The Most Popular Holiday Toys: A Guide for 2024

Believe it or not, the holiday season is just a few months away. That means it’s not impossible to start thinking about your holiday wish list now. Especially when it comes to kids’ wish lists, because if you haven’t noticed yet, toys are in high demand. With toy sales at an all-time high, it’s always a good idea to shop early if your kids want a particularly high-demand item. To find out, we spoke with Jennifer Lynch, a toy trends expert at The Toy Association, who shared everything you need to know about toy shopping in 2024.

When is the best time to start holiday toy shopping?

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching holiday classics, Jingle All The WayThe earlier you shop, the better, especially if there's a toy that's on your child's holiday wish list,” says Lynch. “It can be tempting to wait until a last-minute sale shows up, but you run the risk of not having it when you need it.” Translation: If there's a toy your child wants more than anything, especially if it's trendy this season, buy it now to avoid a disappointed look when your child unwraps his or her gift. But of course, that begs the question:

What toys do you expect to be most popular this holiday season?

“Toys inspired by some of the most popular YouTube channels and digital content will be among the must-have items this holiday,” Lynch said. That includes items from the Ms. Rachel toy line, which will be available for pre-order on September 15 and available at all major retailers on September 29. Lynch also said that with the current cultural interest in magic and mystery, toys inspired by magical storylines will be very popular this season, and so will technology! “Expect to see a variety of toys that utilize technology in new ways. There’s a lot of innovation happening,” she said.

Toys to buy now before they sell out

When your child’s “must-have” toy is hard to find, it’s easy to feel a sense of urgency and rush to buy whatever you find, but Lynch urges toy shoppers to shop smart. “Be careful where you shop and who you buy from. Be cautious with ecommerce shopping, and if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is,” she says. “Do your due diligence, look for typos in product listings (a sure sign of a counterfeit product), and shop only with legitimate companies and sellers!” With that advice in mind, here are some toys you should click through to buy now, before they’re gone. Buy them all from retailers we know and trust!

Monster High Rave and Wednesday Collectible Dolls

The Wednesday Addams Monster High collection features a number of dolls and sets, and if you can find them, you should buy them now. These dolls are already sold out months before the holiday shopping season even starts. We found these dolls at Walmart. Check out Walmart’s 2024 toy list for more popular toys.

price: $65 at Walmart

Just Play furReal Peanut the Playful Monkey

This interactive plush monkey is packed with impressive new technology that makes for an exciting play experience, but all your little ones will see is their new best friend!

price: $59.99 on Amazon

Squishmallow Harry Potter Wave 3

Parents and guardians reading this will already know how popular Squishmallows are, so if you’re looking to buy a gift for a Harry Potter fan, you might want to pre-order this new product before it launches on September 16th. It’s a limited edition and will sell out fast!

Squishmallow Originals “Harry Potter” 10-inch Dobby Plush

price: $15.99 on Amazon

Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-inch Sorting Hat Plush

price: $15.99 on Amazon

Squishmallows Original “Harry Potter” 10-inch Mandrake Plush

price: $15.99 on Amazon

Squishmallow Originals “Harry Potter” 10-inch Forks Plush

price: $15.99 on Amazon

AI Story Bear For

Think Teddy Ruxpin from the 80s, but with today’s cutting-edge technology. With the help of AI and apps, Poe “comes to life” and tells stories your child chooses. With hundreds of story ideas to choose from, there are endless combinations to create a new story every time.

price: $49.99 on Amazon

MrBeast Lab Herd

With over 100 different ‘swarms’ to collect, kids who love MrBeast will love these little creatures. There’s even a fun feature where you can add water to the test tube to find out what creature you’re looking for.

price: $8.47 at Walmart

MrBeast Lab Mutators Stealth Panther

This product, which 'creates' a monster through a series of chemistry lab-inspired steps, is more than just an action figure.

price: $24.99 on Amazon

Wicked Elphaba Fashion Doll

With a new movie coming out in November, there’s going to be a huge demand for collectible figurines inspired by the various films (many of which are already sold out for pre-order). So if you have a Wicked lover on your shopping list, you’ll want to pre-order now and secure this gift before the movie comes out.

price: $24.99 at Target

2024 Trend Toys

Decora Fashion Girls 'Decora'

These types of dolls have been around since last spring, but this is their first time hitting stores for the holiday season, and they're proving hugely popular with kids who love accessorizing and styling.

price: $21.97 at Walmart

COIN3D Super 3D Pen

3D printing is growing in popularity every year, and this pen is a great way for young artists to turn their drawings into 3D works of art, and is a great introduction to 3D printing.

price: $43.86 on Amazon

Lego Fortnite Battle Bus

PRE-ORDER NOW: One of the most iconic elements of every young gamer’s favorite game, the Battle Bus, comes to life in this 954-piece set, which includes 9 minifigures. It ships October 1, so you can have it in your hands long before the holidays.

price: $99.99 at LEGO

LEGO Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Nostalgia reigns strong during the holidays, and this highly anticipated set based on the cult classic film is a must-have for building fans of all ages.

price: $199.99 at LEGO

VTech KidiZoom Print Cam

Kids love the fun and instant gratification of taking pictures, printing them out, hanging them in their room or locker, and giving them to their friends. The camera also comes with templates so you can create filters, borders, effects, and more with your pictures. Other retailers offer different colors, so check out this product.

price: $74.99 at Target

Bluey 3-in-1 Airplane Play Set

This playset can be converted from a plane to a hotel or a speedboat, and comes with two exclusive figures and lots of accessories. It also plays over 25 sounds and phrases from the show.

price: $59.99 at Target

MAGNA-TILES Space 32 Piece Magnet Set

This new product from MAGNA-TILES has been a huge hit since it was released, and it may already be on your child's wish list.

price: $49.99 on Amazon

The post Your Guide to the Most Popular Holiday Toys for 2024 first appeared on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.