Top 50 Activities & Hobbies Trends (September 2026)

Activities & Hobbies: 2026's Defining Movements

CAGR = compound annual growth rate

We rebuilt this list on September 12, 2026 from our live trend database, the same feed that powers the table above. The headline: the squishy boom has peaked. NeeDoh is still enormous at 3.35 million searches, but it is down 63% over the last three months, and every dumpling variant has turned with it. Summer took over instead, with water parks, splash pads and public pools all up several hundred percent over three months, and the Perseid meteor shower up +805%. We have also added a section for the anime and fandom searches the table has been carrying all year. Last year's strands-unlimited riser is gone from the pool. Every search-volume and growth figure below comes from that live data.

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1. Sensory Toys Go Stratospheric

Sensory toys are no longer a niche, and this quarter they stopped growing. NeeDoh is still the anchor of the entire category at 3.35 million monthly searches as of July 2026, a breakout term on the year, but it has given back -63% over the past three months. The dumpling ecosystem turned with it: dumpling squishy sits at 823,000 and is down -45% over three months, squishy dumpling at 450,000, and the nee doh nice cube at 201,000 after a -63% quarter. The generic terms held up better: squishies is at 450,000, still up +50% over three months, and squishy toys at 165,000 (+22%).

What began as a self-regulation tool for neurodivergent kids became a mainstream desk-toy habit, and is now doing what every toy craze does next: handing volume back while the plain category term outlasts the branded one.

What's Driving This Shift

Sensory toys are exploding because:

• Texture is the product: The whole appeal is tactile, and short-form video sells that feeling better than any ad
• Impulse-buy pricing: Most squishies and stress balls sit between $5 and $15, perfect for add-to-cart moments
• Collectibility: Seasonal designs, glitter variants, and rare drops turn a toy into a set to complete
• Peak and hand-back: The branded terms fell hardest this quarter while the generic ones kept rising
• All ages, all offices: Adults now buy these for stress and focus, not just for kids

What's Gaining Momentum

NeeDoh (3,350,000 searches, breakout): The squeezable stress ball became the category's Kleenex, and is now well off its peak at -63% over three months. Schylling makes them.

Dumpling Squishy (823,000 searches, breakout): Soft silicone dumplings you can squeeze and pop, down -45% over the last three months. The same wave shows up in mental health trends, where these are searched as sensory regulation rather than as toys.

Squishies (450,000 searches, 16x YoY): The plain category term is the one still growing, up +50% over three months while the brands fall.

Squishy Dumpling (450,000 searches, breakout): The alternate phrasing carries its own large base, a sign the trend is bigger than any single brand.

Nee Doh Nice Cube (201,000 searches, 13x YoY): A cube-shaped NeeDoh variant, well up on the year but down 63% this quarter.

Squishy Toys (165,000 searches, +643% YoY): The other generic phrasing, also still rising at +22% over three months.

Key Players

• Schylling makes NeeDoh and its expanding family of variants
• Squishable produces premium plush and squishy toys for all ages
• Five Below turned value-priced squishies into a retail search phenomenon
• Pop It remains the silicone fidget toy that launched the modern sensory craze

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One named design is holding up better than the category around it. Our breakdown of the Taba squishy looks at why the slow-rising stress toy kept selling after the wider squishy wave crested.

2. LEGO and the Brick-Building Boom

Brick building is still one of the biggest hobby stories of the year, though the umbrella term has stopped moving. LEGO commands 2.24 million monthly searches, flat year over year and down -45% over six months. The growth has moved to the secondary market and the licences. Resale chain bricks and minifigs is up +124% at 450,000 searches, and up +124% over three months as well. On the licence side, lego pokemon is up +234% at 60,500, and lego rayquaza went from nothing to 40,500, still up +3,015% over three months. Last year's Lord of the Rings spike has receded, with lego minas tirith back to 27,100.

The adult LEGO fan is now the center of gravity. Display-worthy sets, resale value, and blockbuster licenses have turned a childhood toy into a premium collecting hobby.

Why Brick Building Is Surging

Brick building is booming because:

• Adult fans lead: Grown-up builders drive demand for large, intricate, display-first sets
• Licensed blockbusters: Pokemon and Lord of the Rings sets create event-level search spikes, then recede
• Resale and scarcity: Retiring sets appreciate, and chains like Bricks & Minifigs built a whole market on it
• A meditative build: Hours of quiet, screen-free assembly is a genuine wellness draw
• The licence carries the growth: The umbrella term is flat while the named sets swing hundreds of percent

What's Gaining Momentum

LEGO (2,240,000 searches, flat YoY): The umbrella term holds an enormous base but has stopped growing, and is down 45% over six months.

