Holiday Toy Guide 2024
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
Enjoy activities and a sense of calm with MEAVIA’s Sunny the Sea Turtle Lap Pad Weighted Sensory Plush. This versatile animal includes a marble fidget tail, and Sunny arrives with an endearing letter to establish a heartfelt connection with new friends. Free downloads can also help children learn communication and emotions. Ages 3 and older. $39.99.
Dive into a world of magic and water with Kiditos’ Magic Water Elf. Use the molds to create sea creatures, animals, dinosaurs and more. Then, drop the special toys into water and watch as they change according to water temperature into squishy toys. Ages 3 and older. $25.99-$45.99.
Young chefs will cook up a feast with Little Tikes’ Creative Chefs Pizza Kit. Make your own pretend pizza with moldable and reusable ingredients, including play dough, a pizza oven, pepperonis, a rolling pin and more. The package also unfolds into a table for a portable workstation. Ages 3 and older. $24.99.
Swing together incredible artistic creations with Crayola’s Washable Paint Pendulum. This kit transforms simple paint drops into swirling patterns with a pendulum for a special and creative experience. Ages 7 and older. $19.99.
Use a treasure chest filled with valuables to create spectacular necklaces! With miniland’s Necklaces Treasure, little pirates can practice fine motor skills copying their favorite necklace of the day and play pirate with gold coins, rubies and more. Ages 3-6. $44.98.
When the gardener’s away, the raccoons will play with Ravensburger’s Garden Heist. Peek through the house to try and spy raccoons hiding behind obstacles with this hide-and-seek game based on Red Light, Green Light. Or, play as the raccoon to steal treasure and earn points. Ages 6 and older. $24.99.
Groove to tunes with the buildable Dancing Groot from LEGO. Groot’s branches bend and dance like he’s at a woodland disco, and you can customize your creation with leaves, headphones and sunglasses. Ages 10 and older. $44.99.
Get the whole family moving with Nex Playground. This active play system for kids and families includes multiple games, from whacking moles as fast as possible to dancing to music. Since kids use their hands instead of a remote, our tester liked how much energy the kids burned. More than 20 games are also available. Ages 5 and older. $199.99.
Explore the great outdoors with WonderWalks Exploration Game from pennycake. For each walk, select different, fun activities, from nature games to finding items in your neighborhood to clip into the lanyard. Includes dry erase pen and wipe, so activities can be done again. Note highlights of the walk in the discovery journal. Ages 4 and older. $29.99.
Build marble run and construction toys with Ravensburger’s GraviTrax Junior Starter-Set My Jungle. With 100 pieces, construct a jungle landscape with animal figurines for an interactive marble track system. Other sets feature ice, desert and ocean. Ages 3-7. $59.99.
For the Tots
Travel back in time to the amazing prehistoric world of dinosaurs with the BRIO World Dinosaur Adventure Set. This 21-piece train set includes a train with two wagons, a lava cave, three dinosaurs and more. Ages 3 and older. $79.99.
Spin and match colors with Melissa & Doug’s Match & Push Spinning Tops. Drop the colorful spinning tops into the wells and push to make the tops drop and spin. Ages 2-5. $22.99.
Explore the seasons with miniland’s Feel to Learn: Nestable Sensory Tree. Fit the textured pieces into the tree base with different forms, shapes and colors for a cool puzzle experience. Ages 1-2. $31.74.
Enter the world of “Sesame Street” with ThinkFun’s Zingo! Sesame Street. With two levels of play, little ones will love interacting with their favorite characters as they try to complete bingo. Ages 4 and older. $23.99.
Stack it up with Plan Toys’ Wave Stacker. Easy for babies to grasp, open-ended play with these colorful waves includes multiple ways to stack them together. Ages 5 months and older. $20.
Learn to tell time with Petit Collage’s Telling the Time 25-Piece Floor Puzzle. Fill in the hours of day and night with the animals to see how they spend their time and move the hands to set the clock. Ages 3 and older. $18.
Stretch, twist, smoosh and build in a new, tactile way with Goliath’s Jelly Blox Vrroom! Truck Kit. Use the 35 colorful blocks to construct a rolling truck for driving fun. And these squishy blocks ensure there’s no need to worry about accidentally stepping on them! Ages 2 and older. $38.44.
Ride along with cute critters with Ride & Play Camper from Radio Flyer. With two different ways to play, kids can ride on the camper or open it for a playset with camping-themed play pieces. Ages 18 months-4 years. $39.99.
Rock around the clock with Fisher-Price’s Rockin’ Record Player. Young DJs will love picking from 20 different songs to play from the double-sided records. Watch the record spin on the turntable as you listen to country, pop, hip-hop and more! Ages 3 and older. $39.99.
Chill out with this precious penguin! Snooze and self-soothe with VTech Baby’s Soothing Starlight Igloo. The igloo projects a starry sky with twinkling lights on the ceiling. Choose the nightlight setting for a softer glow. The plush penguin can accompany baby beyond bedtime. Ages 6 months and older. $19.99.
