Toy and game companies are assembling a broad holiday pitch that stretches from inexpensive collectibles to large playsets, according to a company-submitted “Hot for Holiday” roundup published by The Toy Book. The selections are grouped around imaginative worlds, hands-on experiences, sensory play, technology and familiar franchises, with items aimed at a range of ages and play styles.
The Toy Book said toy and game companies were invited to submit their own picks to highlight holiday drivers for retailers. That makes the list a view of manufacturers’ priorities rather than an independent sales ranking or a forecast of what will sell best.
A wide price ladder
At the low end, License 2 Play’s Domo collectible is listed at $4.99 to $14.99, while Yoonique’s 4-inch plush farm friends are listed at $4.99. Horizon Group USA’s slow-flow glitter-gel stress toys range from $4.99 to $8.99 and include licensed themes such as Squishmallows, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob SquarePants and Bluey.
Mid-range items include MGA Entertainment’s eight mini dolls, each packaged in a pink disco ball with a miniature record player, at $11.99; Schylling’s NeeDoh Halloween countdown with 13 doors at $14.99; and JAKKS Pacific’s Donkey Kong playset with 2.5-inch figures at $19.99. Melissa & Doug’s modular play pieces are listed at $9.99 to $34.99.
Larger purchases include Mattel’s customizable dollhouse at $214.99, Ravensburger’s 56-piece BRIO World Space Deluxe train set at $279.99 and a two-foot-tall Bluey five-story home at $149.99.
Sensory and hands-on play
Several entries lean on tactile or physical interaction. Goliath’s Chester is a butt-shaped plush that wiggles and makes fart sounds when squeezed, and dances when its head is pressed; it is priced at $29.99 for ages 8 and up and requires three AAA batteries. Just Play’s 18-inch Tiggle Me Elmo Giggle Max, at $39.97 for ages 18 months and up, combines laughter, full-body movement and other reactions.
Fat Brain Toys offers an airflow system that sends foam balls through tube builds for $129.95. Spin Master’s Rocky recycling truck, at $64.99, includes a two-foot inflatable dinosaur that pops out when children press the light bar and can be packed back in and inflated again. Simplay3’s oversized sensory nest, at $129.99 for ages 2 and up, rocks and spins in any direction.
Tech, AI and interactive features
Technology appears in several forms. Jazwares’ Pikachu, at $79.99, has more than 100 action and sound combinations, touch sensors, blinking eyes, mouth movement and soft puppetronic play. Hapiko’s voice-powered sticker maker uses AI to create and print sticker combinations, and the company says it has built-in filters and assurances that the device is not “always listening.”
Other tech-forward items include Golden Bear’s Strikesphere basketball trainer at $99.99, which uses light-guided drills and an LCD scoreboard, and Cra-Z-Art’s instant-printing camera for tweens, which comes with markers and stickers. Fizz Creations’ pocket-sized keyring arcades offer PAC-MAN and Tetris play at $16.99 to $39.99.
Franchises and collectibles
Familiar characters remain prominent. The Pokémon Co. International is marking 30 years of Pokémon with an Elite Trainer Box at $49.99 that introduces a “Futuristic Rare” card rarity, all-foil cards and the return of 30 classic Pokémon. Tonies’ Toniebox 2 Pokémon set, at $199.99 for ages 5 and up, includes Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander and Bulbasaur figures that play stories and songs.
Other licensed entries include a 106-piece LEGO Bluey set at $24.99, a 502-piece Minecraft Skeleton set for ages 10 and up, and Playmates’ Mega Thunderzord at $37.99, which produces more than 15 phrases and sounds. Super Impulse’s Drip Drops line offers 16 tiny sneaker styles in Series 1, packaged with a shoebox, real laces, a display case and a keychain.
For retailers, the roundup shows how manufacturers are covering multiple gift price points at once: sub-$10 impulse items, $20 to $80 character and activity toys, and premium playsets above $100. The list also indicates that sensory features, screen-free audio and established entertainment brands are being positioned as holiday attention-getters, though the companies’ submissions do not establish how any item will perform at retail.