Baby & Toys

Toy Makers’ Holiday Picks Span Sensory, Tech, and Franchise Play

Nadia RahmanNovember 11, 20265 min read4 views

At a glance

  • Companies invited to submit seasonal selections highlighted products across imaginative, hands-on, sensory, tech-forward, and licensed categories.
  • Toy and game companies have submitted a wide-ranging set of holiday wish-list picks, from sensory plush and modular playsets to tech-enabled toys and licensed collectibles. The selections point retailers toward a broad mix of price points and play patterns for the season.
A curated assortment of toys—including a modular dollhouse, building tiles, plush, vehicles, and collectibles—arranged in a warm holiday setting.

Toy and game companies are betting on a broad holiday lineup, with picks that range from silly sensory toys to tech-enabled play and familiar entertainment franchises. In a seasonal roundup, companies were invited to submit their own “Hot for Holiday” selections, intended to flag products retailers should have on their radar.

The submissions span imaginative worlds, hands-on experiences, sensory fun, tech-forward play, and established franchises, with price points from pocket-money collectibles to larger playsets.

Examples from the list

  • Goliath’s Chester is a butt-shaped pal that wiggles and makes fart sounds when squeezed, then dances when kids press his head; it is listed at $29.99 for ages 8 and up.
  • Mattel offers a modular dollhouse with nine indoor and outdoor play areas, two pools, two slides, more than 65 accessories, and two house structures that can be joined or bridged; it is priced at $214.99 for ages 3 and up.
  • Fat Brain Toys’ airflow set sends foam balls through tube builds, priced at $129.95, while Hasbro’s 11-inch action figure converts into a car in four steps at $54.99.
  • MGA Entertainment’s mini dolls arrive in pink disco balls with spinning record players, at $11.99 for ages 4 and up.
  • Just Play’s 18-inch Tiggle Me Elmo Giggle Max is listed at $39.97 for 18 months and up.

The list also includes licensed and collectible items. The Pokémon Co. International marks 30 years of Pokémon with an Elite Trainer Box introducing a Futuristic Rare card rarity and the return of 30 classic Pokémon at $49.99. A Tonies set inspired by Pikachu’s yellow colorway pairs four Pokémon figures with a screen-free audio player at $199.99. The LEGO Group’s 106-piece Bluey set, based on the “Early Baby” episode, is $24.99.

Larger play patterns are represented too. Spin Master’s Rocky recycling truck includes a two-foot inflatable dinosaur that pops out when kids press the light bar, at $64.99. Ravensburger’s 56-piece BRIO World Space Deluxe Set is priced at $279.99. Simplay3’s oversized sensory nest, large enough for several children, is $129.99 for ages 2 and up.

Reported by Nadia Rahman, Toy Safety and Age-Grading Analyst.