For today’s kids, toys are becoming another way to show the world who they are. From the characters they collect and the styles they gravitate toward to the accessories they wear, trade, and display, play is increasingly personal.
The Toy Association™ named “Express Yourself” among its 2026 trends to watch, highlighting the growing number of toys that allow consumers to customize, collect, wear, display, and share the things they love. Mini plush clipped to backpacks, charms added to bracelets and bags, blind-box characters displayed on desks, and other portable collectibles are giving consumers new ways to make their personalities and preferences visible.
“Whether it’s a favorite character added to bracelets and bags, a collectible displayed on a shelf, or mini plush clipped to a backpack, consumers are seeking toys that feel uniquely their own.”
Kristin Morency Goldman, Senior Director of Strategic Communications at The Toy Association
Customization also plays another important part of this trend. Consumers increasingly want opportunities to put their own stamp on the products they buy, whether that means choosing colors and accessories, creating something from scratch, changing up a toy’s look or personality, or building a collection that reflects their individual tastes.
That desire is showing up across categories. Playmates Toys’ Paris & Pups, for example, combines doll play with more than 30 Puppy Charms that kids can collect, wear, trade, and share on bracelets, creating combinations that reflect their own personal style. Likewise, ZURU’s Mininee brings individuality to the blind-box space with nine miniature fashion-doll characters, each featuring a distinctive personality, outfit, and accessories, giving kids a range of aesthetics and styles to discover and collect.
Personality itself can also become part of the play, as with Hasbro’s Furby Vibes. The toy features swappable glasses that unlock different personalities, music, phrases, sounds, and games, allowing kids to shift between vibes such as Star Diva, Chill Spa, and Punk Rocker depending on their mood.
Furthermore, consumers’ choices don’t end with the products they buy; how they curate and display their collections can be just as personal. Social media “haul” videos, unboxings, collection tours, and carefully styled shelf displays have made collecting an increasingly visible form of self-expression. And the appetite for collecting continues to grow: More than half of U.S. parents (52 percent) report purchasing a blind-box toy for their child or themselves within the past year, according to a 2025 Toy Association survey.
Together, these products point to a broader shift in how consumers interact with toys. It’s not simply about owning or playing with something; the choices consumers make about what they collect, customize, wear, and display can say something about their individual tastes and personalities.
“As the toy industry continues to evolve, products that help consumers express themselves and celebrate the things they love will continue to shape innovation,” added Morency Goldman. And as self-expression continues to influence everything from fashion and accessories to the spaces consumers inhabit, expect toys to become an even more visible part of the mix.”
Kristin Morency Goldman, Senior Director of Strategic Communications at The Toy Association
To learn more about all the toy trends poised to shape the play landscape this year and to watch our full 2025 Toy Trends Briefing, visit toyassociation.org/trends.
