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The only thing better than being a professional gear tester? Being the child of a gear tester. As a kid whose parent writes about gear for a living, you get a constant drip of new stuff to play with and opine on, but none of the obligation to rigorously test it.
Our kids are pretty spoiled around here. Because of that, members of WIRED's Gear team tend to be especially choosey about what we gift kids during the holidays. We're looking for items that will get lots of playtime and maybe even promote desirable traits like creativity and STEM skills. Mostly we just want them to be happy and get the things they want—which often happen to be the things their friends have.
Here's our short but sweet guide to a few of the toys we're seeing that we actually like for kids this year, and a few you may be better off without.
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Bitzee Digital Pet for $25Amazon
I have played with a lot of toys as a gear reviewer. The Bitzee is one of the weirdest. It’s a holographic Tamagotchi. When you open the pocketable purple capsule, a projection of a pet dances on a piece of film. To tend to your pet, you tap or swipe the film in different directions or rock it in its capsule. You progress through up to 15 different pets, like cats or bunnies or skateboarding turtles, by petting or feeding it or picking up its poop, which my children find hilarious on a Bitzee but refuse to do in real life with their actual dog.
As an adult, I find the Bitzee appalling: the construction seems flimsy; its tinny song worms itself into my skull; and I am more than half-convinced it will just end up in a landfill six months from now. However, my 6- and 8-year-old love it and take it to school every day, where all of their friends somehow also have Bitzees. —Adrienne So
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When anyone is hard-pressed to find a gift for my 8-year-old daughter I tell them to just buy her a few rolls of Instax film. Fuji’s instant camera is great for people of all ages—we gave the latest model an 8/10 review—but it’s especially great for kids who are inundated with screens and fascinated by physical media. Your kid will probably blow through the $15 packets of film with abandon, taking photos of their stuffies instead of saving them for a big vacation, but it's very fun and creative. —Martin Cizmar
Super Mario Wonder for $60TargetBest BuyWalmart
On a graph plotting dollars spent versus hours of happiness, Super Mario Wonder has been one of the best purchases I’ve made all year. As our games journalist Megan Farokhmanesh writes, it’s a return to the original 2D scroller form, and it was made without a deadline. You can tell Nintendo's team had plenty of time and money to enjoy themselves. It’s simple, beautiful, funny, and packed with delightful surprises, including options for different types of play.
It’s also perfect for gamers of different skill levels. For example, Yoshi and Nabbit don’t take damage, Yoshis can eat enemies, and other characters can ride Yoshis. My 6-year-old can play as Luigi, or he can play as Yoshi and not die, or he can ride on a Yoshi played by my spouse. (I play as Daisy and am the best and make accommodations for no one, including my own children.) Family play is incredibly fun, and other kids can join in when they visit. This is a great option if you will be traveling for the holidays and all the cousins need a fast, fun icebreaker. —Adrienne So
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Swifties started making friendship bracelets to trade during Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras Tour, and they’ve exploded in popularity as a result, spanning fandoms far and wide. (As an EDM enthusiast, I’ve always called them “kandi,” but that’s a story for a different guide.) You can never have too many vowel beads, and the type of elastic you use can make a big difference in the longevity of your bracelets. I’ve linked to the kit that I purchased most recently, but there are tons of options on Amazon. Pro tip: Use Stretch Magic string! —Louryn Strampe
Bluey: The Video Game for $40Nintendo
When my daughter first opened the Bluey game on Switch, I tried to direct her to the first activity. “Mommy, stop,” she cried. “I’ve been here before.” Bluey is my children’s generation’s Barney or Sesame Street, but unlike those shows it also has hordes of adult fans. It’s probably one of the best shows on television. I watch Bluey along with my children and cry when it’s revealed that mom Chili’s sister has had a miscarriage or feel it deep in my bones when Mom needs a break.
The gameplay is not as fun or engaging as Super Mario Wonder. Still, it’s an awesome experience to navigate this world that we all know so intimately and to weirdly cosplay in multiplayer as Dad Bandit, Mom Chili, or kids Bluey and Bingo. —Adrienne So
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This toy is bizarre, so bear with me: It’s a mother guinea pig that births a litter of three baby guinea piglets from a trap door in the roof of its plastic hutch. My 8-year-old daughter encountered it at a friend’s house and begged for it. I was skeptical of the replay value of such a pricey toy that has one main gimmick. (If you’ve bought a Magical Mixies cauldron you understand there’s a steep decline in excitement after the grand reveal.) Well, the Mama Surprise is worth it. My daughter, her friends, and her cousin have all been obsessed with this Little Live Pet, which has a timer to control its birth rate (overnight or 10 minutes). It makes delightful sounds and is soft for petting and brushing between birthings. —Martin Cizmar
BugView Quick Release Bug Catcher for $12Amazon
Wanna get a better look at that bug? Your kids definitely do. Place the clear compartment of this tool over the bug, push the slider down to trap it inside, and watch it up close with the magnifying glass. It’s a lot easier than poking holes in a container, and the design encourages your little one to release the bug when they’re done … so they can entrap another bug, of course! —Jeffrey Van Camp
National Geographic Mega Slime Kit & Putty Lab for $28Amazon
Is slime’s popularity cyclical? It was big in my younger years, thanks in part to Nickledon’s Double Dare, but I was surprised to learn that my daughter and all her friends are obsessed with the stuff 30 years later. Some things change, though. The best slime kit is not branded by Nickelodeon but by National Geographic, which used to be known as a magazine with photos of indigenous populations around the world, often spotted collected in a suburban basement. Today, National Geographic is better known as a line of semi-science-y toy kits, at least to kids.
