Wondering what the hottest toys for 2023 are? It really doesn’t matter whether you’re shopping for the little ones or the kid who has everything, we’ve got you covered with only the best of the best.
Discover the top new toys right now in our expert list below containing only the newest and hottest toys for Christmas 2023 and take the guesswork out of shopping with gifts across a bunch of various price ranges.
Also of Interest: Best Cool Gifts for Boys
Our Review
Given the popularity of Gabby’s Dollhouse on Netflix, it was only a matter of time before we got toys to go alongside the streaming show.
Fast-forward to the here and now and parents everywhere are scrambling to pick up the highly sought after Gabby’s Dollhouse Purrfect Dollhouse.
This beautiful thing is what every child wants right now. It stands at over two feet tall, which is massive, features a working elevator with access to all four floors, and plays eight sounds and phrases.
Not only that, you also get 15 accessories – including Gabby and Pandy Paws, two deliveries, and eight furniture pieces – and it contains a QR code for a special gift.
So yeah, there’s a lot here to get kids dreaming up role-play adventures. And if you’ve got any of the smaller sets, they all scale and can play together in this big one.
Recommended Ages: 3 years and up
Our Review
The Magic Mixies Magical Misting Cauldron from Moose Toys is currently the hottest toy on the market. Everyone is trying to get hold of this thing.
And why wouldn’t they? In the age of tech, creating a toy that feels magical isn’t easy. Yet somehow, Moose Toys has created something full of wonder.
When I previously wrote about the Magic Mixies Magic Cauldron, I was amazed seeing it in action. Add the different ingredients, say the magic words, then mist will rise from the cauldron. Wait a few seconds and the cauldron will begin to rock. That’s when kids know it’s time to take out their new favorite plushie.
I still have zero idea of how Moose Toys has pulled this off, but if you’re after a Christmas gift that’s going to leave them speechless, this is absolutely the one to go with. It is, without question, a solid alternative to Christmas Squishmallows (though I still love those squishy plushies).
It’s also worth noting, there’s a whole range of Magic Mixies now. If you’re after something smaller and more cost-effective, the Magic Mixies Mixlings Magic Castle offers up three mini figures along with an enchanting playset.
There’s also the big new one everyone needs to check out. The Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball is something I went hands-on with and if they loved the Misting Cauldron, they’re going to be amazed by the crystal ball playset.
Recommended Ages: 5 Years and Up
Our Review
Another year, another Hot Wheels playset – but, honestly, this thing is HUGE! The Hot Wheels City Robo T-Rex Ultimate Garage will inspire hours of fun, thanks to its massive size, cool winding tracks, and the star of the show, a giant green T-Rex. Take your favorite Hot Wheels to the top of the garage and send it flying down the track, complete with epic big air jumps.
And, it provides easy storage for over 100 Hot Wheels cars!
Yes, it’s a pain in the butt to assemble (although I’m sure dads who are more patient than I would make easy work of it), but either way, the resulting playset is well worth the effort.
Of course, if Hot Wheels are a little small, you could always consider going with a 24 volt ride on.
Our Review
The Lego NES is all kinds of nostalgic awesomeness.
This 2646-piece set tasks builders with creating a Nintendo Entertainment System, a controller, video game cartridge, and a retro TV. This isn’t a quick 10-minute build. This is an afternoon well spent at least.
What’s especially cool is how much attention to detail Lego has put into the Lego NES Set. The NES console opens, allowing you to put a cartridge in, the controller can be hooked up via the controller port, and the TV… The TV is an incredible bit of engineering.
Once complete, a crank on the side turns the inside so it plays out like the first level of Super Mario Bros. How freaking cool is that?
Recommended Ages: 18 Years and Up
Our Review
For the past two Christmases, Rainbocorns by Zuru have been among the hottest toys for girls 3-9 years old. This year, Zuru has their best line of Rainbocorns yet with the Rainbocorns Wild Surprise. This year, your kids can hatch one of seven new Rainbocorns from a tiger printer mystery egg, including a tigercorn, elephantcorn, ULTRA-CUTE toucancorn, a zebracorn, and more.
Each egg contains ten layers of surprises to be unraveled, including Rainbocorn poop, nail decals, and more. There are also some rare Rainbocorns to be found, including the Slothcorn, the Wild Surprise Peacockcorn (Target exclusive), and the long-necked Giraffecorn (Walmart exclusive).
Our Review
I LOVE the Treasure X line that Moose Toys first introduced a couple of years ago, and their latest creation is one of my favorites so far. It’s called the Treasure X Sunken Gold Treasure Ship Playset, and if the super-cool teal Kraken on the back of the ship weren’t enough to sell you, maybe the black, gold, and red ship, itself, will do the trick.
In fact, the looks like something you’d see out of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, with a classic pirate look and a touch of fantasy elements. It has a spring-loaded canon, trap doors into the jail, a plank for sending your foes a-walkin’, and real gold-dipped treasure! Where is the treasure, you ask? Well, that’s part of the fun!
To get the treasure, your child must battle the Kraken. After defeating it, the Kraken will reveal where the treasure is.
Our Review
You should always expect Barbie toys to be on a list of the best new toys of the year, since year after year Mattel puts out great new additions to the Barbie line. This year, check out the Barbie Dreamhouse, a large-scale dollhouse that comes with three floors, six rooms, and well over 70 accessories. What’s more, it also has a working elevator.
Check out more of the best Barbie dreamhouses here.
Our Review
Late last year, Disney’s The Mandalorian absolute blew up in popularity when its first season released, and, hands-down, the star of the show is The Child, aka Baby Yoda.
This Christmas, your Star Wars-loving kids can pick up the The Child Animatronic Edition toy, which features series-inspired sounds and motorized movements. This cute little toy is great for both kids and Star Wars-loving adults.
If you pat its head three times, it will close its eyes, raise its arms, and make it look like it’s using the Force. When it’s done, you can lay the tuckered-out little guy down for his Force nap.
Our Review
We’ve been playing the Logitech G Cloud console and it is like nothing else on the market.
What is it exactly? It’s multiple things at once. It’s a game streaming console, and Android gaming handheld, and a killer emulation device.
If you’ve got a Game Pass or NVIDIA GeForce NOW subscription, they’ll work on the Logitech G Cloud right out of the box with no extra setup. Just punch in your details and within seconds you’ll be playing either of those service’s vast library from the comfort of your couch.
If you’ve got a gaming PC as well, you can set up Steam Link to playing games over a local network.
On the Android side of things, we tested a host of different titles and they all worked wonderfully. Diablo Immortal in particular can run at its highest settings with zero issues. And it looks stunning on that lush seven-inch screen.
For emulation, everything from the Dreamcast era and below works brilliantly. GameCube struggles a lot, as do Wii titles, but if you’re looking to play the likes of the retro Mario or Sonic games, or more recent titles like Marvel vs Capcom 2, or even PS2 games, this is one handheld you need to check out.
Yes, the Logitech G Cloud is pricey. There’s no getting around that. And at $50 less than a Steam Deck, it’s not going to be for everyone. That said, if you’re after comfort, power, and love playing Android games, the Logitech G Cloud is the best way to play.
Our Review
Of course, it wouldn’t be a new holiday season if we didn’t get a new wave of LEGO toys for kids to get under their Christmas trees this year, and LEGO hit it out of the park with the new LEGO Art line. Our personal favorite, which is most likely to be the most popular, is the new LEGO Art Star Wars the Sith Creative Sith Lord Building Kit.
This is a canvas art set for kids and adults alike, although it skews more towards the teen crowd than 8-year-olds. Still, denying its awesomeness would be considered a crime against the Republic.
It comes with 3,395 pieces and 9 canvas wall decor plates, and it’ll allow users to build infamous Sith Lords using single dot LEGOs. Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, and Darth Maul can be created with this set.
If they love all things Star Wars, then we highly recommend the Star Wars Sith Lord Building Kit.
Our Review
Where were these electric scooters when I was a kid!?
Anyone who has ever been on an electric scooter can tell you just how much fun they are, and that’s a great reason to get one. The Gotrax GXL V2 electric scooter is the perfect scooter for your teen to get around your neighborhood with. Whether he’s going to a friend’s house, the park, the pool, the ball field, the basketball court, or simply going for a joy ride, the GXL v2 is the best option under $300.
