The holiday season is steadily approaching, so it is time to start thinking about holiday wish lists now: Especially when it comes to those kiddo wish lists, because in case you haven’t noticed, toys are in high demand. Major retailers, like Amazon, Target and Walmart have recently released their Holiday Toy Lists which are helpful for gift inspiration. With sellouts at an all-time high in the toy category, if the kids in your life want particularly in-demand items, shopping early is always a good move. To get the scoop, we spoke to Jennifer Lynch, a Toy Trends Specialist from The Toy Association, and she shared everything you need to know about toy shopping for 2024. Read on, for tips, toy recommendations and links to retailers’ 2024 Holiday Toy Lists.

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When Is Best to Start Shopping for Holiday Toys?

“If we’ve learned anything from watching holiday classics like “Jingle All the Way,” the earlier you can shop, the better — especially if there is a must-have toy on your kid’s holiday wish list,” says Lynch.  “Waiting for last-minute deals to pop up can be tempting, but then you risk the chance that the toy might not be there when you need it.” Translation? If there is a toy your child wants more than anything—especially if it happens to be trendy this season—get it now to make sure you don’t have disappointed faces when it’s time for them to open their gifts. But of course that leads us to the next question:

What Toys Are Expected to Be the Hottest This Holiday Season?

Lynch shares, “Toys inspired by some of the most popular YouTube channels and digital content will be among the must-have items this holiday.” This includes items from the Ms. Rachel toy line, which were released for purchase on September 29 at all major retailers. Lynch also shares that due to current cultural interest in all things magical and mysterious, toys inspired by magic-inspired storylines are very popular this season, as well as tech! “Expect to see an array of toys that leverage technologies in new ways—we’re seeing a lot of innovation,” she says.


Toys to Buy Now Before They Sell Out

When your child’s ‘must have’ toy is hard to find, it’s easy to feel a sense of urgency and rush to purchase anything you find, but Lynch urges toy shoppers to shop smart: “Be mindful about where you are shopping and who you are buying from. With e-commerce shopping, you need to be aware,, and if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is,” she says. “Do your due diligence, look for typos in the product listings (a sure sign of bootleg products) and only shop through legitimate companies and sellers!” With that advice in mind, here are toys you should click to purchase right now, before the sell—all from retailers we know and trust! 

Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll

smiling Ms. Rachel plush doll wearing blue overalls and a pink tee shirt
Image: Target

The highly anticipated Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll is a touch-activated toy that plays words, phrases, and music from Ms. Rachel’s popular educational videos. Designed to encourage early speech development in babies, this toy includes a volume control feature with two settings and comes with AAA batteries. It also includes a bonus learning card with extra play tips and activities. Designed by Ms. Rachel and developmental experts, the doll supports children’s growth from 3 months to 2+ years, making it ideal for newborns, toddlers, and preschoolers. 

Price: $29.99 at Target


Monster High Rave’N Wednesday Collectible Doll

Wednesday Addams doll wearing frilly black dress with raised arm
Image: Walmart

There are several different dolls and sets in the Wednesday Addams Monster High collection, and if you can find one, it’s a definite buy now situation. These dolls are already selling out months before the holiday shopping season even begins.

Price: $65 at Walmart


Just Play furReal Peanut the Playful Monkey

toy monkey with large blue eyes and a blue hair bow
Image: Amazon

This interactive plush monkey is full of impressive new tech that makes for an exciting play experience, but all your kids will see is a new best friend!

Price: $59.99 at Amazon


Squishmallows Harry Potter Wave 3

group of four round Squishmellow toys featuring Harry Potter creatures
Image: Amazon

Any parents or caregivers reading this don’t have to be convinced of just how popular Squishmallows are, so if you have a Harry Potter fan you’re shopping for, better hit buy now they are sure to get limited, fast!

Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch Dobby Plush

rounded plush Dobby Squishmallow toy
Image: Amazon

Price: $15.99 at Amazon


Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch The Sorting Hat Plush

plush brown sorting hat squishmallow toy
Image: Amazon

Price: $15.99 at Amazon


Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch Mandrake Plush

plush golden yellow and orange mandrake squishmallow
Image: Amazon

Price: $15.99 at Amazon


Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch Fawkes Plush

rounded red and yellow fawkes squishmallow plush
Image: Amazon

Price: $15.99 at Amazon


Poe the AI Story Bear

brown plush teddy bear with cartoon thinking cloud showing wizard, castle and dragon
Image: Amazon

Think Teddy Ruxpin from the ‘80’s but with today’s cutting edge tech. Using AI and the help of an app, Poe ‘comes to life’ to tell stories, chosen by your child. With hundreds of story ideas to choose from, there are limitless combinations to create new stories every time.

