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Small live pets Mama Surprise
Guinea pigs without cleaning up
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Squishmallows mystery box
Three trendy cuddly toys
![star wars lola](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/1e99085bac25759172810c4b0cc68007735e541b/hub/2022/09/30/44e9b58e-e513-4c59-92e2-3e576618e6fb/star-wars-lola.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=144&width=144)
Star Wars LOLA Animatronic Droid
This toy will delight Star Wars fans
![Bluey ultimate playhouse for sights and sounds](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/39bf2d0524bb4de156f4e54006f38b16b5386d65/hub/2022/09/30/010b53e8-f5e5-456f-83cd-8b56d0fb50e2/bluey.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&height=144&width=144)
Bluey Ultimate Light and Sound Playhouse
Open the house to play with Bluey anytime
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Thames & Kosmos Candy Vending Machine STEM Experiment Kit
Build a working vending machine and then enjoy something tasty
Lego Friends Olivia’s Space Academy
Launch your child’s imagination
Magic Mixies Moonlight Magic Crystal Ball
A nice makeover
Calico Critters Pony’s Stylish Hair Salon
An addition to the Calico Critter world
Snap circuits: Junior
A STEM gift for aspiring engineers
Jurassic World Dominion Super colossal Giganotosaurus
A sensation for dinosaur lovers
Illuminates Pop It Pro
A fun light show revives the Pop It trend
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Microscope
A first microscope for little scientists
Star Wars villainous board game
The popular board game is getting a Star Wars update
LOL Surprise fashion show Mega Runway
Little dolls and big fun
National Geographic geode kit
Break open beautiful crystals
My Real Jam electric guitar
A gift for aspiring rock stars
60th anniversary Barbie Dreamhouse
Celebrate the 60th anniversary of the famous dollhouse
Show more (14 items)
There are toys that fade as quickly as they are released and there are real gems. Great toys are timeless. It doesn’t matter if these toys were released years ago, they just don’t go out of style. Last year was a big year for toys, and there are a number of popular dolls, playsets, DIY kits and more that are still killing it in 2023.
This story is part of Gift Guideour year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
From Squishmallows to the Bluey Playhouse, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular toys on the market below, so you can easily find a really great gift for your child (or yourself), whatever the age or occasion.
For more ideas, visit again Amazon’s list of top toys and the best STEM toys.
Not ready for a real pet yet? Little Live Pets is here for you. The Mama Surprise Guinea Pig Set includes a soft, interactive mama pig and three babies that appear in the cage. Please note: An adult is required to set up the hutch so children can experience the ‘birth’ surprise element. Mama has more than 20 sounds and responses, and the set includes accessories for your new pets.
What’s better than one Squishmallow? Three of them. These big cuddly toys are still extremely popular with children. (Adults will agree, as Squishmallows won the Toy Association’s 2022 Toy of the Year award.) This gift combines cute toys with an element of surprise, so unwrapping this mysterious box will be a highlight. The box contains three surprising cuddly toys of 20 cm, chosen at random.
If your child likes to imagine themselves in the Star Wars universe, enhance the magic with an interactive L0-LA59 (LOLA) droid. LOLA has more than 45 light, sound and movement combinations and three different play modes. Attach LOLA to the included stand in hover mode, or put her in companion mode by attaching the legs. On the Go mode means she’ll zoom through the galaxy (with a little help from you).
Australia’s animated dog family has our hearts. And with a line of fun, quality toys, they also have our wallets. Give your little one hours of playtime with this new, interactive playhouse set. The large house (47cm high and 90cm wide) folds up for easy storage, and you can fit Bingo, Bluey, Chatterbox and Nana inside, plus all the accessories. When kids press the Octopus, lights and sounds activate for even more fun.
Kids who love building will love this DIY kit. They can assemble a 60cm vending machine that doubles as a coin bank. Soda bottle shaped candies are included so kids can fill their machine and start selling. Bonus: This kit isn’t all fun and games; it’s a STEM project in disguise. Lessons in math and money, gears, gravity, force and more are embedded in this cool gift. Best for children aged 8 and over.
