It'd be nice to know exactly what kids want, but let's be real: Sometimes they have a totally different idea of what's "cool." Luckily, you have options. Instead of shuffling through those crowded toy aisles, you can get your hands on the most popular gifts for kids — without ever even leaving your house. That's all thanks to Amazon.
Here's the thing: When you're scoping out that doll or Lego set at the store, you have no idea if it's actually a must-have gift (even though the advertisement will probably claim it is). But when you scope out the best gifts on Amazon, you also get the benefit of reading the reviews. Parents are the last people who will lie to other parents about how well a toy went over, so in my opinion, that feedback is the best resource you have.
The other great thing about shopping on Amazon? All the brilliant gift guides. This year, there's even a guide curated just by kids; from ages 3 to 13, real children choose their most coveted gifts from a huge list, so you know that if a toy shows up there, it's sure to be a hit. Check out this guide to the most popular gifts on Amazon right now — guaranteed to be kid-approved.
1This Lego Kit With Their Favorite Marvel Characters
Kids will be thrilled to open up this Lego Marvel building kit. Including Thor's weapon quest from the latest Avengers movie, this set features some mega-popular characters — like Groot, Rocket, and Thor himself. With over 22 pieces and building instructions suitable for ages 6 to 12, this set is perfect for both solo-building and family activities.
2These Mini Pets That Kids Can Color And Wash Clean
Now you can actually encourage kids to draw all over their toys with this Crayola pet salon. It comes in a portable carrying case that pops open to reveal two mini pets, a mini scrub tub, brush, spray bottle, and three washable Crayola markers. Let your kids give the pets spots, stripes, and everything in between — then rinse them clean and do it all over again.
3This Family Game That Has A Secret Chameleon
For older kids, this party game is a total riot. Here's how it works: Sit down with your favorite four to six players and pass each one a card. Each player reads the secret word and goes around the circle describing it without actually saying it. But plot twist: one player doesn't actually know the word and is trying to blend in. If you're the Chameleon, try not to get caught. If you're not, catch the impostor to win.
4This Digital Camera That's Easy For Kids To Use
This rechargeable digital camera is the perfect introduction into photography for younger kids. Like a regular camera, it features an LCD viewing screen — but this version has way fewer buttons and is made from durable, non-toxic materials. Choose from seven different filters and 15 fun frames, but most other settings are pretty intuitive and automatic.
5This Exclusive Bundle That Features Toy Story 4 Cars
Who doesn't love a Toy Story and Hot Wheels exclusive mashup? Only on Amazon, this cute little kit comes with six original cars that embody characters from Toy Story 4: Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, Rex, Ducky and Bunny, and new fan-favorite Forky. You can wrap up this box and give it as a gift, or pop a car individually into their stockings for a super fun surprise.
6This Digital Tablet That Kids Can Draw On
Ditch the paper notepads and go straight for this digital drawing pad for kids. It features an 8-inch drawing LCD surface and special attachable pen. Kids can doodle, do math problems, or write out stories, and when they're finished, a simply tap will erase the whole thing. (And bonus: there's also a lock mode to prevent them from accidentally erasing their creation.)
7These Harry Potter Legos For Super-Fans
Pick up Harry on the side of Privet Drive with this new Knight Bus Lego set. The kit comes with over 400 pieces and is perfect for kids ages 8 and up. It builds a three-story purple Knight Bus that's over six inches tall and features working wheels. This set also comes with three characters, including Harry Potter himself.
8These Gloves With Light-Up Rainbow Fingers
These light-up gloves are the kind of clothing items that kids actually love to unwrap. At first glance, they look just like regular cotton gloves, but when you turn them on, the fingers produce a fun rainbow glow. They even feature six lighting modes, including solid colors, flashing, and alternating patterns. Plus, they come in a pack of two so you can share the light-up love.
9This Rose Gold Microphone That They Can Actually Sing Into
Kids can take turns belting out their favorite songs with this rose gold microphone. It doubles as a wireless speaker that connects to any Bluetooth device, so kids can play songs through the microphone — while also adjusting for echo, music, and volume. Last but not least, it features rainbow LED lights so kids can truly feel like rock-stars in the middle of their bedrooms.
10This Police Cruiser With 6 Paw-Patrol Characters
This Paw Patrol cruiser is ready for rescue! It features working wheels and tons of movable parts, including a driver's cab that lifts and an extendable guard rail. The back door also opens to reveal tons of extra play space. There's even a place on the top for Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Sky, Rubble, and Zuma to hang out on while wearing their police uniforms.
11 This Marvel Collection That Comes With 3 Games In 1
This is more than just a single video game — this one features three best-selling Playstation 4 games in one. One disc includes Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Lego Marvel Avengers, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. All three games are full-length, and you can grab them for only $20. That's a savings of over $40, making this a must-have deal.
