1
Best Combination Toy
VTech Switch and Go 3-in-1 Rescue Rex
Yes, it's a dinosaur, but it's also a police car, a fire truck, and a helicopter. It transforms into all three. It's not a tricky transformation, either. Once your child figures it out, they're good. It's four toys in one.
2
Best Art Board
Crayola Ultimate Light Board
Your future Judy Chicago or Kehinde Wiley could get their start with this light-up drawing board by Crayola. This enchanting coloring toy illuminates your children's artwork, inspiring them to create more and more illustrations. Powered by three AA batteries, this board utilizes washable color gel markers that create bright and bold lines that your kid will absolutely adore.
3
For the Speed Racers
Flybar 6 Volt Battery Powered Bumper Car Blue
Got a little future daredevil on your hand? Why not get them one of these very slow (1mph) bumper cars? It's battery-charged and controlled via dual joysticks under each hand.
Just make sure that your child is at least 18 months old, and always strapped in and buckled before setting them loose to annoy the cat and each other. They will have tons of fun, though.
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4
Best New Car Toy
Monster Jam ThunderROARus Drop Playset with Exclusive Monster Truck
This is a 6-foot-tall car ramp and exclusive monster truck. The exit part of the ramp is, of course, a dinosaur. In his mouth, the end of the track changes for different car tricks! It is bananas fun, and it drives cats and dogs and kids alike out of their minds.
5
Best Creature Creator
Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Cloud Playset
Do you have a future Picasso on your hands? Let your child indulge their inner artist and love of cute creatures with the Crayola Scribble Scrubble Cloud Playset.
In the kit your child will get a koala-corn and owl-icorn and a set of special markers, a rainbow slide, and a tub to wash off the creations. It's utterly charming.
6
Volcanic Cornhole
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Volcano Bean Bag Toss Game for Kids
Take cornhole and mix it with ring toss, and you'll get close to the fun of this game, but it won't quite make it because this is so much better. Plus, the bean bags look like magma!
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7
For Future NASA Engineers
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Telescope
It's a real telescope, I promise. It's also a learning tablet that comes complete with tons of different cards that teach your little ones all about space. It also has games for your kids to play as they learn about our universe, making each of them a tiny astronaut.
8
Spidey Senses Tingle Here
Hasbro Spidey and His Amazing Friends: Web-Spinners Web-Quarters
Have you ever watched a group of 4-year old boys lose their minds? I have, and it was because of this toy. In Spidey's Web Spinner Web Quarters, you place Spidey in the spinning web room right below the light up top, hit the button, and he spins. The you empty him right into his car.
9
Best Scented Toy
Barbie Pop Reveal Fruit Series Doll
Every tester loved the way this Barbie smelled. I know, a scented Barbie is pretty strange in the abstract, but this pop reveal just works. She comes in her own reusable cup, with a little pet, a cup of her own, and the grape Barbie even wears roller skates. It's a fun, affordable toy — and if there's anything we learned this year, it's that you can never go wrong with Barbie.
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10
2023 Toy of the Year
Dog-E Interactive Robot Dog
Our 2023 Toy of the Year, Dog-E is one of the most fun toys I've seen in recent history. It's an app-controlled robot dog that does tons of tricks, including playing tug of war, making tons of sounds, and even playing games with your child through the app.
11
Most Exciting Surprise Toy
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Crystal Ball
Moose Toys have some real magical mojo, and this year, they really hit it out of the park. The Magical Mixies Crystal Ball is a step up from 2021's cauldron.
There's a lot happening with this toy: it's a crystal ball that lights up and has "eerie smoke" (glycerin steam), and kids use their magic wand to make a surprise creature appear. That creature has over 80 sounds and reactions, acting a bit like a Zoltar or Magic 8 ball. Kids can do it over and over again, and the crystal ball also doubles as a night light! Kids love this toy so much that we named it our toy of the year in 2022.
More: The Best Outdoor Toys for Kids
12
Best RC Toy
Skyrocket Mega Chomp Remote Control Shark
If you want to see your child cackle with glee, get them this remote-control shark. It chomps as it goes, and it's actually pretty quick. Don't worry — it's light and doesn't hurt when your child inevitably chases you down while you're cooking dinner one evening. It's a cat's worst nightmare, but they're good at hiding.
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13
Best Crying Doll
Cry Babies Dressy Dotty Baby Doll
This toy is almost too real for parents of kids who loved their pacifier, because this doll cries real tears when you take out her binky. (Too soon?)
She makes 10 realistic baby noises and just happens to be all dressed up in a Dalmatian hoodie, with extremely cool pink hair, and highly fashionable overalls.
14
Ready for Takeoff
KidKraft Ultimate Spaceship Wooden Pretend Play Set
Not many pretend play toys have delighted our testers as thoroughly as this spaceship. It's a wooden, puzzle-style build, with lights, sounds, and projectors. The inside has this cool, hologram/Trekkie-style screen that makes kids feel like they're really doing something special — and they are — they're flexing creative muscles.
The only drawback is that you'll have to flex your muscles to move it, because it is heavy.
15
Best Animal Toy
Playmobil Wiltopia Animal Care Station
Have a little future veterinarian on your hands? This Playmobil set is just the thing for them. Made of more than 80% sustainable materials, this 347 piece set includes everything from the clinic with actual stalls to a pulley system, heat lamps, and row boat! There's also an AR component where kids can learn all about the animals and the environment.
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16
Best Sand Toy
Kinetic Sand Construction Site Folding Sandbox Playset
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like kinetic sand is going anywhere, anytime soon. The ever-popular toy has some big things happening this year, including awesome play sets like these that your kids are sure to love, and sure to scatter.
17
Best Coloring Toy
Easy Playhouse Easy Playhouse Fairy Tale Coloring Pages Castle
We're all trying to be just a little bit better to the planet, and that can start by decreasing the amount of plastic toys we buy our kids.
This cardboard castle lets kids do the work of decorating it, thanks to the coloring-pages exterior. And it should be noted that just because it's cardboard doesn't mean it's not sturdy. Think of all the boxes your kids keep around for months and months just because they've determined it's the perfect theatre/mailbox/veterinary office.
18
A Fun Game for All Ages
WHAT DO YOU MEME? Search Party: Chaos at the Park
Part hidden figures, part Where's Waldo, part Clue? This game is made for elementary-age kids but is seriously fun for the whole family. Honestly, I brought it to a brewery after the kids played it, and a bunch of tipsy women (like myself) loved it.
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19
Best New Small Interactive Toy
My Squishy Little Little Dumplings Toy
Squeezy interactive dumplings are a bit reminiscent of Wowwee's Fingerling toys, except these are much cuter. You squeeze their little cheeks, and its little body pops right out of the head, and the eyes move up and down.
We promise it's nowhere near as strange as it sounds. It's positively sweet, and kids are going wild for it. (Mine certainly are.) These are available for preorder right now, shipping the week of Nov. 15. 2021.
20
Best for Bluey Fans
Bluey Mega Bundle Home
Chances are, if you have a toddler or a preschooler, they love Bluey. The Aussie sensation now on American television features a family of blue heeler dogs as they go about their daily lives.
Let your children take these characters out of the cartoon world, using their own imaginations as they play with this deluxe home set from the show. It comes with the whole family, their house, a barbecue, and a picnic table.
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