Cottagecore, escapist decor—we’ve spent the past two years focusing our attention on creating getaways within our own four walls as a way to stay sane. And, as the Omicron surge sends parents hurling back to March 2020, with virtual classes, ever-changing mandates and the general feeling we’re losing our minds, it makes sense that we’re seeing a similar trend in kids’ decor, too. Only instead of creating spa-like oases, sanctuary for the under-12 set is a little more Narnia-esque: picture fairytale-inspired spaces, featuring dragon motifs, monstrous beasts dangling from mobiles and cartoon map-inspired wallpaper.
Yes, friends, you can step away from the Paw Patrol vinyl clings: What kids really want right now is their own magical escape (and don’t we all?). Fantasy toys—particularly ones involving friendly monsters and fairies—were one of the biggest toy trends of the past year, suggesting that we’ll only see more of this in the months to come.
Etsy research backs this up even further: The ecommerce company has seen searches for “fairy items” climb 51 percent year over year, with “mythical creatures” up 39 percent, and “dragon toys” up 22 percent.
“After spending the majority of the past two years indoors, many parents are looking for fun ways to encourage their children to put down their screens and, instead, escape to new and magical worlds through imaginative play,” says Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. “To do this, some are pulling inspiration from toys and games they loved during their own childhoods, which is why we’ll see storybook characters—like dragons, fairies and other mythical creatures—make their way back into children’s spaces this year.”
