We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A talking Bluey plush toy because your little one will have someone else to sing the theme song with over and over again, so you can have a break. It also says nine phrases and can be turned off during bedtime so it won't keep them (and you) up all night.
Promising review: "Favorite toy! My 2-year-old son loves his Bluey plushy and carries her everywhere he goes. The plushy was a bit smaller than I imagined it would be for the price, but it honestly is the perfect size for him to carry around and travel with. I would recommend this toy for a gift. Two thumbs up!" —Stausha
Get it from Amazon for $19.97 (also available in four other characters).
2. A splashproof kids' smartwatch so they can stop hogging your Apple Watch. This affordable watch can record videos and snap pics they'll be able to customize with filters. It also has a game that allows them to catch monsters in the real world, an alarm clock setting, and a pedometer.
Promising review: "My niece has been pining for an Apple Watch, but considering she's 5 this one suits her a lot better. It takes some getting used to as far as turning it on and off, and this is something she had to learn. It isn't at all like the Apple Watch — they actually have to manually turn it on and off. I thought that was a good thing because if she wears it to school she can't turn it on (unless she takes it off). It's very colorful and cute. She loved it, it was definitely her favorite gift." —J. Hill
Get it from Amazon for $28.90+ (available in five colors and two packaging options).
3. A whale bath toy that lights up and sprays water like a magical fountain. Bath time will feel like a whole vibe and you'll be the most fun parent ever.
Promising reviews: "My 2-year-old LOVES this, it’s his favorite bath toy! Super cute little whale. It’s pretty bright, and the fountain is just high enough it doesn’t splash in my 2-year-old's face." —Blake Earp
"This is so adorable! It lights up and changes to all different colors continually. And it sucks water up through the bottom and spouts out the top. My little one loves it — it's his new favorite bath toy!" —Sheena
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in six colors/styles).
4. A Little Tikes trampoline to help them channel all of their energy on this instead of jumping all over your furniture.
5. A flying orb that floats and hovers like it came straight off of the pages of Harry Potter. It has flashing lights and will boomerang right back to you when you toss it. This cool toy will earn you some cool points with your kid.
Promising review: "Fun toy! I bought this for a 7-year-old boy for his birthday! He absolutely loved it. This was his favorite gift and it wasn't put in the bottom of the toy box!" —Michelle B Rawlins
Get it from Amazon for $32 (available in seven colors).
6. A Silly Poopy's Hide & Seek game if your kiddo is always down for a round of their fave game. The best part? You can hide this toy and plop yourself on the couch while your child listens for sounds and clues to find the hiding place.
7. A splurge-worthy rechargeable laser tag set because it's a fun game the whole fam can play. It'll turn your basement or yard into an fun battle zone.
The set includes four rechargeable guns, four rechargeable vests, and one charging station. You can play approximately eight games per charge. The cool LCD screens on the vest keep count of how many lives you have and the vest vibrates when you get shot, aka tagged. Play with up to four teams and eliminate your enemies to win the game. Recommended for ages 8+.
Promising review: "Super fun!! This was my kids' (and their dad's and uncle's!!) favorite Christmas gift this year. They loved it and had so much fun playing laser tag. Glad I got this slightly upgraded version with all the bells and whistles. It was easy to set up, easy to use (even for my younger guys at ages 5 and 6) and so much fun. Great way to get outside and get some exercise, or you can turn off the sound and still use it inside without getting on mom’s nerves too much as well ;) battery life is awesome. Love it!! Great gift!!!!" —EJ NZ
Get it from Amazon for $199.99 (don't forget to clip the coupon for $50 off!).
8. A Melissa & Doug interactive wooden dashboard so your tiny racer will be able to pretend to drive around without you having to chase after them. It includes a realistic steering wheel, a scrolling GPS, keys, lights and sounds, and a beeping horn.
