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Kids are picky, fickle little creatures, and honestly, that’s a big part of their charm. The toys they want are ever-changing, and it can be seriously hard to keep up with what trend is cool and what’s “Ugh, so lame, Mom.” Thankfully, there are people out there like myself whose job is to figure out what our kids want before it’s sold out and going for the price of a small car on eBay.
This year, there have been a few new themes that have stood out to me: robots, food toys, and dinosaur toys like this cool 3-in-1 Rescue Rex from Vtech that provides hours of play and all things remote-controlled. It makes sense given the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park, the new Transformers, and the focus on STEAM toys, which food is very much a part of. (What is baking if not art and math?)
Pretend play is having a moment, and one of my favorites is a Girl Scout Cookie Booth from Little Tikes that our testers loved, and even babies are getting in on it with the Fisher Price Learn and Laugh DJ Mix Table. Simply put, it's a great year to be a kid.
I've spent over 100 hours researching toys this year between meetings with brands, toy fairs, and testing toys with groups of children, so trust me — these are the toys your kids will definitely want this year.
Your future Judy Chicago or Kehinde Wiley could get their start with this light-up drawing board by Crayola. This enchanting coloring toy illuminates your children's artwork, inspiring them to create more and more illustrations. Powered by three AA batteries, this board utilizes washable color gel markers that create bright and bold lines that your kid will absolutely adore.
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Best New Small Interactive Toy
My Squishy Little Little Dumplings Toy
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Best New Small Interactive Toy
My Squishy Little Little Dumplings Toy
Now 69% Off
Squeezy interactive dumplings are a bit reminiscent of Wowwee's Fingerling toys, except these are much cuter. You squeeze their little cheeks, and its little body pops right out of the head, and the eyes move up and down.
We promise it's nowhere near as strange as it sounds. It's positively sweet, and kids are going wild for it. (Mine certainly are.) These are available for preorder right now, shipping the week of Nov. 15. 2021.
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For the Speed Racers
Flybar 6 Volt Battery Powered Bumper Car Blue
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For the Speed Racers
Flybar 6 Volt Battery Powered Bumper Car Blue
Now 13% Off
Got a little future daredevil on your hand? Why not get them one of these very slow (1mph) bumper cars? It's battery-charged and controlled via dual joysticks under each hand.
Just make sure that your child is at least 18 months old, and always strapped in and buckled before setting them loose to annoy the cat and each other. They will have tons of fun, though.
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For Future NASA Engineers
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Telescope
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For Future NASA Engineers
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Telescope
It's a real telescope, I promise. It's also a learning tablet that comes complete with tons of different cards that teach your little ones all about space. It also has games for your kids to play as they learn about our universe, making each of them a tiny astronaut.
Do you have a future Picasso on your hands? Let your child indulge their inner artist and love of cute creatures with the Crayola Scribble Scrubble Cloud Playset.
In the kit your child will get a koala-corn and owl-icorn and a set of special markers, a rainbow slide, and a tub to wash off the creations. It's utterly charming.
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Volcanic Cornhole
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Volcano Bean Bag Toss Game for Kids
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Volcanic Cornhole
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Volcano Bean Bag Toss Game for Kids
Take cornhole and mix it with ring toss, and you'll get close to the fun of this game, but it won't quite make it because this is so much better. Plus, the bean bags look like magma!
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Best RC Toy
Skyrocket Mega Chomp Remote Control Shark
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Best RC Toy
Skyrocket Mega Chomp Remote Control Shark
If you want to see your child cackle with glee, get them this remote-control shark. It chomps as it goes, and it's actually pretty quick. Don't worry — it's light and doesn't hurt when your child inevitably chases you down while you're cooking dinner one evening. It's a cat's worst nightmare, but they're good at hiding.
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Best Instrument
The ONE Music Group Smart Piano Keyboard
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Best Instrument
The ONE Music Group Smart Piano Keyboard
If your child is itching to pick up a new instrument, but you're not sure if you have the cash to shell out for lessons, bring home this quality keyboard.
It functions just like a regular piano keyboard, but it also features the ability to teach your child new music by connecting to an app. The keys will light up and show your kid how to play songs. It's entertaining and will leave your child with music skills to last a lifetime.
If the skill really takes off, you can also bring home this 88-key piano keyboard that teaches music in the same way.