12These Collector's Edition Frozen Dolls In Gorgeous Dresses
These Frozen dolls are more than just pretty collector's items — they're actually posable, too. Kids can position Elsa, Anna, and Olaf to reenact their favorite scenes from the movies. The dolls are wearing stunning, sparkly dressings and their hair is styled just like in the sequel. They even have silky, long lashes and come with necklaces and shoes for even more fun play.
13This Closet That Can Hold All Their Barbie Accessories
Any Barbie fashionista will be so excited to get this portable clothes closet. For one, it comes with a few brand new outfits and a doll to dress up, but the highlight is truly the space and organization-power this closet offers. It features clear-view doors that open up to reveal shelf-space and mini hangers. There are even slots for accessories and drawers for shoes and boots.
14This Lego Kit That Makes Deep-Sea Creatures
Is this Lego creator kit a shark, squid or deep-sea anglerfish? It can actually be all three! This 230-piece kit comes with instructions and pieces to create a Lego shark with a crab buddy, a giant squid, or an anglerfish, so they can feel free to get creative. Plus, it's super fun to take creations apart and rebuild something totally new together.
15This Fortnite Blaster That Comes With Llama Targets
This Nerf blaster looks like it came straight out of the best-selling video game, Fortnite. It comes with six foam darts and a detachable barrel for easy reloading. Kids can pretend they're in the middle of the game — and they can work on their aim with the included llamas, which stand up on their own.
16This Colorful Block Set That Magnetically Snaps Together
This magnetic blocks set is perfect for kids of all ages. It comes with 72 individual blocks that are shaped into triangles and squares. To use, kids just have to touch the edge of one block to another to allow the magnets to connect. The blocks stay put while they use their imagination to create truly epic three-dimensional shapes and buildings.
17This Huge Mat That Only Uses Water For Doodling
Now kids can paint all over this waterproof mat without making a mess. Here's how it works: Fill the included "pens" with water; then draw anywhere on the mat. Rainbow colors magically appear where the water touches, and the markings disappear within 10 minutes so kids can draw again and again. This genius mat also comes with tons of stencils so they can practice letters, numbers, shapes, and more.
18This Posable Barbie That's Only On Amazon
You can only find this exclusive posable Barbie on Amazon, and it's totally worth the buy. Instead of kids trying to jam Barbie's limbs into skinny jeans and bathing suits, this doll actually has flexible "joints," so it can bend at the wrists, elbows, knees, hips, and ankles. Kids can place her in a yoga pose, sitting criss-cross, or with her hands on her hips for fashion shoots.
19These Walkie Talkies That Have An Extra-Long Range
If your kid's BFF lives around the block, gift them a set of these long-range walkie talkies so they can plan their own playdates. They're lightweight and ergonomically designed to fit in a kid's hand, and they have over 22 channels to choose from. The best part, though, is the range: These walkie talkies can reach up to 3 miles so your kids can use them to talk to their friends a few blocks over — or even further.
20A Remote-Controlled Robot That Kids Build Themselves
Kids will love building this remote control robot all on their own. It comes with 350 individual pieces and an easy-to-follow manual to make it simple. When their robot is finished, they can actually control it with the included remote. This brilliant little robot can turn in any direction — and it's totally rechargeable with a standard USB cable.
21This Avengers Infinity Gauntlet Fist With Fun Sound Effects
Now they can take control of the entire universe with this light-up Infinity Gauntlet. It slips on over their own hand and features light-up buttons and tons of sound effects straight from the movie. When kids tap the gold button in the center, they activate the "infinity stone" and can choose to conquer or protect the universe. Play alone or pair it with their favorite Endgame toys for a fully interactive experience.
22This Adorable Hamster That Talks
Any kid is sure to find this talking hamster hilarious. At first glance, it looks like an adorable stuffed animal fit for snuggling, but with the switch of a button, it turns into an interactive playmate. This little hamster will imitate anything you say in its high-pitched voice. Laugh, sing, make jokes, or have a conversation, and it'll mimic you. Bring on the silliness!
23This Play Vet Kit That Comes With Dozens Of Tools
For the animal lover in your family, this play vet kit is an absolute must. It comes with a doctor case and 24 vet tools, including "ointments," bandages, pliers, shots, a tongue depressor, stethoscope, thermometer and more. This kit also comes with puppy and kitten stuffed animals so your future veterinarian has patients to treat.
24This Double-Sided Dartboard That's Made From Magnets
Skip the traditional dartboard and nab this kid-friendly version for a safe and original gift. One side features a standard bulls-eye and the other features a fun, intergalactic game that includes planets with their own points. The best part about this set, though, is definitely the magnetic darts, which stick to the board without sharp, dangerous edges.
