Based on the predictions and recommendations of the big brand stores, we’ve compiled a list of the hottest and most popular Christmas toy ideas for 2017, and bundled them up in this handy holiday toy guide.
You know how it goes. Christmas is months away. You think you’ve got loads of time to pick out gifts for your nieces and nephews this year.
So you do nothing. Then life gets in the way. You’re busy with work, and a million other things. Before you know it, Christmas is catching up with you – fast. You haven’t had to time to even think about your gift shopping, let alone do any.
What are your nieces and nephews into these days? What toys do they crave? Will you still have enough time get something cool?
We’ve got you covered with this toy guide. There are over 40 toy suggestions for you to browse through. Toys that kids, young and old, will likely have on their Christmas wish lists this year.
Just remember, the really popular toys turn into mystical unicorns the closer it gets to Christmas, and you know how rare they are to find.
Top Christmas Toy Ideas 2017
Best Selling Action Figure Toys for Christmas 2017
Ever since the 1960s, when the G.I. Joe line ran supreme, action figures have grown in popularity with young kids. Kids get so engrossed in the pretend play element; staging epic battles between their favorite characters from cartoons and movies.
Older kids and pre-teens will probably just keep them in their box. Preserving them in mint condition because one day, their growing collection of figures could be worth a lot of money.
Here are our picks of the best action figure toys for Christmas 2017.
Transformers
The Playskool Heroes Transformers Rescue Bots is a popular line of action figure toys for kids aged 3-7. Remember transformers from back in the day? They’ve been around for years, and are still going strong.
There’s quite a collection of them, with Heatwave the Fire Bot, Copter Bot and Bumble Bee Rescue Bot being among the best sellers. But really, anything from this range is going to go down well. Just check which of these action figures they already have, then fill in the blanks.
Transformers: The Last Knight Premier Editions are the more advanced figures, and are suitable for 8 year olds and older action figure fans. These models are much more challenging. They’re more detailed, and more complicated to transform from robot mode to vehicle, but that’s half the fun.
Plus, these are great as display figures if you’re buying for an avid collector of such things.
Oversized Action Figure
This 2-foot tall figure has a voice changer, can fire missiles, and do a ton of other cool stuff. Sure, it’s not the cheapest of holiday toys, but this would be a Christmas wish list dream for action loving boys and girls of all ages.
Fisher Price Imaginext DC Toys are huge right now, but if you are looking for the hottest 2017 Christmas toy from this Fisher Price action range, check out Batbox Extreme.
Dinosaur Action
Another line of action figure toys which have become popular with kids is the VTech Switch & Go Dinos. Much like Transformers, they go from being cars to beings, but instead of transforming into humanoid robots, they turn into the coolest dinosaur bots.
Each one has an LCD screen that changes depending on the mode they’re in, either showing a facial expression of the car driver or the eyes of the dinosaur.
Hatchimals
While not technically action figures, Hatchimals are hot, hot, hot, and kids will be asking for them this Christmas. Hatchimals blew up last year, and the trend for them is as strong as ever in 2017.
Look out for the Hatchimals CollEGGtibles. These are the new spin offs of the hugely popular full sized Hatchimal toys of 2016. They work in the same way as the originals. You nurture them until they hatch, revealing a new surprise toy to play with – a sweet gift in a gift.
There are over 70 to collect, and come in sized gift packs so you can choose these as either a main Christmas present, or a cute stocking stuffer.
Hatchimals CollEGGtibles made it onto many of the hot Christmas toy list for 2017. Expect them to fly off the shelves before December hits.
Top Arts and Crafts Kits for Christmas 2017
Arts and crafts gifts are great for everyone, young or old. Doodling, coloring, painting or stitching is a productive way to relax, have fun and enjoy some quiet time. And of course to make something you can show off to friends and family.
Slime Making
One of the most popular crazes in 2017 among young kids is… wait for it… making slime. Come on, it’s messy, and anything that’s messy will meet the approval of most kids. What’s also cool about slime making is that it combines both science and art. A great way to show kids that science is all around us.
