Who is the Kidult Consumer?

In response to a period of uncertainty and crisis fatigue, many adults are choosing joy and prioritising play as a means of escapism. No longer bound to a niche or fringe concept, the Kidults are a growing cohort of adults looking for fun and playful activities, hobbies and passions centred around embracing their inner child. Enter the new era of ‘Kidult’ consumers.

From grown-ups buying toys for themselves to an increase in intergenerational entertainment, this new era of kidult consumers is leading an ‘age of play’ as fun and frivolity are increasingly accepted, regardless of age.  

For 2026, brands must cater to a more playful consumer taste level and pull apart notions of ‘home’. Consumers will look for ways to reframe their living spaces; reject tradition and create truly personalised spaces that express their niche likes and interests. A sense of play in the home will impact how householders and families interact with each other, behave, and design and decorate.  

Our Premium subscription service My TrendBible, details the evolving consumer mindsets shaping the future of family life and home. 

We outline the key drivers taken from a selection of our trend subscription premium reports for 2026 which respond to this mindset.

Multi-Generational Living 

As explored across our ‘Multi-Gen Life’ report series, shifting household dynamics and housing issues have led to an increase in intergenerational living. This is causing greater interactions between children, teens and older generations – with intergenerational and ‘ageless’ play at the forefront of these relationships. As adults and children play together more, there is a greater acceptance that play and games are ‘not just for kids‘ and can be therapeutic and dopamine-boosting for all ages and abilities. 

Brands and businesses must look beyond ageist stereotypes to create age-diverse play experiences. By not overlooking Gen X and Boomers when it comes to gameplay innovation, there’s big potential to not only disrupt outdated tropes but also to broaden play narratives and champion intergenerational connectivity, skill and perspectives.

Y2K Nostalgia 

A nostalgia for childhood joys is at the heart of this kidult movement, with many Millennial and older Gen-Z consumers looking back to the toys, games and characters they loved in the 1990s and 2000s.

Our Pocket Money Purchases 2024/25 report highlights the rise of parental nostalgia reviving nineties and noughties-inspired childhoods for a new generation of children. With the oldest of Gen Z already beginning to transition into caregivers, this attraction for all things Y2K is only set to grow. This is backed by the impressive 4.4 billion views on TikTok for #Y2K, the highly anticipated re-releases of iconic toys like Furby and Tamagotchi.

How is the celebration of play impacting life at home? 

Gain insights into this new Kidult consumer, spanning many generations. Our trend insights reports available on our trend subscription platform help you align your brand with consumers turning towards an age of play. These reports are available now on My TrendBible Premium.