Holiday Toy Guide 2025

Get a jump on your gift giving this season! Find the perfect present for your child this holiday with our list of cool and new toys, products and games we tested.

Reviewed by the Atlanta Parent staff. Shop early and check with stores on availability. Prices listed are MSRP.

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Atlanta Parent Favorites

Get everything you need from the grocery store without leaving home with Radio Flyer’s Scan & Sort Grocery Cart with Lights & Sounds. This interactive shopping cart features a scanner with lights and sounds when play foods are scanned. It also functions as a stable walker and is adjustable as baby grows. Ages 1 and older. $64.99.

Have fun on the farm with Melissa & Doug’s Blockables Farm Play Set. Snap together smooth, colorful blocks to create geometric farm animals and equipment. Build a tractor, pig, and cows, or create your own. Ages 2-7. $32.99.

Shoot for the stars with Hape’s Mars Mission Launch Set. This set lets your child explore tracks and space for an out-of-this-world adventure with a space train, satellite vehicle and Mars rover. Ages 3 and older. $84.99.

Inspire a love of reading with the magical Luna StoryTime Projector from Cottage Door Press. With vivid projections, expressive narration and sing-a-longs, use the included character to spark imagination. Kids will enjoy watching a story come to life or listening to songs, and it can also be a nightlight. Ages 3 and older. $59.99.

Race to purchase the best bicycle with BankIt! from SimplyFun. Our kid testers loved the play money and making the best buying decisions to try and win. Ages 8 and older. $34.

Decorate culinary masterpieces using the 3Doodler Candy 3D Pen. This mess-free pen lets your child create with delicious candy — load a candy capsule, press the button, then draw your designs. Your culinary artist will love decorating with this sweet treat. Ages 8 and older. $59.99.

Fly paper planes, darts and more using hydraulic power with Smartivity’s Hydraulic Plane Launcher. Build a special plane launcher and test the power of your new toy by launching Harrier Planes, Dart Planes, darts and rubber bands. Ages 6 and older. $28.99.

Craft the purr-fect accessories with Make It Real’s Purr-fect Wash ‘N Bead Bracelets. Load the  washer, add water, fizzy powder and bubble booster, and start the cycle. Once complete, remove the basket, dry the beads, and craft your personalized bracelet. Our tester loved pouring things into the washer. Ages 8 and older. $19.99.

Decorate with homemade stickers using Lakeshore Learning’s You’re a Star! 3-D Sticker Maker. Choose a sticker shape, add gems and beads, and press the button on the maker to seal your new design together. With simple instructions, our tester was able to make stickers independently. Ages 3-11. $24.99.

Explore the power of magnets with Fat Brain Toys’ Magshuto Stunt Park. This action-packed set features ramps, rebounders, rings, a tunnel and a magnetic target for insane stunts. Our testers were entertained for more than an hour! Ages 6-12. $21.65.

For the Babies and Tots

Engage baby in exploration with PlanToys’ Baby Tissue Box. Guide your child to return the soft, colorful fabric inside the box, helping to strengthen fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and sensory development while playing. Ages 6 months and older. $17.99.

Keep curious toddlers engaged with Just Play’s Playskool Flip & Fun Sensory Board. With three double-sided, textured tiles, kids will stay entertained mixing and matching. Ages 1 and older. $11.97.

Floortime becomes playtime with Smart Steps’ Musical STEM Gym. As baby moves, reaches and kicks, the toys and interactive play board will make different noises and melodies to entertain. Toys are also removable. Ages 3 months and older. $24.99.

Travel under the sea for play with Petit Collage’s Happy Octopus Wooden Hoopla. Slot the pieces together to create an adorable octopus and toss the 10 rings to score points! Ages 3 and older. $20.

Play a special game of hide and seek with your favorite character with Moose Games’ Bluey Hide and Seek. Hide Bluey before starting the timer. Every few seconds, players will hear Bluey’s voice giving them clues as they try to find her. When the time runs out, Bluey will celebrate with a boogie dance. Ages 3 and older. $14.99.

Follow the menu cards to count ingredients and build the right sandwich with MindWare’s Math Sandwich. With more than 100 food pieces, kids can play while learning how to count at their pretend restaurant. Ages 3 and older. $19.95.

Ring, ring! Make the cutest connections while playing with the Retro Telephone from kiko+ & gg*. Use the included coin to turn the dial to talk on this nostalgic phone. Made from wood, and available in rose, yellow, black or mint, this toy can match your décor for cool design vibes. Ages 3 and older. $52.

Unleash your wild side with the help of party animals! Imitate various animals with SimplyFun’s Dance Like a Lemur to get all the pieces to complete your puzzle. Our testers loved that this was great for the whole family to play. Ages 4 and older. $36.