There are several slime making kits available. Nickelodeon came out with the Z Set Cra-Z Slime kits, a new line of slime making kits just in time for Christmas 2017. They have some fun looking kits from regular slime making, to galactic glitter, glow in the dark, scented and googly eyed slime making.
Of course, you don’t have to buy a kit. You can always get the basic goo making components and DIY your own slime kit. School glue, shaving cream, and contact solution should be all you need to start making slime.
You can also get some accessories to bring a little more life into their slime, like little foam beads or plastic diamonds.
If that sounds like a lot of extra work, there’s always this kit right here.
Creative Maker
In a world of cool techie gadgets and tablets, the Silly Scents Marker Maker by Crayola is one gift that you wouldn’t initially recognize as a hot Christmas toy. But there’s a whole heap of to be had with this creative kit.
Where you ever fascinated with marker pens that smelled like fruit? Well this kit gets the kiddos making their own range of smelly pens.
Once again, this crafty kit fuses science with art, as kids learn how colors are made, and experiment with different fruity fragrances before testing out their new markers. This has all the markings of being a great 2017 Christmas toy gift.
Needlecraft
Another arts and crafts gift idea is a simple sewing set.
Sewing is the hobby that keeps on giving. It’s super relaxing, yet teaches a useful life long skill. And if your nieces and nephews grow up being able to fix up their own clothing or repair tore furniture because they got a sewing one Christmas, then that indeed is a good thing.
The ALEX Toys My First Sewing Kit is one of the best selling sewing kits on the market. It’s perfect for beginners, proving all the essentials like real sewing needles, scissors, fabric, stuffing, different colored threads, and easy to follow instructions. It’s the real deal.
And let’s not forget the loom. Kids spend hours making crazy cool bracelets, rings and necklaces with a mountain of tiny rubber bands and a loom.
Rainbow Loom
The most popular loom of all time is the Rainbow Loom, which includes instructions and all of the accessories you’ll need to get started. If your giftee already has a loom, think about getting some add-ons. You can get different colored rubber loom bands at a very fair price, as well as refill cases with beads, C-clips and charms.
Play Doh
Don’t forget classic arts and crafts toys like the ever popular Play-Doh.
You can get big sets of multiple colors or specific sets with a theme, such as kits where kids can make disguises for Despicable Me Minions or pretend they’re running a breakfast café, serving up Play Doh eggs, waffles and bacon.
The Hottest Dolls and Accessories for Christmas 2017
As you’d expect, dolls and their many accessories feature highly on kids Christmas gift lists. Not just for girls, but for boys too.
Dolls have the ability to capture the raw imagination of little ones, helping them make up elaborate stories and interpret the way they see the world around them. Dolls are also the perfect tool when it comes to teaching compassion and bringing out their nurturing side.
The easiest go-to doll on the market is Barbie. There are so many different kinds of Barbie dolls with matching accessories, vehicles, homes and play sets that your head will spin. But don’t restrict yourself to Barbie. Sure she’s popular, but she’s not the be all and end all of dolls.
Baby Doll
Luvabella is a hot new doll that was only released in September 2017, and is trending hard this year.
At first glances the Luvabella doll looks like every other cutesy baby doll. But this doll is packing something the others don’t have… artificial intelligence (AI). Luvabella is programmed to get smarter the more you play with her. Just like a real baby.
To say this will be a must have doll for Christmas 2017 is an understatement. There’s already a dirty rumor going around that these dolls are hard to find. And you know what that means. Expect the price for this doll to shoot up the closer it gets to Christmas.
The La Baby Doll from JC Toys is another popular baby doll, but at a lower price point. La Baby Dolls are light, small, and are available in various skin tones. You can get little bottles that the doll can hold on to, simulating feeding a baby in real life. You can also get strollers so your little ones can take wheel them around outside.
