Rewind culture: why nostalgia is driving kids’ toy choices

Something unexpected is happening in the toy market. Kids who have grown up entirely in the 2010s and 2020s are choosing to engage with brands, characters and aesthetics that existed long before they were born. It’s a trend that’s showing up consistently in our data, and it has real commercial implications for toy companies, licensors and retailers.

The nostalgia trend

Adam Woodgate, VP Research Solutions at The Insights Family, explored this topic at Spielwarenmesse 2026, presenting new research on the growing pull of nostalgia among Gen Alpha kids, and the role their millennial parents play in amplifying it.

What the data covers

The presentation draws on Q4 2025 data across nine markets, with over 40,000 responses from 3 to 15-year-olds and parents with children aged 1 to 15. It gets into the specifics of which characters and toy brands are benefiting, why toys are uniquely well-placed to capitalise on this trend, and what the dual-audience dynamic between kids and parents actually looks like in practice.

If you work in toys, licensing or kids’ entertainment and you’re thinking about IP strategy, product development or how to reach families more effectively, this is worth your time.

Download the slides to find out what the data shows and what it means for your business:pages.theinsightsfamily.com/spielwarenmesse-2026-why-nostalgia-is-driving-kids-toy-choices.

First published February 2026, following The Insights Family’s presentation at Spielwarenmesse 2026.