Kids Are Already Begging for the New Elmo — So Beat the Masses and Grab These Toys Early This Year

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Kids are picky, fickle little creatures, and honestly, that’s a big part of their charm. The toys they want are ever-changing, and it can be seriously hard to keep up with what trend is cool and what’s “Ugh, so lame, Mom.” Thankfully, there are people out there like myself whose job is to figure out what our kids want before it’s sold out and going for the price of a small car on eBay.

This year, there have been a few new themes that have stood out to me: robots, food toys, and dinosaur toys like this cool 3-in-1 Rescue Rex from Vtech that provides hours of play and all things remote-controlled. It makes sense given the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park, the new Transformers, and the focus on STEAM toys, which food is very much a part of. (What is baking if not art and math?)

Pretend play is having a moment, and one of my favorites is a Girl Scout Cookie Booth from Little Tikes that our testers loved, and even babies are getting in on it with the Fisher Price Learn and Laugh DJ Mix Table. Simply put, it's a great year to be a kid.

I've spent over 100 hours researching toys this year between meetings with brands, toy fairs, and testing toys with groups of children, so trust me — these are the toys your kids will definitely want this year.

Laugh & Learn Baby & Toddler Toy Mix & Learn Dj Table

No matter how old you are, being a DJ is the coolest. With the Mix and Learn table, kids get to play some sick beats all while learning their colors, numbers, and even their ABCs. Our 11-month-old tester thinks it's aces, and also, apparently, delicious.

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.

Girl Scout Cookie Booth

I always wanted to be a Girl Scout, but alas, it was not meant to be. But I can play one with my nieces thanks to this Girl Scout cookie booth that comes with play boxes of cookies, trays, and play cookies. The only thin mints that don't disappear in my house, so far!

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.

Jurassic Park Dilophosaurus Ambush

Of all the Lego sets we assembled this year, this one was high on our list of fun builds. It leans into the original Jurassic Park film in a sort of fun and bleak way if you've seen the movie and know the scene. If you don't, it's just a funny set that's not that hard to build.

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.

Weebles My Smart House

Watching the kids go wild for this retro-style toy was truly wonderful. They lovebes the little Weebles and their silly, unsteady bodies, how they slide down the slide, hang on the swing, and more.

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.

Dream & Design Fashion Studio Playset

My daughter and her friends all went positively bananas for this doll set. It's got a full, real, design studio included, including fabric. There's a board for layout and design, with a watercolor sketchbook, you can do cool, no-sew clothing, and you can add the accessories to make regular outfits even cooler.

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!

Goaldozer Motorized Net

The tiniest soccer players will love kicking the ball to the goal that talks to them, cheers them on, and then rolls around, returning the ball in unexpected ways. The 2 to 5 year old set will want this for sure.

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.

DREAMZzz Fantastical Tree House

I cannot stress just how fabulously quirky this set is. It's a tough build but doable for kids over age 10. My 12-year-old put it together in about 4 hours, and while she's a LEGO expert, she's also positively bedeviled with ADHD just like her mom.

Stealth Strike Big Cat Beast Creator

From the same company that gave us the Magical Mixies sets, this is a bit more wild. Your child will be adding the "toxic" ingredients into the beast lab to reveal their own beast. That beast will go into beast mode, only soothed when he gets what he wants.

Dreamhouse 2023

Is it any shock that the 2023 Dreamhouse would be one of the toys of the year? Barbie is the one bright spot this year that seemed to outshine everyone. Let her ride down her super cool slide and think her irrepressible thoughts of death (or just good thoughts!)

Build-a-Slice Pizza Cart

Pretend play at its finest, and not only because it revolves around the world's best food, pizza. It has a turntable, bell for customers, pizza cutter, box, money, and music for your kids to dance to as they make all of their slices (Chicago pizza not included).

My Figures: Pirates' Island

Kids are incredibly creative, and this set lets them show it off with their ability to build their own Playmobil figurines and then set them off to sail in their very own pirate ship. There's even a pet monkey for whoever is feeling particularly fun that day.

