Ready, Set, Shop

It’s time to think about holiday shopping. You don’t get caught at the last minute, unable to find that must-have toy on your child’s wish list. To help you get going, here are some highlights from Walmart’s list of the hottest toys of 2019 and some other items that seem headed to the top of the wish lists..

Walmart’s Top Rated by Kids toy list this year includes 48 toys, more than in previous years, and a new featured trend: gaming!

Famous Friends: Inspired by the make-believe adventures of their favorite famous characters, kids are bringing their furry friends, heroes and role models into playtime. Toys based on this year’s hottest cinema and TV shows are inspiring kids to reenact the action from the big and small screens and create their own adventures.

Here are a few of the toys chosen in this trend:
6V Plush Simba
Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak
Paw Patrol Mighty Pups Super Paws Lookout Tower

Unboxing Toys: The thrill of surprise toys continues to excite kids. Adding an extra layer of fun, this year’s unboxing toys are more than just collecting the most sought-after items – they inspire kids to find new ways to play with their toys and create unique adventures based on their interests. This trend includes toys like:
LOL Surprise 2-N-1 Glamper
Tic Tac Toy XOXO Friends Multipack
What’s In My Purse – Doll Purse

Interactive Toys: Kids love toys that respond while playing. From toys that talk, hug, dance and change color, these toys engage the imagination and creativity of kids as they express their personalities through play. This year’s interactive toys include the following show-stoppers:
Build A Bear Workshop Stuffing Station Value Box
Juno The Baby Elephant
NASCAR Adventure Force Crash Racers

Outdoor Fun: The desire to play in the great outdoors is big for kids this year, and they are looking to roll up to their playdates in style. Whether they’re driving, sliding, scooting or hovering, kids are finding new ways to get around and play outside. Here are a few of the outdoor toys for this year:
24V Real Tree UTV
Hover-1 Hoverboard and Kart Combo
Hover-1 Transport Scooter

Aspirational Play: Whether preparing to take flight, go glamping, own a pet or cook a gourmet meal, there are no limits to creativity and no boundaries on what kids can be when playing NASCAR Adventure Force Crash Racersys. These are just a few of the toys inspiring kids this holiday season:
Barbie Dreamplane
Kindi Kids Doll
Scruff-A-Luv My Real Rescue

Gaming: Kids who are looking to get in on the action want consoles and accessories to guarantee a superior gaming experience. The toys that will help kids step up their game include:
Cynosa Chroma Keyboard
HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop
Kraken Grn 2019

The Walmart list is just a warm-up. Here are some additional top rated toys:

Blume Dolls. If the people at Good Housekeeping know anything about on-trend toys for the holidays – and they do – — then you can bet kids will be asking for Blume dolls this year. Just add a few drops of water to the colorful flower pot and watch a doll with fabulous hair bloom from the “soil.” Each figure comes with a surprise sidekick, too.

Kindi Kids. These doe-eyed dolls hit stores in August, just in time for kindergarten to begin. In the Kindi Kid world, every day is a new opportunity to learn, play and make new friends. Dinatina, Jessicake, Marsha Mello and Peppa-Mint each come with two unique “snack time” treats that your youngster can use to interact with the toy.

L.O.L. Surprise 2-in-1 Glamper. L.O.L. Surprise more or less invented the “unboxing” gift in 2016 and their trinket-stuffed suitcases, collectible figures and ephemera have been at the top of holiday must-have lists every year since. This turquoise traveler lets your youngster’s L.O.L. Surprise O.M.G. fashion doll hit the road in style. Like every one of their toys, this one comes with 55 toys to unbox, including a doll that’s unique to this set.

Adventure Force NASCAR Crash Racers Track. Racing cars and tracks have been entertaining kids (and adults) for decades. Give your NASCAR racers a quick charge, then let them loose on the figure-eight track to zip around, narrowly avoiding each other in the Crash Zone. But if disaster strikes, no worries. The racers are designed to break apart and be reassembled in seconds to keep the racing excitement going.

Ryan’s World Toys Surprise Mystery Giant Egg. You may not know who Ryan is, but your kids probably do if they watch YouTube or Nick Jr. And if they love watching him, you can bet one of these will end up on the 2019 holiday wish list. Past versions of these plastic eggs have contained collectible action figures, play slime and putty, and a spaceship with blinking lights and sound effects. There’s currently a backlog of up to 90 days for Series 3 eggs, the latest in this line of mystery toys, so don’t wait too long to order.

Disney ‘The Lion King’ Mighty Roar Simba Interactive Plush Toy. You can bet this blockbuster will be spawning a whole pride of merchandise. This interactive Simba plush is packed with 100 different actions from nose to tail. Stroke his back and hear him purr, roar at him and listen to him roar back. Simba has more than 100 different responses and actions in his memory banks, including that memorable catchphrase of his: “Slimy, yet satisfying.”

Disney ‘The Lion King’ 6V Plush Ride-On Toy. Toddlers up to 45 pounds can hop on Simba and cruise around the house, king or queen of all they see. Simba comes programmed with a number of sounds that your youngster can trigger as they prowl, as well as a charger to keep the battery going, and best of all it comes fully assembled!

Dreamworks Dragons Hatching Toothless Interactive Baby Dragon. If your youngster is a fan of the “How to Train Your Dragon” movie series and they went crazy over last year’s Hatchimals craze at holiday time, then add this to your shopping list this year. Kids can “hatch” and raise their very own Toothless the Dragon.

WowWee Fingerlings Light Up Narwhal. The Fingerlings family of pint-sized robotic toys continues to sprout new branches of the family tree, including this family of four pastel-colored whales. Nelly, Nikki, Nori and Rachel respond to sounds and touches by waving their tails, blinking their big eyes and lighting up their horns to reflect their mood.

Sphero Specdrums Rings. Sphero is a pioneer in the world of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) toys for older kids, and they continue to devise cool new ways to learn while having fun. Tap into your inner musician with these rings, which react to different colors by creating beats, loops and other instrument emulators. Use the app to transform those fragments into tunes you can play on your smartphone, or use any Bluetooth MIDI-based mixing equipment like Garage Band to create a mini-masterpiece.

Barbie 2019 Holiday Doll. Barbie may be eligible for the senior discount at Denny’s, but as far as holiday gifts go, she is timeless. This limited-edition doll comes decked out in a festive peppermint-twist gown that would look at home at any chic Christmas soiree this season, and she’s available in one of three styles.

Owleez. Owleez wowed the crowd at the annual New York Toy Fair in February and has had toy nerds salivating ever since. This interactive avian teaches kids how to nurture a baby owl, which you must feed, rock to sleep and even teach to fly. The payoff? When Owleez is ready, he’s programmed to leave the nest and hover in the air.