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    Top toys for Christmas: this year's lists

    Short answer. Every autumn, toy shops in the US and the UK publish lists of the toys they put forward for Christmas, and toy groups name their own picks in November. This page follows those lists through the season.

    We name a toy here only when a list names it. It becomes one of our picks only when it also clears our own bar for its age.

    When do the top toy lists come out?

    The first lists arrive in September and the last ones in November. Dates move a little each year, so the months below follow previous years.

    List Country When it usually comes out
    Walmart Top Toys US late September or October
    Target Bullseye's Top Toys US late September or October
    The Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide US September
    Argos Top Toys UK September
    DreamToys, from the Toy Retailers Association UK mid November
    Toy of the Year finalists, from The Toy Association US November, with winners in February

    We add each list's toys to this page after the list is out, with the name of the list that named them.

    How do you choose from a top toys list?

    A list tells you what a shop or a toy group put forward. It does not tell you whether a toy suits the child you are buying for.

    1. Start with the age on the box. These lists run from babies to teens, and the maker's age rules many toys out at once.
    2. Think of how the child plays. A builder, a storyteller and a child who lives outside need different toys, whatever the list says.
    3. Check what they already own. Many listed toys are the next set in a series. That is perfect for a collector and confusing for a child who has none of the others.
    4. Order the toys with a deadline first. Toys named on several lists can be hard to find close to Christmas.
    Three children of different heights stand beside a building set, a book and a handheld game.

    One main toy per child

    Pick the main toy by age first, then add a few small extras.

    Which toys suit each age?

    These come from our Christmas lists by age, where each pick has a written reason.

    For every age, from first birthdays to teens, see our Christmas gifts for kids, by age. Small extras are on our stocking stuffers list, and LEGO sets by age on our LEGO page.

    How does this page work?

    We read each list from the shop or group that published it, and we name a toy only with the list that named it. A toy on a list becomes a pick only after it passes the same checks as every gift on our lists. You can read them on How we pick.

    We do not count sales, and we never say a toy is selling out.

    What else do people ask about top toys?

    Which list is the official toy of the year?

    There is no single one. In the US, The Toy Association names its Toy of the Year winners each February. In the UK, the Toy Retailers Association names its DreamToys in November.

    Are the toys on these lists good gifts?

    Many are, for the right child. The lists come from shops and toy groups, so read them as a starting point and choose by the child's age and interests.

    When should you buy a toy from a top toys list?

    Early. Toys named on several lists can be hard to find in December. Buy the main gift in November and leave the small extras for later.

    Do you add toys to this page during the season?

    Yes. As each list comes out we add the toys it names, and the date under the title shows the last change.

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    Pretend play for 3 to 5 year olds

    *Paid link

    Pick 3 of 8

    Melissa & Doug pretend play dentist kit

    Ages 3+ (Melissa & Doug) (Checked)

    Ages 3+Source: Melissa & Doug

    Doctor visits for her dolls can turn into dentist visits with this 25-piece Melissa & Doug kit, which comes with an oversized set of teeth and large tools.

    Counting and checking each tooth on the big model is a job she can take seriously, and a willing parent might be the last patient of the day.

    See price at Amazon.com* (Melissa & Doug pretend play dentist kit)

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    Building sets for 6 to 8 year olds

    *Paid link

    Pick 5 of 8

    LEGO Creator rebuildable unicorn building set

    Ages 7+ (LEGO)Set 31140, 145 pieces (Checked)

    Ages 7+Source: LEGO

    Set 31140, 145 piecesSource: Rebrickable

    Three animals come out of one LEGO Creator box: the bricks build a unicorn first, then come apart for a seahorse and a peacock.

    For a builder forever pulling his models apart to see what else they can become, it stretches one gift across several building sessions over the holidays.

    See price at Amazon.com* (LEGO Creator 31140 rebuildable unicorn building set)

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    Games for 9 to 12 year olds

    *Paid link

    Pick 8 of 8

    Ravensburger Ocean Turtles sea turtle jigsaw puzzle

    If ocean animals are her thing, she can hunt for sea turtles, coral and other sea life among the pieces of this Ravensburger puzzle.

    The bold colors make each patch easy to sort, and the picture can stay out on her desk between homework sessions, filling in a little more each afternoon.

    See price at Amazon.com* (Ravensburger Ocean Turtles sea turtle jigsaw puzzle)

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