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2023 Toy of the Year
Dog-E Interactive Robot Dog
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2023 Toy of the Year
Dog-E Interactive Robot Dog
Now 19% Off
Our 2023 Toy of the Year, Dog-E is one of the most fun toys I've seen in recent history. It's an app-controlled robot dog that does tons of tricks, including playing tug of war, making tons of sounds, and even playing games with your child through the app.
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Most Exciting Surprise Toy
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Crystal Ball
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Most Exciting Surprise Toy
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Crystal Ball
Now 53% Off
Moose Toys have some real magical mojo, and this year, they really hit it out of the park. The Magical Mixies Crystal Ball is a step up from 2021's cauldron.
There's a lot happening with this toy: it's a crystal ball that lights up and has "eerie smoke" (glycerin steam), and kids use their magic wand to make a surprise creature appear. That creature has over 80 sounds and reactions, acting a bit like a Zoltar or Magic 8 ball. Kids can do it over and over again, and the crystal ball also doubles as a night light! Kids love this toy so much that we named it our toy of the year in 2022.
More: The Best Outdoor Toys for Kids
Remember the bottle trend from a few years ago where kids were trying to flip a half-full bottle of water to land on its base? It's like that, with the addition of having a dart element to it. Also, it's way easier to land these darts.
The darts are built with suction cups that stick pretty well to most surfaces without damaging them. How do I know? My kids landed their darts on my oh, so brand-new television ... and it was fine.
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Best Coloring Toy
Easy Playhouse Easy Playhouse Fairy Tale Coloring Pages Castle
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Best Coloring Toy
Easy Playhouse Easy Playhouse Fairy Tale Coloring Pages Castle
We're all trying to be just a little bit better to the planet, and that can start by decreasing the amount of plastic toys we buy our kids.
This cardboard castle lets kids do the work of decorating it, thanks to the coloring-pages exterior. And it should be noted that just because it's cardboard doesn't mean it's not sturdy. Think of all the boxes your kids keep around for months and months just because they've determined it's the perfect theatre/mailbox/veterinary office.
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Most Innovative Building Toy
Clixo Clixo Crew 30-Piece Pack
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Most Innovative Building Toy
Clixo Clixo Crew 30-Piece Pack
Part building block, part origami, part magical screen-distraction device, the Clixo is one of our favorite new toys. Made of flexible, durable plastic paper, the Clixo shapes can be formed into infinite shapes and designs, providing kids hours of stimulating builds.
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A Fun Game for All Ages
WHAT DO YOU MEME? Search Party: Chaos at the Park
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A Fun Game for All Ages
WHAT DO YOU MEME? Search Party: Chaos at the Park
Part hidden figures, part Where's Waldo, part Clue? This game is made for elementary-age kids but is seriously fun for the whole family. Honestly, I brought it to a brewery after the kids played it, and a bunch of tipsy women (like myself) loved it.
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Best Marble Run Toy
Ravensburger Gravitrax Starter Set Marble Run
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Best Marble Run Toy
Ravensburger Gravitrax Starter Set Marble Run
Now 14% Off
Your little engineer will be able to unleash their creativity and innovation with this Gravitrax Marble Run. The 122-piece starter set can be assembled in infinite ways. This superior marble-run system combines kinetics, magnets, and design creativity to propel the marbles in different directions.
Your child will be obsessed with finding new ways to put it together. Once they've mastered the starter set, you can purchase extra pieces to create a unique system all their own.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like kinetic sand is going anywhere, anytime soon. The ever-popular toy has some big things happening this year, including awesome play sets like these that your kids are sure to love, and sure to scatter.
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Ready for Takeoff
KidKraft Ultimate Spaceship Wooden Pretend Play Set
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Ready for Takeoff
KidKraft Ultimate Spaceship Wooden Pretend Play Set
Not many pretend play toys have delighted our testers as thoroughly as this spaceship. It's a wooden, puzzle-style build, with lights, sounds, and projectors. The inside has this cool, hologram/Trekkie-style screen that makes kids feel like they're really doing something special — and they are — they're flexing creative muscles.
The only drawback is that you'll have to flex your muscles to move it, because it is heavy.
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Chances are, if you have a toddler or a preschooler, they love Bluey. The Aussie sensation now on American television features a family of blue heeler dogs as they go about their daily lives.
Let your children take these characters out of the cartoon world, using their own imaginations as they play with this deluxe home set from the show. It comes with the whole family, their house, a barbecue, and a picnic table.