It comes with a 36V battery that lasts up to 12 miles, and it quickly recharges fully in just 4 hours. What’s great about this e-scooter is its 8.5″ pneumatic tires that are great on concrete and even dirt roads.
It has a max speed of 15.5mph, so make sure he wears a helmet while riding.
Our Review
Okay. This thing is cool.
The FurReal Snackin Sam The Animatronic Brontosaurus is a cutesy dinosaur that comes to life in a way only FurReal can pull off.
FurReal’s animatronic tech is second to none. This isn’t just a case of the head moves a bit and it wiggles. Each movement looks natural and results in a toy with tons of character.
Sam also features 40 sounds and reactions to discover and interacts with the toy frozen treat accessory.
If you’re after a gift that’s going to make them squee with excitement, this is absolutely the one to go with.
Recommended Ages: 4 Years and Up
Our Review
The Air Hogs Jump Fury is easily one of the coolest toys to hit shelves this year.
Yes, it’s a remote-controlled car, but it’s also incredibly safe. You see, the Jump Fury features super soft wheels designed for indoor play. You don’t need to worry about this RC car breaking anything. It’s living-room friendly.
But despite the more living-room-friendly design, it still can kick it with the other RC cars. In fact, this monster can reach heights of up to 22 inches, and even though it’s built for pulling off sick tricks, it’s durable and won’t fall apart.
And best of all, it’s a very affordable RC car as well. There really isn’t anything to fault here.
Recommended Ages: 4 Years and Up
Our Review
There are currently a host of new Fall Guys toys to choose from after a long time without any official offerings.
We’ve found everything from light-up, mountable Fall Guys Pods, a kid-friendly version of Monopoly, mix and match figures, and of course, a host of Fall Guys plushies, some of which are 18 inches!
As mentioned, these are all official offerings, meaning there’s no more rushed, mass-produced rubbish. Great news or what?
Recommended Ages: Varies
Our Review
After a dog that’s cute and doesn’t need cleaning up after? Go with Moji the Lovable Labradoodle.
This little poochy is super cute and responds to certain phrases to perform tricks. In fact, Moji the Loveable Labradoodle can pull of 10 different tricks, including sit down, paw, and protect.
Not only that, Moji has 150 sound-and-motion combinations for kids to discover.
Another cool feature is the Tamagotchi-like dog collar, which communicates how Moji is to kids.
Recommended Ages: 6 Years and Up
Our Review
Hasbro recently sent me the Ghostbusters Plasma Series and let me tell you, if you’re a fan of Ghostbusters or have just seen the Ghostbusters Afterlife movie, these are the figures you want to go for.
Believe it or not, Hasbro has carved out a solid reputation when it comes to action figures. When it comes to articulation, likenesses, accessories, and cost, there is no better toy manufacturer out there.
The Plasma Series brings over what makes the Hasbro Marvel Legends and Star Wars Black series so popular and applies it to Ghostbusters.
Each figure in this range features detailed articulation. This may not sound like much, but when it comes to posing figures or cranking back limbs in realistic ways, articulation is what makes the difference between a good figure and a great figure.
On the likeness side of things, Hasbro has nailed it. So much so, in fact, when I saw the Trevor figure I instantly turned to my wife and asked “If that the kid from Stranger Things?”
As for accessories, they’re great. Certain figures come with a proton pack and a particle thrower (along with a rather neat beam effect to attach to the particle thrower), while others come with little Staypuft accessories to drape over the torso. That’s as well as extras like newspapers, maps, gizmos and more. In short, you’re absolutely getting more than just a figure.
It’s also worth mentioning as this is Christmas we’re talking about, if you pick up the entire wave, each figure comes with a piece of a larger ghost figure kids can build. And yes, the larger build-a-figure is impressive.
There’s sure to be a lot of different Ghostbusters figures to choose from. But, as I say, you aren’t going to find better than the Ghostbusters Plasma series. They are the real deal, and kids won’t be disappointed.
The full range from this series are:
Recommended Ages: 4 Years and Up
Our Review
One of my favorite gifts for little girls in 2019 was Boppi the Booty Shakin Llama, and this year, Zuru returns with a slightly new version of it: the Rainbow Bonnie the Booty Shakin Llama.
This rainbow sherbert-colored llama shakes her groove thang to three new songs that will have your family roaring with laughter.
Bonnie the Booty Shaking Llama comes with the batteries you need to get her moving and shaking, so you don’t have to worry about tracking down new batteries on the big day.
Our Review
Snap Ships is PlayMonster’s new toy line that’s sort of a toys to life concept that doesn’t require a game console. To use Snap Ships to their full capabilities, they can be used with a smartphone, though.
Snap Ships are a build-to-battle toy system that allows your kids to create their own battle spaceships. All sets and pieces are interchangeable, and each set comes with its own step-by-step instructions to show your child how to make multiple builds. They can then take their creations into the interactive app and catalog their collection.
They’re a lot of fun for ages 6 to 12 years old, and the more sets they have, the more fun they’ll be able to have (since that means they’ll be able to build even more).
Our Review
Every Star Wars fan should own an X-Wing. That’s just how it is. Although some would point to the Millenium Falcon, I’d argue the X-Wing is more iconic.
The LEGO Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter Set is, as you can imagine, extremely cool.
What I love about this set is the complexity is as close to perfection as you can get. It’s not easy, and the importance of making sure you build the main shaft right cannot be understated. And yet, it’s not super difficult either. It’s a sense-making build in that once you’ve started, you kind of have a rough idea as to where the pieces should go. I love builds like that.
What’s also really great, the wings can be closed shut (the landing position) or opened thanks to a gearbox on the interior. It’s a stylish little touch that really adds something worthwhile.
In terms of mini-figures, you get Luke and Leia Skywalker, an R2-D2, and General Dodonna – the latter of whom I had to Google. Turns out he’s a real character. Who knew?
Recommended Ages: 9 Years and Up
Our Review
If you’re looking for a quality drone that’s both fun to fly, easy to learn, and highly functional, you can’t go wrong with the Sky Viper brand. Sure, they might be considered a “toy”, but they’re, hands-down, the most formidable toy drones. Their new Sky Viper Journey Pro Drone comes with some features that you’d find in something more akin to a DJI drone, like Position hold, Return to Home with one button push, and a Follow Me mode.
It also has auto launch, auto land, and hover modes that make it even easier to control.
Best of all, it’s super easy to fly and super easy to record high-quality video with. If your boy is a skateboarder like mine is, the Follow Me mode definitely comes in handy for capturing their skills in motion.
Our Review
With its Rainbocorn line, Zuru has the surprise toy playsets on lock. But one of their other lines is giving Rainbocorns a run for its money; I’m talking about the Itty Bitty Pretty’s line. This year, you can snag the Itty Bitty Pretty Tea Party Teacup Dolls Playset for your little one. It comes with over 25 surprises in each mega-sized teacup, including teabags that dissolve into clothing items for the dolls to wear.
Each playset allows you to collect one of 13 exclusive Itty Bitty Pretty dolls (they’re ultra sassy!). In fact, they’re likely going to be one of the hardest to find Christmas gifts for girls this holiday season.
Here’s what’s included in every Teacup Playset:
Our Review
Last year, LEGO released a Marvel Avengers Ultimate Quinjet that was a super hot seller, and this year, they’re following it up with a similar LEGO Avengers kit, this time focusing on the Helicarrier. The set has 1244 pieces, including everything you need to build an awesome helicarrier and a slew of Avengers minifigs. In this box, you’ll find Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, War Machine, Nick Fury, and even an awesome M.O.D.O.K. minifig that’s, well, not so mini!
The resulting helicarrier from this set is a whopping 14″ long, and the cockpit even has room for up to three of the minifigures at once.
This LEGO helicarrier makes a great gift for all ages, but it’s recommended starting at ages 9 years and up.
Our Review
For under $100, you won’t find a better new RC boat than Altair’s AA Aqua. It’s ultra-fast for the price range, coming in at slightly over 18mph with the included 1500mAH batteries (it ships with two, for the record). It’s also a great-looking boat, with a slim design that has a red and black hull. It also has an anti-capsize hull so that it will flip itself over if it ever flips upside down.
