Why playful adults help Lego build an empire at Christmas and beyond
You may think Lego sets are for kids, and many of them are, but don’t be surprised to find that your adult friends, coworkers – or maybe even yourself – are Lego fans, pawing through boxes of multicolored plastic bricks to build the perfect Death Star, Titanic or Disney Castle.
Legos are certainly for kids, and for you, too. The company’s high-end collections, like the Eiffel Tower, Art World Map, Millennium Falcon and Botanical kits, are evidence of that. They require careful thought, effort, patience (and good table space) to assemble them.
The brick sets “are something that force you to put down your phone and have some unplugged play time,” says Marissa Silva, editor in chief of Toy Insider. “You can tap into nostalgia and feel like a kid again.”
Why are adults playing with Legos? They not only want to, they apparently need to, which is why Lego kits are on a lot of Christmas wish lists. That's been good for fans and for Lego itself.
Feel like a kid when you build like an adult
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Like to play? Don't feel guilty
"I think there's a common misconception that play is just for kids, and when we enter adulthood, it becomes frivolous and a waste of time," says Mia Sundstrom, director of play transformation at the National Institute for Play. "This couldn't be further from the truth."
That's because "our biological play drive is there from birth until death," Sundstrom says. Depriving ourselves of play "can have negative social, cognitive, emotional and physical health consequences that we often aren't aware of."
Why you feel better when you play
You enter a state of play when you start tinkering with toys like Legos, Sundstrom says.
Play "lights up the brain in a variety of ways," Sundstrom says. "It activates play circuits that reside in every human subcortex." That promotes neuroplasticity, the way the brain rewires itself to learn new things, which is "basically the foundation of learning."
Playtime also calms systems in the brain that govern stress responses. "It relieves our stress and it boosts our ability to regulate our emotions," Sundstrom says.
"While that's happening, hormones like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins are released to make us feel good while we play. They last after we're done playing and keep us coming back for more."
As you may suspect, "there's a term in the toy industry called "kidults," and what toymakers are finding is that more adults are buying toys for themselves than ever before," Silva says. The Lego company has benefited from that.
How Lego revenue has jumped
The LEGO Group is a privately held Danish company founded in 1932. It was the bestselling toymaker in the world in 2024, according to Bloomberg.
The company prides itself on inventiveness and consistency – Lego bricks made in 1958 and later can click with those of Star Trek Enterprise, Ferrari F1 and other modern kits made today. (And they're still painful to step on.)
Lego started moving into adult sales when it began replacing its traditional kits, like cars and planes, in favor of models based on movies and other entertainment. It introduced its Star Wars sets in 1999, the company's first intellectual property franchise. Those sets are among the company's most popular.
Lego has added more franchise properties since then, including adult-focused sets starting in 2020, according to brickarchitect.com. Other bestselling franchises include Harry Potter, Marvel and DC Comics. Revenue has increased with that strategy, company reports show.
"Lego Botanicals are really popular," Silva says. "There are many different sets that feature flowers, and these are top sellers every year."
"Lego sets resonate with adults because they support creativity, well-being and self-expression in ways that fit naturally into adult life," Genevieve Cruz, head of adult consumer group and franchises for Lego, told USA TODAY by email.
"Nine in 10 adults say Lego play helps them relieve worries and stress, while many also find it makes them feel productive," Cruz said, citing a 2024 Lego Play Well Report.
The toys also have "a cross-generational appeal," Silva says. "Kids can enjoy them, adults can enjoy them." They're something a family can work on together.
Lego adding more stand-alone stores, factories
The company has designed products for adults by "expanding its portfolio beyond traditional children’s play," Cruz said. That included "more complex builds, display-worthy sets and themes inspired by art, design, travel and iconic stories."
Lego listens to its audience, Silva says. "They take into account what the fans want."
Where can I find a Lego store?
Lego has opened new stores, factories and distribution centers in anticipation of greater sales.
Lego stores are "always busy, they're always filled with people, because it's such a destination," Silva says. "You can find anything they have, sets for all ages. Most kids start with Lego Duplo for toddlers, and they have sets all the way up for those 18 and over."
On the production side, a 2-million-square-foot regional distribution center will open in Prince George County, Virginia, in 2027. Its estimated cost is $366 million.
That will support a new factory in Richmond, Virginia, also expected to open in 2027. A factory in Binh Duong, Vietnam, opened in April 2025. Three existing factories in Nyíregyháza, Hungary; Jiaxing, China; and Monterrey, Mexico, will be expanded.
The company opened a distribution center in Belgium in 2024 and another in Vietnam in September.
Lego has added employees, too
What do people do with their finished Lego sets?
Some intricate Lego sets marketed to adults can cost hundreds of dollars, USA TODAY reported. So what do you do with a Lego kit after you've built it?
If you're like most enthusiasts, you keep it and display it.
"I've never seen a kit broken apart somewhere," Silva says. "I think for the most part, it's sort of like building your own model, building your own collectible, and it's going to live somewhere in your home. There are some adults out there who have massive Lego displays and full basements dedicated to all of their Lego creations."
CONTRIBUTING Betty Lin-Fisher
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; Lego annual financial reports