Kidults play with toys and games to destress and have fun

Named “kidults” by the toy industry, more adults are buying toys and games for themselves in order to destress, and to have fun.

Toys for Kidults

The pandemic made many adults realize that at times taking care of oneself is as simple as reliving their childhood. And the easiest way to do that is to play with toys and games.

There are adults who actually played with toys like Razor scooters, Lego and board games, to keep their sanity intact during the pandemic.

Personally, I feel Adults have always been drawn towards kids’ toys and games, be it Star-wars figures, Nerf guns, or even ride-on toys such as the wiggle car (which my wife loved to ride).

While the top toy brands are not yet going aggressively after this segment, they do have their eyes set on this segment.

Here are some examples:

Razor USA is planning to come up with an adult-size electric scooter based on its popular kids’ scooter.

Lego now has products in its catalog that are aimed at the older users.

Not to be left behind, Hot Wheels (Mattel) had also introduced a remote-controlled Tesla Cybertruck.

Tabletop games such as the ones from Exploding Kittens are extremely popular with adults (especially while enjoying a drink).

Many adults have also realized that at times, they just want to do something, may be alone, or with friends and family but without involve any kind of electronic gadgets.

Use Toys to De-stress

Also, more corporate professionals are now playing with slime, dough and building blocks to relax and de-stress in office.

Is your child’s toy zone overflowing with toys?

May be you should take some of it and keep it in your office. It’s a good way to de-stress when the work-load gets overwhelming, which nowadays happens more often than not in the corporate world.

Lot of corporate professionals are now using toys that were once meant only for kids.

Slime, play-doh, kinetic sand, coloring-book are activities that provides a much-needed break to the brain at work and helps it refocus.

We all know that the human body is not designed to sit at one place for long. Its also not possible to focus your mind and concentrate on something for extended periods.

That is where Toys can help!

Indulging in uncomplicated activities (meant for kids) helps adults relieve stress, become calmer and more focused.

• Squeezing a stress ball can help one channelize restlessness and negative energy in the mind and body to focus on a task that requires immediate attention.
• Playing with adult coloring books, doodling soothes some adults.
• Just fiddling with slime relaxes some, who are in the midst of a stressful situation.
• Some adults play Lego (an interactive game of interlocking plastic bricks) to relieve stress.
• Lot of offices now have a dartboard in office, where the dart is an Angry Bird that sticks to the target when thrown.
• Some play board games and card games at home.

While playing with these toys are handy relaxation techniques, some clinical psychologists are of the opinion that they only provide temporary relief and doesn’t necessarily help a person cope with a serious psychological condition. Adults may face increased stress level due to several factors – personal, professional or environment. Psychologists feel it is always better to seek help if stress is getting out of hand.

Here are some toys that can provide stress relief at work.

A popular product used by adults as a stress relief toy at work. Repeated squeezing of the soft ball helps one release a considerable amount of stress and negative emotions. It is also a good exercise for the fingers. Stress balls are available in foam-based, rubber-based or water and gel-based forms.

Not only is it satisfying to watch the slime (gooey-soft substance) change shape, but squishing or stretching it can relax the nerves and trigger happy hormones, and is a great way to relieve stress and give your brain a break. Slime is available in multi-colored, glittery or crunchy versions. Pull it, knead it or squish it and take a break from stress.

You now get adult coloring books that have geometric figures and other intricate designs to color in. Just pick any color and let your creativity take over. Turning to any sort of art when stressed or worked up, can be therapeutic, meditative and reduce anxiety.

You get a satisfying feeling when you smoosh the kinetic sand, and see it change shape. Create your own shapes using the clay-like substance — a castle, a ball or just about anything. The smooth texture of the sand is calming.

funtoyworld

Funtoyworld is a family-managed website with me (Ben), and my wife doing most of the work. We are proud parents of two wonderful kids and love reviewing toys. We have a firm but friendly “democratic parenting” style and offer several practical suggestions backed by extensive research. Our own experience with raising two children prompted us to share our knowledge. Read more.