The AA Aqua also has a low battery alarm and out of range alarm, meaning you’ll always be notified when you need to bring it back to port. On top of all that, it has a great safety feature called CSP – Child Safe Propeller System – which means the propellers won’t be able to turn unless they’re in water!
We also included it on our list of the best RC boats available right now, and you can find other RC boats on our list of the best gifts for 12 year old boys.
Recommended Ages: 14+
Our Review
Lego Stars Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the perfect game for kids. It’s colorful, funny, inventive, and a thoroughly good time.
There is a lot of content here for players to enjoy. The Skywalker Saga features all nine Star Wars films in video game form. And best of all, it’s really easy to pick up and play.
Combat is a simple affair – one button attacks, another performs a special attack, and the third launches enemies into the air. These buttons can be strung together to create stronger combinations that give the player an edge. Alternatively, even younger players can hammer one button with very little need to switch it up except for when attacks are blocked. This really is a game that’s been designed with all age groups in mind.
Missions vary from chapter to chapter in that one instance could you see you traversing a wide-open area in search of specific items or enemies to beat, while another could be a one-on-one big boss fight. Again, everything ties into the movies, so expect to see popular Star Wars locales aplenty.
There are also a host of simple puzzles to access new areas or unlock different items and gear. While these are simple, developer TT Games has made of point of making them fun so they can be enjoyed by older ages as well as younger ones.
Each of the individual Star Wars chapters range from around one-to-two hours apiece to complete if you’re playing just for the story and not amassing collectibles or completing challenges. In total, it takes around 15 hours to play through all nine chapters.
That said, there is a lot more to do than play through the Star Wars movies. Outside of the main story are highly-detailed Star Wars worlds and areas to explore. Each area is also filled with resources and collectibles to unlock. A lot of players will spend a lot of time unlocking different Star Wars characters to be used as playable avatars in-game, of which, there are 380 to unlock in total. Yes, that’s a lot. The value for money on offer in The Skywalker Saga is second to none.
I’ve played all through The Skywalker Saga and I cannot recommend it enough. If you’re after something that’s got a lot to offer players of all ages, and can be played in a two-player mode, you won’t be disappointed. Not only is this one of the best Lego video games, it’s one of the best Star Wars games ever made, too.
Our Review
Getting kids into music isn’t easy. Guitars are daunting and not everyone has the dexterity for keyboards or pianos. That’s why instead of jumping straight to the main event, I always recommend starting off with something that feels like the real thing but is easier to understand.
That’s where the excellent Orba by Artiphon comes in. Kids nowadays, thanks in part to social channels like TikTok, are more likely to take up making beats than they are an instrument. Kids love anything tech-related, so going the route of digital music creation makes a lot of sense.
The Orba is, essentially, a portable music studio. The face features eight different pads. Tap a pad, and it’ll make a specific sound. If that sounds rather easy to use, that’s because it is.
Once you have a basic understanding of which button does what, you can even create loops, meaning you can freestyle music as you go.
As for app compatibility, there is a dedicated app for Orba and it’s compatible with popular apps like BandLab.
Honestly, Orba is a revolution in the music space. You don’t need hundreds of hours of practice to create killer beats. All you need is a mobile device for the app and this palm-sized device to be the next breakout artist.
Our Review
One of Ravensburger’s newest board games this year is based on a Disney classic Halloween-themed family movie by the name of Hocus Pocus, which is a movie that’s highly featured on televisions across the nation in the month of October. The board game is a cooperative card game in which players have to work together to stop the Sanderson sisters from creating a wicked potion before the sun rises in order to save the children of Salem.
As players progress through the game, they’ll be thwarted by Winifred, Mary, and Sarah’s spells. Can you stop the Sanderson sisters before it’s too late?
The Hocus Pocus board game makes a great family game for up to six players, and the instructions are easy-to-follow. It’s well-designed with vibrant artwork that’s sure to please any Hocus Pocus fan, and more importantly, it’s genuinely fun to play.
Our Review
Disney’s The Mandalorian is ultra hot right now, following the release of its first season on Disney+ late last year. In September, Disney will yet again team up with LEGO to release the Star Wars LEGO: Mandalorian Razor Crest, and it’s everything we could want from a Mandalorian-themed LEGO set.
The set comes with over 1000 pieces (1,023 pieces, to be exact), and it comes with five mini-figures (including one of The Child aka Baby Yoda). Other figures include a Scout Trooper, The Mandalorian, Greef Karga, and IG-11.
Our Review
Bluey is currently taking over the world, so it’s no surprise how popular the Bluey Ultimate Lights & Sounds Playhouse is.
We’ve got a full guide to the Bluey Playhouse but the main takeaway is that this is a large unisex dollhouse complete with figures to role-play adventures in.
In terms of figures, you’ve got Bluey, her sister Bingo, and Chattermax. That’s a solid selection of figures if you ask me. You’ve got the main character and the two supporting characters kids love. What more could you ask for?
The playhouse also featured over 50 sounds and phrases and stands at 17-inches in height and a massive 30-inches when it’s fully open. It’s huge!
Recommended Ages: 3 Years and Up
Our Review
Snag this Amazon Exclusive L.O.L. Surprise! Winter Disco Bigger Surprise Doll – one of December’s TOP sellers on Amazon right now. It’s a surprise toy unboxing kit that gives your kids over 60 never-before-seen L.O.L. surprise toys and accessories.
Each kit comes with an exclusive L.O.L. Surprise O.M.G. Outrageous fashion doll – complete with gorgeous fashion and all the accessories your child could ever want.
It also comes with a cool glittery case that makes it a great toy for kids who are always on the go!
Our Review
It’s likely that your kids are going to have no idea about the GoCube just yet, but trust me when I tell you they’re going to LOVE it – especially if they’re super into puzzle games.
Think of GoCube as an ultra-advanced version of the classic Rubix cube; it’s like an app-connected Rubix cube that will allow your kids to not only learn and improve their speed and ability in solving the cube but also allow them to connect with friends and race against GoCubers from around the world.
That’s right – multiplayer!
I tested it with my son (he’s 10 years old and loves puzzle games), and after letting him take it and connect it to the app, he fell in love with the thing. Seriously, I’ve never seen my son get attached to a toy like this one; he’s ALWAYS playing with his GoCube.
I asked him what he thought was so cool about it, and he loves the multiplayer competition aspect of it, which allows him to play against other people from around the world. In fact, he already told me that he suggested his friends buy one too so that he can play with them.
If I had to pick one awesome new toy that I’m the most excited about, it’s the GoCube.
Our Review
Kindi Kids is a brand new line of colorful bobblehead dolls by Moose Toys that’s intended for those between preschool and kindergarten.
There are four dolls coming at the end of August, each with sweet-inspired names: Marsha Mello, Jessicake, Peppa-Mint, and Donatina. Their larger than average eyes are glittery and sparkle, and they have super colorful rooted hair and bright clothes that can be changed.
On top of that, these food-themed dolls will come with unique accessories that move. There will also be three playsets launched alongside the dolls to add into the mix for the holiday season, including a bunny shopping cart, a kitty supermarket, and a bear fridge. More info on those to come.
For now, you can pre-order Kindi Kids on Amazon and they’ll ship some time at the end of August. Trust me when I tell you these are going to be one of the HOTTEST toys for Christmas 2019, and they’ll likely sell out quickly.
Our Review
If you’ve got kids ages 3 years to 5 years old, chances are that they are OBSESSED with Nick Jr’s Paw Patrol, and, therefore, they want all of the best Paw Patrol toys they can get their little hands on. There are three major new Paw Patrol toys of 2019, and our pick for being the best is the Paw Patrol Mighty Pups Super Paws Lookout Tower.
The mighty lookout tower stands at a massive 2.75-feet tall, giving your young kids the perfect vantage point for playing with it. It has a real working telescope, and it also plays real lights and sounds.
If you pick up the Mighty Pups figures along with it and place them on the platform, their spot will light up in their uniform color and your child will hear Ryder giving them a new mission.
It also has a working elevator and a cool zipline for your kids to play with that allows them to launch their favorite pup figures from the top of the tower right into the action.
It requires 3 AAA batteries, but luckily, your first round of batteries is included.