One of the more advanced baby dolls on the market is the Baby Alive series. Baby Alive dolls will actually eat, wet their diapers, talk, and in some dolls, move and crawl around.
For some of the dolls, the food is reusable, but if the food gets lost (which, with really small kids is quite likely), you can easily buy more. You can also find replacement packs of diapers, because your little ones will need them.
Lifestyle Doll
If you’re looking to get a doll for fans of the American Girl series, check out the Z Doll. She’s the latest member of the AG family, and a filmmaker with a very cool story.
Interactive, Musical and Gadget Toys for Christmas
They’re flashy, bright, techie and, for the most part noisy. Is it any wonder kids have a burning desire for these sorts of toys when Xmas rolls around? Here are our picks of the best electronic Christmas toys for kids are this year.
Cute Finger Pets
Fingerlings are the hot new interactive toy for Christmas 2017. Yep, strange name, but these little electronic pets are beyond cute. They respond to sound, touch and motion in the most adorable way; giggling, cooing, blowing kisses and even burping and farting.
At the moment, Fingerlings come in baby monkey or unicorn form, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see more variations in the future. Watch Fingerlings in action:
App Enabled Robot
Another interactive Christmas gift for kids aged 8 and up who like tech and computing is the Cozmo robot. Connecting to an app on your phone, you can control and communicate with Cozmo, level him up, and get upgrades for further game play.
Cozmo comes with all kinds of games which can be accessed through the Power Cubes which come with him. You can also get extra accessories, like storage cases and screen protectors. All of which come in handy if there are pets or young kids around that might scratch the screen, or get a little too rough with the bot.
Preschool Robot
For younger kid consider the Fisher Price Teach n Tag Movi. This electronic plaything is designed for preschoolers and has a set of interactive games that will get them running around, crawling, stomping and dancing - not that they need encouragement to do that.
But with Teach and Tag Movi, the physical activity is linked to certain games and activities, like the counting exercises, learning about animals, colors and shapes. So they can hop, jump, skip and play while improving their vocabulary, matching and number skills along the way.
Interactive Teddy
Teddy Ruxpin, that adorable talking bear from the 80s has returned to the fold.
This time with a set of advanced features that make him even more lovable than the first time we laid eyes on him. Teddy Ruxpin loves singing songs and telling stories, making him the ideal cuddly companion for 2 to 6 year olds.
Old School Games Console
Taking it back to the golden age arcade video games. If you like the idea of bonding with your nieces and nephews over nostalgic gaming experiences, then add a few plug and play classics to your list. Pac-Man Connect and Play is an oldie, but goodie. Pac-Man is just one of 12 iconic joystick games to be played through this device.
Also look at the Atari Flashback 8 Gold console. It’s a bit bigger than the plug and play games, but it’s packed with lot more - over 100 Atari games including, amongst others Space Invaders, River Raid, Asteroids, and HDMI connection. The Gold edition is due for release in October 2017.
Musical Playthings
A fun electronic toy for babies and toddlers is the VTech Musical Rhymes book. Each page has interactive elements that help develop young minds. There’s a selection of nursery rhymes to be learned and sung too, like Old MacDonald.
Musical gifts are good for Christmas, anything from drum kits (electronic or traditional), to karaoke machines, like the Kidi Super Star Karaoke System. And we all know that karaoke is great for sleepovers with friends, and for bringing the family together on fun nights in.
Action Camera
Finally, take a look at the Kidizoom Action Cam by Vtech. We first wrote about this GoPro style cam last year, and it lived up to the expectation of being a big seller at Christmas. 2017 is no different. This action cam is still a super fun gadget gift for kid who enjoys outdoor pursuits.
Cool Remote Control and Ride-on Toys
The best Christmas gift for a child who loves cars, is a car.
Obviously we’re not talking about a real car here. Just the sort of car or motor vehicle you can control with a remote, or by pedal power.
RC Cars
Quite possibly the hottest r/c car for Christmas 2017 is Disney Pixars Cars 3 Tech Touch Lightening McQueen - the most technically advanced Lightening McQueen to date.
