Christmas gift ideas for kids: 25 best toys for kids of all ages, recommend by experts — starting under $25

The reversible plushie from TeeTurtle is Spongebob Squarepants and Gary the Snail all in one adorable toy. These stuffed animals help children express themselves and are perfect for ages 3 and up. TeeTurtle has many other options available — including Strawberry Shortcake, Hello Kitty and more.

The Yummiland Lip Gloss Truck is a customizable toy experience, recommended by Wingate. Kids can create their own lip gloss right inside the truck's whipped cream top. Then place it in the straw to dispense your new gloss into your Num Nom container. 

This choose-you-own adventure set gives kids two building options. 

"What’s growing in popularity are sets tied to creative storytelling, like the LEGO DREAMZzz series, which offer immersive experiences in world-building. Kids are really drawn to sets that let them create their own adventures," explains Gene Fong, head of marketing at LEGO.

This Barbie playset from Mini BarbieLand includes a small-scale DreamHouse, 2 vehicles, 5 dolls and more. All dolls stand on heart-shaped bases that fit in different areas of the house. Continue to build your own Mini BarbieLand by adding to your collect with more options from the Mini line.

Smitham says that this gift is perfect for "the prank-loving 6-8 year olds" because the Hexbot Wall Crawler Gecko is a mix of fun and mischief.

"With a full-function remote, kids can control its hyper-realistic movements to scurry across floors, climb walls, and even cling to ceilings, mimicking a real gecko! Combining cutting-edge robotics with laugh-out-loud novelty, this toy taps into the trend of active, interactive play while giving kids a new way to surprise — and spook — their friends and family," Smitham adds.

Let you imagination take over with the Play-Doh Rainbow Swirl Ice Cream Playset. Create multicoloured pretend soft-serve ice cream creations with this Play-Doh ice cream maker and make star-shaped pretend sprinkles. 

Build and display this LEGO Speed Champions 2023 McLaren Formula 1 Race Car. It includes many realistic features like the team-sponsor logos, the wheels with Pirelli print and the papaya safety halo.

"We take great pride in integrating popular culture and iconic brands like McLaren in the LEGO Speed Champions series. By combining the creativity of LEGO bricks with the magic of these licenses, we create sets that allow fans to engage with their favourite stories in a whole new way," Fong says.

Smitham says that since the launch of Ms. Rachel's debut toy collection, millions of babies, toddlers and their parents and caregivers have been encouraged to learn, bond and thrive with the help of the popular YouTube sensation.

"The Surprise Learning Box is one of the hero items in the first of our collection developed with Ms. Rachel and a team of child development experts. The baby-safe toy box features four interactive learning scenes and six soft surprise accessories, including a plush teddy bear, satin scarf and more," Smitham says. "A bonus learning card provides play prompts to spark parent-child interactions and encourage early speech development."

Cookeez Makery Freezy Cakez Playset is one of this year's hottest toys — building on the popularity of last year's Cookeez Makery Oven Playsets. Wingate says that seeing dough turn into a plush brings a lot of magic to the season. As you open the fridge door, discover a new, scented plush friend in the shape of a frozen treat. 

This customizable remote control car is designed for expressive play with erasable markers, stickers and fun accessories. Wingate says this toy helps bring out the creativity in kids as it's a customizable experience. It has a long-range remote and it's omnidirectional with the ability to speed forward, reverse, turn left or right.

Build your own Pokédex with this rewarding set that create a display piece for collectors. It comes with a working light feature and 5 lenticular cards of Kanto Region Pokémon.

Thready Bear is one of Wingate's top picks for Christmas this year — the bear features more than 70 expressions, which delights kids. 

The LEGO Duplo Classic Cars and Truck Playset comes with an assortment of bricks and pieces to set toddlers' creative minds in motion. Fong says that it provides simple, colourful building blocks to help develop motor skills and creativity.

The original Hatchimals phenomenon captivated kids in 2016, selling over 14.2 million units and defining toy magic for a generation, according to Smitham.

"This holiday season, the Mystery Hatch reimagines the magic with all new interactive features to enchant today’s kids. From dazzling rainbow lights and magical mist to over 100 sounds and reactions, Hatchimals Alive Mystery Hatch brings wonder to life," she says.

Fong says that LEGO showcases a variety of sets that offer something for everyone and this DIY set is perfect for flower lovers. He adds that this "unique building experience" makes a "fantastic gift."

Unleash your inner artist with the 3Doodler Create+ Essentials 3D printing pen set. Martin says that this is a hot gift item this year and it allows you to create 3D models, one-of-a-kind artwork, wearable items and more from the quick-hardening plastic. The kit comes with an assortment of non-toxic plastic refills.

The Camp Snap Digital Camera is the perfect gift for a young Gen Z who loves the Y2K vibe and wants something unique and aesthetic to share with friends. This gift is under $100 and will easily become their favourite way to capture memories. It's a screen-free, rechargeable digital camera that's designed to capture film-like photos.

Smitham says that preschoolers can't get enough of PAW Patrol, and the Super Loop Tower HQ that takes their adventures to new heights — literally.

"Standing an impressive 3.5 feet tall (about the height of a preschooler!), this ultimate holiday showstopper features a thrilling 360-degree looping track, a built-in command center, and parking for every pup's rescue vehicle," she says.

The Bowser Express Train is an adventure playset that includes a detailed train, a handcar, 2 stations, a Super Star Block, Question Mark Block and 6 LEGO Super Mario toy figures. Fong says that this year they are seeing a strong demand for LEGO Super Mario, with sets like The Bowser Train capturing kids' imaginations. 

Martin says that the Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 console bundle is a great option "for some family fun" this holiday season. This set includes a Nintendo Switch console with neon red and neon blue Joy-Con controllers. It also has the full game download for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership.

Virtual reality is a top gift choice for tech lovers, and that's why Martin suggests the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S bundles.

Tablets are a great source of entertainment for streaming videos, playing games and listening to music. They are also great for doing homework, school projects or creative activities like drawing, writing or photo editing. The Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with an S Pen and a powerful battery that keeps up with 15 hours of non-stop streaming.

Martin says that the most popular gamer gifts this Christmas will include the PlayStation 5 console, which continues to be one of the hottest gaming systems.

This Segway has a max speed of up to 30 km/h and a dual braking system. The rechargeable lithium battery recharges in 6.5 hours and delivers a range of up to 30km to support longer rides.

Bring the nostalgia of the arcade right into your own home with AtGames Legends Ultimate HD Full-Size Arcade Machine. 

"This year we’re seeing interest in retro arcade games, full size arcade machines, like the AT Games Legends Ultimate that has 300 Arcade games in 1 machine," Martin shared.