For kids of all ages — from newborn through age 12 — we’ve rounded up the coolest toys of the year to help make holiday shopping a snap!
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For Newborns: Wanderlust New York City Organic Playmat
It’s never too early to start discovering Manhattan’s many neighborhoods. Made out of organic cotton and hemp canvas, this playmat by Ella Lou is perfect for a newborn’s tummy time. $92, shopellalou.com -
For Newborns: Little O Plush Toy
Made with the same luxurious fabric as their famous blankets, Little Giraffe’s cuddly owl is the kind of gift a newborn will come to cherish. Polka Dots are available in pink or blue. $45, littlegiraffe.com -
For Newborns: Musical Pull Toys
Pull toys are always a great addition to a new baby’s collection, and these trinkets from Serena and Lily are soft and melodic! Choose between a little lamb or a whimsical mushroom. $228, serenaandlily.com -
For Newborns: Organic Edward Music Mobile
Meet Edward! This little guy, made of 100 percent organic cotton and polyester filling by Danish company Ferm, is sure to lull your newborn baby to sleep. Keep him in the crib or bring him along in the stroller. Available from local Brooklyn toy store Norman and Jules. $46, normanandjules.com -
For Newborns: Farm Plush Blocks & Stackers
With built-in rattles, these soft (not to mention adorable!) blocks (which come as a set of five) by Pottery Barn Kids are a stackable delight for any curious little baby. Or, try their animal-shaped stacker plush toys as a great companion toy. $34-39, potterybarnkids.com -
For 0-3 Years: Little Friends Fox
This snuggly Fox Friend is handmade by Dsenyo—a Fair Trade women’s cooperative—in Malawi, Africa. With its fun printed fabric, it makes a gift for infants to grow with and love for years to come. $24, dsenyo.com -
For 0-3 Years: Eco Push Toy Whale
Made out of bamboo and available locally at baby gear staple the Pink Olive, this whale on wheels is as fun as it is beautiful. The wheels glide smoothly on any surface, making for hours of fun all over the home. Perfect for ages 18 months to 3 years. $36, pinkolive.com -
For 0-3 Years: Pirates and Mermaid Rattles
With two pirates and their boat, a mermaid, and her shark friend, this Maileg rattle, available from My Sweet Muffin, set will make playtime fun and enchanting. Each rattle is sold separately or as a five-piece set. $18 each, $88 for set; mysweetmuffin.com -
For 0-3 Years: Nautical Blocks
Each of these 26 wooden blocks by Uncle Goose includes a letter of the alphabet, its maritime signal flag, its Morse code, its semaphore, and its NATO phonetic alphabet word. Who says stacking blacks can’t be educational? Appropriate for ages 2 and up. $48, unclegoose.com -
For 0-3 Years: Lamby Plush Toy
This ultra-soft lamb, by Apple Park and available from Rodale’s, is 100 percent organic, non-toxic, and sure to become your baby’s go-to cuddle buddy. It also arrives on a swing in eco-friendly packaging. $48, rodales.com -
For 0-3 Years: Click Clack Hedgehog
Skip Hop’s (a beloved NYC company) Click Clack Hedgehog is filled with colorful rattle beads and surrounded by soft teethers. Little ones will be busy developing motor skills while trying to find the hidden mirror. $10, skiphop.com -
For 3-5 Years: Classic Movie Viewer
There’s a reason this toy has been on the market for over 40 years. From Fisher-Price Classic Toys, for ages 3 and up, this toy is kid-tested, nostalgia approved—plus it helps with learning letters and numbers! $24.99, thebridgedirect.com -
For 3-5 Years: Plush Record Player
Yes, records are making a comeback and this fun YesterGear plush toy from Land of Nod is the perfect introduction for your little one. Play pretend and jam out to some favorite tracks or bring back a few retro hits. $34, landofnod.com -
For 3-5 Years: Ukulele for Toddlers
Made from sustainable material, this eco-friendly ukulele is a great gift for any young music enthusiast. Start a collection of instruments or add to an already eclectic assortment. You can pick one up at the Metropolitan Opera gift shop right here in NYC. $38, metoperashop.org -
For 3-5 Years: Julius Jr. Rock N’ Playhouse
With lights and sounds on each floor, there is so much to do and explore with Paul Frank’s classic monkey cartoon character. Slide Julius Jr. down the slide and into the rocket ship for an out-of-this-world playtime experience. Made by Fisher-Price for ages 3-5. $39.99, fisher-price.com -