Our Review
If your kids love Nerf blasters, chances are they’re going to want the brand new Nerf Ultra One — the first entrant in the new line of nerf guns that utilize their newly-designed Ultra Darts. What makes Ultra Darts so special? Well, they’re harder and lighter than other Nerf darts, which allows them to be shot further than any other darts in Nerf’s history. In fact, these babies can reach up to 125 ft when being shot from the new Ultra One blaster!
It also has a super cool look to it, complete with the classic white, orange, dark gray and yellow colorway that we’ve become so familiar with. It also has a mega-size, motorized rotating drum (which requires 4 C batteries [not included], by the way). It has a two-trigger fire mechanism that requires you to hold one of the triggers down before you can fire with the other.
The drum holds 25 of the new Ultra Darts, and on the side of the stock of the blaster lies storage for 8 more darts, allowing you to reload quickly.
It’s one of the best new Nerf guns of 2019, which is why it deserves to be near the top of our ultimate toy list this holiday season.
Our Review
If you’re looking for something that’s going to wow them, the Abacus Dino Dig Virtual Reality Science Kit is an amazing gift that’s sure to impress.
Kids will always love dinosaurs. They are, essentially, mythological creatures, only real. What’s not to love about giant monster lizards?
Where this kit gets interesting is just how modern it is. The set comes with a set of VR goggles. If they’ve got a mobile phone, just download the app and open it, then finish by placing the device into the VR goggles and they’ll be able to explore and learn in full virtual reality.
For the sake of comparison, the best value VR headset right now is the Meta Quest 2, which costs upwards of $300. So yes, the Dino Dig Kit is a much more cost-friendly alternative for kids looking to explore in VR.
It’s not just the eight magical, engrossing VR experiences that separate this kit from the other STEM sets on the market, though. For kids looking to get a taste of archeology in their living room, there’s also a rather neat dinosaur fossil to unearth. The set even comes with all the tools needed to excavate the fossil, and when they’re done, they can put together a 10-inch T-rex. Tell me that doesn’t sound like a ton of fun?
As for what’s inside the box, the full set includes a set of the excellent makeshift VR goggles, an infographic poster, and the dinosaur dig kit itself – complete with all the tools and materials they need to learn through play.
Recommended Ages: 8 Years and Up
Our Review
If you’ve got a boy on your hands who loves monster trucks, he’ll absolutely love this Monster Jam Mega Grave Digger RC truck.
It’s Literally. A. Monster.
It’s a 1:6 scale RC truck (for those that don’t know, that means it’s HUGE). There are authentic details here to make it look just like the Grave Digger Monster Jam truck you’ve seen in all of those Monster Truck commercials, including awesome mega-sized tires, authentic graphics, and working lights. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about batteries for the truck, as it has a built-in USB charging cable that will allow you to easily recharge with any USB port (or AC adapter).
Watch this gargantuan truck climb over rocks in the yard, easily tread through puddles, and tower over other toy cars. (I HIGHLY recommend lining up a bunch of your classic Hot Wheels cars and running them over!)
Our Review
With Disney’s Frozen 2 releasing in November, you’d better believe there’s going to be a massive wave of new Frozen 2 toys available for this holiday season. In fact, we’ve already seen some great new Frozen toys added, and we’re expecting some of them to appear on the holiday toy lists from Target, Amazon, and Walmart.
My personal favorite is the brand new Elsa Fashion Doll & Nokk Figure set, which introduces the first Nokk toy. Nokk is going to be one of the more popular new characters from the upcoming animated sequel – it’s a mythical water spirit character that plays a significant role in the film.
What’s also great about the Elsa doll shown here is that she isn’t just wearing the light blue dress she’s wearing in the new film, but instead, it’s a knee-length version that’s adapted for play.
Our Review
Reading is an important part of a child’s development. That said, after a long day at work, not every parent has time to read stories. Thankfully, Storypod solves that problem in a cute and exciting way.
In short, Storypod is a revolutionary way to read stories. Simply place one of the crafties on the Storypod and it’ll come to life and read a story out loud.
The brilliance here is Storypod is a fun way to interact with stories. Even younger kids will be able to place the toy on the pod when they want to listen to a story.
And best of all, there’s a whole range to explore full of different crafties and stories. The fun really never ends.
Recommended Ages: 3 Years and Up
Our Review
Don’t underestimate this little interactive elephant just because you haven’t really heard much from the brand. Wildluvs’ Juno My Baby Elephant is a cute toy elephant that’s loaded with personality once your child can get her to come out of her shy shell. In fact, when she’s first opened and activated, Juno will be super shy, even hiding behind her ears. But as your child plays with her, she begins interacting more and being less shy.
She’s a lavender and pink elephant with an ultra long trunk that’s animated and highly realistic. She’s super playful and has over 150 sounds and movements.
Included:
Our Review
They just don’t make arcade games like they used to, and with Street Fighter II being the most popular arcade fighting game of all-time, we were stoked to find out that Arcade1Up released a Street Fighter-themed cabinet for your home. If you’re looking for one of the best gifts for him this holiday season, the Arcade1Up Street Fighter cabinet is a 3/4 arcade cabinet with the classic design of the original Street Fighter cabinet. It, of course, has an updated 17″ color LCD screen and uses commercial grade construction, making it the ultimate high-quality replica your kids will absolutely love.
There are other Arcade1UP cabinets available, too, so be sure to see what other options are out there.
Our Review
If you’re looking to shop for an RC geek, you can’t go wrong with a high-quality drone. One of the best new drones of 2019 comes from Altair Aerial, which releases the AA300 drone earlier this year. It’s the PERFECT sub-$200 drone for beginners because it still has a ton of great features. For example, it still has a 1080p HD cam for live action video that streams live footage up ot 100 meters away, a headless mode to hold altitude on its own, and one-touch take-off and landing (which is a big helper for newbie pilots).
It also has 3 different return-to-home functions like Point of Interest and Follow-Me mode. It also has GPS Flight Mode for easier stability for aerial photographers.
As far as the physical look of the drone, itself, it has a minimalistic all-black look, with a black body and black propellers. There are some LEDs on it to help you easily spot it at night.
I should probably also note that I’ve had great experience with Altair’s customer support when I needed clarification on the RTH features.
Our Review
No one knows why, but some of the most fun you can have as a kid is smashing toys into one another.
Seriously, whether it’s smashing massive robots together or crashing cars, making mayhem is pure fun.
That’s where the Ultimate Hot Wheels Crashing Action comes into play. This Hot Wheels set is the perfect toy.
The four massive, intersecting loops mean cars are going to pick up some serious speed. How many cars can you race before a giant crash happens? That’s part of the fun.
Recommended Ages: 5 Years and Up
Our Review
Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love all things Harry Potter-related, and when you pair Harry Potter with the LEGO brand, real magic happens (pun absolutely intended).
This year, LEGO has introduced the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Clock Tower, an impressive-looking 922-piece set that allows kids (and grown-ups, ahem) to build the clock tower shown in The Goblet of Fire. On top of that, it comes with some great LEGO Harry Potter minifigs, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, Albus Dumbledore, Madame Maxime, and Fleur Delacour.
When completely built, the clock tower is quite tall, coming in at 13″ high. It’ll look great among the rest of your child’s Harry Potter stuff, especially if they’ve got any of it out on display on a shelf or on the dresser in their room.
So if they love the magic of Harry Potter, and they love LEGOs, the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Clock Tower is an absolute must in 2019.
Our Review
Thanks to the popularity of the Cuphead Show on Netflix, kids everywhere now want Cuphead toys to play with.
If you’re after the best of the best, the 1000 Toys Cuphead Figure is a premium offering that looks excellent.
There is a ton of articulation in here. Should joints swivel, knees and elbows bend, and even the boots feature a level of movement most figures skip. Not only that, you also get a selection of different hands and facial expressions included. If they love posing their toys, this Cuphead figure has a lot of posing potential.
It does cost more than your average action figure, but given this is a premium offering, the price equates directly to quality, so it’s hard to grumble.
There’s even a Mugman figure if you fancy picking up the set.
Recommended Ages: 15 years and up
Our Review
The Playmobil Crystal Palace is one of the three new Playmobil sets that they’re pushing for Christmas 2019, and it’s one of the coolest. It’s 266 pieces, and once built, it’s a three-level palace fit for an ice princess!