Promising review: "My son’s favorite toy. This toy is extremely well built and sturdy. It has a surprising amount of buttons and activities on it, all that are decently relatable to real world driving. My son loves the steering wheel and how it just turns and turns with no end, no matter which direction it’s turned. He hasn’t quite figured out all of the buttons yet, but so far he’s learned the steering wheel, the horn, all 4 radio station buttons, the gear shifter, the red racing button, and the hazard flashers button. He hasn’t learned the turn signal lever, the air conditioning vent, the ignition key, the gas gauge timer, the fog lights, or the gas flap on the side. He’ll get there though! He plays with this toy every single day, most of the day. I’d definitely recommend to anyone with a fidgety toddler like ours!" —Hunter
Get it from Amazon for $44.99.
9. A Dyson Ball toy vacuum to turn your child's need to *pretend* to clean into some useful help. Unlike toy vacuums, this one has pretty good suction to clean up little messes.
Promising review: "Our son is absolutely obsessed with our Dyson (the real one). Which is why we purchased this toy Dyson vacuum for his birthday. He's 2-years-old and he is really enjoying having his on 'working' vacuum cleaner!!! He seriously plays with it for hours during the day. Turning it on and off and pushing it through the house just like we use our real vacuum. I would buy this again! It was his favorite gift!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three styles).
10. A Magna-Tiles set that parents are raving about because kids and adults can't stop playing with them. Whatever your child creates will look like a work of art with these tiles.
The set comes with translucent magnetic pieces to build 3D creations all day. Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "My son's favorite toy! These toys are just the best of the best! They are a favorite in my household. They are so good for hand-eye coordination, as well as imagination and thinking skills. My son can spend hours playing with these and never gets bored. They are a great price for how long they hold up and how much fun kiddos have while playing with them. This is a must-have gift for any child in your life!" —Amy Shepherd
Get it from Amazon for $49.99 for a 32-piece set or $119.99 for a 100-piece set.
11. A National Geographic geodes kit because it will fulfill your child's need to smash and break things. Your little geologist will be able to crack open rocks to reveal amazing crystals!
This science kit includes natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, display stands, and one learning guide.
Promising review: "I got this for my 9-year-old son and he absolutely loves it. I asked him last night what was his favorite gift, honestly expecting him to say something toy related, and he said this was his favorite gift. My 11-year-old girl piped up and said she wished she had gotten one too. They had a blast opening up the geodes and identifying the crystals. A couple of times my son said he wished the clear crystals were diamonds...me too, buddy! So, all in all, a terrific gift; my daughter's birthday is in January and she's already asked for this, so I guess we'll be getting another soon! Also, my kids both enjoyed the gift and didn't argue about anything while opening the geodes, even though it was my son's gift. Win-win!" —Heather F
Get it from Amazon for $19+ (available in four sizes).
12. A marble run set so your little one can create their own maze that marbles can roll through. This will keep them interested for a long time and help them *build* their problem-solving skills.
Promising review: "Favorite birthday toy! I don’t usually write reviews but this has been the star birthday present this year. Very easy to put together, my newly turned 4-year-old can put it together on his own, but we have loved playing with him and building too! The pieces fit together snuggly and is sturdy once put together! I also love that it came with real marbles and not plastic like some other sets! Definitely worth the money!" —Jordan Biggs
Get it from Amazon for $33.73+ (available in four quantities).
13. And a Gravity Maze game to challenge your little brainiac to use spatial reasoning, planning, and engineering to figure out how to get the ball through the maze and on its target. Sounds super technical, but it's learning that feels like fun.
The game comes with 60 challenges that range from beginner to expert so it will hold their interest as they work their way up to the trickier ones.
Promising review: "Oh boy, this has been a hit. When asked what her favorite Xmas present was, my 10-year-old daughter has repeatedly said 'Gravity Maze' and proceeded to explain the game and how cool it is. The game was easy to set up, easy to figure out how to play, and then it becomes progressively more challenging as you move from beginning to intermediate levels of difficulty. The pieces fit easily back into their compartments in the box for storage. It would be neat to figure out a way to make it a dual-player game, either collaborative or competitive." —Mamma Ro
Get it from Amazon for $27.63.
