The Toy Insider Experts Reveal the Hottest Toys of 2021 to Help Shoppers Beat the Holiday Frenzy

CoComelon, L.O.L. Surprise, Blue's Clues, Pokémon and TikTok-Viral Toy Lines Top the Toy Insider's Hot 20, STEM 10, and 12 Under $20 Lists

News provided by

The Toy Insider

Sep 22, 2021, 16:30 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toy Insider, the toy industry's most influential organization and a trusted go-to resource for parents and gift-givers, has unveiled its expert picks for the best toys, games and gifts in its 16^th annual Holiday Gift Guide. The hottest and most coveted items for 2021 are broken out into three lists: the Hot 20 (the most wished-for items of the year), the STEM 10 (science, technology, engineering and math toys that make learning fun) and the 12 Under $20 (affordable toys packed with play value). The full guide includes more than 300 toys broken down by age to make holiday shopping a breeze.

The Toy Insider’s 16th annual Holiday Gift Guide features more than 300 toys from 136 different manufacturers. The hottest and most coveted items for 2021 are broken out into three lists: the Hot 20, STEM 10, and 12 Under $20.

Going into holiday shopping with a game plan is more important than ever for anyone eager to get their hands on this year's hottest toys. Consumers will face an unprecedented holiday shopping season, as ongoing supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may not only limit the number of toys available, but also drive up price tags to compensate for increased manufacturing and shipping costs.

"While we always recommend shopping early to avoid disappointment, this year brings a unique challenge. Due to supply chain disruptions across all categories of consumer products, it is impossible to predict if or when particular toys will be restocked once they sell out. If you've got a wishlist full of must-have toys, it's never too early to begin shopping," said Laurie Schacht, Chief Toy Officer, the Toy Insider. "We reviewed thousands of toys all year long to ensure this year's guide features the best toys that reflect a diverse set of interests, from engaging interactive pets to toys that inspire kids' imaginations and fun games and activities that bring the whole family together."

The Toy Insider's Holiday Gift Guide includes hand-picked selections that will bring smiles to kids' faces, no matter their age or interests. This year's guide represents an assortment of tech-forward toys with educational benefits, engaging playthings inspiring kids' future careers, activity kits for endless hands-on fun at home, an amazing array of toys that will keep the whole family playing together, and so much more to fill every home with joy this holiday season.

For product fact sheets and high-res product photography of the Toy Insider's Hot 20, STEM 10 and 12 Under $20, click here.

The Toy Insider's Hot 20

0-2 years
Choppin' Fun Learning Pot (LeapFrog)
Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot (Mattel)
Flybar Bumper Cars (Flybar)
Little Tikes Learn & Play 2-in-1 Activity Tunnel (MGA Entertainment)

3-4 years
Batman Bat-Tech Transforming Batcave (Spin Master)
Blues Clues & You! Cook-Along Play Kitchen Set (Just Play)
CoComelon Deluxe Interactive JJ Doll (Jazwares)
Disney Princess Ultimate Celebration Castle (Hasbro)
Gabby's Purrfect Dollhouse (Spin Master)
Ryan's World Lost City Adventures – Mega Adventure Chest (Bonkers Toys)

5-7 years
Akedo Ultimate Battle Arena (Moose Toys)
Got2Glow Fairy Finder (WowWee)
KidiZoom PrintCam (VTech)
LOL Surprise OMG House of Surprises (MGA Entertainment)
Magic Mixies Magic Cauldron (Moose Toys)
Pokémon Trading Card Game: Celebrations Elite Trainer Box (The Pokémon Co. International)
Chuckle & Roar Pop It XL (Buffalo Games)
Squishmallows Food Squad (Jazwares)

8+ years
Beyblade Burst Burst Speedstorm Motor Strike Battle Set (Hasbro)
Tamagotchi Pix (Bandai America)

The Toy Insider's STEM 10

Ada Twist, Scientist On-the-Go Lab Set (Just Play)
Artie Max (Educational Insights)
Candy Claw Machine (Thames & Kosmos)
Coding Critters MagiCoders (Learning Resources)
Game Builder Garage (Nintendo)
HEXMODS Pro Series Elite Raceway (HEXBUG)
National Geographic 100-Piece Makeway Magnetic Marble Run (Blue Marble)
Osmo Math Wizard and The Amazing Airships and Osmo Math Wizard and the Enchanted World Games (Osmo)
Paper Butterflies Science Kit (Crayola)
The Young Scientists Club Future Veterinarian (Horizon Group USA)

The Toy Insider's 12 Under $20

5 Surprise Mini Brands Series 3 (ZURU)
Care Bears Cutetitos (Basic Fun!)
Cats vs. Pickles Bean-Filled Jumbos (Cepia)
Compound Kings 5 Stack Donut (WeCool Toys)
Crystalina (Skyrocket Toys)
Dimpl Pops (Fat Brain Toys)
Koosh Mondo (PlayMonster)
My Squishy Little Dumplings (WowWee)
Needoh (Schylling)
Nickelodeon Cra-Z Sand Bucket (Cra-Z-Art)
Pom Pops (Sunny Days Entertainment)
Treasure X Monster Coffin (Moose Toys)

The Toy Insider's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide will appear in the November issue of PARENTS magazine, on newsstands on Oct. 4. An extended guide appears online at thetoyinsider.com starting today. This year's print guide features more than 200 toys, and an additional 145 toys can be found online, representing more than 136 toy companies in total.

Parents and gift-givers can easily search for toys and games by a child's age (broken out into 0-2, 3-4, 5-7 and 8+ age groups). They can also view the guide online to compare prices from a variety of popular retailers.

The Toy Insider is an independent organization. Its team of experts attends major toy industry trade shows and events, and conducts briefings with manufacturers, retailers and analysts throughout the year. The Toy Insider gift guide submission process is open to all toy companies of all sizes. Toys must be new for 2021 and available to consumers for purchase during the holiday season, either on the company's website or through any retail partner. When evaluating toys, the team considers play value, originality, skill building, product integrity and, of course, the fun factor.

To join in the holiday toy fun on social media this season, use #weknowplay and find @TheToyInsider on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About The Toy Insider
The Toy Insider is the go-to source for product information about children's toys, tech and entertainment. Its team of toy experts publishes two annual gift guides—one for summer and one for holiday—and reviews toys 365 days a year on thetoyinsider.com, a trusted resource for parents. The Toy Insider's content is produced by an editorial team with more than 100 years of combined experience covering the toy industry. The Toy Insider is published by Adventure Media & Events, publisher of the Pop Insider, a daily pop culture news and review site that will #fuelyourfandom, as well as leading trade publication the Toy Book, which helps its readers stay on the #pulseofplay. For more information, visit thetoyinsider.com and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.