It’s right out of the Winter Kingdom world, and it comes with cool magical lights that illuminate the dance floor. The massive set comes with numerous figures, a bed, different outfits, a bejeweled scepter, rug, vanity, ice flowers, love letter, a magical key, and so much more!
It also has a private apartment at the top of the spiral ice staircase for the royal family to vacate to when they’re done with the party! On top of all that, the magical hoop skirt outfit changes patterns when it’s cold, which is a nice added bonus.
Once assembled, it measures 17.7 x 25 x 26-inches. It requires two AAA batteries for illumination.
Our Review
If you’ve got a WWE fan in the house and a games console, WWE 2K22 comes very easy to recommend.
WWE 2K22 is an improvement over the troubled WWE 2K20 in every way possible. Visually it slams, bugs are minimal, and the sheer wealth of content is enough to keep fans playing for years.
It’s the new and improved combat system that really helps WWE 2K22 stand out. Grappling has been simplified into one button and combos can be strung together with heavy and light attacks. This adds a new dimension to in-ring fighting where even newcomers to the series can understand how to play without needing long, drawn-out tutorials.
There is, of course, a level of intricacy to learning the ins and outs for those looking to become the next big thing.
On the content front, boy is there a lot of stuff to play through. First up is a Rey Mysterio showcase mode, which tasks players with running through Rey’s top matches since he first joined WCW, complete with a video narrative staring the fan-favorite luchador himself.
Next, we’ve got a mode where players create their own virtual avatar and rise through the ranks of NXT with the dream of becoming a WWE superstar.
If that’s not enough to keep single-player gamers happy, the final mode is a General Manager simulation, whereby players are tasked with buying superstars and running their own WWE show. Keep the talent happy, book storylines, spend money pyros, rent arenas – if you’ve ever fancied becoming a GM of a WWE show, this is how you get a taste for it.
Alongside the three above modes are a host of creation suites – where players can make their own avatars, complete with entrances, or download other people’s created WWE superstars and shows online.
That’s all alongside the classic game modes for players looking to beat up one another.
To say there’s a lot of content in WWE 2K22 would be an understatement. It is without question the ultimate wrestling game for the ultimate fan.
Recommended Ages: T For Teen
Our Review
Ryan Toys Review is the most popular YouTube channel for kids, featuring Ryan, well, reviewing toys.
Of course, nowadays, Ryan actually has his own line of toys, and this year, he’s landed on Heavy’s list of the top 100 Christmas toys of 2019 with the Ryan’s World Giant Mystery Egg. Each egg is filled with a bunch of goodies, including 1 of 7 new vehicles, ultra-rare figures, a Build-a-Ryan figures, some special putty, a limited edition squishy, stickers, and tattoos.
What I Really love about these Giant Mystery Eggs is that, unlike Hatchimals, the egg, itself, doesn’t break apart and get everywhere. Instead, it’s more like a classic Easter Egg that snaps in half. On top of that, the contents within are packaged in capsules instead of loosely in bags – it just feels more of a surprise than the typical mystery toy that you’d unwrap from a bag.
But if your kids are YouTube-lovers, chances are they’ve spent some time hanging out with Ryan and his dad.
Our Review
The Baby Alive brand has been around for decades now, and they’ve been creating cool new dolls for kids to play with every year. In 2019, their hot new toy is the Baby Alive Happy Hungry Baby Doll. This baby (pun absolutely intended) can make over 50 sounds and phrases. It also eats and poops (gross, I know!), drinks and wets, and loves to be nurtured by kids.
This time around, your child can enjoy the perils of feeding time with a baby. The baby opens wide for her spoon, asks for more, and comes with some great feeding and changing accessories.
The Baby Alive Happy Hungry Baby Doll comes in a few different varieties, including brown straight hair, black straight hair, black curly hair, and blonde curly hair.
And, before you ask “should I really buy my daughter another baby doll?” – Yes, you should, because it has been scientifically proven that girls really do prefer dolls.
Our Review
L.O.L. dolls pretty much started the whole surprise mystery toy revolution of the past few years. And, admittedly, in 2019, there is no shortage of great mystery toys available. But L.O.L. has circled back this year with an all-new playset called the L.O.L. Surprise! Amazing Surprise, and it’s huge!
This set comes with 14 dolls and over 70+ surprises for your kids to unwrap – each of which are exclusive to this set.
The set includes 2 fashion dolls, 3 L.O.L. Surprise! dolls, 3 boys, 4 pets, and 2 lils – as well as all the fashion accessories you could ever want.
Our Review
If you ask me, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is the best video game out this year. It’s inventive, gripping, original, and above all else, fun.
Players assume the role of Star-Lord and start off on an expedition that eventually goes awry. In terms of content on offer, the rating of T for Teen is appropriate. Parents don’t need to worry about excessive swears or themes too grown up. If your child has seen a Marvel movie, they’re more than equipped to play this game.
Combat works in a rather interesting way. As I mentioned, players control Star-Lord, but special attacks use the other Guardians of the Galaxy. This could be pressing a button to make Groot trap enemies or telling Rocket to drop a bunch of explosives on an enemy.
The combat and general gameplay are fantastic. Fights often feel chaotic, giving a true feeling of excitement, and the more puzzle-based sections are enjoyable to figure out.
If your kid’s a Marvel fan, I can’t recommend Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy enough. This is one Christmas gift they will spend all of Christmas day playing.
In terms of which format it’s available on, you can pick it up on PS4, PS5, and Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X. If you’re after a late-minute gift, don’t forget you can always pick up the Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X versions digitally.
Our Review
If you haven’t been paying attention to kids board games this year, there’s one you should definitely know about: Ms. Monopoly! This brand new version of Monopoly sends Mr. Monopoly packing and introduces a brand new character to the Monopoly family, and in the process, celebrates women entrepreneurs.
In this version of Monopoly, women actually get a higher payout at the start of the game and more money for passing go (taking the gender pay gap into an alternate reality where men actually make less). And, what’s even cooler, is that instead of buying properties, players will buy innovative inventions by women. So, you’re not buying Boardwalk and Park Place, you’re buying Chocolate Chip Cookies and Stem-Cell Isolation!
It’s a really fun game that puts a unique twist on the classic Monopoly formula, and being that it’s a celebration of powerful women, it’s definitely going to be one of the hottest board games for Christmas this year.
Our Review
If your kids are obsessed with Twitch and Mixer, it’s likely because they love to watch their favorite game streamers kick butt live in their favorite video game (like Fortnite, for example). Five of the biggest names in video game streaming have teamed up with LAMO for some absolutely DOPE 5″ vinyl figures.
They’re available now, including:
Your kids will absolutely love these – they’re big and goofy-looking, bigger than standard 3.5″ FunKo Pop figures, and they’ll look great on any gamer’s desk or shelf.
Our Review
With Disney’s Frozen II releasing later this year, you’ll definitely see a lot of new Frozen toys hit the market here in the second half of 2019. One of our favorite new Frozen toys is the new LEGO Frozen II Arendelle Castle Village playset (#41167), which allows your child to build the 3-story Disney castle from the upcoming animated sequel.
The colorful castle stands at 11-inches high when build, and it’s 11-inches wide. It comes with over 500 pieces (521 to be exact), making it a great option for solo or group play.
On top of the castle, it also comes with some great Frozen II minifigures, including Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and some animal figures as well. It also comes with a buildable throne, and the rest of the furniture is also interchangeable so that your child can arrange them in the castle as they see fit. This Frozen 2 LEGO set also comes with a great canoe and an oar.
Our Review
With Toy Story 4 launching this summer, you’d better believe that there will be a slew of new Toy Story toys coming this year. For now, Mattel has a brand new Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Armor that your child can actually wear for pretend play.
That’s right – it sits over your space ranger’s shoulders like football shoulder pads and has a strap in the front so it doesn’t move while they’re playing. It has multiple special effects that your kids will love, including illumination and a visor that actually opens and closes. For the ultimate in pretend play, you can also add the Buzz Lightyear Disc Blaster and Wrist Communicator (sold separately) into the mix.
Our Review
If you follow Heavy’s toys section at all, you might have noticed that we had the chance to exclusively reveal WowWee Buttheads earlier this year. These are little interactive figurines that revolve around, well, having butts on their heads.
