Toy and game makers are assembling a wide-ranging holiday lineup aimed at capturing kids' attention and landing on wish lists, spanning imaginative worlds, hands-on experiences, sensory fun, tech-forward play and familiar franchises. The picks below were submitted by the toy and game companies themselves for The Toy Book's "Hot for Holiday" feature, which the publication frames as a look at the holiday drivers retailers should have on their radar — manufacturer selections rather than independent test results.
At the playful, inexpensive end, Goliath offers a butt-shaped plush pal that wiggles and jiggles and lets out silly sounds when kids squeeze and stretch its cheeks; pressing its head makes it dance to tootin' tunes. It is priced at $29.99 for ages 8 and up and requires three AAA batteries. Schylling's NeeDoh countdown packs six squishy surprises and seven Halloween treats behind 13 doors for $14.99, while Yoonique's 4-inch farm friends pair soft plush with a squeezable rubber core at $4.99.
Sensory and fidget items extend to Horizon Group USA's slow-flow glitter gel stress toys — licensed across Squishmallows, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minecraft, Hershey's, Bluey and Pudgy Penguins — at $4.99 to $8.99, and to Simplay3's oversized sensory nest, a low, open rocking and spinning piece large enough for several children at $129.99 for ages 2 and up.
Larger construction and dollhouse sets anchor the higher price points. Mattel's customizable dollhouse lists at $214.99 for ages 3 and up, with nine indoor and outdoor play areas, two pools, two slides, more than 65 accessories and a modular design that lets two structures join as one house or connect by a bridge. Ravensburger's BRIO World Space Deluxe Train Set, a 56-piece space-themed expansion, lists at $279.99 with a multilevel layout, tunnels, a space station, a rover and a shuttle with lights and sounds. Melissa & Doug's modular-room playsets for ages 0–2 range from $9.99 to $34.99.
Franchise-driven play runs through the list. The Pokémon Co. marks 30 years of Pokémon with an Elite Trainer Box at $49.99 for ages 6 and up, introducing a Futuristic Rare card rarity and all-foil cards. Jazwares' animatronic Pikachu, created by Wow! Stuff, offers more than 100 action and sound combinations with touch sensors and blinking eyes at $79.99; Tonies' Toniebox 2 Pokémon set, in a Pikachu yellow colorway, bundles four figures for $199.99 for ages 5 and up. LEGO's 106-piece Bluey set, built around the "Early Baby" episode, is $24.99, and Jakks Pacific's Donkey Kong playset with 2.5-inch figures is $19.99.
Tech-forward entries include Hapiko's voice-powered sticker maker, which uses AI to create printable sticker combinations and includes built-in filters plus assurances that the device is not "always listening." Golden Bear's Strikesphere basketball trainer, at $99.99, uses light-guided drills across three game modes with an LCD scoreboard. Cra-Z-Art's instant camera for tweens prints black-and-white photos in seconds without additional cables or devices, and Fizz Creations' keyring arcades bring PAC-MAN, Tetris and Grinch games in at $16.99 to $39.99.
Elsewhere, Hasbro's 11-inch figure converts to a car in four steps for $54.99, Spin Master's Rocky recycling truck ($64.99) pops out a 2-foot inflatable dinosaur when kids press the light bar, and Just Play's 18-inch Tiggle Me Elmo Giggle Max revisits the 1990s toy with full-body movement and laughter at $39.97 for 18 months and up.