Not just for kids: Toymakers aim more products at grown-ups
Long before the pandemic, many adults turned to toys from Legos to collectible items to tap into their inner childhood for comfort
NEW YORK (AP) — Since the pandemic, Elizabeth Hulanick has turned to toys from her childhood to relieve stress.
She and her co-workers chip in to buy Legos at Target and play at their desks. She also started playing with Silly Putty again, noting she felt comforted by the bouncy rubbery stuff that changes colors.
Even her American Girl doll called Samantha, which she keeps in her china cabinet, resonates more these days; she waited one year for her mother to buy her that doll when she was a child and now, she says, it served as a reminder to always be patient.
“(This) probably will be with me forever. I always need something to be tinkering with, and that’s probably the safest bet for me to stick with a toy versus keep trying to figure out how to fix cars or something like that," the 37-year-old Piscataway, New Jersey resident said.
