Buying Toys With Adult Money

I recently found out the fastest growing group of toy buyers aren't kids anymore. They're adults. In the US alone, they're spending over $7 billion a year on toys. This trend even has a name, kidalting. It's basically adults reliving childlike joys. And psychologists say there's a reason it feels so good. Nostalgia and inner child play actually lower stress, lift your mood, and can even boost your mental health.

A big part of kidulting is probably driven by adult money, this freedom of spending your own earnings however you want. Sometimes it's for things you missed out on as a kid, sometimes just for fun. But what's wild is luxury brands cashing in on this nostalgia. For example, Gucci with Hot Wheels or Balmain with Barbie. It's literally luxury being sold back to us as memories, and even offices are experimenting with it.

Some companies are putting Lego bricks in workspaces because studies show they boost problem solving, spark creativity, and ease stress at the same time. So maybe kidulting isn't childish at all. Maybe it's just one way adults go. Because when bills and deadlines pile up, reliving a bit of childhood can feel priceless.

Tell me, what's the one toy from your past you'd buy back today?