There are currently four unique figures available: Robutt (Robot), Brainfart (Zombie), The Grim Ripper (Duh), and Tushi (Ninja).
Each figure makes 20+ fart sounds when they are interacted with, and the figures, themselves, look absolutely great – almost like FunKo figures.
They’re quite possibly our FAVORITE new toy figures this year.
Our Review
Swagtron has a lot of cool electric scooters and e-bikes for adults, but I bet you didn’t know they had something for toddlers, did ya!? They totally do, and it’s super innovative. I’m talking about the Swagtron K6 4-in-1 Convertible Scooter and Balance Bike.
The K6 grows with your toddler as he/she moves from a balance tricycle to a balance bike to a three-wheel scooter to a regular kid’s scooter. Switching from each option is super easy and takes just a few minutes.
It also has a cool-looking design that your kids will love, with the option for a blue/green bike or a pink/light pink colorway.
The scooter, itself, only weighs just under 6.5 pounds, but it supports up to 55 pounds. It’s impact-resistant, weather-resistant, and scratch-resistant – so it can definitely take whatever abuse your child will throw at it, and will be their vehicle of choice for years to come.
Our Review
Play-Doh just recently announced their new types of ooey gooey compounds that your kids are going to absolutely love. There are six new types releasing, and they’re nothing like the classic Play-Doh formula you’ve used in the past. This time around, there’s Play-Doh Slime, Super Cloud, Krackle, Super Stretch, and Play-Doh Foam – each unique and independent from one another.
Each of the new compounds brings a different texture into the mix. Some are sticky, some are chunky, some are foamy – there’s a type of compound for all kids. But they’re especially great when they’re brought together in a variety pack like this one, which contains all 6 of the new Play-Doh types that have been newly introduced in 2019.
In fact, my daughter received the new types and it kept her amused for hours — and she plays with them daily! I suspect with slime kits being all the rage this year, your child is going to love the new Play-Doh Variety Pack.
Our Review
SpongeBob memes are some of the best on the internet, and chances are that your children are using them with their friends. This year, there’s a brand new line of hilarious SpongeBob Squarepants vinyl figures by Alpha Group that are made from some of those memes.
They’re called Masterpiece Memes, and our favorite is easily the Mocking SpongeBob Meme figure shown here. It’s taken from the Season 9 episode “Little Yellow Book” in which SpongeBob does this silly mocking motion. I’m sure you’ve seen the meme; it’s everywhere.
There are other Masterpiece Memes figures available as well, including a Surprised Patrick, Handsome Squidward, SpongeGar, and Imaginaaation Spongebob.
The figures are all high-quality figures, and they stand at 8″ tall, and they’re perfect for desks, nightstands, shelves, or bookshelves.
Our Review
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Fisher-Price Imaginext line of toys. They have a super cool Batman robot that’s one of the best toys for boys right now. This year, however, they’ve introduced another super cool robot toy: the Imaginext Buzz Lightyear Robot aka the Buzzbot. With Toy Story 4 releasing in 2019, we’re getting a ton of great Toy Story 4 themed toys – and this one is the best for ages 3 and up.
It comes with a Buzz Lightyear figure that you can actually place right in the spaceship’s cockpit, which is also removable as its own mini spaceship. It has a projectile launcher on its right arm and a claw on its left. It also comes with a space alien character from the movie.
Our Review
Paw Patrol toys are always on our list of the hottest new toys of the year, and this year, Spin Master is bringing some cool new ones for your little ones to play with. Our favorite of the new lot is the brand new Ultimate Rescue Construction Truck, which comes with a mini steam roller and Rubble figure.
The dump truck, itself, has flashing lights and sounds, and has some cool action features like a swinging wrecking ball and front scoop.
Our Review
I have seen the Monster Jam Grave Digger Remote-Controlled Car in action and it should be on everyone’s wish list. It is amazing.
The balancing tech in this car is second to none. No matter how you drive it, nine times out of 10 it’ll upright itself. When you’re performing tricks, this is one feature you’ll be sure to be thankful for.
Speaking of tricks. The Grave Digger comes with two modes – beginner and expert – meaning kids can really take it to the next level when they’re ready.
Honestly, RC cars are some of the most fun kids can have. It should be a rule every kid has to own an RC car of some description. While there are more premium offerings out there, if you’re after something that’s affordable but still offers up a proper RC monster truck experience, the Monster Jam Grave Digger is a solid place to start.
Recommended Ages: 4 Years and Up
Our Review
LEGO has a brand new line of Toy Story 4 LEGO sets to celebrate the launch of this year’s highly anticipated sequel to one of the most popular animated movies of all-time.
And our favorite of the new line of sets is the Buzz & Bo Peep’s Playground Adventure. It’s a set aimed at the younger crowd (4 years and up), and it comes with 139 pieces, including figures for Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, and Gabby Gabby.
It also comes with a super simple to follow guide that will help your child figure out the building steps with a little help from Mom or Dad.
There are other new Toy Story Lego sets available as well, including a super cool Buzz & Woody’s Carnival Mania Set and Duke Caboom’s Stunt Show Set.
Our Review
If you’re after a gift for younger kids that’s a little different, the Step2 Safari Truck Climber is a fun new spin on a classic.
This toy is what happens when you combine a climbing frame with a safari truck, and the end result is something kids are going to get a lot of enjoyment out of.
Step2 understands what kids love. This is evident in the smaller touches like how the back wheels have a climbing bar in so kids can vault themselves up into the body of the car or the pretend binoculars on the top. There’s even a slide at the back the car because why not?
This thing comes in at a good size as well, measuring 42 x 85 x 61 inches. It’s the perfect size for younger kids.
Recommended Ages: 2 to 5 Years
Our Review
Vtech’s second unicorn toy of the year (the first is listed above!) is the VTECH Myla the Magical Unicorn toy. It allows kids to stylize Myla with a magic brush and butterfly palette by changing her eyes, wing, and horn color.
If you hold the included mic up to Myla’s mouth, she’ll also sing a song with you, and if the mic is pulled away, she’ll continue playing the song but let your child sing the rest. She also illuminates with lights as she’s talking and singing.
Myla also comes with some accessories, including a comb, crown, and hair clips to share.
Beware – it’s a battery hog; it requires 4 AA and 2 AAA batteries. Still, it’ll be worth keeping a hefty stock of batteries on-hand if you buy Myla, as your child will absolutely adore her!
Our Review
JoJo Siwa is a super popular YouTube personality that’s adored by over 10.3 million subscribers — the vast majority of which are pre-tween and tween girls. She’s wildly popular, and she’s got a metric ton of catchy pop music videos. So, of course, there would be an awesome line of JoJo Siwa dolls with her likeness! And this year, Nickelodeon has the JoJo Siwa Singing Dolls – D.R.E.A.M. edition. It comes with a poseable JoJo doll, complete with long hair and big, bright bow. On top of that, it comes with a bright turqouise microphone and a hairbrush for styling her epic blonde locks.
The doll stands at 10-inches tall, and it requires 3 LR44 batteries (which are included!).
It’s going to be one of the most popular new toys for girls in 2019 come holiday time.
Our Review
Get political with one of 2019’s best new Barbie toys, the 60th Anniversary Presidential Candidate doll. It features a dark-haired Barbie as a political candidate, complete with business attire in the form of a blue pencil skirt and a red and black fashion-forward jacket!
This new Barbie gives us strong Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vibes, so if your little one looks at AOC as a hero, the new political Barbie is a great option.
Our Review
This awesome new Captain Marvel doll sports all the details you could ever want and a ridiculously accurate likeness to star Brie Larson. It also lights up and makes cool sound effects!
The chest and hands light up when the logo is pressed, and it makes sound FX taken directly from the movie.
It stands at 11-5-inches tall, and it has 11 points of articulation — so it’s great for posing.
I’ll also note that the hair is rooted like a Barbie would be, instead of plastic-molded. This gives the figure an added bit of realism, which is why it’s one of the best new Captain Marvel toys of the year.
There are plenty of other great Captain Marvel toys available, so if you’re looking for more options, check out our list of the very best. However, this is the only one with sound effects so far.