Get Artsy
Capture memories and instantly print them with the Photo Creator Instant Camera from Canal Toys. This easy-to-use toy includes a digital camera, instant printer and a video camera; plus, decorate photos with more than 20 funny effects, stickers and markers. Ages 8 and older. $51.09.
Go on a high-flying adventure into creativity with Buildeez! Ace the Jet Plane from Faber-Castell’s Creativity for Kids. Build, paint and decorate your very own high-speed jet plane with this kit featuring play figures, stickers and surprise extras. Ages 5 and older. $9.99.
Mix up incredible, marble-colored slimes with Canal Toys’ So Slime Marble Twist ‘N Slime Maker. Fill the bowl and turn on the mixer station to add awesome effects and sensations to your slime. The plastic mixer was a hit with our testers! Ages 6 and older. $29.99.
Customize your own cuddly best friend with Canal Toys’ Airbrush Plush. Use the airbrush gun and stick-on stencils to create a stylish look. The plush looks brand new after being washed, so you can design again and again. Available as a puppy, panda, wildcat, unicorn or T-rex. Ages 6 and older. $19.99.
Help young artists explore watercolor painting with Tiny Easel’s Tiny Easel Painter Box. This all-in-one art kit features a watercolor pan set, watercolor crayons, watercolor pencils, brushes and more for beautiful masterpieces. Ages 3 and older. $49.
Make mini pottery easily with Mini Pottery Studio Deluxe Set from Make It Real. Use the centering tool, accessories and guides to sculpt vases, figurines and more for an incredible, at-home pottery experience. Ages 8 and older. $39.99.
Play around with Educational Insights’ Playfoam Sand Magic Reveal. Load the design station with your mold and sand, and add layers of color to reveal beautiful, layered surprises for creative and sensory fun. Ages 3 and older. $29.99.
Serve up delicious treats with Klutz’s Mini Shake Shop. From boba tea to milkshakes, this kit includes everything you need to make drinks and craft cute food with faces. Ages 7 and older. $22.99.
The Games We Love to Play
Solve a murder with Blue Orange Games’ Shadow House Masquerade. The Viscount has been murdered, and the culprit is among you. Roles can easily change, so bluff your way through this game where any player can become the villain! Ages 8 and older. $18.95.
It’s a roarin’ good time with Spin Master Games’ Snack-O-Saurus Rex. Help hungry cavepeople find grub while avoiding the terrible Snack-O-Saurus Rex who just might steal your food! Our testers found this game fun and interactive. Ages 5 and older. $19.99.
Bring the whole family together for a game night with Mind the Gap: Deluxe Edition from Spin Master Games. Answer trivia questions from the generations of Boomer, Gen X, Millennial or Gen Z to crown the winning generation! Ages 10 and older. $29.99.
Remember objects inspired by Millennials and Gen Z as cards are flipped over and “regifted” with Ravensburger’s That’s Not a Hat (Pop Culture). How good is your memory? This game is perfect for a group! Ages 8 and older. $9.99.
Build community with city-building Link City from Blue Orange Games. As starter tiles are laid, the mayor secretly decides where to build new amenities, and players have to guess the correct spot for this cooperative and special city. Ages 8 and older. $19.99.
STEAM Mastery
Head into space and learn about the planets with Solar System VR from Abacus Brands. Discover black holes, rockets, satellites and the International Space Station in virtual reality, along with a planetarium activity to build and customize. Ages 8-12. $39.99.
Blast off with MAGNA-TILES’ Space 32-Piece Set. Along with an astronaut figure, this set includes a shuttle for storing all pieces after playing, building an entire space station or anything else creative! Ages 3-7. $49.99.
Build endless constructions using interlocking cubes with Fun In Motion Toys’ TECTI. Create enormous superstructures, lock your creation in place with the orange keystone, and build over and over again. Ages 12 and older. $44.99.
Mix and match to create lots of cute robots with Design & Drill Robot Workshop from Educational Insights. Junior engineers can safely assemble their robots with kid-friendly tools. Ages 3 and older. $34.99.
Unearth your inner geologist with Wondery Kids x Wow in the World: Break-Open Crystal Geodes from Thames & Kosmos. Break open ten real geode specimens to reveal beautiful, sparkling crystals. Display your new gems in the case you customize with colorful stickers. Ages 6 and older. $29.95.
Zip, zag, bounce, skip and hurdle into an engineering adventure with Thames & Kosmos’ Gecko Run: Marble Run Starter Set. Attach the tracks to virtually any smooth surface to create hills, jumps and more for a limitless number of tricks and stunts for marbles to overcome. Ages 8 and older. $34.95.
Fly high with Top Secret Toys’ Aero-Drone 360. This self-flying drone uses advanced infrared sensor hover technology to move based on sensing your hand with no remote control needed. Ages 6 and older. $24.99.