Bricks and Minifigs (450,000 searches, +124% YoY): The buy-sell-trade resale chain is the clearest sign that LEGO is now a secondary market, and it is up +124% over three months too.

Premium Bandai (368,000 searches, +235% YoY): The model-kit and figure store competes for the same builder, up +123% over three months.

LEGO Pokemon (60,500 searches, +234% YoY): The Pokemon crossover is back up +83% over three months after a soft spring.

LEGO Rayquaza (40,500 searches, breakout): A single set from a standing start, still up +3,015% over the last three months.

Key Players

• LEGO Group anchors the category with blockbuster licensed and display sets
• Bricks & Minifigs powers the resale and trade market with a growing store footprint
• BrickLink remains the primary marketplace for parts, sets, and retired inventory
• Premium Bandai competes for the builder's attention with model kits and figures

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3. 3D Printing Crosses Into the Mainstream

Desktop manufacturing has crossed over and is now settling in. 3d printer pulls 823,000 monthly searches at +83% year over year, though it has eased -18% over the last three months. What owners search next is holding up better than the hardware: 3d print files is up +49% at 110,000 and flat over three months, while 3d printing filament holds 110,000 (+22%). The process term itself has collapsed, with fdm 3d printing down to 5,400 (-93%), which is what happens once buyers stop researching how the machines work and start using them.

3D printing has crossed the threshold from expensive nerd hobby to accessible creative tool, thanks largely to plug-and-play machines that print well straight out of the box.

Why 3D Printing Is Booming

Consumer 3D printing is surging because:

• Price collapse: Capable printers now start near $150, down from well over $1,000 a few years ago
• The Bambu effect: Fast, reliable, nearly foolproof machines removed the biggest barrier to entry
• Practical output: Custom parts, organizers, phone cases, and gifts make the hobby genuinely useful
• A shared library: Printables, Thingiverse, and Thangs put millions of free designs one download away
• Past the explainer phase: The how-it-works searches have collapsed while the what-to-print ones hold

What's Gaining Momentum

3D Printer (823,000 searches, +83% YoY): The umbrella term is well up on the year, the clearest sign the hobby has gone mainstream, though it has eased this quarter.

3D Print Files (110,000 searches, +49% YoY): What owners look for once the machine is on the desk, and the steadiest term in the section.

3D Printing Filament (110,000 searches, +22% YoY): Consumable demand is a health signal, proof that buyers are printing, not just shopping.

Bambu Lab A1 (49,500 searches, flat YoY): The machine that reset expectations holds a steady base as the beginner default.

Desktop 3D Printer (14,800 searches, +174% YoY): The buying phrase is the fastest riser here, up +311% over the last three months.

Makerspaces (27,100 searches, +22% YoY): Shared workshops grow as people try the hardware before they buy it.

Key Players

• Bambu Lab reset expectations with fast, reliable, multi-color printers
• Creality dominates the budget end that pulls beginners in
• Prusa Research anchors the open-source community with a devoted following
• Printables hosts one of the largest libraries of free printable designs

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4. Word Games Settle Into Daily Habit

The daily-puzzle habit has matured into pure infrastructure, and infrastructure does not grow. Wordle hint still pulls a massive 4.09 million monthly searches and nyt connections holds 2.74 million, both settled back -18% year over year as the frenzy normalizes into routine. The smaller puzzles have fallen much harder: mini crossword is down to 450,000 (-80%) and nyt mini to 201,000 (-87%). Classroom favourite gimkit is flat on the year at 550,000 but down -96% over three months, which is a school calendar, not a collapse. Last year's strands-unlimited riser is out of the pool entirely.

The novelty has faded, but the habit hasn't. These games are now a fixed part of millions of morning routines, which is exactly why the search volume stays enormous even as growth cools.

Why Puzzles Are Permanent

Word games and puzzles endure because:

• Ritual formation: One puzzle a day builds a habit loop that outlasts any viral spike
• Social sharing: Those colored result squares turn solo play into a daily group conversation
• Bite-sized time cost: Five to ten minutes fits any schedule, so the habit is easy to keep
• The NYT bundle: Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the Mini pull each other into one subscription
• In-app, not in search: As the habit hardens, players open the app directly instead of searching, so volume drifts down

What's Gaining Momentum

Wordle Hint (4,090,000 searches, -18% YoY): Years after going viral, Wordle is still a daily habit for millions, and the hint query shows people want help without giving up.

NYT Connections (2,740,000 searches, -18% YoY): The word-grouping puzzle is the second pillar of the NYT Games habit, holding enormous volume even as it eases.