Our Review
The LEGO Ninjago franchise always comes with some fun ideas that boy, especially love, filled with dragons and cool-looking ninja-related stuff. This year, the newest addition is the Ninjago Cole’s Earth Driller Set (#70669), which comes with a buildable (and ultra cool-looking) earth driller, complete with an opening cockpit that fits two minifigures.
It comes with four minifigures: Cole, Kai, Stone Army Scout and Stone Army Warrior. And, it also has a buildable Giant Stone Warrior with a collectible Scythe of Quakes.
Basically, it’s super cool, and your child will love it.
Our Review
Look, we all know that Fingerlings are cute and popular; they’ve been incredibly popular since their first run of monkey toys.
Last year, WowWee gave us Fingerlings Hugs, and this year, they’ve got a few more new toys to introduce. Our favorite new Fingerling toy so far is the Light-up Narwhal.
There are four different Fingerlings Narwhals to collect as of right now: Nelly (purple), Nikki (turquoise), Nori (blue), and Rachel (pink) — each comes with a light-up mood horn that illuminates based on how they feel. It’s an added twist to the Fingerlings line that kids are going to adore!
Recommended Ages: 5 years and up
Our Review
DoodleJamz are part sensory toy, part artboard.
I’ve been playing with this DoodleJamz board recently and it’s a lot of fun. As a sensory toy, squishing the little balls around the board is immensely satisfying when you’re looking for something to fiddle with.
For the artists out there, while you can use your finger to create a masterpiece, there’s also an included stylus to push the balls around the board. This is great if you’re looking to design something specific or it’s for younger kids who lack the dexterity to use their fingers.
Finally, the background is also removable and double-sided. It’s also totally possible to put other card-based things into the DoodleJamz if you want to make your own (cereal boxes work great, by the way).
Recommended Ages: 3 Years and Up
Our Review
Okay, so remember those slap bracelets you loved and collected as a kid? Well, welcome to 2019’s version of the slap bracelet that, essentially, mixes slap bracelets with a Fingerlings/Pomsies. It’s called Little Live Wrapples, and they’re going to be one of the hottest toys this year.
There are currently six different Wrapples available, each as brightly-colored as the next. They’re super cute, and the furries giggle and purr when you pet them. On top of that, they interact with each other. So if your child and her friend both have one, the Wrapples will talk and giggle with each other.
Our Review
The DEERC 1:10 Scale Fast Brushless RC Car is one of the best RC cars out there for speed demons.
DEERC says this car can reach speeds of up to “60+KM/H” and while that’s not remotely true at all, this car is lightning fast. It’s not something you ever want to play with indoors, trust me.
During my time testing this car (read: playing with), I was astounded by how fast it moves. You’ll need a large garden or a trip to the local park to play with it that’s for sure. But when you’re out in the open and speeding down hills, it’s impossible not to be in awe of the craftsmanship on display here.
DEERC is a smart company as well. When cars go fast, you need a lightweight shell, and while newcomers may think the shell feels cheap, it’s not. It’s designed like that because the car flies. Plus being able to whip the shell off a see the brushless motors and how it all works is really cool.
If you’re looking for something super-powered that’s sure to impress even the most stubborn kids, this DEERC RC car is where it’s at.
Recommended Ages: 14 Years and Up
Our Review
With the UglyDolls movie finally releasing, Hasbro has a brand new line of Uglydoll plush toys available this year. And the best new Uglydolls toy is the talking Moxy plush. It plays over 30 sounds and phrases from the movie when you press her belly or give it a squeeze. The plush doll, itself, is ultra soft and squishy, and thanks to its embroidery details the doll has a quirky look to it.
Our Review
What’s better than tattoos? Tattoos with glitter on them, obviously!
Fab Lab has a pretty cool new kit for kids that allow them to design their own glitter tattoos. It comes with four glitter colors (purple, red, gold, and green) and 27 stencil design kits.
With this kit, your kids will be able to create cute (and temporary!) glittery tattoos that shine. It comes with the glue and everything else they’ll need to get these glittery tats on themselves. And, it’s worth noting that everything is hypo-allergenic and, of course, non-toxic.
Our Review
How many activity kits do we need – said no parent ever! These types of activity kits can be lifesavers when it comes to rainy days, and Cool Maker has a cool new kit kids will love. It’s called the Handcrafted Gem Soaps kit, and — you guessed it — it comes with everything your kids need to create their own sparkly gem-shaped handsoaps.
The soaps will be multi-colored with pinks, purples, and blues of all different shades, and they’ll contain sparkly glitter.
It’s a fun DIY kit that makes a perfect gift.
Our Review
Sometimes going the simple route with your toy design can be the best way to make kids love your toys, and that’s exactly what Playmobil is known for. Their newest line of toys is great for that reason, and our favorite is the brand new Playmobil Water Slide.
So, what it is? It’s a giant waterpark, complete with two big old slides. Not only that, there’s also a secret trapdoor up top to launch figures onto one of the slides. How cool is that?
Pair it with one of the best sandboxes for kids and you can essentially bring the beach to the backyard.
It’s easily one of the best Playmobil toys available to grab right now.
Recommended Ages: 4 Years and Up
Our Review
Off the Hook Style Dolls are a cool new twist on the typical customizing of dolls, where instead of changing clothes and outfits, you change…pieces.
These dolls have four unique parts that all hook together: a head, a torso, legs, and shoes. On top of that, you can add other accessories like hats and sunglasses.
There’s also a mystery element to them because each comes with a mystery set of bonus fashion options. There are 3 different dolls with 6 different bonus fashions and 7 accessories, for a total of 100+ fashion combinations.
I play-tested these with my own six year old, and she absolutely loves them. So, if you’ve got a child that’s into fashion and tinkering with dolls, Off the Hook dolls are a great option.
I’ll note that there’s also a super cool-looking Off the Hook Style Closet coming later this year, which is set to release in the fall.
Our Review
With a pink and purple frame, the Barbie Ride With Me Puppy Bike makes a great gift for young kids in 2019. It has cute paw prints in the shape of a heart on the training wheels, and it comes with Barbie’s plush puppy that sits in the handlebar basket. It’s sure to please any Barbie fan.
There are two other new styles by Dynacraft available, including a Unicorn edition and a Barbie Sweets edition – the former featuring a design inspired by unicorns and rainbows and the latter featuring a design inspired by cupcakes and donuts.
Our Review
Sometimes there are pictures of toys that just don’t do those toys justice – that’s what’s happening here. The new Grrrumball might just look like another hunk of plastic in the picture, but when it’s in motion, it’s an absolute blast.
It’s an RC vehicle with smashing arms, and it spins in all directions. It feels like the Tazmanian Devil of RC vehicles, so if your kids like carnage, this is the RC vehicle for them this year.
It comes with a classic-looking controller that plays cool sounds, too — the only thing you’ll need is 4 AA batteries to get it going!
Our Review
ZURU’s Robo Alive line has a few new additions this year, and our favorite are the two new Robo Alive Dragons: a Fire Breathing Roaring Dragon and an Ice Blasting Roaring Dragon.
Each dragon has LED effects, biting action, a lifelike roar and realistic movements, as well as adjustable wings. Each dragon can walk on its own and move their neck while they are doing so, roaring around and glowing with their respective element of choice (fire or ice).
The only thing separating these two dragons is their colors, with the fire-breathing dragon being red (of course) and the ice blasting dragon being an ice blue.
Our Review
The Nerf Fortnite RL Super Soaker is absolutely fantastic — what a great brand mash-up! It takes the ridiculous Fornite rocket launcher and turns it into an awesome Super Soaker water canon.
With it, your kids will be able to drench their opponents with this easy to fill and fire water blaster.
It sports the brown, blue, and orange colorway, complete with a green “missile” head that has a white face and orange tip. It’s perfect for roleplay, and it’s certainly going to be added to our list of the best summer toys.
Our Review
Are your kids into roleplay? If so, you’re DEFINITELY going to want to check out the ridiculously cool Avengers Endgame Power Gauntlet. There’s a lot of fun to be had with this awesomely-designed prop replica, which has cool pulsating lights in the stones, movie-inspired sound effects from Avengers: Endgame, and locking mechanism for the gauntlet so that you can keep it locked in the fist position.
