Australian kids are seeking out squishies in a tech-dominated era of information overload as their parents search for tangible toys to get them away from screens.
Social media is driving toy trends in two different directions, retailers have told AAP in the lead up to the all-important Christmas period.
Parents are buying what algorithms push on their phones, along with toys to keep their kids away from their devices.
“Parents are steering away from quick consumption (toys) and trying to get (their children) away from screen time,” independent toy shop Jasper Junior’s manager Sammy O’Sullivan said.
“There’s a bit of kickback from all of the overwhelmingness of social media.
“People are trying to slow down and spend more time as a family.”
Trends have come and gone since the Melbourne-based store opened in 1996 and Ms O’Sullivan said the gifts parents were buying this Christmas were anything but technological.
“Things like building train sets that can be made down the hallway with dad, and beautiful wooden cars – things you can remember the feel of and the smell,” she said.
In the 12 months to October 2026, the three toy categories delivering the largest sales increases were games and puzzles (up 35 per cent), building sets (up 14 per cent) and explorative and other toys (up 63 per cent), according to global market researcher Circana.
Its data showed Pokemon cards were the stand-out performer, retaining the top-selling toy property each month in 2026.
Edward Thorp, a 30-year industry veteran, designs and manufactures toys that sell globally from warehouses in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
His toy store Professor Plums, in the northern Sydney suburb of Crows Nest, features real-life stick insects and 3D printers for kids.
“I’ve watched the evolution of game consoles making the age group of the toy industry younger and younger,” Mr Thorp told AAP.
He said a traditional toy shop in the 1970s would sell toys targeted at children up to early teens but post-noughties, the age dropped to about eight as parents started buying kids music and phones.
“The increase in anxiety and the acknowledgement of social media are related to that,” he said.
TikTok trends are driving the demand for small sensory-related toys at Professor Plums – items that can be squished or fidgeted with to help children self-regulate and focus.
“We’ve sold squishies for 15 years and it’s only this year they’ve finally taken off … TikTok got hold of it,” Mr Thorp said.
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