Gimkit (550,000 searches, flat YoY): The classroom quiz game is level on the year and down 96% over three months, the sharpest school-calendar curve in the table.

Mini Crossword (450,000 searches, -80% YoY): The under-two-minute crossword remains a morning ritual, but far fewer people are searching their way into it.

NYT Mini (201,000 searches, -87% YoY): The alternate phrasing has fallen further still, the clearest sign the habit moved inside the app.

Key Players

• NYT Games owns Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the Mini Crossword
• Hasbro holds Scrabble and the classic word-game catalog
• Mattel owns party word games like Apples to Apples
• Merriam-Webster runs its own daily word games and quizzes

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5. Collecting Becomes a Search Economy

Collecting is still its own search economy, but the money has moved between shelves. Pokemon card leads at 823,000 monthly searches (+22%), and live-shopping app whatnot holds 673,000 (+22%). Pokemon vending machine is up +123% at 135,000, sports cards up +50% at 90,500, and world cup stickers went from nothing to 90,500, still up +2,414% over three months on the back of the tournament. The blind-box shelf is where the losses are: popmart is down -87% to 450,000 and sonny angel down -55% to 550,000, though Sonny Angel has turned back up +22% over three months.

Whether the item is a graded card, a sticker, or a blind box, buyers treat collectibles like assets, and assets rotate. The event-driven stickers are this year's inflow; the blind boxes are this year's outflow.

Why Collecting Keeps Growing

Collecting is booming because:

• Scarcity drives search: Chase cards, rare stickers, and limited runs create constant value-checking behavior
• Live commerce: Apps like Whatnot turned card breaks and collectible auctions into a nightly habit
• Events fuel spikes: The 2026 World Cup sent sticker collecting vertical almost overnight
• Blind boxes rotate out: Popmart and Sonny Angel show how fast a shelf can empty when the novelty passes
• Community depth: Reddit, Discord, and YouTube give every niche a place to compare and trade

What's Gaining Momentum

Pokemon Card (823,000 searches, +22% YoY): The category's largest term, driven by collecting, grading, and investment interest. The same card economy runs through gaming trends, where the term is one of the largest searches on the page.

Whatnot (673,000 searches, +22% YoY): The live-shopping platform is the default venue for card breaks and collectible auctions.

Sonny Angel (550,000 searches, -55% YoY): The blind-box figure is well down on the year, though it has turned back up +22% over three months.

Popmart (450,000 searches, -87% YoY): The steepest fall in the table, and the clearest sign that blind-box mania has passed its peak.

Pokemon Vending Machine (135,000 searches, +123% YoY): In-store and mall machines are a search-driving retail experience of their own.

World Cup Stickers (90,500 searches, breakout): Sticker album collecting broke out ahead of the tournament, a classic event-driven spike, still up +2,414% over three months. The tournament driving it is the biggest story on our sports trends page.

Key Players

• The Pokemon Company sits at the center of the trading-card boom
• Panini drives the sticker-album craze around major sporting events
• Whatnot powers live collectible commerce and auctions
• TCGplayer anchors trading-card pricing and marketplace activity

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6. Experiences, E-Bikes, and the Great Outdoors

Off-screen activity is where the freshest movement lives, and right now that means water. Water parks near me pulls 1.83 million monthly searches, up +307% over three months, with splash pad near me at 673,000 (+644% over three months) and public pools near me at 368,000 (+397%). Overhead, the perseid meteor shower is up +805% over three months at 201,000. On the venue side, wellness-driven bathhouse visits are up +49% at 135,000, and padel, the fastest-spreading racket sport, holds 135,000 (+49%). Electric bikes anchor the gear side, with affordable electric bike at 110,000 (+22%) and electric mountain bike at 49,500, up +83% over six months. Last year's game cafe riser has fallen back to 22,200. The e-bike side of that demand is tracked in more detail on our sustainability trends page, where micromobility is its own section.

The through-line is participation over passivity. People want places to go, movement that feels social, and gear that lowers the barrier to getting outside.

Why Experiences Are Winning

Experience and outdoor activity are surging because:

• Third places are back: Bathhouses and racket clubs give people a reason to gather in person
• Free beats ticketed: Splash pads and public pools grew faster than any paid venue this summer
• Seasonal demand is real: Water parks and splash pads spike every summer, and 2026 is no exception
• E-bikes remove the barrier: Electric assist makes cycling accessible to commuters and older riders alike
• Look up: The Perseid shower turned a free night sky into one of the quarter's biggest activity searches

What's Gaining Momentum

Water Parks Near Me (1,830,000 searches, -18% YoY): The biggest activity search in the table, and up +307% over the last three months on pure seasonality.