14. A 360-degree-rotating 3-in-1 LED globe so your explorer can learn about geography and the constellations. It also doubles as an out-of-this-world night light.
Promising review: "Our 6-year-old grandson absolutely loves it. He said, it was his ‘favorite Christmas gift.’ He has already learned a lot from the globe map, but the constellations at night are the best." —Jean M Feyling
Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three sizes).
15. A Hot Wheels garage with parking for more than 100 cars and a loopy racetrack. Okay, now that I got all the deets out of the way — there's also a car-eating T-Rex!
Promising review: "I cringed spending this much on a Hot Wheels set, but this garage has absolutely become a favorite toy. It works well for racing cars, can store a huge number of hot wheels vehicles in 'parking spots' which makes cleaning up and displaying them fun, and has a bunch of activity possibilities with places to attach additional Hot Wheels tracks, a small carwash and body shop on the base, etc. My son loves it and plays with it almost daily, and it's reduced the number of hot wheels underfoot as they all have a place to park now. I call that a winner!" —Meg MacDougall
Get it from Amazon for $180.93.
16. A hilarious Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza card game that isn't as complicated as its name, we promise. Not only is it easy to play but it's also fun for the whole fam. Reviewers warn that you may laugh uncontrollably.
Pass out all the cards to the players and keep all the stacks face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle, while saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order. If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone races against each other to slap their hand on the central pile of cards. Whoever is last must take the pile of cards and add them to their stack, and the person who runs out of cards first wins!
Promising review: "My 10-year-old's favorite game! We took it with us on a weekend away at a cabin and it was a huge hit! My 10-year-old and I literally laughed until we cried! Great family fun and good innocent fun, too, when friends come over! Her almost-12-year-old bff got just as big of a kick out of it as she did when she came over and played it with us. Highly recommend for laughs and fun and family time!" —designermomoftwo
Get it from Amazon for $9.84.
17. Banzai Bump N' Bounce Body Bumpers so your energetic kids can have a silly sibling (or cousin) duel.
18. A Stomp Rocket launcher that your kids will have a *blast* with (while learning a thing or two about physics). These rockets launch up to 200 feet high when your child jumps or stomps on the launch pad — no need to stock up on batteries.
Promising review: "My 6-year-old nephew's favorite Xmas gift! You know a gift is great when you give it to a child and they ignore all of their other gifts and play with only the one. He and his friends played with it nonstop all day the first day, and they are still playing with it a week later. You'd think a bunch of 6-year-old boys would have managed to break a plastic toy that they jump on, but so far it has managed to stand up to their rough use. The toy is very safe, too. The soft ends on the rockets mean that no one gets hurt should one accidentally fly into the crowd of kids. Apparently this toy is popular, too. The neighborhood kids in my own cul-de-sac own one as well. They're out in the court playing with it for hours at a time, nearly every day before school starts back up again." —dmwalker
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in four- and six-packs, with or without LED lights, and refill packs).
19. An LCD writing tablet for screen-free fun so your artist can get creative. Your little one can draw colorful and bright creations minus the mess.
Promising review: "I bought two of these for the holiday season, and they became the favorite gift for my two kiddos. It's easy to use, fun to draw on for homeschool or for fun. My kids love them so much. I just bought another to give to my 6-year-old's best friend so they can use them together on their virtual playdates!!! So glad I picked these up as I see endless hours using them.'" —Victoria DiBona
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in four colors).
20. A rechargeable kids' karaoke microphone because it can connect to their phone or iPad via Bluetooth so they can sing along with their fave tunes on apps like Spotify or YouTube. Plus, it includes 30 preloaded Motown hits — no bulky karaoke machine or special equipment required!
