More and more adults in the UK are buying toys for themselves, and this trend is growing. Last year, sales to adults, also known as "kidults," increased by 6%. This means that more than a quarter of the toy market, which is worth over £1bn each year, is now made up of adults buying toys for themselves. Adults say they buy toys for fun and because it helps with their mental health.

Even though overall toy sales went down by 5% last year, the market for kidults is still doing well. Toy manufacturers and sellers had a tough year in 2023, with sales going down by 7% and the value of toy trading dropping by 5%. But the UK is still one of the biggest toy markets in Europe, worth £3.5bn in 2023.

At the recent Toy Fair in London, it was clear that companies are now making toys for a wider range of ages, not just young children. Kidults, who are 12 and older, are the ones driving the increase in sales to this group, especially those who are over 18. People like Gareth Edwards, who is in his late 50s, showcased his board and card games at the fair. He has been collecting board games for over 40 years and has more than 1,000 at home. Other people, like Adam Turner, have also turned their hobbies into businesses, taking advantage of the growing popularity of kidult games.

It's not just board games that are popular among kidults; action figures, collectibles, building sets like Lego, and even cuddly toys are being sold to adults. Social media and the idea that these toys help people relax have made them popular among adults. The declining birth rate and the rising cost of living have also played a part in adults buying toys for themselves. With fewer children to buy toys for, some young adults are treating themselves to comforting toys instead of going out or doing other activities.

Even though the toy industry faced challenges last year, the rise of kidults has created a new opportunity. Toy makers and sellers are changing to meet the needs of this group and are targeting a wider range of ages. The toy industry is always changing to meet what people want.

Original news source: Cuddly toy sellers chase an unlikely audience: 'Kidults' (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will read the article and then work together to create a summary of the main points. They should focus on the increase in toy sales to adults, the reasons behind this trend, and the impact on the toy industry.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will form pairs or small groups. Each group will come up with a question related to the article, such as "Do you think adults buying toys for themselves is a positive trend?" or "Why do you think toy sales to children have gone down?" They will then conduct an opinion poll within the class, asking their question to other students and recording the responses. After collecting the data, they will share their findings with the class.
– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: The teacher will select 5-10 keywords from the article and write them on the board, leaving out the vowels. Students will take turns guessing the missing letters to reveal the keywords. After each keyword is guessed, the teacher can lead a class discussion about the meaning and significance of the word in relation to the article.
– Sketch It
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will select a key event or concept from the article and create a quick sketch to represent it. They can then take turns presenting their sketches to the class, explaining the connection to the article. The class can discuss the different interpretations and perspectives.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Students will work individually or in pairs to write a short paragraph predicting how the toy market for adults will evolve in the future. They should base their predictions on the trends mentioned in the article and any additional insights they have. After writing their predictions, students can share and discuss their ideas with the class.

More and more adults in the UK are buying toys for themselves, and this trend is growing. Last year, sales to adults, also known as "kidults," increased by 6%. This means that more than a quarter of the toy market, which is worth over £1bn each year, is now made up of adults buying toys for themselves. Adults say they buy toys for fun and because it ? with their mental ?. Even though overall toy sales went down by 5% last year, the market for kidults is still ? well. Toy manufacturers and ? had a tough year in 2023, with ? going down by 7% and the value of toy trading dropping by 5%. But the UK is still one of the biggest toy markets in Europe, worth £3.5bn in 2023. At the recent Toy Fair in ?, it was clear that companies are now making toys for a wider range of ages, not just young children. Kidults, who are 12 and older, are the ones ? the increase in sales to this group, especially those who are over 18. People like Gareth Edwards, who is in his late 50s, showcased his ? and card games at the fair. He has been ? board games for over 40 years and has more than 1,000 at home. Other people, like Adam ?, have also turned their ? into ?, taking advantage of the growing popularity of kidult games. It's not just board games that are popular among kidults; action figures, collectibles, building sets like Lego, and even cuddly toys are being sold to adults. Social media and the idea that these toys help people relax have made them popular among adults. The declining birth rate and the rising cost of living have also played a part in adults buying toys for themselves. With fewer children to buy toys for, some ? adults are treating themselves to comforting toys instead of ? out or doing other activities. Even though the toy industry faced ? last year, the rise of kidults has created a new opportunity. Toy makers and sellers are changing to meet the needs of this ? and are targeting a wider range of ages. The toy industry is always changing to meet what people want.

1. What is a "kidult"?
2. Have you ever bought a toy for yourself? If so, what kind of toy was it?
3. How would you feel if someone made fun of you for buying toys as an adult?
4. Do you think it's important for adults to have hobbies like collecting toys? Why or why not?
5. Why do you think adults say buying toys helps with their mental health?
6. What other activities do you enjoy doing to relax, besides buying toys?
7. How do you think the declining birth rate and rising cost of living have affected the toy industry?
8. Do you think it's better for adults to spend their money on toys or on going out and doing activities? Why or why not?
9. Have you ever turned one of your hobbies into a business? If not, would you like to? Why or why not?
10. Why do you think social media has made toys more popular among adults?
11. How do you think the toy industry will continue to change in the future?
12. Do you think it's important for toy makers to create toys for a wider range of ages? Why or why not?
13. What kind of toy do you think would be popular among adults that hasn't been mentioned in the article?
14. How do you think the rise of kidults has affected the toy industry?
15. Why do you think people enjoy collecting things like board games or action figures?

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