The holiday toy season is taking shape through a company-submitted lineup that ranges from sensory novelty items to large, modular playsets. In a “Hot for Holiday” feature, toy and game companies were invited to identify products they expect to drive retailer attention this season. The picks are not an independent ranking; they are the manufacturers’ own selections.
The submissions cluster around several themes: imaginative worlds, hands-on experiences, sensory play, technology-forward features, and familiar franchises. That mix appears across price points, from a few dollars for collectibles to nearly $280 for a deluxe train set.
Sensory and character-led novelties
Several picks rely on tactile or comic appeal. Goliath’s Chester, a butt-shaped character, wiggles and emits fart sounds when squeezed, and can dance when its head is pressed; it is priced at $29.99 for ages 8 and up and requires three AAA batteries. Schylling’s NeeDoh countdown set hides six NeeDoh surprises and seven Halloween treats behind 13 doors for $14.99. Horizon Group USA’s slow-flow glitter-gel stress toys, licensed with properties including Squishmallows, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minecraft, Hershey’s, Bluey, and Pudgy Penguins, range from $4.99 to $8.99.
Familiar characters also anchor larger items. Just Play’s 18-inch Tiggle Me Elmo Giggle Max, priced at $39.97 for 18 months and up, offers laughter, full-body movement, and other reactions. Jazwares’ Pikachu, created by Wow! Stuff, combines more than 100 action and sound combinations with touch sensors, blinking eyes, mouth movement, and soft puppetronic play at $79.99. Playmates Toys’ Mega Thunderzord, at $37.99, plays more than 15 phrases and sounds from the show while its eyes light up.
Playsets and construction build out worlds
Mattel’s modular dollhouse arrives with nine indoor and outdoor play areas, two pools, two slides, more than 65 accessories, and two house structures that can form one large house or two connected houses with a bridge. It is priced at $214.99 for ages 3 and up. Melissa & Doug’s modular room set, priced from $9.99 to $34.99, uses an open-top design and flexible room layouts; the listing is marked for ages 0–2.
Construction and building sets include a 106-piece LEGO Bluey school scene with Bluey and Rusty mini-figures, a mini kitchen, café, hospital, and baby-care area for $24.99. Magna-Tiles offers a lighthouse-inspired set with a Lighthouse Rescuer figure, a sea turtle, a rescue raft, and shoreline pieces for building docks, waves, and towers. CONNETIX’s travel pack from Brave Toys contains 32 compact pieces, magnets, and two sheets of reusable stickers in a carry tin for $25.
Tech, audio, and active play
Tech-forward play appears in a range of formats. Tonies’ Toniebox 2 Pokémon set, at $199.99 for ages 5 and up, includes Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur figures that play themed stories and songs on the screen-free audio player. Hapiko’s voice-powered sticker maker uses AI to create and print sticker combinations, with built-in filters and assurances that the device is not “always listening.” CRA-Z-ART’s instant-print camera lets tweens capture photos and videos and print in seconds without extra cables or devices; markers and stickers are included for decorating black-and-white prints.
Active and interactive toys include ZURU’s Mommy Elephant, which walks and reveals two, three, or four baby elephants that can connect to her tail to form a train; it requires three AA batteries. Golden Bear’s Strikesphere basketball trainer, at $99.99, uses light-guided drills across three game modes and an LCD scoreboard to track high scores. Spin Master’s Rocky recycling truck, at $64.99, pops out a 2-foot inflatable dinosaur when kids press the light bar and includes sounds inspired by the movie.
Collectibles and compact play
At the collectible end, MGA Entertainment’s mini dolls cover eight music genres; each comes in a pink disco ball with a vinyl record player on top and costs $11.99 for ages 4 and up. Super Impulse’s Drip Drops Series 1 offers 16 tiny sneaker styles with brands including Hot Wheels, Godzilla, and Smiley, each with a shoebox, real laces, display case, and keychain. License 2 Play’s Domo collectible returns with a blocky shape, fuzzy texture, and wide-open mouth at $4.99–$14.99. TOMY International’s blind boxes for teens, priced at $18.99–$24.99 each, feature uplifting messages and woodland themes for ages 15 and up.
Larger franchise playsets round out the list. The Pokémon Co. International’s Elite Trainer Box marks 30 years of Pokémon with a new Futuristic Rare card rarity, all-foil cards, and the return of 30 classic Pokémon for $49.99 for ages 6 and up. Jakks Pacific’s Donkey Kong multi-level playset, at $19.99, includes 2.5-inch Donkey and Diddy Kong figures that ride rails, swing on vines, and climb ladders. A Bluey five-story home, priced at $149.99, stands 2 feet tall and projects spinning stars and moons from its chimney.
Taken together, the submissions span impulse-priced collectibles, buildable worlds, and electronic features, giving retailers a broad set of familiar characters and play patterns across ages and budgets.