Promising review: "My 5-year-old absolutely loves this. It is her favorite gift that she received for Christmas. Easy to use, music sound quality is great, microphone quality is great. I ordered the rose gold one and it looks better in person. Volume control is easy to use. There's slide controls for music volume, mic volume, and voice echo. Easy button controls to skip through songs. Great buy for kids." —ARIES
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in 10 colors).
21. A kids' selfie camera so your little influencer can become a savvy photographer and snap pics of their OOTD. You don't want to keep their followers waiting!
Promising reviews: "My 8-year-old niece has documented her life for the past year on this camera. She really loves it." —Teresa
"Best Auntie Award. I bought this for my 4-year-old nephew and he LOVES it! Says it’s his favorite Christmas gift. He uses it all the time, especially for selfies! It has games, video, and a selfie mode! I didn’t even know it had all this when I got it. It’s definitely worth the price! Amazing little camera." —Christa
Get it from Amazon for $27.19+ (available in five colors).
22. A wooden puzzle that is like a real lifeTetris minus the screen time. This puzzle can be played over and over for some fun away from their tablet.
Reviewers say this is a great toy for ages 3 to 12.
Promising review: "Favorite toy. Of all the things I got my 3-year-old son for Christmas, this little puzzle has been played with the most. He loves it. It can be put together in many ways, but you can get it wrong so you need to think to shift things around to get them to fit. Bright colored pieces are easy to find when they are scattered around the living room." —MamaBear
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
23. A pack of parachute toys because they won't tangle! So your little one can toss one at any angle (because they will) over and over again without the strings getting knotted.
Promising review: "Whoever thought of this design is genius. My 5-year-old loves these and it's his favorite gift among all the other (much more expensive) ones we got for him. The no-tangle design is genius. I can't count how many of the standard string type ones we have gotten tangled before finding these." —hiker0811
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.99.
24. A Craft-tastic "Make a Fox Friend" kit for your little fashionista that will help them learn to sew. This kit comes with everything needed to make a stuffed fox and adorable outfits and accessories.
Promising review: "Granddaughters' favorite Christmas gifts. My granddaughters are 9- and 7-years-old. They were so tickled with these crafts they couldn't wait to begin! I will buy more of these kits because they are so well made and have such cute accessories." —Suzanne
Get it from Amazon for $19.26+ (also available in four animals).
25. A set of Crayola Scribble Scrubbie pets because they're reusable, so your kid can create colorful pets over and over for endless fun.
The Peculiar Pets set includes: one dragon, one narwhal, one yeti, one unicorn, one sparkly scrub tub, one scrub brush, nine washable markers, one standing play mat, and an instruction sheet.
Promising reviews: "My daughter’s favorite craft Christmas gift. My daughter plays with this toy more than any other gift she received for Christmas. She loves crafts and loves the reusable nature of this product. It is well constructed and easy to clean and clean up. This toy also does not take up a lot of space. If I had one craft toy to purchase, it would be this one. My daughter spent several hours enjoying this toy." —JWylie
"Favorite Christmas gift for my 5-year-old! The animals are adorable and the little bathtub/shower (that really lets water out!) is so fun. My daughter has asked to play with them everyday for the past week. I thought they might lose some of the novelty after the first play; nope. She's loving them." —Slater Family
Get it from Amazon for $25.99.
26. A Melissa & Doug activity book with a pair of safety scissors so your kiddo can develop fine motor skills and tap into their creativity. This book is filled with mazes, puzzles, and hands-on activities that will keep your child entertained.
Promising reviews: "This book has been my daughter’s favorite thing from Christmas believe it or not! She loves 'doing homework' and her cutting has improved so much. There are so many different designs to ensure children are cutting straight lines, curves, circles, squares, etc. Great practice! I’ve recommended this to so many people!." —Heather C.
"My 3-year-old loved this. Gifted it on Christmas Day and it was by far his favorite gift. The scissors are safe scissors, but cut the paper just fine." —Rochelle5
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
27. A classic Melissa & Doug ice cream station so your kiddo can run their own ice cream shop (minus the sugar rush) and dive into pretend play. Your child will love taking your order and scooping ice cream into cups and cones.