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Best Learning-Anatomy Toy
SmartLab Squishy Human Body
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Best Learning-Anatomy Toy
SmartLab Squishy Human Body
“What’s this called?” “Where’s my funny bone?”
Got a body-curious kid? This is the toy they need. Not only is it a fun squishy toy, but it also properly labels each part of the body in plain and simple English. It’s informative and a real riot for kids who are into it.
Plus, it comes with tweezers to get the organs out, which is gross and cool.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an Expert Toy Researcher and Enthusiast
As an expert toy researcher and enthusiast, I have spent over 100 hours researching toys this year. I have attended meetings with brands, toy fairs, and conducted extensive testing with groups of children. My goal is to figure out what toys kids want before they become sold out and expensive on platforms like eBay.
Through my research, I have identified several new toy themes that have stood out this year: robots, food toys, and dinosaur toys. These themes align with the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park, the popularity of the Transformers franchise, and the focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) toys. Pretend play has also been a significant trend, with toys like the Girl Scout Cookie Booth from Little Tikes and the Fisher Price Learn and Laugh DJ Mix Table gaining popularity.
Concepts Discussed in the Article:
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VTech Switch and Go 3-in-1 Rescue Rex: This toy is a dinosaur that transforms into a police car, fire truck, and helicopter. It provides hours of play and is remote-controlled.
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Crayola Ultimate Light Board: This light-up drawing board by Crayola illuminates children's artwork and comes with washable color gel markers.
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My Squishy Little Little Dumplings Toy: These interactive dumplings have moving eyes and a body that pops out of the head when squeezed. They are available for preorder.
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Flybar 6 Volt Battery Powered Bumper Car Blue: This battery-powered bumper car is controlled via dual joysticks and is suitable for children aged 18 months and older.
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LeapFrog Magic Adventures Telescope: This telescope doubles as a learning tablet and comes with cards that teach children about space. It also includes games for interactive learning.
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Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Cloud Playset: This playset allows children to color and wash off their creations. It comes with a koala-corn and owl-icorn, special markers, a rainbow slide, and a tub for washing.
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Volcano Bean Bag Toss Game for Kids: This bean bag toss game combines cornhole and ring toss and features volcano-themed bean bags.
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Skyrocket Mega Chomp Remote Control Shark: This remote-control shark chomps and moves quickly. It provides entertainment without causing harm.
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The ONE Music Group Smart Piano Keyboard: This keyboard functions like a regular piano keyboard and can teach children how to play songs by connecting to an app. It lights up the keys to guide the user.
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Dog-E Interactive Robot Dog: This app-controlled robot dog performs tricks, plays games, and makes sounds. It can interact with children through the app.
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Magic Mixies Magical Misting Crystal Ball: This crystal ball lights up and produces "eerie smoke" when activated with a magic wand. It reveals surprise creatures with over 80 sounds and reactions.
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Popdarts Original Game Set: This dart game involves landing darts with suction cups on various surfaces. It is easier to play and does not damage surfaces.
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Easy Playhouse Fairy Tale Coloring Pages Castle: This cardboard castle allows children to decorate and color the exterior. It is sturdy and eco-friendly.
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Clixo Clixo Crew 30-Piece Pack: This building toy combines building blocks, origami, and flexible plastic paper to create infinite shapes and designs.
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WHAT DO YOU MEME? Search Party: Chaos at the Park: This game is a combination of hidden figures, Where's Waldo, and Clue. It is suitable for all ages and provides fun for the whole family.
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Ravensburger Gravitrax Starter Set Marble Run: This marble run set includes 122 pieces that can be assembled in various ways. It combines kinetics, magnets, and design creativity.
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Kinetic Sand Construction Site Folding Sandbox Playset: This playset includes kinetic sand and construction-themed accessories for imaginative play.
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KidKraft Ultimate Spaceship Wooden Pretend Play Set: This wooden spaceship playset features lights, sounds, projectors, and a hologram/Trekkie-style screen. It encourages creative play.
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Bluey Mega Bundle Home: This deluxe home set features characters from the popular children's show Bluey. It includes the Bluey family, a house, a barbecue, and a picnic table.
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SmartLab Squishy Human Body: This toy is a squishy model of the human body that teaches children about anatomy. It comes with labels and tweezers for interactive learning.
These toys have been selected based on their appeal to children, their educational value, and their innovative features. Trust me, as an expert toy researcher, these are the toys that your kids will definitely want this year.