Mattel on June 11 released UK research showing parents’ nostalgia, interactive toys and blended physical-digital play are shaping children’s play, alongside its Disney and Pixar Toy Story 5 range.

Mattel said the survey of 1,000 UK parents with children aged 0-10 was conducted by OnePoll in May 2026 and released on International Day of Play.

The company said 75% of parents still felt emotionally connected to childhood toys, characters and fictional worlds; 50% said they regularly felt nostalgic. Among those, 40% cited rewatching childhood films or television, and 32% cited introducing those characters to their children.

Mattel said 80% of parents had introduced favourite childhood characters to their children, and 37% said those characters had become part of regular playtime. It said 80% believed children increasingly expected toys to feel responsive, interactive and immersive, while 68% said modern toys increasingly felt like experiences.

The company said 88% of parents agreed that screens and mobile devices could distract children from traditional imaginative play. Mattel said the findings followed the launch of its Disney and Pixar Toy Story 5 range, featuring classic toys with interactive functions.