The wooden ice cream counter comes with eight ice cream scoops, six toppings, two cones, cup, scooper, tongs, wooden spoon, reusable menu card, and six pretend dollar bills.
Promising review: "Out of every toy I've ever purchased for my daughter, this is hands down her favorite. She's obsessed. She literally brings her ice cream cones everywhere. Such a good buy and totally worth it. We got it from Amazon while it was on sale for $35 when it was retailing instore for $50! Such a good buy at such a good price. Couldn't be happier." —Jade Nguyen
Get it from Amazon for $41.99.
28. A Lego set because your dino-obsessed kid will be able to create three dinosaurs fit for Jurassic Park.
29. And a Lego Minecraft set if you want to get your kiddo off of their tablet but all they care about is Minecraft. This will bring some of their fave characters into the real world for some fun away from their screen.
Promising review: "He got this set and another for a birthday present and I'm pretty sure they were his favorite gift. He wouldn't do anything but build his sets and loved the moveable blocks. That's a small feature that was pretty neat and surprised him, which he loved even more." —Andria
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
30. An InnyBin to challenge your little thinker as they try to push shapes through elastic bands and try to get them back out. It comes with six blocks in various sizes and textures to keep your child entertained. And, as a bonus, it builds fine motor skills.
31. A Vtech sports center for your tiny all-star because they will love that it has an LED scoreboard, gears, buttons, and plays 50+ songs, sounds, and phrases.
Promising review: "I bought this as a Christmas gift to my 16-month-old grandson. He loves it...we can spend hours kicking the ball or playing basketball. It was definitely his favorite toy and it is great for keeping him busy. It is also educational as it teaches kids how to count and ABCs. I highly recommend this item." —Maurice Horn
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in two colors and two packaging options).
32. A Disney Princess necklace activity set to help your little one stay out of your jewelry box and create their very own one-of-a-kind necklaces.
Promising review: "Best Christmas gift ever! Highly recommended!! If you ask my daughter what her favorite thing she got for Christmas, she'd pick this necklace set! And she got a brand-new super-nice Frozen 2 bike and matching helmet. But played with this all morning! The necklaces can easily be undone and redone many times. She redesigned and made them seriously all morning long! Which was so amazing! My husband and I were able to clean the house and cook Christmas lunch for family coming, uninterrupted. I was a little worried she wouldn’t like it much and beads would be everywhere and once she made them she would be done, but the way it’s made, she can easily pull the necklace apart and re do it! Also the beads only go through on one side so it made it very easy for her without beads falling off and going all over." —Megan Williamson
Get it from Amazon for $11.30+ (available in 13 styles).
33. A rainbow-colored saucer swing because rain or shine, your child can spin and swing without a trip to the park. This will be your kid's (or teen's) new *hang* out.
Promising review: "Bought for my 4-and 10-year-old so they could play together and it’s their new favorite. Took all of 15 minutes to put together and install on our swing set. Sturdy and pretty. I’d recommend to anyone." —Shae Sumdaze
Get it from Amazon for $41.99+ (available in two sizes).
34. A shape-shifting puzzle cube that will keep your child captivated while they manipulate it into over 70 different shapes. It's like origami, but with magnets.
You can also collect all 12 puzzle box designs to connect several magnetic cubes to build even larger structures and sculptures.
Promising review: "I was hesitant about spending $25 for this toy and even more concerned when it showed up and I saw the size, but this got the award for favorite Christmas gift. Both my 9-year-old and 12-year-old play with it constantly!" —Blair001
Get it from Amazon for $17.49+ (available in 22 designs and in packs of two and four).
35. A Gabby’s Dollhouse MerCat Plushie because it's the purr-fect gift for any fan of the show. Plus, reviewers are raving about the quality and how soft it is.
Promising review: "My 4-year-old is obsessed. Mercat is her favorite character and this toy is now her absolute favorite. Well made and super cute." —Frances chavez
Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (also available in three other characters).
