The 20 Hottest Christmas Toys to Buy Before They Sell Out
Updated: May 07, 2021Start asking your kids what they want from Santa now, because if you wait until December to find out, these popular toys will be long gone.
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
The Christmas toys every child wants this year
We shopped the aisles and scoured all the websites to round up the top toys as predicted by the experts—then had them verified by our favorite littles to come up with our list of hottest Christmas toys for 2020. This year, in particular, shopping experts are encouraging parents to shop early as top toys are expected to sell out faster than ever thanks to the pandemic—it’s just one of the ways the holidays will be different.
We’ve got toys for toddlers, elementary school kids, and tweens.
Note: Prices listed were accurate as of press time; pricing fluctuations may occur.
For kids 5 months+: Oribel Portaplay Stage-Based Baby Activity Center
$139
For our youngest kiddos, you can’t go wrong with this activity table that grows with your child into toddlerhood. Beginning in infancy, your tot has all the right developmental toys to keep them engaged and entertained, with Stage 1 toys (for those 5 months to 8 months old) and then Stage 2 toys (from 8 months to 12 months old). The seat in the middle swivels 360 degrees so your babe can explore each and every thoughtfully designed toy, and when they begin walking, you can pop the seat out and convert this into a toddler activity table for all their creative needs. Bonus? This table folds up for maximum storage and portability. You may also want to snag the cute matching stools.
For kids 1+: LeapFrog Speak and Learn Puppy
$19.88
This adorable plush Bailey engages your tot in conversation by asking questions and singing songs. It moves its heads and flaps its ears as an encouragement to keep the chatter going. It requires four AA batteries, one of the things you should always buy on Amazon.
For kids 3+: KidKraft Designed by Me: Color Decor Dollhouse
$69.99
Your child is unique, so naturally, they don’t want a cookie-cutter dollhouse. This one from the new KidKraft Designed by Me line comes with a 12-page coloring book that they can color, then decorate the walls of the dollhouse with. The hottest Christmas toy comes with pretty pieces of pastel furniture and fits dolls up to 12-inches in size. We’ve also got genius gift ideas for mom.
Blue’s Clues & You! Dance-Along Blue Plush
$44.99
This adorable animatronic Blue, one of the hottest Christmas toys for 2020, looks like she danced her way right out of the screen into your house. She’ll delight little ones as she wiggles her tush, lifts her ears up and down, and dances along to the Blue’s Clues & You! theme song—all the movements are controlled by Josh’s iconic Handy Dandy Guitar which acts as a remote controller. Have a real pooch in the house? These are the best gifts for dog lovers.
PJ Masks Transforming 2 in 1 Mobile HQ
$64.99
This 3-foot tall tower is a must for the PJ Masks fan in your life. The mobile HQ features a light and soundboard where kids can find out their mission. Then fold up the ramp, turn it on its side and the Mobile HQ is ready to roll! It comes with a Catboy figure and Cat-Car. Shopping for dad? These gifts for men will make you look like a hero.
Hess Truck 2020 Ambulance and Rescue
$36.99
Hess Truck has been doing its thing since 1964 and the jingle has likely been stuck in your head since you can remember. This year’s truck—the first-ever ambulance with rescue truck—pays tribute to our first responder’s. It comes complete with flashing lights, a siren, and a mute button for parents who’ve had enough. These are more of the gifts boys will love.
For kids 3 to 7: Barbie Color Reveal Slumber Party
$39.88
Mystery surprises have been the name of the game when it comes to the hottest Christmas toys for a few years now and now Barbie is getting in on the action with this color reveal set. It comes with a Barbie Color Reveal doll, a Chelsea Color Reveal doll, and three Color Reveal pets that kids can swirl in warm water to discover what’s underneath plus mystery packages that contain sleepover-themed accessories (pizza, yum!), clip in hair, and a glow-in-the-dark sticker sheet. These 12 rare Barbie dolls fetch a lot of money today.
For kids 3 to 12: Blume Rainbow Sparkle Surprise Playset
$19.99
It’s not only plants that need rain to grow, so do these Blume Rainbow Sparkle Dolls. Once they’ve “bloomed,” kids will love finding all the surprises hidden inside. Their pots double as a playset and the rainbow sprinkler can be used to water real-life plants. Find out all the gifts for her she secretly wants.
For kids 4+: Clixo Crew Pack
$44.99
Said to “combine the magic of origami with the ease of classic block building” Clixo are an inventive new toy. Kids will love creating 2- and 3-D sculptures; parents like that the pieces allow for open-ended battery-free play. Bonus: They’re easy to clean up, too. Speaking of, these are the best gifts for people who can’t stop cleaning.
