Is the ‘Kidulting’ Boom Really Nostalgia for an Affordable Adulthood?

Given the choice between saving money and indulging in the pleasures of childhood, a majority of millennials say they would choose the latter.Some 51% reported they would rather do “kidulting” activities than saving the money, according to the Harris Poll’s Rise of Kidulting Report.The term describes adults buying products or participating in activities traditionally associated with childhood. Think building a model set or collecting toys—but this time, with your own hard-earned money.That appetite is fueling a boom in childhood novelties. U.S. toy sales to adults grew 25% in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier, according to Circana—helping propel the industry even as consumers remained anxious about the economy.Nowhere is that anxiety more obvious than in the housing market, with many young adults struggling to afford a place of their own. Nearly one-third of adults aged 18 to 34 lived with their parents in 2025, according to Realtor.com® research.On the surface, it's easy to cast those trends as evidence of a generation reluctant to grow up, with kidulting starring as its latest shortsighted indulgence: the new avocado toast supposedly standing between young adult...