Kids aren't invited to Toy Fair. But the industry expo can tell us a lot about the playthings they'll be asking for.

Children aren’t allowed at Toy Fair — which is just as well, because my 4-year-old would be devastated if she knew I went without her.

The Toy Association’s 119th annual trade show, which was held March 1 to 4 in New York City, is a child’s paradise — a multi-floor labyrinth of over 800 exhibitors and gorgeous displays of every type of plaything you can imagine. But Toy Fair, which is all about “the business of play,” is for adults' eyes only; more specifically, it’s for the toy industry insiders who come together once a year to network, talk shop and exchange information on the latest toy trends.

Consumers aren’t allowed to attend, but some members of the press (including yours truly) are. So, if you’ve ever wondered what the makers and sellers of kids’ entertainment talk about when parents and their children aren’t around, read on: This is what the pros are saying will drive toy sales in 2025.

Nostalgia and ‘newstalgia’

You’re probably already familiar with nostalgia, which is a sentimental longing for the past — like your enduring soft spot for Super Mario reboots or American Girl dolls — and “newstalgia” builds on that by reviving an old favorite and giving it a modern edge. This trend banks on the emotional attachment that parents feel toward a brand or product, so expect to see more classics from when today’s parents were kids.

During a presentation at Toy Fair on top trends in entertainment, Kristen McLean, senior executive director of the Circana Entertainment Knowledge Group, said that one of the best examples of newstalgia in the last few years has been around Barbie and the 2023 film inspired by her. Brands took the traditional doll and made a new version for modern kids that was “poppier and fun.”

“I think that nostalgia and newstalgia are super-important drivers for the next couple of years because as economic times get rough, people want to feel better,” McLean says. “And newstalgia and nostalgia is one of the ways that we create products that resonate.”

Jimmy Chang, who works in marketing and product development at Just Play, tells me that “the '90s are back” — with a twist. The classic Skip It toy, for example, has been updated to include a digital counter so that skippers can keep track of their progress.

“We love to get the kids up and going,” Chang says, “and I think that the parents really want to give something wholesome that their kids can enjoy like they did back in the day.”

Toys that appeal to ‘Sephora kids’

McLean says that in high-income households with kids (defined as households making over $100K a year), her team has seen a 24% increase in beauty-buying. And when they asked parents with kids ages 6 to 11 what they’ve been buying, the answers were usually hair care, skin care, makeup and fragrances.

“One of the strongest drivers in beauty right now are so-called ‘Sephora kids,’ who are coming out of influencer culture and are asking for, not toys, but beauty products and clothing,” McLean says.

There’s been a “trend away from play,” particularly among girls. Those in the toy industry are dealing with this in part by creating toys and experiences that mimic those found in the beauty and fashion worlds. FAO Schwarz already has a beauty bar, bag counter and custom bracelet experience, and Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has been around for years. More toymakers are leaning into that.

I saw several booths designed to emulate beauty bars and customizable fashion experiences. The operator of one “charm bar,” where kids could personalize their shoelaces and create their own hair bows, says they’re seeing “the resurgence of the tween,” which has “aged up” with more luxury and a chicer aesthetic.

Gui Gui, a slime kit that’s launching at Walmart on April 27, has jars and packaging similar to cosmetics and is scented with fragrances inspired by trending skin care brands like Drunk Elephant.

“Kids are absolutely obsessed with beauty hauls. They have a high-end taste for beauty and skin care products, so we are tapping into this trend,” Mallory Van Laeken, the director of U.S. marketing at Moose Toys, tells me while handling different samples of glammed-up slime. “We’re taking that angle of skin care and beauty and tying it into slime play — so it’s essentially a beauty routine for your slime.”

Gear that gets kids moving

Kristen Altmeyer, vice president and general manager of Parents, gave a presentation at Toy Fair on how the publication selects its winners for the annual Best Toys Awards. She says that for “big kids” (or kids between the ages of 4 and 10, somewhere in the age range sandwiched between toddlers and tweens), there’s an emphasis on “open-ended play, physical play” and “anything to get them moving and outside.” And for tweens and teens ages 10 and up, the play priority for parents is “products that encourage healthy non-screen independence.”

Grant Goleman, who was working at a Gel Blaster booth, tells me that products that get kids away from their iPads are the “it” toys.

“Your outdoor blasters, your water guns — anything that gets the kids off screen time,” Goleman says before firing a round of gel pellets at the wall behind him.

There were plenty of Toy Fair displays promoting inflatable pool toys, bubble machines and other playthings intended to get kids outdoors. There was also an emphasis on “tactile toys” that keep hands busy even if you’re stuck in one spot. Things like fidget toys and squishy toys designed to enhance "sensory experiences" were in excess.

“Tactile toys are sensory, they are creatively stimulating, they’re quiet and they’re just fun to fidget with,” Jan Marie Zawitz, director of sales and marketing at Tangle, tells me in front of a wall display of animal-inspired Tangle toys, which the company also says double as a “therapy device” for “hand and mind wellness.”

Collectibles and high-end products for grown-ups

We’ve already reported on how more adults are sleeping with stuffed animals, but this trend goes beyond plushies. Toys for adults tend to be more high-end and are often also collectibles that can double as displays or home decor.

“What we can't emphasize enough is what's happening on the upper end of the market with adults buying toys,” McLean says.

In fact, McLean says that adults are starting to rival kids as major players in the toy industry. “I think that we are trading kids for an older consumer and a consumer that's driven a lot more by emotion, fanship, collecting [and] escapism,” McLean says, adding that “to some degree games and puzzles are up.”

While nostalgic American Girl dolls and comic book characters are among the favorite collectibles, there are some newcomers too. Robotime and the Instagram-famous Book Nook kits, for example, are tiny, intricate 3-D puzzles that in some cases double as music boxes and are designed to be displayed after assembling.

“The miniature trend is hot, and this plays into it because it hits for the adults,” Jane Schember, a sales representative for Robotime, tells me as she points to tiny detailed replicas of diners, cafes and parlors no bigger than your hand.

Products tied to media content

Toys that are spinoffs of popular movies and shows continue to get a big boost.

“The relationship between content and consumer products is huge right now,” Little Kids marketing director Keri Castro tells me before a display of Bluey-branded bubble machines. “When you see kids fall in love with a property the way they have with Bluey, for example, it really just makes consumer products rise.”

And with Jurassic World: Rebirth hatching in July, dinosaurs will be even more omnipresent.

“We are expecting that the dinos are going to be very popular this year,” Hansa representative Veronique Hurley tells me as she stands before a 5-foot tall animatronic T-Rex, flanked by more prehistoric plushies in every shape and size.

Baby toys that jive with home decor

Gaudy, bulky toy kitchens are out, and sleek wooden toys made of natural materials are in. “I think we probably all know the age of the flashing lights and colorful plastic toys is over,” Altmeyer says.

There’s a growing preference for baby toys that don’t take up too much space, are aesthetically pleasing and complement a family’s home decor.

“How does it look in the home? Is it loud? Does it have a lot of flashing lights? Does the aesthetic match the decor of the home?” Altmeyer asks. “Parents after [having a] baby really want to maintain a sense of normalcy, and having toys that fit into their home as it currently is really does help with that.”