---
title: The rise of the ‘kidult’
description: Toy and game businesses are getting a boost from nostalgic adults revisiting their youth.
---

[Hustle News ](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news)

# [The rise of the ‘kidult’](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/07052022-kidults)

 Written by [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) | Jul 5, 2022 6:33:38 AM

Do you love board game nights, going to Disneyland without kids, and watching teen dramas on The CW? Then you might be a kidult.

The term [dates back](https://www.newspapers.com/image/189126378/?terms=kidult&match=1) to the 1950s when the TV industry used it to describe adults who enjoyed youthful programming, like “The Adventures of Sir Lancelot” (TBH, 100% [would watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oipL451OQGw)).

Today’s kidults — and their adult paychecks — are driving demand for nostalgia and play as they revel in the pastimes and culture of their youth.

#### **And they***** love***** toys**

A 2021 Toy Association Survey found that 58% of adult respondents had purchased a toy for themselves, [per](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-17/toys-for-adults-a-growth-spot-for-lego-razor-and-mattel?srnd=premium#xj4y7vzkg&sref=3Ac2yX40) *Bloomberg*. Of those:

- 65% purchased board games
- 61% bought craft or building kits
- 53% threw down on collectibles
- 52% got into video games

Makes sense. Who among us has never wanted to unwind over some “Dungeons & Dragons” while wearing a DIY bedazzled denim vest?

The trend is also leading brands to release toys geared toward adults, like grown-up-sized Razor scooters, artsy Lego sets, and a $105 Barbie dressed like David Bowie.

- On TikTok, [#AdultMoney](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR8w3Ha5/?k=1) videos of adults buying toys for themselves, “and having zero regrets about it,” have nearly **4B views**.

#### **But this isn’t entirely a new thing**

Adult coloring books boomed in 2015, selling [12m](https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamrowe1/2018/05/31/if-the-adult-coloring-book-craze-is-dead-it-needs-a-postmortem/?sh=79665e447dae) copies compared to 1m the year prior.

Funko Pops [launched](http://www.sfu.ca/~teerhc/FunkoWebDesign/about.html#:~:text=Founded%20in%201998%20by%20Mike,restaurant%20advertising%20icon%20Big%20Boy.) in 1998 with a bobblehead of the Big Boy mascot. Now it’s worth **$1.15B**, selling pop culture dolls.

The figures appeal to all ages, but many — e.g., Beetlejuice or Britney Spears — likely resonate most with the adults who grew up with them. Others just aren’t for kids, like, uh, this [bloody Hannibal Lecter doll](https://www.funko.com/shop/details/pop-movies-silence-of-lambs-hannibal-lecter-bloody).

Trends [also recently found](https://trends.co/signal/grown-ups-just-wanna-have-fun/) several opportunities based on increased interest in kid-stuff-but-for-adults:

- Google searches for adult bounce houses are up **87%**
- Goodles — a food company making healthier versions of kids’ meals — recently raised $10m and gets **~80k** website visits/mo.

**BTW: **If this has you feeling young at heart, perhaps what you need is an [adult summer camp](https://artfulliving.com/adult-summer-camps-2022/).

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/07052022-kidults)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Juliet Bennett Rylah"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2023-10-11T19:59:19.421Z",
  "datePublished" : "2022-07-05T06:33:38Z",
  "headline" : "The rise of the ‘kidult’",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 328,
    "url" : "https://7355427.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7355427/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1860369401-HS-News-Brief_2022-07-04T232017.649Z.webp",
    "width" : 600
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/07052022-kidults",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Hustle News"
  }
}
```