It goes without saying this newly released toy will be one of the most highly requested Christmas toys for fans of the Cars movies.
Just look at all the cool stuff this car can do:
Traditional r/c cars are always going to be good gift options for young car enthusiasts. Look at scale models of popular supercars like the 1/14 scale Lamborghini Sesto Elemento from Midea Tech. It’s a good replica of the real thing. There are also realistic models of the Bugatti Veyron and the BMW i8 by the same manufacturer.
Some kids aren’t as fond of controlling mini electric vehicles. They want to be in the driver’s seat, feeling the breeze whoosh through their hair. If that’s the case, a good ride-on car is what you need.
Ride On Toys
One of the most classic and well known ride-on toys is the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe. If you don’t recognize the name, you’ll likely recognize the original toy – a little cartoon bubble car with a red lower part and yellow top part.
This year, Little Tykes released the magical Princess Horse & Carriage ride on, and it’s designed to capture the imagination and hearts of girlie girls everywhere.
If you want to splurge on a well loved classic, the Peg Perego John Deere tractor is the way to go. It’s a high performance ride-on with an electric motor and a real acceleration pedal. There’s even a fully functioning FM radio so the kiddos can listen to their favorite tunes while cruising around the backyard at 5mph.
Want more ride-on toy ideas? There’s a good selection of hand-picked toddler ride-on cars here.
Popular Educational Toys for Christmas 2017
If you’re thinking about getting an educational toy for your niece or nephew, know one thing. Their parents will be extra grateful. Education is always going to be high on the agenda for moms and dads, and while you could argue that every toy has educational value, some toys are just better equipped to do the job.
So, what type of educational toys should you buy for Christmas 2017?
Simple construction sets like Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears!, KNEX or anything LEGO are good investment, and are well received. Kids think they’re just building stuff from colorful interlocking plastic pieces, when really; they’re developing some serious lateral and critical thinking skills.
These construction kits and LEGO sets are really popular with kids of all ages.
LEGO kits that combine construction with programming like the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 make the ultimate Christmas toy gifts for kids aged 10 and up, if you can get past the hefty price tag.
The Future Coders Robot Races Kit by Alex Toys teaches kids as young as 4 the fundamentals of coding. Kids get to physically map out a path that starts at A and ends at B, putting their coding logic skills to the test.
The fact that kids get to pretend play as robots, while racing against the clock to complete the challenge, adds an extra level of excitement to this coding toy.
A good tool to help kids develop writing skills at an early age is the LeapFrog Scribble and Write. It uses a stylus pen and an interactive screen to help teach kids how to write the alphabet – including capital letters, lower and uppercase letters, and numbers.
Last year seemed to give rise to a number of very smart tablet toys kids from the Dash Robot to Osmo. Check out the 6 coolest tablet toys for kids.
littleBits released an exciting new electronics kit this year, which inventors and Star Wars fans are going to go nuts over.
The Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit is aimed at 8 year olds and up, but if you’re buying for a slightly younger kid who has an interest in engineering, this is still worth considering. They’ll get to solve problems, and tinker with the design of the droid, while learning a ton of cool stuff in the process.
Snap Circuits kits have been around for a few years, but are still very much sought after. Kids get to safely power circuit boards and understand how electricity works. It’s a good hands on introduction to physics and electronics. The latest edition to the Snap Circuits family is the Jr. Select Discovery Kit, and it looks every bit of fun as the previous kits.
Chemistry minded kids will love anything that gets them messing with chemical concoctions or blowing stuff up. The ever popular Scientific Explorer Mind Blowing Science Kit may be just the thing for them. It includes everything a young scientist needs to perform some basic, but amazing experiments.
For the outdoor explorer in your life consider the National Geographic Geode Exploring kit. Geodes are naturally forming rocks that are full of crystals on the inside, and fascinate the heck out kids who are interested in geology, and how the world works.
Now it's over to you. What is your favorite 2017 Christmas toy idea?
