If you've ever watched "Jingle All the Way," you'll know that you shouldn't leave it until the last minute to buy the popular toy your kid wants for the holidays. You can avoid unnecessary stress this festive season by doing your shopping well in advance. And part of this is finding the most popular toys of the 2024 holiday season.
Unless your child has made you a detailed list, you might still be looking for the hottest toys to make them happy this Christmas. From Barbies and Kens to LEGO sets and laser tag, we've put together a comprehensive list of popular toys that kids will love.
Best toddler toys this season
Get young kids interested in STEM through their favorite blue heeler puppy, Bluey. This interactive building set includes magnetic Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli figures to help your little one bring their favorite characters to life with Action Tiles.
This Play-Doh Pizza Delivery Scooter is a serious pretend play game-changer. It comes with a bunch of Play-Doh and accessories to make pizzas out of the iconic modeling compound. It also includes a pretend phone so little ones can "take orders," make the pizzas and then deliver them on the scooter.
The super soft cuddliness of Squishmallows plus the insane popularity of Bluey will have your toddler squealing with delight. This 10" plush is part of the HugMees line, so its extendable arms make it easy to hug.
Is there a child under the age of five who is not in love with Ms. Rachel? That's why this Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing doll will be one of this year's hottest toys. It's part of a new line of Ms. Rachel toys, but would could be more exciting for a little one than the queen of toddler entertainment herself?
Percy the Weighted Hug Bear provides weighted warmth that feels like a hug. He is three pounds and can be cooled in the freezer or heated in the microwave, providing multiple avenues for sensory regulation. And on top of that, he's just plain adorable.
Fans of "Sesame Street" will love this plush Elmo. It can talk, sing and do the Slide — though it requires four AA batteries. It's suitable for ages 3 and up and stands about 14 inches tall.
Made in response to a lack of dolls of color on the market, this one is available in a number of brown skin tones with various hairstyles, colors and outfits. It measures about 12 inches tall and has a cute, realistic face with dimples.
Ideal for "CoComelon" fans, this JJ plush toy can sing songs, say phrases and make sounds from the popular kids show. It's perfect for kids from 18 months to 4 years.
Whether your child is a fan of anything Play-Doh or loves messing around in the kitchen, this Play-Doh mixer is bound to keep them entertained. It has a number of molds to make colorful Play-Doh treats.
Not only does this set include six Breyer unicorns of various colors, it also comes with a cute wooden stable for kids to store them in, play with and carry them around in. It's recommended for ages 4 and up.
Best toys for kids in 2025
If you are getting gifts for a kiddo who loves puzzles and Batman, this is the perfect choice. It's a great travel toy to stay busy at the airport during the harried holidays or just for leaving in the backseat of the car for road trips.
Let your kiddo pretend to be our everyday hero, the Amazon delivery person. The ride-on toy comes with a few of those familiar Amazon boxes and some wooden toys. The seat doubles as a storage area so your child can drive around with their "deliveries."
Little kids love to do what they see us doing, and what we do most often is shop at Target. Kids can pretend to be the checkout person complete with play money and cash register. It also comes with items to purchase and a Target shopping bag.
If you have a LEGO-loving kid on your gift list this year, set them up with this huge Despicable Me 4 playset featuring Gru's mansion and the Minions tree house. It also includes six minifigures, three buildable Minion toy figures and plenty of accessories.
This super popular interactive toy will be on many kids' lists this year, so grab it while you can. It stands on its own and has over 100 reactions for engaging pretend play.
This Godzilla x Kong action figure is part of a collection of characters that will help kids reenact battles and create their own imaginative storylines. The figure is 6" tall and fully posable for maximum pretend play.
Gift a Barbie-loving child with 10 unboxing surprises in one package. The included surprise bags reveal a skirt, headband, sunglasses, pair of shoes, sponge-comb and matching mini Share Bear.
If your household has a MrBeast fan, these action figures are a total must-have. Kids perform an experiment to reveal the MrBeast Lab Iconic Panther. There are four to collect and they have over 20 points of articulation for super creative play time.