Mini music makers rejoice! Dance across the piano keys of Hape’s Dynamic Pixel Piano Toy for eye-catching colors, animal sounds and moving music. Our testers loved this mini piano! Ages 1-6. $44.99.

Get Artsy

Enter a magical world with Crayola’s Unicorn All-In-1 Sensory Station. Mix, stretch and customize slime for a sensory experience with a slime station, goo powders, mix-ins, glitter glues and an incredible unicorn display. The kit comes with a resealable container, so your goo creation stays fresh. Ages 6 and older. $19.99.

Mini fashionistas will love Hasbro’s Play-Doh Barbie Ruffles and Bows Doll Set. Place Barbie on her stand and use the pattern sheet and cutters to make dresses, accessories and hairdos. Ages 5 and older. $19.99.

Build a beautiful bouquet with MindWare’s Bloomscapes Blossom Bouquet Wooden Building Kit. Piece together stems and a puzzle vase for a display-worthy craft. Ages 8 and older. $39.95.

Dig up cute accessories with MindWare’s Dig It Up! Giant Charm Bracelet Discovery. Chip away with the included tools to discover cute charms, beads and bracelets, and learn about the history of friendship bracelets. Our tester family loved the cute options and quality bracelets but recommends you stay close to help break open the charms. Ages 4 and older. $32.95.

Create your very own squishy companion with Squishy Verse Snackipoos from Kandy Toys. Combine different sets to mix and make one of two dozen tactile collectible characters, and accessorize with eyes, sunglasses, hats and more for a new friend! Ages 5 and older. $4.99-$49.99.

Everything about Scholastic’s DIY Miniature Cozy Bear Cabin is mini and cute. Build a tiny house and decorate your miniature retreat, and your adorable bears will love their new space. Ages 7-12. $22.99.

Bring the bees to your yard with MindWare’s Make Your Own Bumble Bee Wind Spinner Craft Kit. This DIY craft kit contains all you need to create an un-bee-lieveably cute garden accessory. Ages 8 and older. $26.95.

Paint a one-of-a-kind masterpiece with Toy Monster’s Pour PalZ Large Paint Bear. Mix and swirl paint in the mixing cup, then watch it flow and swirl into a funky marbled design as it’s poured onto the poseable bear. Available in three fun color combinations. Ages 5 and older. $8.97.

The Games We Love to Play

Snails have the super important job of delivering mail with Petit Collage’s Snail Express. Help the busy carriers send their matching mail to earn points! Our tester loved how easy it was to understand and how much fun it was for kids to add mail to the mailbox. Ages 4 and older. $18.

It’s a feeding frenzy with Luki Lab’s Go Nuts, Chipmunks! Which chipmunk will get the most acorns and win the game? Our tester loved how simple the game was, as children could play without supervision, while practicing their counting skills. Ages 5 and older. $29.99.

Upgrade game night with Foros Game from Doren Toy Company. A combination of Connect Four, Tic-Tac-Toe and Jenga, get four in a row up, across or diagonally to win, with three different ways to build. With so many ways to play, this game makes it easy to entertain your whole family! Ages 6 and older. $39.99.

If you build it, you’ll have fun with Blue Orange Games’ Linkx. Strategically place your Tetris-like tiles and be the first to connect two opposite edges of the grid. Ages 6 and older. $21.99.

It’s just like magic! Find the missing object hidden in the magic scarf with Blue Orange Games’ Ta-Da Bing! Identify the missing toy to receive a cute star token. Our tester could even play this game by himself. Ages 4 and older. $19.99.

STEAM Mastery

Become a super spy with Elenco’s Snap Circuits Spy Activity Kit. Build a motion detector to protect your gear, use the voice changer to send cryptic messages and more. Ages 7 and older. $62.99.

Fill your need for speed with the Sky Viper Type-R Performance Racing Drone from Skyrocket Toys. This racer flies up to 30 miles per hour for fun flights, one-touch stunts and more. Ages 12 and older. $49.99.

Will you sleep better underwater? Create a range of hypnotic effects for an awesome night with Thames & Kosmos’ Robotic Jellyfish Nightlight Kit. Build a lamp that changes colors and mimics the undulating movements of a jellyfish. Ages 8 and older. $24.95.

Make math more musical with Make Music Count’s Ratio Rockstar. Follow the step-by-step instructions to play songs on the piano while solving math problems. The kit includes a keyboard and four workbooks focused on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Ages 5 and older.
$129.99.

Turn math into a delicious dish with Learning Resources’ Dumpling Dash Fine Motor Math Game. Draw a number card; then, pick and match two numbered dumplings that add or subtract to the drawn number to showcase your math skills. Ages 5 and older. $21.99.

