Believe it or not, the holiday season is just a few short months away, which means it isn’t out of the question to start thinking about holiday wish lists now: Especially when it comes to those kiddo wish lists, because in case you haven’t noticed, toys are in high demand. With sellouts at an all time high in the toy category, if the kids in your life want particularly in-demand items, shopping early is always a good move. To get the scoop, we spoke to Jennifer Lynch, a Toy Trends Specialist from The Toy Association, and she shared everything you need to know about toy shopping for 2024.
When Is Best to Start Shopping for Holiday Toys?
“If we’ve learned anything from watching holiday classics like Jingle All the Way, the earlier you can shop, the better — especially if there is a must-have toy on your kid’s holiday wish list,” says Lynch. “Waiting for last-minute deals to pop up can be tempting, but then you risk the chance that the toy might not be there when you need it.” Translation? If there is a toy your child wants more than anything—especially if it happens to be trendy this season—get it now to make sure you don’t have disappointed faces when it’s time for them to open their gifts. But of course that leads us to the next question:
What Toys Are Expected to Be the Hottest This Holiday Season?
Lynch shares, “Toys inspired by some of the most popular YouTube channels and digital content will be among the must-have items this holiday.” This includes items from the upcoming Ms. Rachel toy line, which will be available for pre-order on September 15 and available to purchase on September 29 at all major retailers. Lynch also shares that due to current cultural interest in all things magical and mysterious, toys inspired by magic-inspired storylines are very popular this season, as well as tech! “Expect to see an array of toys that leverage technologies in new ways—we’re seeing a lot of innovation,” she says.
Toys to Buy Now Before They Sell Out
When your child’s ‘must have’ toy is hard to find, it’s easy to feel a sense of urgency and rush to purchase anything you find, but Lynch urges toy shoppers to shop smart: “Be mindful about where you are shopping and who you are buying from. With e-commerce shopping, you need to be aware,, and if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is,” she says. “Do your due diligence, look for typos in the product listings (a sure sign of bootleg products) and only shop through legitimate companies and sellers!” With that advice in mind, here are toys you should click to purchase right now, before the sell—all from retailers we know and trust!
Monster High Rave’N Wednesday Collectible Doll
There are several different dolls and sets in the Wednesday Addams Monster High collection, and if you can find one, it’s a definite buy now situation. These dolls are already selling out months before the holiday shopping season even begins.
Price: $65 at Walmart
Just Play furReal Peanut the Playful Monkey
This interactive plush monkey is full of impressive new tech that makes for an exciting play experience, but all your kids will see is a new best friend!
Price: $59.99 at Amazon
Squishmellows Harry Potter Wave 3
Any parents or caregivers reading this don’t have to be convinced of just how popular Squishmellows are, so if you have a Harry Potter fan you’re shopping for, better hit the pre-order of this new wave now before the items are released on September 16, when they are sure to get limited, fast!
Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch Dobby Plush
Price: $15.99 at Amazon
Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch The Sorting Hat Plush
Price: $15.99 at Amazon
Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch Mandrake Plush
Price: $15.99 at Amazon
Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-Inch Fawkes Plush
Price: $15.99 at Amazon
Poe the AI Story Bear
Think Teddy Ruxpin from the ‘80’s but with today’s cutting edge tech. Using AI and the help of an app, Poe ‘comes to life’ to tell stories, chosen by your child. With hundreds of story ideas to choose from, there are limitless combinations to create new stories every time.
Price: $49.99 at Amazon
MrBeast Lab Swarms
With over 100 different ‘swarms’ to collect, your MrBeast loving kid will also love these micro beasts, and the fun feature of adding water to the test tube to reveal which creature they have.
Price: $8.47 at Walmart
MrBeast Lab Mutators Stealth Panther
With multiple chemistry-lab inspired steps to ‘create’ your beast, this is way more than just an action figure.
Price: $24.99 at Amazon
Wicked Elphaba Fashion Doll
With the new film hitting theaters in November, the clamor for the various movie-inspired collectible dolls will be major (many of them have already sold out of pre-orders). So if you have a Wicked-lover on your shopping list, you should pre-order now and secure this gift before the movie even comes out.
Price: $24.99 at Target
Trending Toys for 2024
Decora Fashion Girlz ‘Decora’
While this line of posable dolls have been out since last spring, it’s the first holiday season they’ve been on shelves, and they are wildly popular among kids who love to accessorize and style.
Price: $21.97 at Walmart
MYNT3D Super 3D Pen
3D printing is continuing to gain popularity every year, and this pen is a great way for young artists to turn their drawings into three dimensional works of art, and it’s a great ‘intro to 3D printing’ tool.
Price: $43.86 at Amazon
LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus
This is a pre-order to jump on now: One of the most iconic elements of every kid gamer’s favorite game, the Battle Bus is brought to life in this 954-piece set that comes with nine mini-figs. The item ships on October 1, so you’ll still have it in hand well before the holidays.
Price: $99.99 at LEGO
LEGO Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas
Nostalgia reigns supreme during the holidays, and this highly anticipated set of the cult-classic film is going to be a must-have for builders of all ages.
Price: $199.99 at LEGO
VTech KidiZoom Print Cam
Kids love the fun and instant gratification of being able to take photos and then print them out to hang in their rooms, lockers and to give them to friends. The camera also comes with templates so they can create filters, borders, effects and more with their photos. Shop around on this one, as different retailers have different colors available.
Price: $74.99 at Target
Bluey 3-in-1 Airplane Playset
This playset can be turned from a plane into a hotel or a speedboat, and comes with two exclusive figures and lots of accessories. It also plays more than 25 sounds and phrases from the show.
Price: $59.99 at Target
MAGNA-TILES Space 32-Piece Magnetic Construction Set
New from the world of MAGNA-TILES, this was wildly popular the moment it came out, and may already be on your kiddo’s wishlist.
Price: $49.99 at Amazon
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