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 2025 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.
Popular toys from The Toy Insider's 'Hot 20' list
Every year The Toy Insider releases their hot holiday toys list, and this year's is so fun. From tiny record players that actually work to a Play-Doh playset that even adults will think is cool, this year's hottest toys would make our childhood selves weep with envy.
KPop Demon Hunters aren’t going anywhere, if this singing Rumi doll is any indication. One of Toy Insider’s ‘Top 20’ for the 2026 holiday season, this 13-inch doll comes in her “Golden” concert outfit and can sing her section of the Oscar-winning song or the whole thing with Zoey and Mira, her fellow HUNTR/X members. For ages 6 & up.
Paleontology has gone to the dogs! Whenever a new Paw Patrol movie hits the screen, you know there’s going to be an awesome toy to accompany it, and this one is the perfect combo for kids who love Chase, Zuma, Rocky, Skye and the gang as much as they love dinosaurs. It’s a 2-in-1 playset that comes with a 2.5-foot-tall inflatable dino and an 18-inch vehicle, as well as a Rocky play figure. The light bar on the truck makes sounds, and there’s a constant stream of air to keep their prehistoric buddy inflated. For ages 3 & up.
It’s a #1 new release in kids’ dinosaur and prehistoric figures, and we aren’t surprised; last year’s Primal Hatch also made multiple “hot toy” lists. Kids simply add water to the special tank to trigger a fizzling, color-changing reaction and then watch as the ancient shark roars with glowing eyes before bursting out of its egg with jaws chomping. Kids can repeat the action again and again, making for hours of playtime. For ages 5 & up.
The world’s tiniest record player actually works! MGA’s miniverse has long been a popular collectible for kids, and this new addition to the miniature line is a hit. It’s compatible with MGA’s miniverse Real Music Vinyl — everything from Britney Spears, Blink-182, The Beach Boys, TLC and Elton John.
Your littlest gamer can explore the iconic Super Mario World with this new playset. They can press the discovery buttons, spin the goomba pipe, slide the green shell, bounce the Chain Chomp, and much more. It comes with a Mario figure and a Fire Flower figure that are the perfect size for tiny hands, plus sounds that complete the experience. For ages 18 months & up.
Sensory play and pretend play all rolled into one? Yes, chef. This new Play-Doh set is on The Toy Insider’s ‘Hot 20’ Toys for a reason. Kids can whip up everything from various pasta shapes to pizza, chicken wings, burgers, fries and more — over 25 foods! The skillet and the pot make cooking noises when placed on the stove, play restaurant with the card reader and store their kitchen accessories in the cute farmers market basket that’s included. Comes with 8 Play-Doh colors. For ages 3 & up.
Arts and crafts at home just got interesting. This STEAM toy can be used in so many ways: building forts, at-home theater productions, science fair projects, homeschooling and more. Built with a high-speed hole punch that cuts straight lines, curves, and 3D slots through materials like cardboard, felt, craft foam, and paper, it’s made without spinning parts or sharp edges to snag little fingers.
Best toddler toys this season
This delightful grocery store playset brings the beloved Australian Blue Heeler family to life with realistic shopping fun. Complete with a working escalator, authentic supermarket sounds and 15 play pieces, kids can recreate their favorite Bluey episodes while learning about grocery shopping.
This set allows kids to wet the play food and watch it change color before their eyes. Use the included olive oil squeeze bottle to change play food from "frozen" to “cooked”.
This set includes big blocks perfect for little hands in 10 shapes and nine bright colors. The blocks are easy to grip, stack and pull apart. The set has 80 pieces and features a reusable storage bag to make clean-up easy.
There's a good reason this made the Amazon "Toys We Love" list in 2025. This set of 288 colors includes 8 retired colors, other classic collections like glitter, metallic, colors of the world and bold & bright. Kids will also get mini coloring pages, all tucked away in a tub that's perfect for taking art on the go.
Made in response to a lack of dolls of color on the market, this one is available in several brown skin tones with various hairstyles, colors and outfits. It measures about 12 inches tall and has a cute, realistic face with dimples.
Not only does this set include six Breyer unicorns of various colors, but it also comes with a cute wooden stable for kids to store, play with, and carry them around. It's recommended for ages 4 and up.
