Sure, you may live for the look of pure joy that lights up your child’s face as they tear open gifts each holiday season, but shopping for toys that will actually get played with can be, well, a little stressful. To help you out, Romper presents Toy Box, our annual roundup of the year’s best toys for kids in every age group. In addition to doing hours of research (OK, playing!), we teamed up with some of our favorite influencers and content creators to bring you the top gifts for babies, toddlers, tweens, and everyone in between. All you have to do is hit “add to cart.”
For the second year in a row, Romper is also donating all of the toys we received for consideration to Children’s Aid, an organization that supports New York City children in need. Learn more about their work here.
"Babies love brightly colored toys that hit multiple senses at once, which is why my littlest gem loves this set with several types of eye-popping rattles. They're safe to play with, affordable, and baby won't get bored easily with so many options."—Bryce Gruber, editor of The Luxury Spot
"Developmental subscription boxes give both parent and baby something to look forward to. They're like a BFF guiding you through baby's first milestones, and there are so many great ones out there! Monti Kids makes their own kits from start to finish for longer developmental ranges and a higher price point, while Lovevery kits are available more frequently with some Montessori elements, but mainly a developmental leap and play-based approach. Panda Crate offers the more affordable boxes based on KiwiCo's traditional box methods that include a toy/project, magazine, and info cards. I personally love all three for different reasons. Try them for a month, and see which you like best!" —Shari Stamps, blogger behind Navigating Parenthood
"My 15-month-old loves the Little Tikes Easy Score Basketball Set. Dad is a HUGE basketball fan, and the kiddos love to play too! I love that it gives them a way to be active even when it's cold or rainy outside." —Amanda Seghetti, blogger behind Amanda Seghetti
"We love toys that have an educational component and work the different aspects of her mind. Sometimes that is a simple toy that we can take everywhere and keeps her constantly entertained, and other times it's something a little more stimulating." —Darlene Lebron, blogger behind Suits, Heels & Curves
"Words are important more than ever at 2 years old. The Word Book keeps [our twins] engaged with its audio entertainment describing each word. Additionally, we love that the book offers our kids the opportunity to learn words in English or Spanish, countless times a day if they want." —Terrell and Jarius Joseph, content creators behind the YouTube channel Terrell & Jarius
"Jude's favorite toy is the Grimm's Wooden Rainbow, because it can be used in so many different ways. We make towers with it, but also marble runs, and 'houses' for his farm animals. It's an awesome, open-ended toy for kiddos, with no age restrictions because of the endless possibilities." —Eileen Lamb, blogger behind The Autism Cafe
"Sloane is a collector of Maileg Mice. She’s been in love with them for ages and has acquired a big collection of her 'sweeties.' She saw this home for them in the window of a toy store last year and has been dreaming of it ever since. This is going to be her year!" —Lizzie Assa, blogger behind The Workspace For Children
"As a former teacher, I’m obsessed with Osmo. This amazing learning tool is something that my daughter loves, and something I highly suggest as an independent center in a classroom. It helps children practice sound and number concepts, and even has really fun drawing games (like the new Frozen 2 Super Studio). Those fun drawing games? They are a great way to practice following multi-step directions… a very important kindergarten and first grade skill. Plus, who doesn’t love a princess drawing game?!?" —Carly Anderson, blogger behind Lipgloss and Crayons
“I love Story Cubes because it allows my son to use his imagination. It's a great way to step away from the electronics and spend quality time together.“ —Kumiko Love, blogger behind The Budget Mom
"Each year my 9-year-old's holiday wish-list is full of Lego sets. He's obsessed! The bigger the set, the better the challenge. This [Lego Movie 2] set is 1,820 pieces! As his mom, I'm thrilled because it should take him a weekend to complete. A weekend of peace while my boy is busy building. The only downside I can think of is needing to watch where I walk, because stepping on a Lego is the absolute worst!" —Jen McLellan, host of The Plus Mommy Podcast
"Clara lives to learn what makes technology work, and she is a huge fan of Anna and Elsa and can’t wait to see Frozen 2. With this coding kit, Clara can build an ice castle and control its powers with a wave of her hand!" —Christi Lukasiak, blogger behind Cake for Breakfast
"Perfect, affordable gift to get kids making and creating. It’s a great starter before investing in a larger sewing machine." —Amiyrah Martin, blogger behind 4 Hats & Frugal
