As Christmas songs blared from the department store’s speakers, I anxiously scanned the shelves for the perfect toy.
There were cuddly Squishmallows (a stuffed toy brand), rows of plastic dinosaurs, and Barbies in sparkly dresses. And there, on the top shelf, was the festive gift I’d been looking for – a neon orange and blue Lego McLaren Formula 1 car.
With more than 1,400 pieces and a £169.99 price tag, you might think it would be a bit much for my five-year-old daughter – and you’d be right.
This pressie two years ago was actually for my ‘big kid’ of a husband, Tristan. He’s 41 years old.
It would join many other toys he’d requested for Christmas over the years, from remote control helicopters, to Lego models of the Titanic and a pirate ship, and figurines from cult film Big Trouble in Little China.
He is part of a growing trend of ‘kidults’ – adults that buy kids toys.
My husband has always had a fascination with toys.
When he was six in the ‘80s, he and his younger brother, Nathan, were kept out of their playroom for a week. On Christmas Day, their grandad opened the door to reveal a Hornby Railway set.
It had papier mache models, houses, trees, shops and a beautiful motorised train complete with carriages full of tiny presents. Tristan says it was so magical and the best Christmas he ever had.
He had an amazing childhood so he developed a sentimental soul for toys into his adulthood.
I soon discovered what I was getting myself into when we started dating in our late 20s. His Lego Tower Bridge was proudly displayed in his living room, then when we moved in together, a Lego House of Parliament and a crane joined its ranks.
By the time our daughter Charlotte was born in 2019, we had a spare room with shelves stacked proudly with all of Tristan’s Lego creations. Apart from the cleaning (dusting Lego is hellish!) I had no problem with him having the space and time to enjoy his hobby.
In fact, I completely understand how important it is to him.
He works long hours in a stressful senior job in IT. We have a mortgage to pay, a young child to raise and – like everyone – we get bombarded by headlines about climate change and war.
So when he comes home, he wants to switch off and do something creative that takes him back to the carefree days when he was a boy. I can see that when he carefully lays out his Lego pieces that he is ‘in the zone’ and it’s a form of mindfulness.
It’s no different to adult crafting, or getting lost in their favourite film or book. I’m in support of anything that helps him de-stress.
But it’s not just for him – Tristan’s love of toys has benefited our whole family. A trip to the toy store is as much fun for him as it is for Charlotte – and his enthusiasm is infectious.
Charlotte has become interested in retro board games like Snakes and Ladders and Frustration (presents from a couple of years ago) and it’s a great opportunity for us to have fun and bond as a family.
I also think it’s really important that she sees that in adulthood you can continue to have a playful side.
When Christmas gifts come up in conversation and people reel off the sophisticated presents they are buying their husbands – like monogrammed luggage or fancy watches – I must admit that I cringe a little as I tell them what’s on Tristan’s Santa list.
But no one really judges. In fact, it often sparks conversations and sends people on a trip down memory lane as they talk about their own Lego creations or toys from their youth that they wish they still had.
Society is more accepting of childlike, whimsical fun than in the past. Millennials are going to adult ball pits and embracing immersive experiences like Dopamineland, where you can take part in pillow fights. Buying toys at Christmas is an extension of this.
According to figures from Circana, which does market research on children’s toys, kidults brought in more than £1bn of revenue for toy retailers in 2024.
They account for nearly one in every three pounds spent on toys in the UK.
Unlike children’s toy sales, which are concentrated in the last three months of the year, adults buy toys all year round – and they don’t have to save up their pocket money.
Toy makers are cottoning onto this, with many brands such as Lego and Play-Doh having specific adult ranges. In fact, that Lego Formula 1 car I bought for Tristan is recommended for ages 18+.
More adults are buying kid’s construction sets than ever before, and there has been a growth in popularity for toys based on programmes like Harry Potter, and retro shows like South Park.
Stranger Things squishmallows, a power sabre and a Pacman board game topped the list of favourite toys by adults last year according to specialist website The Kidults.
People say ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ so I have jumped on the toys-at-Christmas bandwagon. Tristan has bought me colouring books, a spirograph set and Twister.
Last year, just like when he was six, a Hornby Railway set was on my husband’s Christmas list and I’d have to have had a heart of stone not to indulge him!
I loved seeing his eyes light up when he tore the wrapping paper off the enormous box on Christmas Day, laid out all of the pieces and then created his magical world. It kept him and my daughter busy while I had a mulled wine and watched some festive telly!
It doesn’t matter whether it’s my husband or my daughter, seeing them both unwrap their presents on Christmas Day and beam with excitement is the best feeling.
Christmas is all about spreading joy after all. Who says there has to be an age limit?
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk.
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