Best toys for little kids
Hot Wheels are always a best bet for kids who love things that go vrooom. This Formula 1 Grand Prix racing set comes with cars that feature real Formula 1 racing cars from teams like Oracle Red Bull Racing, MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and Williams Racing. Kids choose between two modes: racing and infinite, to see who handles turns on the track the best. There’s a 3-lane booster to allow cars to race simultaneously, a podium for the winner, and a DRS activator that creates an overtake lane for lead changes. For ages 5 & up.
This new release children's book helps little ones understand that love comes in many forms, including siblings, friends, families with two moms or two dads and more. Children will love the real photographs of all different kinds of families.
You can grab this adorable and super nostalgic compact for your kiddo, but actually keep it for yourself. It combines iconic characters from Peanuts with Polly Pockets in one super cute compact. The compact includes six micro main character dolls, seven themed accessories, including a Woodstock figure, and four locations from the animated series.
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 keep you busy at the airport during the harried holidays, or to leave in the backseat of the car for road trips.
Best Barbies and dolls this season
It’s an unboxing and a doll all in one! Kids start by plucking the petals to reveal a watering can. Add water to the vase and watch Barbie grow! She’s adorned with shimmering skirts, smells just like a flower and comes with accessories like a necklace, earrings and a furry companion.
This playset features seven play areas and more than 60 accessories! Kids can "drive" the camper into the great outdoors to find the perfect campsite, then unfold it to reveal a pop-up roof tent, living room, dining area and bathroom. Catch fish in the pond, chill in the swing chair and grill up burgers using the included color-change dough. We found it easy to assemble and it kept our editor's 9-year-old off her screen for hours.
Barbie joins one of the most famous ballets of all time, just in time for the holiday season. This doll can be posed in seven different ways, has accessories that’ll make her look like a perfect prima ballerina, and a tutu that transforms as she twirls. For ages 3 & up.
American Girl's adorable line of AG Sisters dolls are perfect for younger girls and more affordable than the brand's historical dolls. Wesley comes with her own pink stand mixer and other fun accessories.
Another movie tie-in, this Barbie is based on the president from the "Barbie" movie. She has a gorgeous pink dress and a 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.
The super-popular collab between Barbie and the iconic and sensory material is back! This Barbie is headed to the garden party, and it's up to your budding fashion designer to create her outfits. They'll get a pre-made sheet of Play-Doh to create skirts and shirts, plus enough material to make hairstyles and a tool to create edges and other fashion-forward styles.
Best toys for tweens & teens
A collab between Fuggler and SpongeBob is a match made in Gen Z and Gen Alpha heaven. This 9” plushie is adorably weird, and kids are here for it.
A coveted gaming console is always a good tween or teen gift. This Xbox Series S is an all-digital gaming console, comes with one controller and a high-speed HDMI cable, has a gaming resolution of 1440p and faster load times, and can play thousands of games from over four generations of Xboxes.
Kids of all ages appreciate a good mystery toy, and this blind box is a fun and trendy option. Featuring The Monsters Wacky Mart figures, your tween or teen will get one figurine out of a possible 12 to add to their collection.
A 'grandma hobby' that's back in a big way, Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids will love this crochet starter kit that includes everything from pre-started yarn to hooks, needles, eyes, stuffing and tutorials that will help teens make characters like Pierre, Felix, Bjorn, Jojo, Fred, Kiki, Sebastian, and more.
Give your teens a fun excuse to stay off their screens for a while with this Tetris board game. The set includes the brightly-colored tiles, four grids and the cards needed to see what shape comes next.
Give your teen or tween a little brain game to pass the time with this Rubik's Cube that lights up. The idea is to solve the puzzle before the lights shut off giving kids an engaging non-screen activity that also helps memory.
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.
Best building set gifts
If you've got a tween or teen who's "too cool" to build with LEGO, this adorable set from the Botanicals line might make them think again. They're happy little plants that look great displayed on a shelf or desk, and complex enough that they'll be a challenge for kids ages 9 and up.
This LEGO set is designed specifically for kids ages 4 and up, so it's perfect for bonding with your 'Bluey' fan. It's got simple instructions for new builders, detachable rooms, a garden and Bluey, Bingo, Mum and Bandit minifigures, plus Chattermax and Jeremy the gnome.
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.
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.
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.
Ever find yourself humming a tune from your favorite movies? This is the game you'll want to introduce to the whole family on your next game night! You can select different genres and movie eras, and use the free app to get thousands of hints!
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.
Prices listed reflect the time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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