Take color and light exploration to a whole new level by building a brilliant light-up magnetic structure with CONNETIX’s Light Star Pack. Use pentagons, squares and equilateral triangles to create shapes. Ages 3 and older. $59.99.

Dive deep into the depths of the ocean with EyeConnect Crafts’ 3D Tunnel Book (Deluxe): Ocean. This DIY craft kit makes a cool-looking book with movable animals and characters your child can play with. Paint the pages and characters with the included watercolors, and add details with the pens to make a one-of-a-kind book. Ages 9 and older. $39.99.

Build and play with Alpha Group US’s Wise Block Race Car. Featuring 414 pieces, an electric motor and a four-direction remote control, build an awesome vehicle for playtime. Ages 8 and older. $32.99.

Toys Under $30

Create an impressive manicure with Scholastic’s The Klutz Book of Nail Art. With more than 60 designs, including unicorns, aliens, mermaids and more, find the perfect look for every occasion. Ages 6 and older. $21.99.

The early winner gets the worm! Rule the roost in card game Early Bird from Hootenanny Games. Get rid of all your numbered bird food cards through challenges: fend off squirrels, chase worms or build birdhouses. Ages 7 and older. $19.99.

Get active with Just Play’s Hasbro Skip It. A revamp of the ‘90s toy, this retro-inspired product has sounds, lights and a digital counter for an all-new way to play, including a colorful light show and encouraging responses. Ages 5 and older. $19.99.

Test your language learning with Thames & Kosmos’ Dice Words. Choose from letter dice that represent a different iced beverage and attempt to form the longest word possible. The colder your drink, the higher your score. Who will become the coolest? Ages 8 and older. $22.95.

Make a splash with Crayola’s Scribble Scrubbie Bluey Poolside Playset. Enjoy a poolside adventure with Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli. You can change up their poolside space by decorating the Scenic Recolorable Backdrop. Ages 3 and older. $27.69.

Glow up your slime with Moose Toys’ Gui Gui. With 13 different scents and four amazing textures, this slime experience will give you a fun surprise. And who knows? Maybe you’ll score the ultimate  limited edition Over the Rainbow! Ages 6 and older. $9.99-$19.99.

Moose Games’ Flipside is a fast-moving, electronic handheld matching game. Master the moves to beat the blocks by flipping to find the color and sliding to match the lights. Challenge yourself or play with friends. Ages 8 and older. $19.99.

Who really knows you best? Test your family’s knowledge of each other with Moose Games’ Do You Really Know Your Family? Answer questions about each member to spark conversations for the  ultimate family game night. Ages 8 and older. $19.99.

Bounce into fun with Hasbro’s Rebounce. Players bounce the squishy foam ball off the tabletop trampoline to opponents, who must catch it or the other team scores! This fast-paced game features three modes, so players can switch it up. Ages 8 and older. $19.99.

Engage your senses with Play-Doh Variety Multipack – 6 Piece. This unique set includes four different compounds infused with delightful scents. Play with glossy Super Stretch, crackly Foam, smooth Butter and goo, and smell strawberry, grape and more for a sensory experience. Ages 4 and older. $14.99.

Stocking Stuffers

Click, connect and collect with Goliath’s Clickeez 2-Pack. Each character is a single keyboard key that clicks and clacks just like a real keyboard, but their size makes it easy for them to travel with you. Discover more than 70 characters, such as Cozy Garden and Celestial Sky. Ages 6 and older. $4.99.

Take your beloved pet wherever you go with Luki Lab’s Pets 2 Love. Housed in a stylish heart-shaped purse, simply press the button, and your sweet pet pops out to greet you. Choose from pups or kittens. The purse strap doubles as a leash to take your new companion for a walk! Ages 5 and older. $14.99.

Style a cute animal companion with Just Play’s Knotz Animals Series 1. Unwind the yarn-ball blind capsule to find everything needed to create a soft new pal, including personalized and special accessories. Ages 8 and older. $9.99.

Master fast moves and test your ninja skills with Luki Lab’s Spinchaku. This finger spinner was inspired by martial arts and comes in four unique styles, along with interchangeable links that are customizable. Ages 8 and older. $11.99.

Roll your way to victory with Ridley Games’ Tortoise Tumble. The first player to earn 500 points is crowned Top Tortoise Tumbler. Our tester loved that this game was fun for the whole family and how easy it was to play a few rounds together. Ages 8 and older. $15.

Light up your imagination with Basic Fun!’s Lite-Brite Touch Mini. This portable toy features 25 light-up buttons in seven different colors for creating colorful images or playing games for a fun challenge. Ages 6 and older. $9.99.

Miniature and interactive Nano-Mals from Hasbro are looking for love. As they bond with their new owner, they’ll celebrate with song and colorful lights. Each pocket-sized character will stay put thanks to the attached clip for easy travel. Ages 5 and older. $19.99.