For kids 4 to 8: Cave Club Rockelle Doll and Tyrannosaurus Dinosaur Pal Playset
$38.75
Once fearful T-rex looks a whole lot less scary with a purple poof of hair held together with a pink hair clip as it strides along with best bud Rockelle, the most stylish cave girl you’ve ever seen. Rockelle is fully posable and can ride her not-so-terrible dinosaur, brush its hair, and more.
For kids 4 to 15: L.O.L. Surprise! OMG Remix
$98.00
Every year it seems like L.O.L. won’t be able to one-up itself and every year it does. This year’s top toy from the line of cheekily named dolls is the Surprise! OMG Remix. Four OMG dolls and four fashion dolls come boxed in a boombox that hints at the dolls’ special skill: the larger dolls each play an instrument that really rocks.
For kids 5+: Star Wars The Child Animatronic Edition
$59.00
The Child, aka Baby Yoda, took the world by storm when he showed up at the end of the premiere episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+. With the second season now available to be streamed, the pint-sized creature’s popularity is only set to skyrocket. This animatronic Baby Yoda babbles, giggles, makes Force like sound effects, gets sleepy, and moves its head up and down and opens and closes its eyes. If you love the look of this little guy, be sure not to miss our 14 other best Baby Yoda gifts.
For kids 5 to 10: VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam
$49.44
Wannabe YouTubers and TikTokers will no longer have to bet your phone once Santa leaves this VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam under the tree. It has built-in editing tools, a tripod, and a flip-up lens, plus comes pre-loaded with fun backgrounds like a T-Rex or outer space and effects, including slow-motion. When they’re done with the video, download the masterpiece to your home computer using the USB cable. Don’t miss these top gifts for grandparents.
For kids 5 to 15: Squeakee The Balloon Dog
$44.88
If your kid has been pestering you to get a dog, but you’re not quite ready to fold, Squeakee is the next best thing—perhaps even better as you don’t need to potty train it and it can’t chew your shoes. Your child can teach us the squeaker toy to train the balloon robot dog to sit, beg, roll over, and more—it has more than 60 sounds and movements in total. And those big red balloon ears are pretty impossible to resist.
For kids 6+: LEGO Super Mario Adventures With Mario Starter Course
$59.95
You loved Super Mario when you were a kid, now the time has come to share that obsession with the next generation. This 231 piece LEGO kit that comes with an interactive Super Mario (batteries required), plus Browser Jr. and Goomba, lets kids build and play their own games. They can rearrange the game to try new and different challenges. It comes with a free Super Mario LEGO app with tips and tricks.
Hatchimals Pixies Crystal Flyers Pink Magical Flying Pixie Toy
$24.82
Sprinkle some pixie dust over their holiday with these new Hatchimal Pixies Crystal Flyers that magically move through the air. Krystalina Rose lives in her glittery egg, where she gets charged to fly via a USB cable. When it’s time for her to fly and flap her sparkling wings, lift her out of her egg. Kids can guide her flying by repositioning her legs and stop it altogether by pinching her wings.
Pokemon Trading Card Game: Battle Academy Board Game
$19.97
This game is for the kid who loves Pokemon and their parent who struggles to understand the complex rules of the game. It comes with everything you need to finally figure out when is the right time to play an energy card and how to tell which character wins the battle. It comes with three boxes of 60 Pokemon cards, which as anyone who knows who has bought the cards alone, is a bargain. These classic board games also make wonderful gifts.
For kids 6 to 12: Real Cooking Chocolate Pen
$24.99
Fans of Top Chef Junior will melt over this Chocolate Pen that decorates or creates real candy creations in minutes. It comes with the pen, melting tray, 40 molds, and four packs of melting chocolate—when it’s time for more, any type of candy melt or melting chocolate works.
For kids 8+: Bill Nye the Science Guy VR Kit
$59.99
Budding scientists will love exploring and discovering right alongside Bill Nye through caves, volcanoes, waterfalls, and more. The kit comes with a pair of VR goggles and equipment for 30 science projects. Don’t worry, mom and dad, Bill Nye will be there every step of the way with them.
LEGO Friends Friendship Bus
$55.99
The popularity of RVing grew by leaps and bounds this year—and now your kids eight and up can get in on the fun with this LEGO Friends Friendship Bus. Once the 778-piece set is built, kids will enjoy playing with minifigs of Stephanie, Mia, and Olivia as they splash in the onboard pool, spin down the slide, gaze at the stars, and more.
American Girl Courtney Doll, Book, & Accessories
$140
It’s totally rad that Courtney from the ’80s is the 2020 “historical doll” American Girl introduced this year. Her hair is scrunched and in a scrunchie and she comes with a personal cassette player, headphones, and an armful of neon bangles, plus a pretend Lip Smacker on a cord. Like all AG dolls, she has a backstory; Courtney’s is that her mom is running for mayor of her San Fernando Valley, California town and it upends her life. Next, read on to discover the best gifts for grandma.
Want more deals and product picks sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for the Stuff We Love newsletter!
CMU Unit
