The mince pies are already in supermarkets, and that means it’s time to start fretting about Christmas shopping. Strapped for ideas? These are 10 of the hottest toys of the year.
The picks come from The Toy Insider, which routinely picks a Hot 20 toys for the US market, which can largely be mapped onto what we get here in the UK too.
Here’s a quick look at the top 10. And we'll mention a few of our favourites in the wider Hot 20, for the Christmas-curious.
Bluey Supermarket Playset
At first glance this looks a bit like a Bluey dollhouse. But, yes, it’s a supermarket. It features a “working escalator”, a walkie-talkie with sound effects, and takes three AA batteries. Widely available in the UK.
Care Bear Basic Fun X Wicked 2-pack
With Wicked Part 2 out on November 21st, this one’s a bit of a no-brainer. A pink Care Bear with a tiara. A green Care Bear with a witch’s hat. Basic Fun indeed. The cuddlies measure 22cm tall, with no batteries required or any techy innards.
Disney Ultimate Stitch Interactive Plush
This isn’t your average cuddly toy. It costs £80, is 43cm tall and has “over 100” combinations of movement and sound effects. But, thankfully, does not use any creepy LLM AI tech. Its nose, tongue, tummy and left hand are its interactive spots. Requires six AA batteries.
Fisher Price Laugh & Learn 4-in-1 table & easel
One for younger kids, this rotating table can double as an easel. What are the four things it can do? Apparently it’s a “busy board,” an activity table and a play table as well as an easel. The Smart Stages audio board features 135+ songs and/or sound effects. Takes 3 AA batteries.
DJ Furby Rainbow
Furby meets centipede. Horrifying? Its furry tube-like body features LED lights that also function as touch-sensitive pads. And you can “remix” Furby songs with a claimed 1000+ combos. It can also interact with other recent Furby models, in classic Furby fashion.
Furreal Maggie The Feed & Follow Cow
A roughly 33cm tall furry cow that can walk around, swish its tail and react to head pats. Features a claimed 50-plus sound and movement combinations. Includes a feeding bottle, and takes 4 AA batteries.
Gabby’s Meowmazing Interactive Dollhouse
Sheer size is one of the key draws here. This doll house measures 46cm tall and features seven rooms when opened up. There’s a “Cat-a-vator” elevator to let the kids move the Gabby figure around the place. Only includes the one figure, but does also feature a bunch of accessories. No batteries required.
Imaginext Jurassic World Rebirth T. Rex
There are absolutely loads of Jurassic World Rebirth toys. This one is aimed at a somewhat younger audience, labelled for ages 3+ . We get a cartoon-ified take on the T. Rex. It features a pair of rocket launchers, and has mechanisms to make him roar and bite down on the ground when you press a button by the harness or a trigger by the tail. Takes 3 AA batteries.
Imaginair Bumper Cars
$129.99 (US Only)
One of the coolest toy picks for 2025 appears to be the hardest to get hold of in the UK. These ride-on bumper cars from Flybar use a 6V battery to let kids aged 1.5-4 reach terrifying speeds of up to 1mph. Features LED lights and a control joystick for each hand. A similar-looking alternative is available in the UK from AIYAPLAY, via The Range.
L.O.L. Surprise! Hair Beads Salon
A playset that will haunt your home for years to come, this Salon play kit includes 100 beads used to accessorise the hair of the included Tot doll. The central section of the fold-up kit is also a mirror
Other picks in the hot 20 toys include Nintendo’s Switch 2 console, LEGO’s Technic Ferrari FXX K kit and Tamagotchi Paradise, a new-for-2025 virtual pet gadget with a colour screen and zoom dial. Check out the full list over at the Toy Insider.
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