Toy and game companies are building their holiday pitches around a wide mix of play patterns, from sensory fidgets and collectible miniatures to construction sets, vehicles, and familiar entertainment franchises. The lineup, drawn from company-submitted “Hot for Holiday” picks, is intended to capture children’s attention and earn places on wish lists, according to the manufacturers behind the products.
The submissions span imaginative worlds, hands-on experiences, sensory fun, tech-forward play, and established franchises, with products positioned for toddlers through teenagers. Prices in the featured group range from about $5 for small collectibles and plush to $279.99 for a large wooden railway set.
Sensory and laugh-driven play
Several picks lean on physical comedy and tactile feedback. Goliath’s Chester, a butt-shaped character priced at $29.99 for ages 8 and up, wiggles and makes sounds when squeezed and stretched; pressing its head triggers dancing to music. Just Play’s 18-inch Tiggle Me Elmo Giggle Max, at $39.97 for 18 months and up, is a reimagined 1990s-style toy with full-body movement and laughter. Horizon Group USA’s slow-flow glitter-gel stress toys, priced at $4.99–$8.99, come in licensed themes including Squishmallows, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minecraft, and Bluey.
Construction, collectibles, and character play
Construction and collectible formats appear throughout the list. Mattel’s modular dollhouse, at $214.99 for ages 3 and up, includes nine indoor and outdoor play areas, two pools, two slides, more than 65 accessories, and two house structures that can be joined or linked by a bridge. Connetix’s 32-piece travel set, priced at $25, packs mini shapes, magnets, and reusable stickers into a carry tin. Melissa & Doug offers modular rooms for ages 0–2 at $9.99–$34.99.
Collectibles range from MGA Entertainment’s eight music-genre mini dolls, each in a pink disco ball package with a spinning record player, at $11.99 for ages 4 and up, to Super Impulse’s Drip Drops miniature sneakers. Series 1 includes 16 styles with Hot Wheels, Godzilla, and Smiley branding, each with a shoebox, laces, display case, and keychain.
Tech, vehicles, and licensed franchises
Tech-enhanced toys include a voice-powered sticker maker from Hapiko that uses AI to create printable sticker combinations; the company says it includes filters and is not “always listening.” Jazwares’ Pikachu, at $79.99, combines more than 100 action and sound combinations with touch sensors, blinking eyes, mouth movement, and soft puppetronics. Tonies’ Toniebox 2 Pokémon set, at $199.99 for ages 5 and up, includes Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur figures for a screen-free audio player.
Vehicle and action formats include Hasbro’s 11-inch figure that converts to a car in four steps at $54.99, and the Bat-Link Batmobile, more than 16 inches long, which fits 6.5-inch figures and hides a disc-launching BatDrone under the hood at $43.19. Spin Master’s Rocky recycling truck, at $64.99, releases a 2-foot inflatable dinosaur when children press the light bar.
Licensed play also reaches preschool and family games. The LEGO Group’s 106-piece Bluey set, at $24.99, includes Bluey and Rusty mini-figures and a school scene inspired by the “Early Baby” episode. Jakks Pacific’s Donkey Kong playset, at $19.99, uses 2.5-inch figures on rails, vines, and ladders. Taco Cat Games’ go-kart card game for ages 7 and up lets players switch sides when a swap card changes the odds.
The range shows manufacturers covering several price points and play styles rather than converging on a single trend. For retailers, the submissions offer a snapshot of what toy companies see as holiday drivers; they are company selections, not an independent ranking.