Splash Pad Near Me (673,000 searches, flat YoY): Free municipal water play is the sharpest summer curve here, up +644% over three months.

Public Pools Near Me (368,000 searches, -18% YoY): The cheapest option of the three, up +397% over three months.

Perseid (201,000 searches, +22% YoY): The August meteor shower is up +805% over three months, a free activity with a fixed date.

Bathhouse (135,000 searches, +49% YoY): Sauna, steam, and cold-plunge bathing culture keeps expanding into major cities, up +49% over three months.

Padel (135,000 searches, +49% YoY): The fastest-spreading racket sport holds a steady base and is up +23% over three months.

Worth a note: last year's viral tai chi walking has cooled hard, down -75% over six months after its earlier spike, a reminder that even wellness trends cycle. The same search anchors the nervous-system section of our alternative medicine trends report and the mind-body section of fitness trends.

Key Players

• Rad Power Bikes is North America's largest e-bike brand
• Lectric eBikes dominates the budget segment driving new-rider demand
• MacFox is a fast-rising challenger brand in affordable e-bikes
• REI anchors outdoor gear retail and community

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The slowest activity on this page grew the fastest. Tai chi walking went from 210 to 673,000 monthly searches in six months, and we cover the slow-fitness breakout behind it.

7. Anime, Fandom and Convention Culture

A cluster the page has never covered sits right in the middle of the table. Four separate fandom terms hold 368,000 monthly searches each: premium bandai, the model-kit and figure store, up +235%; weeb central, up +83%; the manga reader asuratoons, up +83%; and palworld map, up +307% on the year and +1,012% over the last three months. Underneath them, the sports anime blue lock holds 246,000, up +22% across every window, and anime convention is up +122% at 110,000, with +82% over three months.

The pattern is that fandom searches are logistics. People are not looking up what a series is. They are looking for where to read it, which figure to buy, and when the convention is.

Why Fandom Searches Keep Growing

Anime and fandom terms hold up because:

• Utility, not discovery: Map, reader, and store searches are things people do weekly, not once
• Merch is the business: Premium Bandai's growth shows the figure shelf outpacing the show itself
• Conventions came back: In-person events are up +122% on the year, faster than most venue searches
• Game and anime overlap: Palworld sits in both worlds, which is why its map search moves like a fandom term
• Steady, not spiky: Blue Lock grows +22% on every window we track, the opposite of a viral curve

What's Gaining Momentum

Premium Bandai (368,000 searches, +235% YoY): The official model-kit and figure store, up +123% over three months as the merch side outgrows the media.

Weeb Central (368,000 searches, +83% YoY): A manga reading destination holding a large, steady base.

Asuratoons (368,000 searches, +83% YoY): Another reader term, up +22% over three months.

Palworld Map (368,000 searches, +307% YoY): The in-game map lookup is the fastest riser in this section, up +1,012% over the last three months.

Blue Lock (246,000 searches, +22% YoY): The sports anime grows +22% over the year, six months and three months alike.

Anime Convention (110,000 searches, +122% YoY): In-person fandom is up sharply, and up +172% over six months.

Key Players

• Bandai Namco sits behind the figure and model-kit demand driving Premium Bandai
• Anime Expo is the largest North American convention pulling the event searches
• Viz Media publishes much of the manga the reader searches are looking for

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Summary

The activities and hobbies landscape of 2026 rotated hard this quarter. Whether people are squishing NeeDoh (3.35M searches, now well off its peak), building LEGO (2.24M, flat), running a 3D printer (823K, +83%), driving to a water park (1.83M, +307% over three months), tracking Pokemon card values (823K, +22%), or looking up a Palworld map (368K, +1,012% over three months), the common thread is that the indoor tactile boom handed volume back and the outdoor, seasonal and fandom searches picked it up.

The winning approaches in hobbies now share these characteristics:

• Tactile satisfaction that a screen cannot replicate, though it peaks like everything else
• Collectibility and scarcity that turn products into sets and assets, and rotate between shelves
• Community connection through conventions, live commerce, and shared fandoms
• Low or no cost, from splash pads to a meteor shower to a browser puzzle
• Real-world venues and movement that pull people off the couch

For entrepreneurs and investors, the data points to several high-growth opportunities: collectible sensory toys, licensed and display-first building sets, affordable 3D printers and filament, live-commerce tools for collectors, and e-bike brands targeting new riders. See how Rising Trends helps you find trending products before they peak.