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The 2026 Toys Not Worth Skipping
20
items A round-up of the newest 2026 toys that have actually earned a spot in our playroom.
If you're toy shopping this year, don't miss these.
Sections
3
Interactive Play
Quiet Play
Active Play
Interactive Play
Toys that talk back, light up, and react — the ones where the fun happens with the toy, not just around it.
My toddler is obsessed with playing "injection" and dinosaurs, so this combines two of her favorite things in one — she gets to mix the DNA, inject the egg, and watch her own hybrid hatch out.
Primal Hatch Hybrid Hatchers Dino Egg Toy
Might be a little scary visually for some littles (that roar and glowing red eyes!), but my girl thinks it's hilarious and loves watching it burst up out of the egg.
Primal Hatch Megalodon Shark Egg Toy
she can tap and rock the egg to hatch him, then pat his head or touch his nose and he actually responds. Feels like a real little companion, not just a figure.
Hatchin’ Yoshi Interactive Toy
She loves pretending to be a "tickle monster," but I can't keep up the giggling for 15 minutes straight — Elmo takes over that job for me now.
Sesame Street Tickle Me Elmo Giggle Max 18"
She's very into her pretend baby now that she has a baby brother, and this doll lets her really nurture — she can "feed" her with the pretend food, and then change her diaper after, just like she watches me do
Baby Alive Dinnertime Creations Blonde Doll
She's deep into pretend play right now and loves playing house with her toys, so this gives her an actual house to do it properly in — five stories, all her favorite Bluey rooms, and real phrases from the show.
Bluey Light & Surprise Heeler House Toy
it actually grows. Enough said.
FurReal Gabby Grow & Roar Plush Tiger
Quiet Play
Perfect for car rides, restaurants, or those in-between moments when we need something calm but still engaging.
she loves playing with coins and ice cream, so this toy is going to be a total hit with her.
Casdon Ice Cream Freezer Playset for Toddlers
the accessories and fridge storage system are going to make her kitchen setup even cuter.
Little Tikes Sweet Spaces Modular Kitchen Fridge
these wooden blocks snap together so easily that she can build (and rebuild) her own little city all on her own.
Melissa & Doug Blockables Rescue City Toy
she loves animals, so matching up all the pairs and hearing the little facts keeps her actually engaged instead of just flipping card
National Geographic Kids Animal Matching Puzzle
she can't stop squeezing these blocks, and building her own little jungle scene with the animal characters keeps her at it way longer than regular blocks.
Jelly Blox Jungle Set - 25 Pieces for Toddlers
Small enough to toss in my bag, so she can build her little garden scene wherever we are — restaurants, car rides, waiting rooms — and the bunny figure is her favorite part.
MAGNA-TILES microMAGS 24-Piece Spring Garden Set
She's obsessed with sea animals at the moment, so building her own underwater world with the shark, dolphin, turtle, and octopus has been a huge hit. The trapdoors and domed pods give her something new to discover every time she rebuilds it.
MAGNA-TILES Undersea Adventure 58-Piece Set
She's really into telling stories right now, so this is perfect — she draws her own scene, then records her voice to narrate it, and can play it back again and again. Screen-free, but still feels magical to her because she's hearing her own voice com...
Crayola Story Creator: Draw, Color & Record
She's deep into her dollhouse phase, and this one's great because the rooms fold out flat so she gets full access to every corner instead of reaching into tiny windows. She loves rearranging the furniture and moving her little figures from room to ro...
Melissa & Doug Cheery Lane Play House Set
Active Play
These are the ones that get her off the couch and moving
This shark blaster hooks right up to the hose and shoots out rotating streams of water, so she can run through them, dodge them, or just laugh at the chomping jaws — perfect for burning off energy outside.
Nerf Super Soaker Hop & Chomp Water Toy
She's obsessed with the Danny Go! videos, so getting to actually dance along and step on the mat to make the sounds herself brings the show to life in a whole new way.
Danny Go! Dance & Go! Light-Up Music Mat
combines her two current obsessions, rescue vehicles and dinosaurs, into one play set.
Dog Patrol Dino Movie Mega Vehicle w/ Dino
She loves playing catch with this one — the shark's chained up "walking the dog" style, and once you hit Beast Mode, the chain breaks and the chase is on. Wheelies, spins, chomping attacks — she never knows what it's going to do next, which makes it ...
Monster Jam Chomping Megalodon RC Truck