A new set from Lego, Olivia’s Space Academy contains 757 parts. Build a Shuttle model, a classroom, a mission control and an observatory. Four Lego figures and scientific accessories, including a planet model, complete the science landscape. Best for children ages 8 and up.
With Magic Mixies, kids can enchant their magical crystal ball with the included light-up wand and reveal an adorable Magic Mixie toy. When the creation is over, the interactive stuffed animal provides its own fun with more than 80 lights, sounds and reactions. Bonus: the crystal ball doubles as a nightlight.
This sweet hair salon set will delight any child who loves cute little animals. If you already have some Calico Critters playsets, Pony’s stylish hair salon is a perfect addition to your ‘town’. The salon includes a posable pony figure, complete with silky hair, a dress and more than 40 accessories. Best for children ages 3 and up.
Snap Circuits are the perfect gift for curious children. More than 100 electronic projects are possible with this STEM set, which is best suited for children aged 8 and up. Build a flashlight, photo sensor, siren and more. The best part is that children learn the basics of electricity while playing.
This is the mother of all dinosaur toys. With a length of over one meter, Super Colossal Giganotosaurus is an impressive play object. He can gobble up action figures (and luckily you can save them via his belly) and generally wreak havoc. Best for children ages 4 and up.
Plastic Pop It bubbles are so much fun to smoosh. It’s easy to understand why fidget toys became so popular. But this trend has a new twist: it is now an enlightened game. Just press the patterns that light up to play with. The Light Up Pop It Pro is a great toy for road trips or plane trips, or just something to have on hand to keep kids busy.
This sturdy plastic microscope is great for little hands to grip. Children aged 5 and over can watch more than 220 videos and images from the BBC on screen, or view the eight double-sided smart slides. The Magic Adventures Microscope has games and other fun content, but is also a real microscope, with a magnification of up to 200x.
Embrace the Dark Side with this exciting board game from Ravensburger. Children aged 10 and over will have fun creating strategies like Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress or Moff Gideon. The award-winning Villainous gaming system is also ideal for family game night.
Little fashionistas will covet this LOL set. Your child will love opening the small package to reveal the 12 exclusive dolls in this set. Expand the big box into four fun scenes, including the fashion show, and let the dolls walk down the catwalk. Stickers, accessories, outfits and more surprises are included for a complete doll fashion show experience.
Discover what colors and crystals lie beneath the surface of these 10 geodes with National Geographic’s Geode STEM Set. It contains everything your budding geologist needs to learn how geodes are formed, and then they can crack open some for themselves. In addition to 10 copies, the child includes a guide, a magnifying glass, safety glasses and display stands.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduced a very popular character: Baby Groot. Fans of the film will love this 476-piece Lego set featuring a poseable Groot model. The set is suitable for children aged 10 and over and contains parts for a Groot over 25cm high, plus a replica cassette tape.
This playing guitar makes such a nice gift. Preschoolers (and even older kids) will enjoy jamming with four different play modes: Play with the Band, Free Play, Solo Jam, and Play Any Song (via Bluetooth). Play your little one’s favorite songs by syncing with any Bluetooth device. Baby shark, anyone? We love the guitar’s realistic design and reusable packaging. Bonus: parents control the volume.
This is a pricey one, but worth putting on your toy list. Nintendo Switch game consoles are extremely popular. So if your child doesn’t have a Switch, you can keep him or her entertained for hours by playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart, Zelda, Just Dance or any other game.
The new OLED model has a sharper, larger screen than the original model. And the Switch is definitely a better console for younger kids than the more expensive Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. We love that the Switch can be played on the TV or as a handheld.
Mattel partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build 60 homes around the world in honor of 60 years of Barbie’s Dreamhouse. The 2022 version of Barbie’s Plastic House has three floors, stands 48 inches tall and features 10 indoor and outdoor living areas, including a movable lawn and pool area. It comes with light, sound and 70 accessories.