Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

Most people remember playing with toys when they were kids. There are memories of brightly colored blocks being stacked, toy dolls going on action-packed adventures and coloring books with pictures colored outside the lines. Even the simplest things could be toys like paper folded into airplanes or fortune tellers.

As we got older, toys started to dwindle. Playing with dolls was not cool anymore, and coloring books turned into workbooks for school. Toys became something that were just for kids. What seemed like such an important part of our day-to-day lives suddenly became something we had no use for anymore.

Toys, especially those like coloring books and Legos, foster creativity. In our later years, it is easy for our creativity to fizzle out. But building things with Legos or deciding which colors to use on a beautiful picture helps inspire our creativity again.

However, in recent years, it’s felt like there’s been an increase in toys, like Legos and coloring books, for adults. It might seem a little weird at first — the idea of toys being marketed to adults while they are usually classified as things for children. While it might seem like a little bit of a culture shift, it is actually a good thing that these are on the rise.

Adult coloring books have actually been around since the 1880s, but it seems like only recently they have gained popularity. A little more sophisticated than children’s coloring books and featuring a wide range of different subjects featured within their pages, adult coloring books appeal to a large range of ages.

It has also been more obvious that some Lego sets have started to be tailored toward adults. Certain Lego sets are considered to be collector’s items, and we all know from the Lego movie that adults can form a certain obsession with them.

Despite that, it might not be a bad thing that coloring books and Lego sets are being marketed toward older populations because toys are not just for kids. There are actually benefits to adults using coloring books and Legos.

Toys foster creativity. In our later years, it is easy for our creativity to fizzle out. But building things with Legos or deciding which colors to use on a beautiful picture helps inspire our creativity again. Creativity, like any other skill or quality, needs to be exercised. Legos and coloring books can provide us with a great way to exercise our creativity.

These toys also provide us with a way to reduce stress and anxiety. Toys provide an outlet for any stress and anxiety that have been acquired during the day. Adult lives can be full of stress, so having a way to get rid of it is important. Some people use exercise or meditation to get rid of stress, but if that is not working for you, you can always try coloring books and Legos as an alternative.

Reach Hana Pavelko at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @hanasolo13.