The holiday toy season is taking shape through a company-submitted list that mixes low-priced collectibles with large-scale playsets and licensed characters. Toy and game makers were invited to submit their own “Hot for Holiday” picks, a format that flags products retailers should have on their radar. The result spans imaginative worlds, hands-on experiences, sensory play, tech-forward toys, and familiar franchises, with prices from $4.99 to $279.99 and listed age recommendations ranging from 0–2 to 15+.
At the low end, License 2 Play’s Domo collectible returns in a blocky, fuzzy form at $4.99–$14.99, while Yoonique’s 4-inch plush farm friends combine soft plush with a squeezable rubber core at $4.99. Horizon Group USA’s slow-flow glitter stress toys, featuring licenses such as Squishmallows, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minecraft, Hershey’s, Bluey, and Pudgy Penguins, are priced at $4.99–$8.99.
Sensory and hands-on play appears across several entries. Goliath’s Chester, a butt-shaped pal, wiggles and emits silly sounds when kids squeeze and stretch its cheeks, or press its head to trigger dancing and tunes; it is $29.99 for ages 8 and up and requires three AAA batteries. Schylling’s NeeDoh countdown hides six NeeDoh surprises and seven Halloween treats behind 13 doors at $14.99. Moose Toys offers a slime unboxing set with five slimes, more than 50 mix-ins, and beauty-inspired accessories for $32.99.
Larger construction and dollhouse sets aim at repeat play. Mattel’s customizable dollhouse, at $214.99 for ages 3 and up, includes nine indoor and outdoor play areas, two pools, two slides, more than 65 accessories, and a modular design that can form one large house or two connected houses with a bridge. BRIO’s 56-piece Space Deluxe Set, priced at $279.99, extends the wooden railway into a multilevel space layout with tunnels, a space station, a rover, and a shuttle with lights and sounds; astronaut figures have magnetic suits that connect to a tether inside the shuttle.
Tech-forward play includes Tonies’ Toniebox 2 Pokémon set at $199.99 for ages 5 and up. Inspired by Pikachu’s yellow colorway, it includes Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur figures that play themed stories and songs when placed on the screen-free audio player. Jazwares’ Pikachu puppetronic toy, created by Wow! Stuff, lists at $79.99 and combines more than 100 action and sound combinations with touch sensors, blinking eyes, mouth movement, and soft puppetronic play. Hapiko’s voice-powered sticker maker uses AI to create and print sticker combinations, with built-in filters and assurances that the device is not “always listening.”
Licensed and collectible lines fill out the list. The Pokémon Co. International’s 30th-anniversary Elite Trainer Box is $49.99 for ages 6 and up and introduces a Futuristic Rare card rarity, all-foil cards, new visuals, and the return of 30 classic Pokémon. MGA Entertainment’s mini dolls, $11.99 for ages 4 and up, come in pink disco balls with a vinyl record player on top; kids can collect eight dolls inspired by different music genres. Super Impulse’s Drip Drops sneaker collectibles include 16 styles in Series 1, with brands such as Hot Wheels, Godzilla, and Smiley, each in a display shoebox with real laces, a display case, and a keychain.
Several entries use familiar entertainment franchises in active play. The LEGO Group’s 106-piece Bluey set, $24.99, includes Bluey and Rusty mini-figures and a school scene with a mini kitchen, café, hospital, and baby-care section inspired by the “Early Baby” episode. Jakks Pacific’s Donkey Kong multi-level playset, $19.99, features 2.5-inch Donkey and Diddy Kong figures that ride rails, swing on vines, and climb ladders. Playmates Toys’ Mega Thunderzord, $37.99, activates more than 15 phrases and sounds from the show when kids press a button on its chest, while its eyes light up.
The list also includes outdoor and active toys, board games, and creative kits. Simplay3’s oversized sensory nest, $129.99 for ages 2 and up, rocks and spins in any direction and has a low, open design for collaborative indoor or outdoor play. Taco Cat Games’ go-kart racing game for ages 7 and up has players cheer a racer through three races and switch sides when a swap card changes the odds. Golden Bear’s Strikesphere basketball trainer, $99.99, uses light-guided drills across three game modes and a built-in LCD scoreboard to track high scores.