Bring underwater wonders to life with Clixo’s Marine Marvels Pack. Featuring glow-in-the-dark pieces, fit together the magnetic pieces for tons of STEAM play. Ages 6 and older. $29.99.
Toys Under $30
Show off your friendship with Shrink-its! DIY Shrink Art Bracelet Kit – BFF from OOLY. Each shrink charm is one-half of a famous bestie, like peanut butter and jelly. Ages 6 and older. $12.95.
We all scream for ice scream with Crayola’s Silly Scents Ice Cream Parlor Play Set. Scoop sundaes with dough, an ice cream station with molds, a scooper and more. Kids can also whip up their own colorful creations, and different scented markers add unique smells. Ages 4 and older. $24.99.
Assemble an impressive tower that’s gravity-powered with Klutz: LEGO Gravity Drop. Watch the balls race through a maze of twists and turns to plonk into buckets, and you can also build a gravity labyrinth, zip line starter, grabber claw and more. Ages 8-12. $29.99.
Design and send special messages to loved ones and friends this holiday season with Festive Pals My Stationery Set from Petit Collage, which includes 12 animal-shaped folding notes, stickers and more. Ages 6 and older. $18.
Go on a walk with a mama turtle and her five colorful babies with LeapFrog’s Nest & Count Turtle Tower. With four ways to play, this toy offers tons of fun for little ones. Ages 1-3. $11.99.
Create special, textured art with cute critters with Educational Insights’ Tufting Kit: Garden Magic. This set includes tufting tools, nature-themed design cards, display stands and 800 pieces of tufting fabric. Ages 5 and older. $14.99.
Have family fun no matter where you’re headed with pennycake’s GamesInCase. This travel set has 35 different games to play together for family bonding anytime, anywhere. With a carry box and dry erase markers, games can be played again and again! Ages 4 and older. $24.99.
Craft words vertically, horizontally and diagonally, creating a crossword puzzle-like grid with SD Toyz’s WordSnap. Impress the other players with your vocabulary skills, or play alone to build your word mastery. Ages 8 and older. $29.99.
Explore the world of a thriving community with Friendship Heights’ Market Stand and Café. One side features a market with produce, and on the flip side, a charming café with coffee, cupcakes and more. Play with Biscuit the cat who runs the café and Millie the pig who runs the market for role-playing fun. Ages 4 and older. $19.97.
Rule the roost with this ridiculous game of “fowl” play, Oh My Pigeons! by Ravensburger. Fill your bench with adorable pigeons by tempting them with snacks, stealing them from neighbors or rolling the die. Ages 8 and older. $19.99.
Stocking Stuffers
Admire art and become an artist yourself with unique creations with Shashibo’s Art Worx Series from Fun In Motion Toys. Each magnetic puzzle cube transforms into more than 70 geometric shapes and has four art designs. Ages 8 and older. $25.
Prepare to move fast in the match-and-grab counting game Scatter Brain from Blue Orange Games. Quickly match the numbers on the dice to cards, and add them up fast. Which brainiac will win? Ages 7 and older. $15.
Wrap your precious new friend around your wrist or backpack with Scentco’s Slap Buddy. Available as a cinnamon roll-scented giraffe, cookies and cream-scented koala, creamsicle-scented tiger, banana-scented monkey and root beer-scented sloth. Ages 4 and older. $9.99.
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic toy with Tamagotchi Connection. Take care of your virtual reality pet by playing games, feeding it and curing it when sick, and take the character with you wherever you go. Ages 6 and older. $29.99.
Decorate with OOLY’s Stamp-A-Square Double Ended Markers. Write, draw and create with these two-in-one markers featuring a stamping marker and a fine tip. Ages 6 and older. $15.95.
Mini bakers can create real tiny cakes with Goliath’s Tasty Tinies Bake Shop. Featuring mini tools, mix, pour, bake, decorate and eat these adorable tiny treats. Ages 6 and older. $9.99.
Build a cool structure on the go with MAGNATILES’ microMAGS Travel Set. Encased in a metal tin, these magnetic pieces come together for building and playing wherever you go. Ages 3 and older. $19.99.
Play with color with NeeDoh’s Press-Doh. Watch as this groovy black-and-white pattern bursts into a kaleidoscope of colors with each squeeze. Ages 3 and older. $3.99.
Press the launcher button to watch the Flat 2 Fast Card Racers from Luki Lab transform into superfast racing cars. All you need is a flat surface to see what car will win the race. Available in red, blue, sky blue and yellow. Ages 5 and older. $9.99.
Enjoy sensory fun with Earth Grown KidDoughs’ Dough-To-Go Play Kits. Each kit features a unique KidDough with an interactive activity and an assortment of themed mini figures, vehicles, characters and props. Ages 3 and older. $12-$25.
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