25This Alien Dissection Kit That's Extra Gross
This alien dissection kit is about as gross as it gets — which explains the 4.3-star rating. The included alien has a seriously slimy stomach that's filled with various organs and an action figure. Kids need to use the included tweezers to rescue the alien-hunter inside, but first, they'll have to dig through all that ooze.
26This Fairy Garden That Comes With Real Seeds
Not only does this fairy garden make the perfect addition to any real garden, but it also comes with its own soil and seeds. The cottage features multiple levels with a bridge, so they can plant their very on flowers on the roof, directly in the soil, or over water to create a mini stream. The included fairy hangs out in the cottage while the plants are growing.
27This Necklace Kit With Disney Princess Charms
For the kid obsessed with princesses, this necklace kit lets them wear their favorite characters all day long. It comes with five Disney princess charms, including Ariel, Tiana, Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White — and the charms are big and soft so the smallest princess fans can wear them. The set even comes with beads to add.
28This Basketball Set So They Can Dunk Anywhere
This basketball net is an excellent gift for your little sports fan. It has six height options ranging from about 2.5 feet to 4, so it grows with your kids. You can even weigh down the base with sand for more stability, but it's not required for use. As a result, they can play indoors or outdoors, and thanks to the three included basketballs, they can invite their friends over to play, too.
29This L.O.L. Glitter Globe That's Full Of Surprises
This L.O.L. surprise globe is just as much fun to open as it is to play with. It starts off as a ball wrapped in a secret message; then, as your kid undoes the globe, they discover even more surprises, like a bubble pacifier, bottle, accessory, and clothing. Eventually, they discover which doll they got, each complete with glittery hair.
30This Science Kit With Thousands Of Great Reviews
Thousands of parents absolutely rave about this beginner science kit for kids. It comes with three test tubes, measuring spoons, a pipette, stir sticks, and tons of totally safe and ridiculously fun powders to experiment with. Kids can make a sunset in a tube, a color-changing volcano, or they can choose from nine other activities for an explosively good time.
31This Baby Owl That Actually Flies
This adorable owl is way more than a fun figurine — it actually flies. At first glance, this toy looks like it's just hanging out in its nest, chirping and chatting, but the longer your kid interacts with it, the sooner it'll start to fly. Then it'll stretch to reveal propeller-style wings that help launch it into the air. Kids can even teach it to fly for longer and longer periods.
32This Lite Brite That's Just Like The Original — Except Bigger & Brighter
Who could forget the OG Lite Brite? Now you can share the fun of your own childhood with your kids. It's just like the original, except the screen is slightly bigger and the colors are brighter. This Lite Brite still comes with the same florescent pegs and even a few templates so you can help your kids create a ship, a unicorn, or something totally original.
33These Sparkly Geodes That They Can Break Open
For the mini scientist in your life, this geode discovery kit will be a smash hit — literally. It comes with ten actual geodes ranging from the size of a ping-pong ball to a tennis ball. Kids can use a hammer (that you provide, preferably supervised) to smash open the geodes and reveal the crystals inside. This kit also comes with an informational guide on geode formation, goggles, and a magnifying glass.
34This Outrageous Party Game That's Super Easy To Learn
There's a good reason why over 10,000 people rave about this popular party game. It's super easy to play, even with younger kids. Each player gets a set of kitty cards — some with special "powers." The goal of the game is to avoid all the exploding kitty cards to win. It's quick, fun, and the illustrations are a riot, which is why buyers say, "[our kids] ask to play frequently and laugh hysterically over the illustrations."
35This Robot That Helps Kids Learn To Code
Now your kid can program this coding robot to draw for them. Artie comes with several pre-programmed codes and his own set of markers so even the novice can get started right away. When they're ready to try their hand at it, novices can use "drag and drop," while more advanced kids can use actual coding programs like Javascript. Artie then creates anything from cool designs to full-fledged masterpieces.
36This Water Bottle That They Can Color & Decorate
This stainless steel water bottle features tons of cute designs that kids can actually color. It's made from food-grade materials and is completely BPA-free. The collage-like design is pre-printed onto the bottle, and the set comes with five special markers and a sticker sheet of tiny gemstones. When it's time for a clean, you'll want to wash this bottle with warm, soapy water to keep the color intact.
37This Motorcycle Model That's Super Fun To Build
This genius motorcycle model is great for any child who likes to know how things work. The base is made from K'nex rods and connectors, so kids can easily follow the illustrated instructions to snap the parts together. It also includes big tires, a bike seat, tailpipe, handle bars, and — when it's all built up — features working suspension. There's even a kickstand so they can display their work.