For 3-5 Years: Paris Shadow Puppets
Will the sleepwalker wake up on top of the Eiffel Tower? Does the musician catch the thief? The number of stories is endless with this 11-piece shadow puppet set by Moulin Roty, available from My Sweet Muffin. Turn on a lamp and let the fun begin! $21, mysweetmuffin.com -
For 3-5 Years: LEGO Fire and Rescue Team
This easy-to-build LEGO set is great for youngsters who love to build and learn about firefighting. Little ones will love helping put forest fires out with Dusty, Blade Ranger, and Drip from Disney’s “Planes: Fire and Rescue.” $29.99, shop.lego.com -
For 5-8 Years: Roominate Chateau
This battery-powered mansion allows kids to build and design their very own dream house in a variety of configurations. Spinning windmills, carousels, and lamps are just some of what this 131-piece set has to offer to budding engineers and architects. $49.99, roominatetoy.com -
For 5-8 Years: Create a Portrait
With this wooden 42-piece set, kids will have fun mixing, matching, and putting together hundreds of different faces. Create a work of art, then wipe the slate clean and begin again. Pick one up locally at the Cooper Hewitt Museum! $89, shop.cooperhewitt.org -
For 5-8 Years: DohVinci Anywhere Art Studio Easel & Storage Case Set
Get those creative juices flowing anywhere, anytime! This Hasbro art set with three-dimensional features will help to create some truly unique pieces. This set is great for ages 6 and up. $16.99, hasbrotoyshop.com -
For 5-8 Years: Babo Snowman
Babo, one of the classic Ugly Dolls, has gone undercover this season to find out why people fuss so much over snowmen. Befriend this little guy and help him figure it out. Make Babo the first of a collection of Ugly Dolls or a wonderful addition. $20, uglydolls.com -
For 5-8 Years: Kidizoom Smartwatch
Not only does this watch—the latest in kid-friendly gadgets from V-Tech—tell time, but kids will also be able to take photos and video, record sounds, and play mini learning games. There are tons of colors and displays to choose from. $59.99, vtechkids.com -
For 5-8 Years: LeapPad3 Tablet
Brand new from the kids’ tech experts at LeapFrog, this five-inch touch-screen stunner is the brand’s highest-performing kid-safe tablet ever. Plus, 4GB of memory, top-of-the-line camera and video functionality, and access to tons of LeapFrog learning games make it a must for ages 3-9. $99.99, leapfrog.com -
For Ages 8-12: Monster Sewing Workshop
Learn how to sew and make a new friend while doing it. Appropriate for ages 8 and up, this kit by Geek & Co. is a great snow-day project. There are plenty of fabrics and materials to choose from to make your little monster personal and unique. $24.95, thamesandkosmos.com -
For Ages 8-12: Tamagotchi Friend
It’s official: Tamagotchis are back and ready to party like its 1999! Bandai’s new Tamagotchi Friends are interactive and rely on you to take care of them. A new feature of this toy allows you to “bump” with other Tamagotchi Friends—while you can also send texts and gifts and even go on virtual playdates. Appropriate for ages 6 and up. $19.99, toysrus.com -
For Ages 8-12: WowWee MiP
MiP, short for Mobile Inverted Pendulum, is a fully interactive robot with an inquisitive and responsive personality. It is controlled by hand movements, can dance along to songs from your iTunes library, and even balance multiple objects at once. $99.99, wowwee.com -
For Ages 8-12: Jenga Boom
This classic game from Hasbro just got turned up a notch. Pick out the perfect piece before the time runs out or else…boom! The last person to put a piece on top wins—and it’s a great pick for upcoming family game nights. $16.99, hasbrotoyshop.com -
For Ages 8-12: Party Pop Scooter
This latest addition to the Razor scooter collection is a party on wheels! Step on the deck to activate the bright lights, and kids will be able to kick-power their way through the neighborhood in high-tech style. $54.99, razor.com -
For Ages 8-12: SpongeBob SquarePants Headphones
These SpongeBob headphones by Griffin bring everyone’s fave sea sponge up to the surface and ready to rock. Lightweight with an over-the-ear design, they feature Patrick on the headphone jack, neodymium dynamic microdrivers, and a classic stereo-mini plug. $24.99, griffintechnology.com