36. A pack of brightly colored stacking cups that have over 89,000 5-star ratings and reviewers are saying it's the best (and probably the cheapest) toy they've ever purchased. They can be used to stack, for water-play, and pretend play — there are so many possibilities.
Bonus: These have holes in the bottom for water play and come with a cute star ring to keep them together.
Promising review: "I got these as a stocking stuffer for my 15-month-old and off all the toys she got for Christmas this is her favorite and also the least expensive. I let her open them first and then she didn’t want to play with any of the other toys. Haha." —Lauren
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $7.01.
37. A battery-free race track because it has levers and buttons so your child can navigate cars through obstacles to get to the exciting end. Once their car gets to the top, a magnetic helicopter will pick up vehicles!
The track includes a toy police car, ambulance, and fire engine.
Promising review: "Perfect for little geniuses! My 3-year-old likes to tinker and figure stuff out. This is the absolute favorite toy she’s ever had. She sat and played with it for 45 minutes straight. Super fun!" —nyer88
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (don't forget to clip the coupon for 10% off!).
38. A water bottle decorating kit so your little artist will be able to decorate their own water bottle that'll put those fancy Starbucks cups to shame.
The kit comes with everything they need to create their own personalized water bottle including a BPA-free water bottle, seven sheets of rhinestone stickers and a carabiner to hang the bottle once it's done.
Promising review: "I purchased this product as a gift for my 6-year-old granddaughter. She absolutely loved it!! She had so much fun decorating it with all the rhinestone gems. Afterward she used it the entire time we were there. And she said, 'It’s my favorite!!' I will be purchasing it again for one of my friends' 6-year-old girl. I know that she will love it." —Janet B.
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in two colors).
39. A 100 Words Book, aka an interactive book that will help your child learn the alphabet and words. It has fun sounds, images, lights and activities to prevent that *boredom meltdown.*
Promising review: "This is an AWESOME gift. It was, by far, my granddaughter's favorite Christmas gift. She loved turning it between the languages and animal sounds...she would put it down and came back to it again and again. She is about 12-months-old. She is learning sign language and her older brother takes Spanish so he is really into teaching her both languages. The no-frustration packaging is so amazing. Just open and use." —Raingirl98275
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
40. A solar-powered DIY robot kit, a STEM activity where your child can build 12 robots that can move with the power of the sun! And while they're busy building, you can take a moment to read, scroll on your phone, or maybe even nap?!
41. A foam pogo jumper that is safer than a traditional Pogo Stick, making it perfect for your preschooler. They'll have so much fun bouncing around and you'll be happy they have an activity to channel all that energy into.
Promising review: "This pogo toy looked intriguing as I was shopping for Christmas gifts for my grandson’s, ages 4 and 3. Boy, I had no idea what a hit this gift was going to be! It was their favorite toy by far! Started playing with it immediately. Easy to master! Their mom and I even took a turn on it! Fun for 39- and 65-year-olds too!" —2patsdc
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in 17 colors).
42. A sink with a working faucet and real running water so they can stop wasting water and making a mess in your kitchen trying to ~help~ you with the dishes. This is perfect for the kiddo who isn't quite ready for this chore but is excited to pretend they are. Plus, the toy dishes change color in warm water!
The sink recirculates water stored in a tank under the sink so they can play for hours without wasting water. 💦
Promising review: "Our 2-year-old daughter’s favorite toy. I can easily give the credit to this toy for my 2-year-old daughter learning the words, 'Spoon,' 'Dishes!,' 'Plate,' 'Bowl,' and more. This is, by far, her favorite toy. It works great! Her mother has always brought her along when she washes our dishes and it’s the cutest thing now to watch our daughter bring her 'baby' (baby doll) along when she 'washes dishes.' This toy has provided countless hours of entertainment and is safe for personal (independent) play time. Thanks!" —Gage Faulkner
Get it from Amazon for $29.59.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.