This kit is hours of fun and features DIY slime powder, color-changing slime, and “snotty slime,” among others. My daughter would like to note that it’s “not as messy as you think it would be.” —Martin Cizmar
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Magnetic tiles are one of the most amazing little inventions for toddlers. It takes a while before littles are coordinated enough to put Legos or a lot of other building toys together, but they tend to pick up these snap-together tiles at a much earlier age—and get very creative! This Picasso set is perfect for filling out your collection so you can smash giant buildings like Godzilla—or build something totally calm and serene if you have that lovely kind of child. We intermingle Picasso Tiles with standard Magna-Tiles and haven’t had any issues. They also don’t seem to crack or break easily, so they should last through multiple children. —Jeffrey Van Camp
Lalo Play Boxes for $90MeetLalo
There’s a lot to keep in mind when you’re shopping for baby toys. You’re looking for something that can stimulate their little forming mind—and for it to be age appropriate, which can be difficult to discern with those first two years. Lalo’s toy boxes come with multiple toys designed for three-month age ranges, so you can easily pick one for the age the baby is or will be when they receive it. It comes with a little booklet on how to use it, both in the intended age window and afterward. My son just turned 16 months, but he still loves most of the items from the 13-15–month kit – especially the drum. —Nena Farrell
3D Doodler Start Essentials for $50Amazon
This was the trending toy in my daughter’s second-grade class last year. Almost everyone had one or wanted one. This pen is simple and safe enough for even a second-grader to use, and it fit easily in my daughter’s tiny hands. Just charge the pen via a USB-C connection, feed the colored threads through the pen, and watch your child magically create little 3D flowers and kittens to leave all over your house. I would also suggest shelling out for a storage case, or maybe an empty shoebox, because it’s been a year and I’m still finding stray little colored filaments in very strange places. —Adrienne So
Mattel Star Wars Grogu Plush for $6Amazon
I’ve lost count of the number of Baby Yodas I have in this house—my daughter has a water bottle entirely covered in Baby Yoda stickers—but this simple plush seems to be the one that gets the most action. It’s small enough for a kid to play with next to Barbies or stuff in a backpack but big enough to cuddle or engage in conflicts with other stuffies. —Martin Cizmar
Shiba Inu Stuffy for $22Amazon
However many animals Noah had on that Arc is about as many Squishmallows and Squishmallow-style round stuffies we have in my house. This dog (not technically a Squishmallow and made by the OurHonor brand) is next in line as a surprise this Christmas. I also highly recommend Target’s line of Pokémon plushes, especially Bulbasaur, which you can have extra fun with by introducing him using your imitation of the guttural voice he has in the original TV series. —Martin Cizmar
Dust, Sweep, and Cleaning Set for Toddlers for $21Amazon
When this set first popped up at my toddler’s grandparents house when he could barely walk, I thought it might be a good day of fun. That was at least two years ago, and he has used it constantly ever since, along with other littles! Some weeks dusting was the hot item, other times the littles would sweep and mop up a storm. (A pretend spray bottle and squeegee are also a fun addition; just leave the actual water outside.) The pieces are made from wood and still look close to new after a lot of abuse. The house isn’t dust-free yet, but we’re working on it! —Jeffrey Van Camp
Toys to Avoid
Miniature Dyson Ball Vacuum Cleaner for $25Amazon
I don't recommend this trending toy, despite its many positive reviews. There are a lot of ways to help your kid pretend to vacuum, but this one is a bit complex for its own good. It looks neat, and Casdon Toys advertises it as a working vacuum, but it sucks only the tiniest of items up through a half-inch hole on the bottom (barely). Anything an uncoordinated toddler is able to suck then has to fit in a tiny spoon-sized bin that you’ll have to empty frequently yourself because it takes finger coordination. You’ll also need four C batteries (not included) and some replacements handy. There are two switches, one to turn on the suction and another to swirl some beads so it looks vacuumy.
After a bit of initial interest, this toy tends to sit around my house. It doesn’t stand up on its own, so we regularly have to prop it up if it gets disturbed. My advice: Buy an actual, decent little handheld vacuum. They might have a lot more fun actually sucking up the dirt on your floors and in your couch cushions, and they might help a little, too. —Jeffrey Van Camp
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My daughter is very into Pokémon, having watched a bunch of the original series and played Pokémon Go with me. I was a little too old for the original Pokémon boom and don’t really understand the trading card game, so I bought this trending training kit to teach us both the basics. It’s not an effective educational tool, and it makes the game even more complicated than normal (it’s fairly complex). If you know how to play Pokémon, definitely avoid it. If you don’t, just get a starter card deck and watch some YouTube videos. —Martin Cizmar
Miko Mini Kids Robot for $99Amazon
This device may get a full review after I use it more. For now, it’s worth warning you off: The Miko Mini requires a credit card to activate, it has a super-glitchy app, and you’ll have to pay an extra $100 for a yearlong subscription or watch your child’s new friend lose most of its features. In my brief testing, it converses with kids worse than an Alexa device. —Martin Cizmar
