Best Toys for Kids in 2024: Hottest Holiday Gift Ideas for All Ages
If you’re looking for the most sought-after toys of 2024, you’ve come to the right place. the best toys for kids, but they’ve been play-tested too, so you know they’re kid-approved.
Power Saber
While lightsabers are (still) a thing of fantasy, a new toy comes close to replicating the real thing without costing a fortune. The $50 Power Saber not only lights up, but it extends on its own, giving the effect of firing up a real lightsaber to battle against a Sith Lord. The sound effects make the experience all the more immersive.
Furby interactive plush toy
Furby is back and better than ever. It comes with five voice modes, a bunch of dance moves and more than 600 unique responses, including phrases, jokes, songs and more. Plus, it can glow in the dark. It can communicate with other Furbies too and is quite huggable. Past concerns about the Furby can be kicked to the curb — there’s no Wi-Fi connectivity, no app and no LCD screen eyes. Basically, it’s more doll than robot, which is a huge plus.
$34 at Walmart
Magna-Tiles
This toy is a classic, and it offers endless possibilities of play, My kids have used these magnetic construction tiles for building everything from princess castles to parking garagesKids can play with it for years, starting from age two up until five or six.
Hex Bots Wall Crawler Gecko
Both as a mom and as someone who delights in making my co-workers squirm.” By using a remote — that can be as far as 25 feet away — you can make it scale walls or perform spin tricks, she explains. To charge it, there’s a USB-C port and you’ll need two AAA batteries for the remote.
Dog-E
If your little one has been begging for a dog and you’re apprehensive about all the responsibility, Dog-E may be the pet for you. Although WowWee’s Dog-E isn’t the first robot dog to hit the toy market, this pup has a bunch of unique features that make it stand out from the pack (no pun intended). Each Dog-E is unique in their colored light designs and personality traits — you won’t know which version you’ve got until it’s out of the box. There are over 200 sounds and reactions to expect with your new robot pup, including real dog sounds, tail wagging and a cute little run. An accompanying mobile app adds further interactive play, allowing you to teach it tricks and track its basic needs.
WowWee Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey
Fingerlings are back, and these finger monkeys are more than meets the eye. Equipped with more sensors, these fuzzy cuties know when they’re on your finger and have more animated features than ever before. Each monkey in the set comes in a different color and personality, which means they’re programmed with a variety of different reactions. Might as well collect them all.
Thames & Kosmos Gecko Run: Marble Run Starter Set
This isn’t just any old marble set. This version is more like a gecko, with suction cups that let the chutes and funnels climb up and down your walls. “Kids drop in the included marbles and watch gravity take its course as they roll down and drop from piece-to-piece. Of course, it doesn’t work perfectly each time and marbles go flying, but that’s half the fun and how kids learn; they can adjust the pieces and try again.” Expansion sets are available too and include fun add-ons, like loops and trampolines.
Bitzee Interactive Digital Pet
Bitzee is a screen-free interactive pet that kids can play with, care for and take with them anywhere. It loves treats and is reactive to touch, swipes and other movement. Each one begins as a baby and grows through three evolutionary stages, culminating in a final stage that unlocks a special game. Fifteen interactive animals — like a cat, unicorn and bunny — can be unlocked the more your kiddo plays with Bitzee.
3Doodler Start Plus
This cool 3D printing pen lets kids create anything they could possibly imagine out of plastic filaments. It’s slim and light, making it easy for small hands to hold, and it’s great introduction to the world of 3D printing. The pen melts sticks of plastic so kids can draw them into any shape, and the nozzle and melted plastic aren’t hot, so it won’t burn little hands. I’ve tested it; you can put the tip to your skin and draw on your finger. I had no worries giving it to my kids.
Loog Mini Electric Guitar
If your child has expressed an interest in playing an instrument, this is a great starter instrument and teaches kids how to play songs via flashcards and video lessons. It’s a three-string guitar, has a built-in amp and speaker and comes in six fun colors, from light blue to red to pink. To make the gift complete, you can also get a strap ($19) and carrying case ($39).
Lexibook Harry Potter Electronic Chess Set
Chess took off among kids a couple of years ago, and it’s still going strong. This chess set makes a great gift for Potterheads who are also chess fans — or aspiring chess fans. The keyboard has light and sound effects and players can choose from 64 levels of difficulty. There’s also a training mode, which lets a player know if the move they just made is a good one and lets them try again.
Moonlite Storytime Mini Projector with Eric Carle Stories
Bedtime stories get a huge boost with this Moonlite Storytime mini projector. It attaches to the flashlight on your cell phone so that you can project each “page” of a story onto the while while it plays sound effects as you read along to your child. The projector is easy to use and gets
