The Very Best Toys Of 2022

Magna-Tiles’ magnetic-edged plastic tiles are a staple for parents, keeping kids’ minds engaged and hands busy for hours on end. This new set allows children to build dinosaurs like the Pteranodon, T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Triceratops, and Brachiosaurus or create their own creatures with magnetic building tiles. On top of introducing movable dinos into the mix, the set features 16 extra large tiles which are four times larger than normal, so kids can build bigger worlds to suit their dinosaur creations.

Wellness journalist Marina Khidekel teamed up with psychologists, pediatricians, occupational therapists, and toy industry veterans to develop these weighted stuffies. The cute animals — including sloths, puppies, bears, and elephants — mirror the anxiety-mitigating nature of a weighted blanket in a more portable (and adorable) form. Each has a removable inner four-and-a-half pound body weighted with non-toxic glass beads and gives users the sensation of being hugged back, a sensation that’s shown to reduce anxiety and increase calmness.

This solid but squishy box accomplishes the impossible: it captivates young children with screen-free storytelling. Essentially a small, app-controlled Bluetooth speaker for little kids that plays classic stories, music, and user-created content, the Tonie box is thoughtful children’s entertainment done right. There are no flashing lights or beeps and bloops. The exterior is made from a soft, sustainably sourced, waterproof fabric. All controls are tactile (tapping the side of the box changes the chapter; tilting the box engages fast forward; touching the rubber “ears” up top adjusts volume), but parents can also adjust everything from the well-designed app. The content itself comes in the form of “Tonie’s” — character-based figurines that, when placed upon the speaker, download a specific book or musical content to the box. Said content includes everything from classic Disney stories to soothing nap time sounds to Sesame Street tales. Coupled with its portable size and cuddleable exterior, the player tracks more like a good friend than a toy. But most importantly, it supplants the television as your kids’ primary storyteller.

It doesn’t get much simpler for a kid than a ride-on car - hop on the car, get your feet going, and roll. With the Baghera Ride-On Roadster, your kids will do it in style. France-based Baghera is renowned for its high-quality vintage-inspired metal push and pedal cars built for children five and under. This push car is a beautiful addition, thanks to its thoughtful aesthetic and compliance with the rigid European safety standards for kid’s toys.

A bowling set can offer hours of rainy-day play. But the reward of that entertainment value is often a lot of noise. Manhattan Toy Company’s toadstool bowling set is a smart solution. The set, which comes with six numbered soft plush toadstool “pins”, a small wooden ball, and a fabric-carrying case, offers all the fun with none of the frustrating sound effects.

A dedicated art table is an ideal gift for toddlers, as it designates an area for painting, drawing, and other creative work. This efficiently organized art table from Teamson Kids is an excellent piece for the job. It’s 39.5 inches long, 28 inches deep, and 21 inches wide, features enough space for two kids, and dozens of individual configurations. It’s full of nice features such as four cup holders, a removable art supply storage tray, three hooks, and a butcher paper bar. We also dig the plain white design and safe, rounded corners. It’s an ideal workspace for your budding Vermeer.

Never underestimate the simple sensory appeal of a squeezable putty. This golden goo not only has hexagonal glitter and tiny bee figures embedded within it but also has a sticky, honey-like consistency that’s a lot of fun to pinch, bounce, stretch, knead, fold, flatten, and press. While wet-feeling, the putty won’t dry out or leave fingers sticky after a play session. Set it out and you’ll likely be baffled by how many hours of play can come from something so simple. Heck, you’ll probably use it as a stress toy yourself.

A good stuffed animal is many things to a child: confidant, consoler, playmate, partner in crime. With its tuft of orange hair, round cheeks, tiny arms, and set of triangular teeth, this dinosaur is worthy of the job. We love this stuffie first and foremost because it’s adorable. Look at those kind eyes! But we also love that it’s super-soft, machine washable, and sits somewhere on the plushie spectrum between pillow and standard stuffed animal, which adds one more skill to its resume: ideal nap time cuddle buddy.

What’s a better gift than the classic teddy bear? A delightfully oversized teddy bear, of course. At 29-inches tall, this super plush bear can make eye contact with, and even return a hug to, most first graders. The bear is a callback to an iconic design from Gund, which began manufacturing toys in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1898, and proves that nostalgia can be very capable of beating out novelty.

The challenge and meditative nature of slotting pieces together have made the jigsaw puzzle an enduring form of entertainment for hundreds of years. This 200-piece, poster-sized puzzle is a wonderful addition to a child’s collection. Standing nearly 5 feet tall, the seascape of turtles, whales, jellyfish, and giant squids is a lot of fun to assemble. But the puzzle doubles as a glow-in-the-dark poster that’s perfect to be placed on bedroom walls for years to come. The set also includes 10 cards that offer fun, interesting facts about the ocean for curious-minded kids.

These wooden robots are basically like Transformers that were made in feudal Japan. Inspired by Japanese Shinto Kumi-ki puzzles, the robots can maneuver into a host of poses — and fold into a perfect cube — thanks to the use of wood and elastic. They’re beautifully crafted toys that favor simplicity over any sort of bells and whistles, and, as a result, encourage a timeless type of creative play.

Dolls are practically synonymous with the word “toy,” but they haven’t always represented the children who play with them. Luckily, the landscape is quickly changing. And Herstory Skin Tone Dolls are leading the way. Each doll in the line has skin tones, facial features, hairstyles, and hair textures that more accurately reflect women of African descent. Created by Canadian activist Queen Cee, the 18-inch articulating dolls also come with a notebook, writing instruments, and other items intended to encourage creative storytelling. Stories can be posted to the Herstory website, which also has other projects for kids to download.

Does your kid want a bit more oomph in their bike? This electric folding bike is an excellent option to consider. It travels a respectable 45 miles on a single charge (and tops out at about 20 mph) while folding down to 29 inches by 25 inches by 41 inches (meaning it can squeeze into most closets). Its stepover design accommodates a large group of rider sizes, and its oversize 20-inch by 4-inch tires help riders navigate both paved roads and variable terrain.

Proper Gnar is a Black-owned streetwear brand created to help women of color ollie into the sport. It also makes truly great boards. This deck, made from seven-ply 100% maple wood and featuring a simple argyle pattern, is extremely capable and doubles as a rad art piece hung in a room. With or without trucks attached, it’s a cool gift for anyone into skate culture.