It's a digital pet, but it responds to swipes, tilts and touch, making it a more interactive choice for kids. There are 15 pets in just one pod, so kids can collect them all.
This Furby talks and sings in both Furbish and English. It chats and responds to speech, but can be easily turned off when playtime is over, unlike original Furbies.
If your child has been desperately asking for a puppy, this robot dog isn't quite the same thing, but it's a fun alternative that doesn't need walking and won't eat anyone's shoes. It communicates with its tail and can respond in over 200 ways to keep children interested longer.
Another movie tie-in, this Barbie is based on the president from the "Barbie" movie. She has a gorgeous pink dress and sash that says "President" and she's ready to lead the people of Barbie Land.
The Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil and Yzma make up this trio of Disney fashion dolls. They're great for kids more obsessed with the villains than with the protagonists. Each comes with its own stylish outfit.
Best toys for tweens & teens
Jenna Ortega playing Wednesday Addams was the cultural moment we had no idea we needed, and it made a particular impression on teens and tweens. Indulge their love of the iconic character with this Wednesday Monster High doll. She's decked out in the outfit from the iconic school dance scene and deserves a special place on your kiddo's shelves.
All Hello Kitty fans need this 50th anniversary edition plush of the iconic character. The 12" stuffed toy features commemorative embroidery, a shiny pink bow and sparkly hearts dotted all over the soft, pink plush.
It's no secret how cute sloths are, and now your kid could have one of these slow critters in plush toy form. With its Velcro hands, kids can hang it to display it.
Kids can get the excitement of playing laser tag without having to go to an arena. This set comes in two-player and four-player options with laser guns and sensor vests for each player. Unlike most sets, the lasers are visible, which can add to the fun.
You might know the card game UNO, but this game combines the iconic look of UNO's cards with the fun of four-in-a-row. Players can match colors or numbers, making it a more challenging version of the classic four-in-a-row game.
Forget getting tangled up and falling in a heap on the floor. This new version of Twister brings the fun to a phone, tablet or TV screen. Players have sensors on their arms and legs and follow screen prompts for a range of fun ways to play.
This playset has a cool retro look inspired by an old '80s design. While it's made for "Masters of the Universe" Origins action figures, it's also fun for playing with any figures of around 5 1/2 inches.
"Hocus Pocus" fans or children who love Halloween might appreciate this set of three figures depicting Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson. These tiny Sanderson sisters measure around 2 1/2 inches tall and are finished to a high standard.
Best building set gifts
With these blocks' range of skin tones and hair colors, kids can use them to build a diverse range of people. Not only are they fun for little kids to build and play with, they may also help develop fine motor skills.
Pokémon fans will love building this adorable Pikachu figure. It measures 12 inches high when assembled, making it impressive to display. The set contains 825 blocks and is recommended for ages 8 and over.
What's cool about this LEGO set is that it's fun to build and to play with. With 1,045 pieces, it's recommended for ages 7 and up. Once built, it has fun features to play with, such as a ski ramp and an elevator.
The 2,319 pieces make this Chewbacca model challenging to build, so it's recommended for those 18 plus. However, teenagers who are LEGO fans shouldn't find it too much to handle. It looks amazing once it's built, so any fan of "Star Wars" is sure to love it.
More of the best toy gifts
If your little one is interested in gardening or growing food, this cute "Very Hungry Caterpillar" set is a great place to start. It contains everything needed to grow chia sprouts. Since they only take three to five days to sprout, kids won't lose interest before seeing results.
The ideal tablet for kids aged 6 to 12, it's affordable yet quick and easy to use. It comes with a 12-month subscription to Amazon Kids+, which offers a range of books, shows, movies and games free with the subscription.
Little artists will love this light-up tracing pad. Not only does it make tracing easier, but it also works as an all-purpose lightbox for drawing. This makes it quicker to redraw and refine pieces, helpful when learning to draw.
This remote control toy is based on Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, the Wheelchair Motocross World Champion. Kids can zoom around and perform stunts with this RC toy, just like the real Fotheringham does in his wheelchair.
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.