The Toy Book’s holiday toy roundup covers a wide spread of play patterns, from modular dollhouses and buildable railway sets to licensed figures, sensory putty, and screen-free audio players. The selections were submitted by toy and game companies, which were invited to highlight products they see as holiday drivers for retailers. The list is therefore a company-sourced preview, not an independent sales ranking.
Building sets and modular play
Several picks are designed to be reconfigured or expanded. A Mattel dollhouse priced at $214.99 for ages 3 and up includes nine indoor and outdoor play areas, two pools, two slides, more than 65 accessories, and two house structures that can be joined as one large home or linked by a bridge as two houses. BRIO’s 56-piece Space Deluxe Train Set, at $279.99, adds a multilevel space layout with tunnels, a station, a rover, and a shuttle with lights and sounds to the wooden railway system. CONNETIX’s $25 travel pack packs 32 compact magnetic pieces and two sticker sheets into a carry tin, while a Melissa & Doug modular room set for ages 0–2 is priced from $9.99 to $34.99.
Familiar characters, new formats
Licensed properties appear across categories. The Pokémon Co. International is marking 30 years of Pokémon with a $49.99 Elite Trainer Box that introduces a Futuristic Rare rarity, all-foil cards, new visuals, and the return of 30 classic Pokémon. A $199.99 Toniebox 2 set from Tonies uses Pikachu’s yellow colorway and includes Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur figures that play stories and songs on the screen-free audio player. LEGO’s 106-piece Bluey set, $24.99, includes Bluey and Rusty mini-figures and a school scene inspired by the “Early Baby” episode. Jakks Pacific’s $19.99 Donkey Kong playset brings 2.5-inch Donkey and Diddy Kong figures to a multi-level course with rails, vines, and ladders.
Sensory, collectible, and role-play items
Lower-priced items include Schylling’s $14.99 NeeDoh countdown, which hides six NeeDoh surprises and seven Halloween treats behind 13 doors; Horizon Group USA’s slow-flow glitter stress toys at $4.99–$8.99; and Yoonique’s 4-inch farm friends at $4.99, with plush outsides and squeezable rubber cores. Goliath’s Chester, a $29.99 butt-shaped character for ages 8 and up, wiggles and makes sounds when squeezed, and dances when its head is pressed. Just Play’s 18-inch Tiggle Me Elmo Giggle Max, $39.97 for ages 18 months and up, adds full-body movement and laughter to the classic character. Among collectible mini-dolls, MGA Entertainment’s $11.99 line comes in pink disco balls with spinning record players, and Super Impulse’s Drip Drops offers 16 tiny sneaker styles in Series 1, each with a shoebox, laces, display case, and keychain.
Tech-assisted and active play
Technology-oriented picks include a voice-powered sticker maker from Hapiko that uses AI to generate sticker combinations and includes built-in filters; CRA-Z-ART’s instant-printing camera for tweens, which comes with markers and stickers; and Jazwares’ $79.99 Pikachu figure, created by Wow! Stuff, with more than 100 action and sound combinations, touch sensors, blinking eyes, and mouth movement. Golden Bear’s $99.99 Strikesphere basketball trainer uses light-guided drills across three game modes and an LCD scoreboard. Fizz Creations offers pocket-sized keyring arcades and other handheld gaming devices at $16.99–$39.99, while Spin Master’s $64.99 Rocky recycling truck hides a 2-foot inflatable dinosaur that pops out when the light bar is pressed and can be packed back in for repeat play.
Across the list, price points run from $4.99 collectibles to a $279.99 train set, with many items grouped around building, familiar characters, sensory play, and tech-enabled features. The common thread is breadth: options across age groups and play styles for retailers and families to consider.