Diy Robot Retro-Like Vending Machine Build Kit

Who wouldn't want to build a robot that dispenses aliens that could then also dispense candy, or in the case of my testers, secret missives written on tiny pieces of paper and folded up. Personally, I'm thinking of having it dispense my antidepressants.

Pixlings. Unia The Unicorn Pixling

If your kid is a big fan of blind toys but also magic toys, the Magic Mixies Pixlings could be your toy of the year. You unwrap the bottle, add water and the included "ingredients," push the button, and it reveals the doll to you.

UNO Quatro Game with Colored Tiles & Plastic Game Grid

If your kids like Uno and Connect 4, they're going to love Uno Quattro. It's the dastardly combination of the two games, and it's genuinely fun. I'm not going to lie — things have gotten heated while playing, but that's only because I am sure my daughter was cheating.

Hammerbarn Shopping Playset

We can all admit that we watch Bluey when it's on in our houses, right? It's just so good. The Hammerbarn shopping center has so much going on. It's the whole mall, with 45+ sounds, accessories, and, of course, Bluey and Bingo.

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.

Dino Stomp Elmo 13-Inch Plush Stuffed Animal

Can you do the Dino Stomp? Elmo can, and he'll have your littles doing it in no time at all. He stomps, he talks, he sings, and he was an instant hit with the 4 and under set. I mean, who doesn't love Elmo? We know that we do!

BOOP: Adorable 2 Player Strategy Board Game

Boop the cat board game really came out of left field for me. I hadn't heard of the brand until a toy fair, and when I watched the gameplay, I thought it could be fun but wasn't totally convinced. Then, I played it with my 12-year-old, and we both fell in love. She then played it with her friends, who also fell in love.

It's a simple line-up game that's easy to learn, with the goal of "booping" others out of the way.

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.

Gabby Cat Cruise Ship

Gabby is going on a cruise and taking her friends along with her for the adventure. The cruise ship is decked out just like on the show, in pretty minute detail. What I love is that everything can be stored inside the cruise ship, making it so much easier to clean up than other playsets.

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

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.

Purrfect Dollhouse with 15 Pieces

Gabby's Dollhouse is a wildly popular Netflix series, and this is a two-foot tall replica of her house, complete with lights, elevator, and of course Gabby and her kitty friend, Pandy.

This is a splurge toy for sure. Kindergarten graduation, Christmas, first night of Hanukkah, birthday—a big occasion toy. But, it comes with 15 pieces, all the extras, and it looks just like thee show.

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.

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.

My Avastars Dreamer_3.0

Take the love of virtual dressing offline with the My Avastars doll! This doll includes over 50 stickers with the ability to create over 100 looks. And soon, there will be a kid safe online community game for sharing the outfits. Don't worry, the game is free, and each doll comes with a code so that you can easily showcase your creations.

Hand to Hand Wombat

My whole family lost their minds playing this game. It's a stacking game played with your eyes closed, where you try to stack on your own tower, but you're also trying to destroy others' towers. It has a bit of a survival component, too, with the ability to vote people out of the game. It's a genius cooperative game, that's as fun for adults as it is for kids.

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.

Disney Junior Alice’s Wonderland Bakery

Our testers loved this toy so much that the parenting editor has now purchased several of them so that chaos did not come from toy testing. (Well, any more chaos than is usual with toy testing.)

The show, Alice's Wonderland Bakery is a huge hit, and kids are clamoring for merch. Luckily, they really delivered with this interactive kitchen and large doll. It has tons of sound effects and comes with a 10-inch Alice doll, a magical oven toy, pot, two stackable layer cakes, two spice jars, and one spatula.

Essential Starter Set 105 Pieces Magnetic Building Blocks

If you combined all your favorite elements from magnetic tiles and other building sets, but you made them more artistic, that's what Squaregles is. It's an open-ended building set that lets your little architect not only design and build, but also draw the backgrounds on the 4" by 4" paper tiles.

Plus, you get a cute, if creepy little man and two cars with the set.

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.

Original Game Set

Remember the bottle trend from a few years ago where kids were trying to flip a half-full bottle of water to land on its base? It's like that, with the addition of having a dart element to it. Also, it's way easier to land these darts.

