The Strategist’s Toy Hall of Fame
Our absolute favorite toys, from LEGOs to a silent basketball.
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As the Strategist’s resident toy writer, I have spent years collecting recommendations from educators, toy-store owners, trend forecasters, parents, and actual real-life kids; walking for miles at toy fairs; and testing everything from landline phones to the most sought-after sensory toys. This toy-industry immersion has not only been fun, it’s helped me stay on top of the best toys for all ages and every budget — which is how I came to be the steward of the Strategist Toy Hall of Fame, a one-stop shop of the very best toys for kids of all ages.
In the year since my last overhaul, Labubu mania has slowed to a near halt, making way for newer, squishier obsessions that launched a national NeeDoh shortage. And retro gadgets (especially transparent ones) have become a status symbol even among elementary- and middle-school kids who are starting to discover analog tech like portable cassette tape players. But there have also been many less viral releases worth checking out. So in restocking the “aisles” below, I’ve assembled a mix of familiar classics like train sets, an iconic red wagon, and kid-friendly art supplies alongside newcomers like a battery-operated swimming axolotl and a Pokémon LEGO set.
I selected most of the toys below from our ever-growing archive of expertly vetted toy recommendations. Many of them have also been rigorously tested by the children of our writers and editors — my own son included — to make sure nothing on this list will disappoint even the most opinionated kids. And like a traditional toy store, I’ve organized everything by category: There are pretend play toys for toddlers, bikes and scooters for elementary-school kids, building toys for all ages, and a silent foam basketball that will keep active kids and their parents sane on days when they can’t get outside.
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Pretend play toys
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A mesmerizing upgrade to Melissa & Doug’s extremely popular ice-cream-shop play set.
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Preschool teachers’ preferred cash register.
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The play kitchen Sohla El-Waylly bought for her daughter after a long search.
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Magic wands with special kid-calming powers.
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An adorable and incredibly soft puppy costume.
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Silk butterfly wings from the best in the play silks game.
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Doctor kit that helps kids tend to ailing stuffies — and prepare for their own real-life check-ups.
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Classroom-grade dress-up closet with mirror.
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Actual guest-checks make playing restaurant much more fun.
Dolls and stuffed animals
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Mother and child penguin playset with ice slide.
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Highly detailed princess castle that comes with a Persian cat.
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Stuffed bunny soul mate to Oliver Jeffers’s and Lenny Pearce’s kids.
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Scooter seat that lets dolls and stuffed animals ride along.
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Gender-neutral doll stroller that can take a beating.
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Ballerina Barbie with feet that form all five positions and a tutu that changes as she twirls.
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For the 40th anniversary of American Girl, the brand reissued its historical dolls.
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Adorable axolotl that actually swims in water.
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Customizable LEGO people with dozens of hairstyle, clothing, and accessory choices.
Cars and trucks (and other things that go)
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Ride-on car for babies and toddlers with a parent handlebar.
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Splurge-y truck pulling its own excavator.
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Grapefruit-size housefly that climbs the walls.
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Add cold water to magically scrub a muddy car and give it an instant glow-up.
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Vehicle books that change color in the bath.
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Ikea’s starter train set is affordable and comes with a tunnel and bridge.
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Brio’s battery-operated engine has an inner bladder you fill with water to make it puff steam.
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Each of these blind bags contains one of 12 baby monster trucks that drive surprisingly well.
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Flexible car track with two lanes for racing.
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The classic red wagon is an icon for a reason.
Outdoor toys
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Soft beads help prevent these jump ropes from getting tangled.
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Jon Klassen’s favorite throwing toy for kids of all ages and skill levels.
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An off-road balance bike with big knobby tires for riding over grass, mud, and tree roots.
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A smooth-riding and lightweight pedal bike for older kids with great brakes and a covered chain.
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Perfect-spiral football that howls in the air.
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The smoothest, easiest to turn scooter for little kids. This model folds and has light-up wheels.
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Skateboard–surf board hybrid that coasts on concrete.
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Ocean toy that surfs back to you when you throw it into waves.
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Trampoline-esque inner tube with climbing poles that can hold a half-dozen bouncing kids at once.
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Tried-and-true metal saucer sled that’s faster than plastic.
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Real working leaf blower for the most intrepid young landscapers.
Building and STEM toys
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Experiment with weight, addition, and subtraction while adding little montsters to the scale.
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Flexible magnetic building toy that comes with suction cups and rainbow prism pieces.
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Realistic bricks that are weighted for construction and architecture play.
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Seven-hundred-and-fifty-seven-piece Munchlax-on-a-stump LEGO set.
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DUPLO three-in-one set that comes with race cars, flames, cones, and a trophy.
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Flower that moves in the sun.
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Coral-reef Magna-Tiles with water slides.
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Open-ended LEGO set in a convenient to-go case.
Experiential and sensory toys
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Stuffed earth pillow with hidden moon inside.
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Stackable stepping stones that are also bowls, or drums, or doll beds.
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Wooden wobble board that can also be used as a car ramp.
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Unicorns, mermaids, and cats that you can turn into jewelry.
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Twenty-sided ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ foam die our toddlers are obsessed with.
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NeeDoh alternative that won’t pop under pressure.
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Strangely satisfying expandable plastic grid.
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String launcher that’s impossible to stop watching.
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A basketball kids can bounce indoors without disturbing downstairs neighbors.
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A nine-pack of lava-lamplike squishy stepping stones.
Tech toys
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Screen-free digital camera with visible guts.
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Pleasant-sounding drum kit that lets kids record their own beats.
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Landline phone that lets parents control who calls and can be called.
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Wii-esque video-game system that gets the whole family moving.
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Instant photo printer for budding scrapbookers and junk journalers.
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Best-selling baby piano that's easy to play.
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Retro-looking picture-book projector.
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Screen-free game tablet and audio player for kids as young as one.
Arts and crafts
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Friendship bracelet Rainbow Loom that doesn’t rely on plastic rubber bands.
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Quick-drying paint sticks that go on smooth and opaque.
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One-hundred-and-twenty-five googly-eye stickers in assorted sizes.
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Ice cream, candy, and fruit stickers for making your own banana split.
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Five-in-one play table that transforms from sensory table to art easel to modular ball run builder.
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Expert-recommended scissors for fine motor skill development.
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Kawaii-themed charms you color then bake to shrink.
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Flocked pets you can color and scrub clean on repeat.
Games
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Modern ‘Zelda’ is beautiful and meandering (as well as relatively low-stim).
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Retro basketball game that’s fun for big kids and teaches number recognition to little kids.
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Shape-shifting cube that’s hard to put down.
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Divisive (but delightful) card game.
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Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang’s tween daughter’s new favorite card game.
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Strategy game that’s fun for children and their grown-ups.
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A super-satisfying game that has the sort of “feel” of a screen or a video game without being one.
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3-D brain teaser that’s easy to travel with.
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A 500-piece glam Lhasa Apso puzzle that tweens will love.
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Collectibles
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Collectible tin with one foil promo card and four Pokémon TCG 30th-anniversary booster packs.
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Naruto action figure with 16 points of articulation.
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Six-inch desktop vending machine you can fill with tiny snacks.
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Make your own slime cake, banana split, pancakes, and sandwich.
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Blind bag that comes with one of six fuzzy animal babies wearing fruit get-ups.
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Squishy foam football-player key chains that come in blind bags.
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