By Sixtine Tabard - Reading time 3 minsWhile every wish is shaped around the individual child, most wishes around the world fall into four broad categories: to go, to have, to meet, and to be. These wish types are consistent across countries and cultures, providing a shared framework for how children imagine their wishes.
What continues to evolve is how children express those wishes, reflecting changes in interests, technology, and the world children grow up in today. Looking across the Make‑A‑Wish network, several wish trends stand out internationally.
Gaming and technology wishes are the fastest‑growing
Gaming and technology‑related wishes are among the fastest‑growing worldwide. For many children, gaming is a central part of how they play, relax, and stay connected, particularly during long periods of treatment or recovery.
These wishes can take many forms – from consoles and custom gaming setups to technology that supports creativity, learning, and connection. For children facing serious illness, gaming can offer a sense of normality and control at a time when much of daily life is shaped by medical routines.
This growth reflects the role technology now plays in childhood across many countries and regions.
Meeting YouTubers and online personalities remains highly popular
Meeting someone inspiring has always been a powerful wish. For many years now, that has increasingly included YouTubers, streamers, and online personalities, alongside athletes, performers, and other public figures.
Online creators are often part of children’s everyday lives, offering familiarity, humor, and comfort, especially during difficult moments. These wishes reflect how children connect with the world today and remain consistently popular across the Make‑A‑Wish network.
Travel wishes continue to resonate worldwide
Travel remains one of the most well‑known and enduring wish types around the world. Whether visiting a theme park, discovering a new place, or taking a meaningful family trip, travel wishes offer something universal: time together, shared memories, and a break from the routines of hospital visits and treatment schedules.
Across cultures, these wishes remain deeply valued for the opportunity they give families to reconnect and celebrate together.
Wishes focused on the future
Many wishes are shaped by how children look ahead and imagine their future. These often take the form of “to be” wishes, where children step into a role they admire, such as being a chef, artist, athlete, scientist, or creator for a day.
Other future‑focused wishes involve receiving something that supports a child’s goals or independence. This might include a laptop to help with schoolwork, creative tools to develop a skill, or a bicycle to make getting to school easier. These wishes reflect ambition, curiosity, and confidence in what comes next.
Across cultures, future‑focused wishes show children continuing to think beyond their illness and focus on learning, growth, and possibility.
A reflection of childhood today
Alongside newer and evolving trends, many wishes continue to reflect long‑standing interests and passions. Whether a wish is to have something meaningful, to meet someone admired, to go somewhere special, or to be something inspiring, these wishes remain central around the world.
Taken together, international wish trends show both continuity and change. The four wish types remain a constant framework, while individual wishes evolve alongside children’s interests, technology, and culture. From gaming and online creators to travel and timeless experiences, wishes continue to reflect one simple truth: what matters most is that each wish feels right for the child at the center of it.
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