This mega-sized 19.5-inch power gauntlet is going to be one of the hottest toys this holiday season, thanks to the popularity of Avengers: Endgame this year. With this, your kids will have each of the 6 Infinity Stones combined for the ultimate Power Gauntlet!
Our Review
One of the coolest new LEGO sets of 2019 is the brand new LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Underwater Robot Building Kit, an absolutely awesome LEGO kit that allows your child to build an underwater robot, a toy submarine with a manipulator arm, or an underwater crane treasure hunt center.
It comes with 207 pieces, and it’s recommended for boys and girls aged 7 years and up. Once the robot is built, it stands over 5″ high – so quite sizeable! It also comes with an awesome Manta Ray accessory.
Our Review
If you’re looking for the best slime kit for kids, it’s National Geographic’s new Mega Slime & Putty Lab.
This awesome slime kit comes with 8 awesome varieties of slimes and putties, including magnetic putty, glow in the dark slime, DIY slime, gooey slime, and more!
It’s an all-inclusive kit for kids who can’t get enough slime, and with slime toys being such a big trend lately, I’d be surprised if your child doesn’t love this kit.
Recommended Ages: 8+ (but younger is fine with adult supervision)
Our Review
You can blame YouTube and TikTok for the growth in popularity Orbeez has seen. Now, everyone knows what an Orbeez is. Thanks, Mr. Beast.
So, now we have the Orbeez Challenge set, an affordable way to play with Orbeez to your heart’s content.
This set comes with 1500 Orbeez seeds, 500 grown Orbeez, six tools for chopping and dicing your Orbeez, and a container with a lid.
Recommended Ages: 3 Years and Up
Our Review
Will you hatch a boy or a girl? That’s the theme for this year’s new Hatchimals Hatchibabies. These cute magical Hatchibabies will hatch right out of their speckled shells.
Each of the Hatchibabies has light-up eyes, moving beaks, and a rainbow mane.
After hatching, your child will find all sorts of accessories inside the eggshell. It also comes with an official Hatchibirth certificate for your child to fill out!
Remember how popular Hatchimals were last year, and remember that they sold out before November even started. This year, they’re going to be the most popular toys of 2018 yet again.
Our Review
New from LEGO this year is the LEGO City Arctic Explorer set (#60195), and it’s one of our favorites. It gives your kids what they need to build an arctic mobile exploration base and a lab, complete with a working crane, a snow bike, and an ice saw. It also comes with an awesome frozen mammoth figure for them to break open with the ice saw.
Recommended Ages: 7-12 years
Our Review
It’s no secret that STEM toys are HUGE in 2018, and it really takes a lot to actually impress me when showing me something STEM-related (a lot of them are super samey).
But Little Tikes’ Stem Jr. Wonder Lab does things a little differently by combining 20 STEM activities into one awesome playset. It’s actually one of the most interactive toys we’ve EVER seen!
Seriously.
There’s a tray table that you can use to make slime, bubbles, fake snow, and more! It also has over 40 sounds. It’s BRILLIANT, and there’s so much for your kids to do that they’ll certainly want to use it a lot.
Recommended Ages: 2-5 years
Our Review
Klutz is probably best known for their Make Clay Charms Craft Kit from a few years ago (it’s still a hot seller). This year, the company has introduced the LEGO Make Your Own Movie kit, which provides what your kids need to make their own stop-motion LEGO movie!
It comes with 36 LEGO elements, including figures, faces, props, and scenery. Of course, they’ll also be able to use their own LEGOs with this, but the kit above is enough to get them started.
Recommended Ages: 8+
Our Review
Power Wheels’ latest new ride-on is one of their best ride-on toys yet, in my expert opinion: the Power Wheels Jurassic World Jeep Wrangler.
It’s modeled after the Jeeps in the Jurassic Park franchise, and if that’s not the coolest thing you’ve ever heard, we can simply never be friends.
Best of all? That light bar in the back ACTUALLY works! It has a max speed of 5mph forward, so your kids will be cruisin’ in no-time.
Our Review
This Marshall’s Fire Truck from Paw Patrol is easily one of the best Paw Patrol toys of all time. It has a wicked-cool extendable ladder that’s 2-feet tall, and it has water cannons that launch on the front and back. It also comes with a mini vehicle and Marshall figure.
Our Review
The Think & Learn Rocktopus is the hottest toy for stimulating toddlers this Christmas! Read more about it here.
Recommended Ages: 3-6 years old
Our Review
The Gravitrax marble run set feels like an updated marble run kit that’s perfect for new age kids. It comes with 122 pieces, and comes with clear instructions so that your child is able to start building and having fun immediately.
It’s one of the best new STEM toys of 2018, and it was recently featured on Live with Kelly and Ryan.
Recommended Ages: 8 Years+
Our Review
This is easily one of my favorite LEGO Harry Potter kits to date: the Hogwarts Whomping Willow. It’s 753 pieces, and it comes with not only the willow that sits outside of Hogwarts, but also the flying Ford Anglia that gets stuck in it and a big section of the Hogwarts castle.
It also comes with Harry Potter minifigs, including Ron, Hermione, Harry, Seamus, Snape, and Argus.
It’s a truly great-looking set that any little muggle will appreciate this Christmas.
Recommended Ages: 8-14 years
Price: $59.68
Our Review
You WON’T find a better new toddler toy than the Little Tikes 3-in-1 Sports Center. This playcenter will introduce your toddler to basketball, soccer, and bowling with fun activities. It has three different modes: learn, move, and games. The backboard lights up and makes sounds when shots are made, and your toddler will absolutely love it.
Best of all, it folds up to 1/3 its size for easy storage. Woo! No living room clutter!
Our Review
Paw Patrol is one of the most popular kids shows on TV, and Nickelodeon has introduced us to a few brand new Paw Patrol toys in 2018. The best new Paw Patrol Christmas toy this year is the Sea Patroller Transforming Vehicle with Lights and Sounds. It uses drop-down wheels to go from sea to land, taking pups on all sorts of new and exciting missions. It also comes with a few accessories, including Ryder, an octopus, and a cool-looking ATV.
Our Review
If you don’t smile when you say Stinky Dump Truck, then you’re not living the right life. This is Matchbox’s big new toy of the year, and it’s a hit with the younger crowd. In fact, it currently holds a 4.0 out of 5.0 review rating on Amazon from over 350 reviewers.
Stinky says over 90 different phrases and sounds, and he’s able to “eat” and dump out small toys. It’s motorized, so Stinky can stand up and even get some exercise in.
Our Review
One of the best new toys of 2018 from Fisher-Price is their Think & Learn Smart Cycle which, essentially, gives your young one a great way to play and exercise at the same time. Essentially, the more kids pedal, the more they can learn with this fun smart cycle.
It uses a tablet (not included) and a free app to get them motivated to pedal and learn. It’s highly-rated on Amazon with many praising it as a way to get your kids moving while still playing games.
I’ll note that this was technically released late in 2017, but it’s likely you didn’t notice it in-time for Christmas. So, we’re including it on our list of the hot new toys of 2018.
Our Review
If your child loves putting things together, LEGO has quite a few new toys available this year. Our FAVORITE new LEGO set has to be the Technic Extreme Adventure Building Kit — just look at this thing! It’s one of their coolest designs yet, presenting a hybrid adventure vehicle that also turns into a mobile base. It also has a great purple colorway that you don’t typically see in the LEGO line.
Our Review
Looking for an immaculate-quality dollhouse? Look no further than the KidKraft Majestic Mansion Dollhouse. It has 8 rooms of open space ready to be decorated, and it comes with 34 furniture pieces and accessories. Beautifully designed wood construction with wide windows on both sides, a garage with working doors, and an elevator.
Our Review
Magic the Gathering is a collectible card game that’s back in a BIG way in 2018, thanks to their newly debuted 2019 Core Set.
Magic is an absolutely fantastic way to bond with your children in their teens, especially if it’s something you’re actually into. A lot of thought and discussion goes into building decks, and it’s a great way to get conversation flowing between parent and child.
Recommended Ages: 13+
Our Review
Similar to Lulu Jr’s Comic Book making kit from a couple of years ago is the Illustory Book Making Kit, which allows your kids to write and illustrate their very own full-color, 20 page, professionally printed hardcover book. It’s a great way to fuel their creativity, and they’ll love having the finished product to display proudly in their bedroom.