Gift guides
Trending toys this Christmas
The Christmas toys everyone will be buying for 2026
The Christmas toy lists are out, and familiar favourites have had a few interesting updates. There are story players small enough for a coat pocket, pets that ask to be looked after and a card game that positively encourages fibbing. Interactive animals, character playsets and screen-free audio feature prominently in gift guides this year.
Here are a few trending ideas that run from baby's first Christmas up to 12, with things to cuddle, build, listen to, make and play together.
A first Christmas: birth to 12 months
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Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Cuddle & Crawl Duck
From birth, for supervised play. This soft duck has more to do than sit on a shelf: it wiggles, flaps its wings and plays music, with four ways to play as a baby moves from tummy time to sitting and crawling. It is one of the few Christmas-list toys here that genuinely starts at birth. The appeal is the combination of something soft to reach for and something interesting to watch on the floor, rather than a collection of detachable little pieces.
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Toddlers: ages 1–2
Small figures, simple stories and a world to arrange on the floor can have more mileage than a toy that does everything itself. The railway starts at two; the farm and Toniebox Lite are labelled from one.
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Fisher-Price Little People Caring Fun Animal Farm
The Little People farm has a two-storey barn, an animal slide and a drop-through silo, plus a farmer and four animals to move around. It is an easy starting point for the daily business of feeding everyone and putting them to bed. Songs and sounds add another layer, but the figures and farm leave room for stories of their own.
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Chad Valley Alfie And Joe Wooden Train Set
This woodland railway is the quieter choice among the Christmas headline toys. A figure-of-eight track, a train with two carriages, animals, trees and a little house give it plenty of stories before any expansion sets are involved. This is a good smaller-budget option for children who like arranging a whole world on the floor. It is also compatible with most wooden railway systems.
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Toniebox Lite Story Set
A smaller story player that keeps the familiar Tonies routine: put a character on top and listen. The My Story Set includes Creative Tonie Rubie, which can hold recordings and audio added through the app, making a familiar voice part of the present.
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Stapelstein Stepping Stones 6+1 Set
Six colourful stepping stones and a wobble board can become an obstacle course, pretend islands or somewhere very important to jump to before the floor turns into lava. The pieces are light enough for children to rearrange and stack together between games. A bigger gift with plenty of room for different ages to join in, with adult supervision for younger players.
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Preschoolers: ages 3–5
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Bluey Muffin’s Home Playset
Muffin’s two-storey house has a kitchen, bedroom, living space and balcony, with Muffin, Socks and furniture included. That is enough for a complete family scene without immediately needing another pack. It suits children who enjoy replaying Bluey moments and then taking the story in a completely different direction. The house is also a different setting from the Heeler home, which is worth knowing if a Bluey collection is already taking over a shelf.
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Little Live Pets Skye My Magical Dragon
Skye is a pet dragon whose glowing belly shows whether she wants feeding, comfort, sleep or a little medical attention. A bottle and thermometer turn those requests into caring games, with sounds and reactions as the child responds. This is the interactive-pet choice for children who like the looking-after part of pretend play, rather than simply watching a toy perform.
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furReal Gabby the Grow & Roar Tiger
Gabby starts as a tiger cub and physically grows taller with care and play, then can be returned to cub size to begin again. Feeding, stroking and roaring get different responses, so the growing is part of an ongoing pet game rather than a single reveal. It is a larger, more theatrical present for an animal-loving child.
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BRIO World Dinosaur Adventure Train Set
Dinosaurs and trains in one little world. This 21-piece railway has raised tracks, a lava cave and three dinosaurs whose magnets can lift eggs and cargo onto the wagons. It is a complete starting set, but can also join an existing BRIO World railway when the prehistoric landscape needs to spread a little further.
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Le Toy Van Tabletop Puppet Wooden Theatre
A small wooden stage with pull-back curtains, a ticket window and a chalkboard for announcing the next performance. It gives puppet shows a proper home without needing a full-size theatre in the playroom. Hand puppets, favourite soft toys and small figures can all audition for a part. Puppets are not included.
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Jellycat Amuseables Pomilly
Jellycat turns a knitted bobble hat into a soft toy, complete with an oversized pompom and a friendly face. Pomilly is a smaller, cuddly option for children who enjoy giving every soft toy a name and a very specific place in the household. A cheerful choice for an existing Jellycat collection or a favourite new companion.
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School-age children: ages 6–8
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Giftie Badge Maker
A badge-making press turns drawings, pictures and magazine cuttings into something that can go straight onto a bag or be given to a friend. The standard kit includes materials for 50 badges, blank and printed designs, a cutting template and backing cards for gifting. The best part is the open-ended choice of artwork: favourite animals, invented clubs and very important membership badges can all have a turn.
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Liar’s UNO
This version of UNO makes bluffing part of the rules. Some cards go down face down, and the other players decide whether to believe the claim or challenge it. It is an appealing little present for children who already enjoy a family game and can manage a straight face for at least a few seconds.
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Janod My First Walkie-Talkies: Happy Garden
A pair of rechargeable walkie-talkies for garden missions, den-building and reporting extremely important news from the next room. The simple controls make them easy to pick up and use, and the pair can turn an ordinary game of hide-and-seek into a proper expedition. This is the colourful Happy Garden version.
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Older children: ages 9–12
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LEGO Botanicals Rocking Plants 11506
Two cheerful plants to build and keep on display, with rounded bases that let their pots rock. The 253-piece set offers some of the appeal of the bigger LEGO Botanicals range in a child-labelled build, rather than an adult set quietly passed off as suitable for any age. The little faces give the finished plants plenty of personality, and the pair can sit together or on separate shelves. A good option for a builder who is starting to enjoy making something for their room as well as playing with it.
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Yoto Mini, 4th Gen
An audio player can still earn its space at nine, ten or twelve when the content moves on to chapter books, music and longer listening. The fourth-generation Mini is small enough for travel, uses physical cards and adds a customisable Green Button for quick access to favourite audio. It is a useful bigger gift for a child who already likes listening independently. Choose an age-right story alongside it, check which cards are owned and allow for adult app and Wi-Fi setup. This is the player, not an accessory jacket.
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Sylvanian Families Red Roof Riverside Manor
A grand house for an expanding Sylvanian village, with turrets, a garden stream and a staircase that turns into a slide. The rooms give children space to arrange furniture and invent the daily dramas of a very small household. It makes most sense for a child who already enjoys the collecting and arranging. Figures and extra furniture are sold separately.
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Pictionary Air: Takeover
Draw in the air and watch the picture appear on a screen while both teams try to guess. Takeover adds the chance to steal a point and the pen, so nobody is left patiently waiting for the other team to finish. A lively family-game option for children who enjoy acting things out as much as drawing them. It needs a compatible smart device.
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Monopoly: KPop Demon Hunters Edition
A KPop Demon Hunters spin on Monopoly, with character tokens, performance venues and fans to collect. Children can choose Rumi, Mira, Zoey, Jinu, Derpy Tiger or Bobby before setting out to win over the biggest audience. A good fit for fans who already enjoy a family board-game night. Allow a little time to learn this version’s rules together.
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