The darts are built with suction cups that stick pretty well to most surfaces without damaging them. How do I know? My kids landed their darts on my oh, so brand-new television... and it was fine.

Kids USPS Mail Carrier

Your little future mail carrier will be bringing all your Amazon packages right to your door in this USPS ride-on toy, complete with a mailbox. It's run by a rechargeable 12-volt battery and has a maximum speed of 2.5 miles per hour.

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.

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.

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.

Squishy Human Body

“What’s this called?” “Where’s my funny bone?”

Got a body-curious kid? This is the toy they need. Not only is it a fun squishy toy, but it also properly labels each part of the body in plain and simple English. It’s informative and a real riot for kids who are into it.

Plus, it comes with tweezers to get the organs out, which is gross and cool.

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.

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.

Gravitrax Starter Set Marble Run

Your little engineer will be able to unleash their creativity and innovation with this Gravitrax Marble Run. The 122-piece starter set can be assembled in infinite ways. This superior marble-run system combines kinetics, magnets, and design creativity to propel the marbles in different directions.

Your child will be obsessed with finding new ways to put it together. Once they've mastered the starter set, you can purchase extra pieces to create a unique system all their own.

Magical Misting Cauldron

Without a doubt, this was the hottest toy of 2021. The Magic Mixies cauldron is arguably impressive. Kids fill the cauldron with water, add secret ingredients to the potion, tap the cauldron, and then it sparkles, smokes, and *poof* creates a plush creature.

It’s hard to get, kind of expensive, and requires extra purchases to use more than once, but having seen this thing in action, I can tell you, it’s super cool — and your kids will absolutely tell you the hype is real with this one.

More: Montessori Toys Perfect for Some Quiet Time

Ultra Rocket Launcher Toy

Get ready to launch a rocket straight into the air, all without batteries or the help of NASA. This kid-powered Stomp Rocket shoots foam-tipped rockets up to 200 feet into the air. Whether they're stomping in the backyard or at the park, they will be blown away by how far their rockets will soar.

Stop & Go Market | Kids Pretend Play Store & Toll Booth

Open-ended play at its finest. The Step2 Stop and Go Market is a little bit of everything — it's a toll plaza with traffic cones; it's a gas station, a mini mart, and even a street stand complete with chalkboard and cute little barstool. The whole thing is on wheels, giving it a fun, portable feel.

Sandisfactory Set

The most satisfying of the ASMR toys. This set is 4.5 pounds of the gritty goodness, with tons of molds and shapers just begging for your kid to dig through and shape.

(And honestly, once they're in bed, it's pretty therapeutic for parents as well.)

PJ Launching Submarine and Rovers

“PJ Masks, we’re on our way. Into the night, to save the day!”

PJ Masks is incredibly popular, and this toy is going to be a huge hit. A submarine launcher, each mask has their own car to propel out into the depths beyond. With three rovers, three action figures, and the squid sub, your kids will go gaga for this one.

Slime Kit DIY Toy Stocking Stuffer Fidget Gift for Kids

Yes, you'll hear the squishing and squelching in your sleep, but your kids will be thrilled.

Slime is more popular than ever. This DIY slime has sparkles, beads, balls, and even a fun crystal mystery powder. It's sensory play at its finest.

Star Wars Galactic Snackin’ Grogu

Now we know that Grogu prefers the flavor of a fresh, plump, space frog, but this macaron will have to suffice. This nearly 10-inch-tall animatronic toy has over 40 sounds and motions, and he comes with multiple treats that your kids will love to feed him. However, none of them are forbidden froggies.

Smart Piano Keyboard

If your child is itching to pick up a new instrument, but you're not sure if you have the cash to shell out for lessons, bring home this quality keyboard.

It functions just like a regular piano keyboard, but it also features the ability to teach your child new music by connecting to an app. The keys will light up and show your kid how to play songs. It's entertaining and will leave your child with music skills to last a lifetime.

If the skill really takes off, you can also bring home this 88-key piano keyboard that teaches music in the same way.

