Toy and game makers are spreading their holiday bets across a wide range of play patterns this season, from squeezable sensory items and collectible minis to tech-assisted crafts and familiar entertainment franchises. In a roundup published by The Toy Book, manufacturers were invited to submit their own picks for the products they expect to draw retailer attention in the coming months, with suggested prices stretching from under $5 to nearly $280.
The publication noted that the selections came from the companies themselves, and pointed readers to sister outlet The Toy Insider for its editorial team's own gift guide.
Sensory, squish and collectible
Goliath's Chester, listed at $29.99 for ages 8 and up, is a butt-shaped character that wiggles and plays sound effects when squeezed and dances when its head is pressed; it takes three AAA batteries. Schylling's $14.99 countdown calendar hides six NeeDoh squish items and seven Halloween treats behind 13 doors. Horizon Group USA's slow-flow glitter gel stress toys, at $4.99–8.99, use licensed themes including Squishmallows, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minecraft, Bluey and Pudgy Penguins.
Collectible formats are just as prominent. MGA Entertainment's $11.99 mini dolls, for ages 4 and up, cover eight music genres and arrive inside pink disco balls topped with a record player kids can spin. Super Impulse's Drip Drops Series 1 offers 16 miniature sneaker styles, each packaged in a shoebox with real laces, a display case and a keychain. License 2 Play is bringing back Domo at $4.99–14.99, while TOMY International's woodland-themed blind boxes run $18.99–24.99 for ages 15 and up.
Tech-assisted and interactive play
Hapiko's voice-powered sticker maker uses AI to generate printable sticker combinations; the company says built-in filters act as guardrails and that the device is not "always listening." Jazwares' Pikachu, created by Wow! Stuff and priced at $79.99, combines more than 100 action and sound combinations with touch sensors, blinking eyes and mouth movement. Tonies' Toniebox 2 Pokémon set, at $199.99 for ages 5 and up, bundles four character figures that play stories and songs on the screen-free audio player. Cra-Z-Art's instant camera prints photos in seconds and ships with markers and stickers for personalizing black-and-white prints.
Large-format and licensed sets
Higher-ticket items center on buildable and open-ended play. Mattel's customizable dollhouse, $214.99 for ages 3 and up, includes nine indoor and outdoor play areas, two pools, two slides, more than 65 accessories and a modular layout that can form one large house or two connected by a bridge. Ravensburger's BRIO World Space Deluxe Train Set packs 56 pieces, including a multilevel layout, space station, rover and shuttle with lights and sounds, at $279.99. Fat Brain Toys' adjustable-airflow tube set, $129.95, sends foam balls through builds the company describes as blending art, physics and experimentation, and Simplay3's oversized sensory nest, $129.99 for ages 2 and up, rocks and spins for group play.
Licensed lines appear at nearly every price. The LEGO Group's 106-piece Bluey set, $24.99, recreates the school scene from the "Early Baby" episode with two minifigures. Jakks Pacific's Donkey Kong playset, $19.99, uses 2.5-inch figures on rails and vines. Spin Master's Rocky's recycling truck, $64.99, pops out a 2-foot inflatable dinosaur. The Pokémon Co. International marks 30 years of the brand with a $49.99 Elite Trainer Box introducing a "Futuristic Rare" card rarity, and Playmates Toys' Mega Thunderzord, $37.99, offers more than 15 phrases and sounds with light-up eyes.
Smaller impulse buys round out the list: Melissa & Doug's modular dollhouse rooms at $9.99–34.99 for ages 0–2, Yoonique's 4-inch plush farm friends at $4.99, Sunny Days Entertainment's joystick-controlled school bus at $44.99, and Fizz Creations' keyring arcades, $16.99–39.99, featuring PAC-MAN, Tetris and the Grinch.