Toy trains, roller skates and sneakers styled after the early 2000s are among the gifts Americans have been searching for most this year, according to Google’s annual Holiday 100 list, released this week. The list, which shopping writers and marketers watch as an early signal of what will end up under the tree, is drawing attention online for one clear theme: a lot of this year’s wish lists look like they came out of a toy chest from decades past.
What Google’s Holiday 100 is
Google’s Holiday 100 highlights products and related search terms that saw a significant rise in Google Search interest over the past year, according to Social Media Today. This year’s edition is organized into categories including beauty, tech, home, fashion and kids, TODAY reported, with a companion mini-site that shows search trend data and links product highlights to Google’s AI Mode shopping overviews.
It is important to understand what the list measures. It tracks growth in searches, not sales, and it does not rate quality or safety. A product that jumped 200% may still be searched less often than an everyday best-seller. Still, rising searches are a useful snapshot of what people are curious about heading into the holidays.
The throwback toys and gear on the list
Several of the fastest-rising searches point to classic, screen-free fun, according to figures Google shared and outlets including WPDE, TODAY and Social Media Today reported:
- Classic toy train sets: up 240%
- Adjustable roller skates: up 180%
- FAO Schwarz piano mat: up 180%
- Geared bikes: search interest at an all-time high, WPDE reported
- Bluey Toniebox: up 185%, a screen-free audio player for young kids
- Fujifilm Instax holiday sets: up 190% for the instant-print cameras
WPDE noted that Google described the Nike V5 RNR running shoes, whose searches rose 150%, as inspired by running styles from the early 2000s, one of several early-2000s favorites WPDE highlighted as making a comeback. Other notable jumps included podcast microphones (up 115%) and the Always Pan Pro cookware (up 75%).
Fashion, beauty and home trends, too
Outside the toy aisle, the biggest percentage jumps came in clothing and beauty. TODAY reported that searches for striped sweaters and wide-leg jeans were each up 600%, festive candles up 335%, and a “ski design mug” up 235%. Social Media Today listed a lymphatic sculpting face brush (up 400%), kitten heel sandals (up 295%) and Cécred hair products (up 160%) among the year’s rising trends, and said utility jackets were searched more than ever. Perfume was the most-searched type of gift set, and packing cubes rose about 70%, a nod to families on the move.
The list fits a wider pattern this season of shoppers looking for gifts that feel personal or meaningful. Upstormed News recently looked at why experience gifts are trending this holiday season, another sign that families are thinking carefully about what they give.
Why it matters for families
For parents, the Holiday 100 can be a handy idea list, especially the screen-free picks like train sets, skates, bikes and audio players. A few things to keep in mind before buying:
- Search interest is not a review. Read reviews and compare prices before buying a trending item.
- Budget for safety gear. Skates and bikes are more fun, and safer, with a helmet and pads, so factor those into the cost.
- Check for recalls on toys. The Consumer Product Safety Commission posts recalls at CPSC.gov; we rounded up recent ones in our holiday safety check.
- Popular can mean pricey. Trending items may sell out or rise in price closer to the holidays, so comparing options early can help.
What to watch next
Retailers are already rolling out early holiday deals, and it will be worth watching whether these trending searches turn into sellouts. As we reported, Black Friday keeps creeping earlier this year. Upstormed News will keep tracking what families are searching for and buying as the season goes on.
Which classic toy or gift from your own childhood would you love to see under the tree this year?
Read more: The ‘Then and Now’ Photo Trend Shows What Never Changes About Us
Sources: TODAY, “Google Holiday 100: The Trending Gifts Everyone Searched for in 2026” (November 9, 2026); Social Media Today, “Google releases its 2026 Holiday 100 gift guide” (November 9, 2026); WPDE, “Geared bikes, rollerblades and Y2K-inspired shoes are back, topping Google’s holiday list” (November 10, 2026)
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