Build your perfect pet with Petit Collage’s Mini Craft Kit: Pocket Pet Corgi. Using the included items, create a corgi, pillow and a bone treat for your new best friend! A kitten craft kit is also available. Ages 6 and older. $10.

Just Play’s furReal Handfuls need your love and affection. Place one of these adorable pets — cockatoo, panda or penguin — in your palm for more than 50 reactions. The more kids interact with their pets, the more interactive the pets become. Ages 4 and older. $17.99.

Play with your food with MushMeez from Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co. These tactile toys resemble foods for a stretchy and squishy playtime. Peel apart the layers to disassemble and reassemble your favorite foods over and over. Ages 8 and older. $9.99.

Shop Local

This story appeared in Atlanta Parent’s December 2019 issue.

Kazoo Toys
Find quality, cool and well-made toys that are typically off the beaten path at Kazoo Toys, which offers an enjoyable and whimsical toy shopping experience.

“Parents should shop locally for many reasons,” says Joe Novak of Kazoo Toys. “For one, local retailers know the Atlanta market and know the kids in it and can make gift recommendations. We can let the customers kick the tires a bit and try toys and games out. Local retailers are convenient to get to, and maybe most importantly, we are part of the community.  We support schools, teams, hospitals and pay taxes that further help out the schools, roads and overall well-being of the local area. We also provide local jobs.”

For this holiday season, one of his recommendations is the Cosmos Cube by California Creations. This geometric puzzle transforms to show the planets in the solar system and replicate the sun and distant galaxies.

Rhen’s Nest Toy Shop
The blind box toys, like LOL Surprise! Dolls, and unicorn poop remain popular this holiday season, according to Christina and John Bonaccorse of Rhen’s Nest Toy Shop. The shop offers quality, unplugged toys, games and more to encourage creative play.

“Our market is unique toys that you don’t find on the shelves of big box stores,” says Christina. “When you shop locally, you get a different customer experience. It’s more pleasant than zombie-like cruising the aisles. It helps the local economy, as we take those dollars and spend them locally.”

“We pack a really big punch in a very small space,” adds John. “Everything we carry has a lot of thought and a lot of heart behind it. The things that we carry are much more special and last longer.”

One of their favorite toys for the season is the Mischief Maker from Mighty Fun! This wooden slingshot is a classic toy for kids that encourages outdoor play and is easy to use.

Happy Mango
This eco-friendly store serves pregnant moms and kids up to age 4 with books, gear, clothing and more. Phnewfula Frederiksen started the store to show that going green could be affordable and stylish.

“People are going more eco in their toys, as they’re focused more on reusable or educational toys, and parents are more aware of the types of toys they’re buying, if they can be passed down or recycled and reused,” she says of the toy trends she sees. She suggests thinking about the life of your toys when purchasing items for the holidays.

For the holidays, she recommends Eco-Dough from Eco-kids. This non-toxic playing dough is made from natural ingredients, including plant, fruit and vegetable extracts and essential oils.

Learning Express
Cindy O’Hara of Learning Express Alpharetta and East Cobb sees tactile toys, like Floof, fluffy modeling clay; fidget toys, like Shashibo, a magnetic puzzle cube; blind pack toys, like Cutetitos, surprise stuffed animals wrapped in a burrito; and VSCO girl style items, like scrunchies, as trendy gifts. She also sees a push towards screen-free items. One of her recommendations is the Ollyball Indoor Play Ball, a soft ball kids can decorate themselves and play with indoors. Parents can get their items gift wrapped and personalized for free.

The Alpharetta location was the first Learning Express in Georgia and has been in business for 20 years. “We’re waiting on the second generation of kids we served. We know our customers’ names and their kids’ names,” she says. “Here, it’s a different experience than shopping online. It’s a magical place for kids. We help create childhood memories.”

Treehouse Kid & Craft
Kim Bach of Treehouse Kid & Craft believes Plus-Plus tubes and Playmobil sets are always a hit with kids. Nostalgic toys of the 80s and 90s, such as Lite Brite, View-Master and Koosh Balls are back. She’s also noticed an increase in outdoor activity sets. Get your holiday present gift wrapped for free at the store.

For the holidays, she recommends Mad Mattr and Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty for anyone searching for sensory toys. Mad Mattr is a soft modeling dough that you can build with, while the Thinking Putty comes in multiple colors and effects.

“Small businesses shape the local culture, and we are so lucky to be in such wonderful communities that support local,” she says, as Treehouse Kid & Craft is in Decatur and Athens. “We are able to help and connect with customers in a way that big box companies cannot. We love our communities and the strong bonds we have created with our customers.”

– Emily Webb