The Toy Foundation has just unveiled the finalists for the Toy of the Year Awards, known as the Oscars of the toy industry.
The 115 finalists cover 16 categories of play - from toys for preschoolers to plush, educational and more, there is something for everyone on your holiday shopping list.
Jennifer Lynch, Toy Trends Specialist for The Toy Association, joined us with some of the finalists.
furReal Peanut the Playful Monkey (Just Play)
4+, $59.99
Plush Toy of the Year Finalist
The FurReal Peanut the Playful Monkey is a sweet interactive friend that makes pretend pet care fun.
With over 100 different reactions for kids to discover, Peanut encourages empathy, imaginative play, and lots of giggles.
Peanut walks on her own, says "uh oh" when she falls, does flips when you hold her hand, falls asleep when rocked, giggles when tickled, "drinks" her bottle, and much more.
Crayola Color Wonder Magic Light Brush (Crayola)
3+, $26.99
Preschool Toy of the Year Finalist
Painting is magical with the Crayola Color Wonder Magic Light Brush. Though Color Wonder Paints are clear, the brush lights up to indicate the color.
Color Wonder Paints are mess free and only appear on special Color Wonder Paper, not on skin, clothing, or walls.
Kids can explore the joy of painting and parents can let them create without worry!
This color wonder paint set is designed to prevent dry up, so kids can use it again and again.
LEGO®️ City Space Base and Rocket Launchpad (LEGO)
8+, $134.99
Construction Toy of the Year Finalist
Welcome to the space base, where the crew is preparing for another epic mission. The admiral is in command, and the rocket ship is ready on the launchpad. Scientists have tested the new crystal-botanic batteries, and the tower crane is loading them into the ship's cargo hold for delivery to an orbiting space station. Grab your space gear from the carousel, climb aboard and prepare for blastoff!
Tonies Audiobooks (tonies USA)
7+, $39.99
Educational Toy of the Year Finalist
This is a brand new form factor for tonies! Introducing tonies Audiobooks!
Experience your favorite stories in an exciting new format. Dive into best-selling chapter books, spend time with your favorite characters, and explore new titles like Captain Underpants or The Questioneers.
Just pop a tonies Audiobook on top of your Toniebox to start the listening experience! Each tonies Audiobook set ranges from 4-9 hours of content. Every set includes four complete, unabridged chapter books.
Hitster (The Jumbo Group)
16+, $19.99, 2-10 players
Game of the Year Finalist
The European phenomenon–HITSTER! This cool party game is all about music!
Comes with 300 game cards featuring the biggest hits from the past 100 years, from Frank Sinatra to Whitney Houston to Taylor Swift.
You listen to songs, guess when the song was released and place it chronologically on your music timeline–first to collect 10 cards wins.
QR codes connect to the free HITSTER app that connects to your Spotify. (Works on iPhone or Android phones.)
To find out more about these toys, shop your favorites, and vote for the top toy to take home the big prize, head over to toyawards.org.