Barbie Deluxe 20-Piece Glitter and Go Styling Head

This is not the Barbie head you remember. This is a mermaid unicorn Barbie with 20 different styling accessories including some serious hair bling. The brush and styling wand glide easily through the hair — but if it does get stuck? A pro tip: Human hair conditioner works a treat to untangle Barbie hair.

48-Piece Log Cabin Magnetic Set

Imagine the log toys of your childhood, but 100% less frustrating. This building set by Magformers is a wild design, and we love it. It has all of the ease and fun of traditional magnet tiles but with a fun brick and log twist.

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.

Classic Sit ‘n Spin Toy

We can all agree the classic Sit 'n Spin is one of the best toys for kids, generation after generation. There's something wildly satisfying to children about this toy, despite its simplicity. The middle of the toy is fixed, with a round, spinning base for children to sit on while propelling themselves with the fixed wheel. Kids adore all the dizzying fun of it, especially trying to stand and walk afterward.

Glow in The Dark Size 7 Basketball

This is one of the coolest toys I got to play with this year. This basketball is standard weight and size, but thanks to the addition of super-bright LED lights on the inside, the whole thing glows with a radiant golden light. This is a ton of fun for twilight or nighttime play.

OMG Movie Magic Ms. Direct

She’s fierce and fabulous, and this L.O.L. Surprise O.M.G. Movie Magic doll comes with two different outfits and 25 different surprises. It’s a part of an entire collection, so your child can build up their whole movie magic crew. Plus, we love the different body types represented in this line.

LED Lighted Swing with Adjustable Rope

LED lights for kids is a huge trend that is expanding into all their toys. This astonishingly affordable swing has battery-powered LED lights in the seat that will glow like magic in the dark of the evening.

Reeves Big Dig Ride-On Crane

Know a little aspiring construction worker? They’ll go crazy for this sand-digger seat that levers, pivots, and dumps sand, just like in the working world. Whether on the beach or in the sandbox, they’ll love maneuvering this “heavy-duty” construction tool. Hard hat not included.

Clixo Crew 30-Piece Pack

Part building block, part origami, part magical screen-distraction device, the Clixo is one of our favorite new toys. Made of flexible, durable plastic paper, the Clixo shapes can be formed into infinite shapes and designs, providing kids hours of stimulating builds.

Disney Mickey and The Beanstalk Collector's Edition

Board games are a staple for many families and are just a huge win for kids in general. This Disney Funko game is a colossal superstar this year, thanks to its 3D playing board, beautiful design, quick play, and of course, all the Funko figurines used as play pieces. Mickey and friends really shine.

Explorer Kit for Kids

Kids are naturally interested in their environment. Why not encourage that curiosity with their very own explorer kit? This one comes with binoculars, a flashlight, a fan, and a magnifying glass.

It's all designed for little hands and eyes to use to really observe their surroundings.

Imaginext DC Super Friends Batmobile

Your kid probably has dreams of becoming a crime-fighting superhero like Batman. While that might be a farfetched aspiration, this transforming Batmobile will make them feel like the billionaire vigilante himself.

With spreading wings and easy-to-maneuver wheels, your kid will get hours of play out of this great toy.

Cyclone Speed Cube

This cube is stickerless, which means no cheating. If your kid is into these kinds of puzzles, this is one of the best out there. It's a toy that's under $10 and provides hours of fun and frustration.

The parenting editor’s son says that “it’s cool because it’s new colors, and because my sister can’t mess with it.” A ringing endorsement if ever there was one.

Yeti in My Spaghetti Game

Yeti In My Spaghetti is a silly and simple game that the entire family can enjoy. Lay the spaghetti strands over the red bowl, and place the Yeti on the top. Each family member will pull out a spaghetti noodle one by one until the Yeti falls into the bowl.

PAW Patrol Marshall's Wooden Rescue

Melissa & Doug teamed up with Paw Patrol to make this adorable wooden rescue crate featuring everyone's favorite fire Dalmatian, Marshall. For under $47, you get 14 wooden pieces that can all be played with and stored inside the fire engine-shaped crate.

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