38This Baby Shark Puppet That Sings Everyone's Favorite Song
Go ahead and give your vocal chords a rest with this singing Baby Shark puppet. Slip it on your hand and move the mouth; the classic (and ultra catchy) song starts up, enchanting your child. Even better: there's a special button on the cuff that speeds up the tempo, just like in the song. Baby shark, do do do do do!
39This Tracing Pad That Lights Up
Your little artist-in-training will love this light-up tracing pad. The back glows so they can layer the specially designed tracing paper (or even a blank sheet of printer paper) for guided creations. This pad also comes with several templates of different clothing items and people so they can mix, match, trace, and create their own characters. Bonus: It even includes a graphite pencil and a set of colored pencils.
40This Interactive Globe That Takes Kids On A Journey
At first, it looks like a regular 10-inch globe, but it actually has its own app that brings it to life. Download the app, and your kid can hold the phone or tablet up to any part of the globe. That area then comes to life before their eyes and tells them about the region, including tons of interesting facts about a country's culture, monuments, inventions, animals, maps, and weather.
41This Dress-Up Kit For Your Favorite Princess
Now your princess-in-training can look the part with this Disney dress-up kit. It comes with four dresses from some of the most iconic princesses, including Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White. It also comes with plenty of matching accessories, like rings, bracelets, necklaces, three soft headbands, and a fabric tiara — all of which come in a pastel pink trunk.
42This Lightsaber That Records Battle Sounds
This sound effects lightsaber is ready for an epic battle. There are three levels of effects for your favorite Jedi to choose from: First, there's the original Star Wars lightsaber sound — a classic. Then, there's battle background noise, including tie fighters and porgs. But the last option is the most fun: Kids can record their own battle sounds and replay them when they're fighting for the Force.
43This Garbage Truck That Has Tons Of Sound Effects
This garbage truck is so much fun for any kid who loves to play with vehicles. Think Matchbox truck, only blown up to 15 inches long and loaded with fun sound effects. It makes all the sounds of a real garbage truck, and it also has a horn sound to let everyone know you're on your way. It also features a hand-activated lever to load and unload the mini trash cans.
44This Fire Truck That Makes Play-Doh Shapes
Kids will love coming to the rescue with this Play-Doh fire truck. Here's how it works: use any of the five included Play-Doh colors to load into the "water" canon on top of the truck. Then crank until little bursts of Play-Doh "water" come out! Kids can also make fire hoses and use the molds all along the truck to make badges, hydrants, and more.
45This Sea-Themed Tent That Pops Up
This play tent is perfect for a rainy day, and it's super easy to set up. It comes in a tiny, zippered bag that's easy to store just about anywhere. To use, unzip and unravel the tent until it pops up on its own. That's it! Kids can pretend they're under the sea and swimming among mermaids — and when they're finished, roll it back up, zip it into its bag, and you're done.
46These Critters That Teach Kids To Code Without A Screen
If you're ready to introduce your kid to coding but aren't sure about all that screen time, these coding critters are a great solution. Each critter play set comes with two dogs (Ranger and Zip), and their backyard toys. To use, kids and an adult read the storybook together while programming Ranger to follow the same movements he does in the story. Bonus: You and your favorite kid get tons of one-on-one time while they learn early coding skills.
47This Craft Kit That Makes Unicorn String Art
For the crafty kid, this string art kit is a fun way to create art without the paints and paper. It comes with two foam canvases and tons of string and pins. Kids can either follow the instructions to create a rainbow unicorn or heart, or they can dream up their very own designs. As a bonus, this kit also comes with some extra crafting supplies, including fun glitter paper.
48This Ice Palace With A Tiny Elsa And Olaf
Now even the youngest Elsa fans can rock out to "Let It Go" while playing with this Fisher-Price ice castle. It features two discovery buttons for extra surprises: When kids press the bottom button, the staircase magically lights up. When they press the top button, the castle "grows" with expanding ice crystals. It also comes with an ice throne, bed, Olaf, and Elsa play pieces.
49This Pretend Play Set That Serves Up Wooden Pizzas
These pretend pizzas are coming in hot! The set comes with two wooden pizzas and multiple toppings, including cheese, olives, mushrooms, peppers, and more. It also comes with its own counter, toppings compartments, and oven. There's even a pizza box and play money for deliveries.
50This Huge Lego Kit That Sparks Their Creativity
This massive building kit is a must for any kid who loves Legos. It comes with 790 pieces in 33 different colors — but there are no directions. Instead, kids can use their imaginations to dream up their own buildings, scenes, and characters any way they like. It also comes with a variety of doors, windows, rims, and wheels in addition to bricks.
Romper may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Romper’s editorial and sales departments.