Price: $49.99 at Amazon


MrBeast Lab Swarms

product image showing MrBeast Lab Swarms toy package
Image: Walmart

With over 100 different ‘swarms’ to collect, your MrBeast loving kid will also love these micro beasts, and the fun feature of adding water to the test tube to reveal which creature they have.

Price: $8.47 at Walmart


MrBeast Lab Mutators Stealth Panther

blue monster in front of gray and blue MrBeast lab toy set
Image: Amazon

With multiple chemistry-lab inspired steps to ‘create’ your beast, this is way more than just an action figure.

Price: $24.99 at Amazon


Wicked Elphaba Fashion Doll

green Wicked witch doll stands in front of toy package
Image: Target

With the new film hitting theaters in November, the clamor for the various movie-inspired collectible dolls will be major (many of them have already sold out of pre-orders). So if you have a Wicked-lover on your shopping list, you should pre-order now and secure this gift before the movie even comes out.

Price: $24.99 at Target


Amazon Delivery Van Ride-On Toy, Amazon Exclusive

black toy Prime ride on truck and small wooden cars in mini amazon boxes
Image: Amazon

Update your kid’s ride-on toy for the 21st century, with this clever ride-on Amazon Prime truck. Brought to you by the trusted brand Radio Flyer, this ride-on truck also comes with three wooden toys, each packaged in three mini Amazon boxes. Recommended for kids ages 2 years and up, max weight capacity is 50 pounds.

Price: $39.99 at Amazon (pre-order now, item will be released on Nov. 7)


Decora Fashion Girlz ‘Decora’

bright rainbow colored Fashion Decor doll standing by the package
Image: Walmart

While this line of posable dolls have been out since last spring, it’s the first holiday season they’ve been on shelves, and they are wildly popular among kids who love to accessorize and style.

Price: $21.97 at Walmart


MYNT3D Super 3D Pen

hand holding Super 3D Pen draws blue and green creature in front of package
Image: Amazon

3D printing is continuing to gain popularity every year, and this pen is a great way for young artists to turn their drawings into three dimensional works of art, and it’s a great ‘intro to 3D printing’ tool.

Price: $43.86 at Amazon


LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus

blue Fortnight battle bus with hot air balloon floats over group of LEGO characters
Image: LEGO

This is a pre-order to jump on now: One of the most iconic elements of every kid gamer’s favorite game, the Battle Bus is brought to life in this 954-piece set that comes with nine mini-figs. The item ships on October 1, so you’ll still have it in hand well before the holidays.

Price: $99.99 at LEGO


LEGO Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas

LEGO Tim Burton Nightmare Before Christmas toy set
Image: LEGO

Nostalgia reigns supreme during the holidays, and this highly anticipated set of the cult-classic film is going to be a must-have for builders of all ages.

Price: $199.99 at LEGO


VTech KidiZoom Print Cam

pink and white VTech PrintCam printing dog picture
Image: Target

Kids love the fun and instant gratification of being able to take photos and then print them out to hang in their rooms, lockers and to give them to friends. The camera also comes with templates so they can create filters, borders, effects and more with their photos. Shop around on this one, as different retailers have different colors available.

Price: $74.99 at Target


Bluey 3-in-1 Airplane Playset

Bluey 3-in-1 playset toy package featuring plane and cartoons
Image: Target

This playset can be turned from a plane into a hotel or a speedboat, and comes with two exclusive figures and lots of accessories. It also plays more than 25 sounds and phrases from the show.  

Price: $59.99 at Target


MAGNA-TILES Space 32-Piece Magnetic Construction Set

Magna Tiles Space toy set box featuring colorful magnetic tiles and space ship
Image: Amazon

New from the world of MAGNA-TILES, this was wildly popular the moment it came out, and may already be on your kiddo’s wishlist.  

Price: $49.99 at Amazon


2024 Holiday Toy Lists

Shopping from retailers’ toy lists makes it easier to find popular and age-appropriate gifts without the hassle of extensive research. These curated lists offer inspiration and highlight trending or educational toys, saving time for busy shoppers. Our sister site BlackFriday.com publishes annual toy lists and Black Friday ads as soon as they are released, a super helpful tool for planning your holiday shopping. Check out these 2024 Holiday Toy Lists below.

The post Hottest Holiday Toys: Guide for 2024 appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.



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