana.
Women recipients accounted for more than 50% of overall industry growth; adults 18+ drove 35% of total growth.
Games and puzzles rose 39%, explorative toys grew 36%, and squishy toys posted triple-digit growth in both dollars and units.

The U.S. toy industry posted 13% dollar growth through April 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to data from Circana. Women recipients drove more than half of that growth. Adults 18 and older accounted for 35% of total industry gains.

The numbers stand out. Most discretionary categories are soft in early 2026. Toys are not.

Adults Redefine the Category

In full-year 2025, U.S. toy sales exceeded $45 billion. Adults 18 and older represented roughly $9.1 billion of that total, a figure that grew nearly 20% year over year. In Q1 2025, adult toy sales rose 12% versus Q1 2024, making adults the fastest-growing age demographic in the market.

Fifteen percent of shoppers now buy toys for themselves or another adult. Among those buyers, 44% cite personal enjoyment, 40% point to hobbies or creative activities, and 38% are collecting for display purposes.

“The surge in sales can largely be attributed to consumers aged over 12-years-old, who have shown unprecedented growth and are consistently outperforming traditional kids’ trends,” said Frederique Tutt, global toys industry advisor at Circana.

What They Are Buying

Games and puzzles led category growth at 39%, driven by Pokemon. Explorative and other toys rose 36%, led by Major League Baseball products and NeeDoh squishy toys. Building sets gained 20%, with LEGO Botanicals and Formula 1 sets performing well.

Squishy toys posted triple-digit growth in both dollars and units through April. Schylling, the maker of NeeDoh, said its customers include tweens, teens, young adults, collectors, kidults, and grandparents.

Nineteen percent of adults have bought Pokemon trading cards for themselves in the past six months. Only one-quarter of those buyers actually play the game. The rest collect, display, or resell the cards.

Social Commerce Is Accelerating Sales

TikTok Shop now represents 1% of total retail sales and 3% of e-commerce sales, per Circana’s Social Commerce Tracking data. Toys, hobbies, and collectibles rank as the third-largest category on the platform.

“Fueled by ASMR content, unboxing videos, and the excitement of hunting for limited editions, these products are resonating with consumers across age groups and reinforcing the growing influence of social commerce on toy demand,” said Kristen McLean, VP of client insights at Circana’s Entertainment Knowledge Group.

Buyers Are Spending More Per Item

Average selling prices rose 7% through April 2026. That contrasts with broader consumer behavior in other categories, where shoppers are trading down to private-label and value options. Toy buyers are moving toward mid-tier and premium products.

Underperforming segments in 2025 included dolls (down 6%), outdoor and sports toys (down 6%), and plush (down 4%). Infant, toddler, and preschool toys were flat. The adult-skewing categories carried the industry.

What This Means for Operators

Brands selling collectibles, hobby-oriented products, and licensed goods are positioned well. The data suggests assortment and marketing decisions built around children as the sole end consumer are leaving revenue on the table.

Social-driven discovery is now a primary acquisition channel in this category. Viral moments on TikTok and YouTube can move inventory fast. Brands without a content strategy are at a disadvantage.

Juli Lennett, VP and toy industry advisor at Circana, noted that some of the current strength reflects consumers buying ahead of expected price increases. “The toy industry is showing strength during this period as consumers are holding their breath and waiting for higher prices to kick in,” she said. Operators should track whether demand holds once those price increases land.