By Elena Epstein, director of the National Parenting Product Awards
Healthy Roots Dolls: Zoe Doll
Meet Zoe, who has learned to love her hair, specially designed with curl power that allows it to be washed and styled with real products. She wants all kids to love their curls too. $79.99, ages 6+, $79.99, ages 6+, HealthyRootsDolls.com
Go! Go! Cory Carson Cory’s Stay & Play Home
Explore every room with Cory, Mama and Chrissy Carson mini characters in this 360° playset. Built just for cars with a pretend bathtub car wash complete with scrub brush, ramps and more. Place any SmartPoint characters (sold separately) on the SmartPoint location to hear them talk, play music and light up. $39.99, ages: 2+, VTechKids.com/product/detail/19477/Go_Go_Cory_Carson_Corys_Stay_and_Play_Home
Smashers Dino Ice Age Surprise
Smash, fizz, build and battle. The giant blue dino egg comes with more than 25 different icy surprises inside. Follow the arctic scratch map through different Ice Age-themed compounds to uncover each piece of your Smash-O-Saur. $24.99, ages 4+, Target.com/p/smashers-giant-dino-thaw-egg-series-4/-/A-79416634
Jambo Books
Give a boxful of children’s books featuring characters of color. Members receive two to three books each month that feature diverse children as the stars of their own stories. Starting at $34.99, ages birth-13, JamboBooks.com
Pets Alive Frankie the Funky Flamingo
Let’s get groovy with Frankie and her hilarious neck twirling, wing flapping movements, while getting down to three funky jams. Includes a surprise flamingo egg with a baby flamingo to keep the party going! $19.99, ages 3+, Zuru.com
FailFix
Takeover the makeover and create head-to-toe transformations. Comes with a new outfit, face and hair tools. Dolls available in diverse styles and body types. $19.99, ages 6+, MooseToys.com/our-brands/fail-fix-brand-page
Cool Maker Hollywood Hair
DIY studio that lets you design your own hair extensions. Load the hair ribbon, press the button and watch as it magically transforms into a cute hair extension. Comes with curler and spray bottle. $24.99, ages 8+, SpinMaster.com
Designed by Me: Color Decor Dollhouse
Budding artists and decorators can bring imaginary worlds to life with a variety of coloring backgrounds and a chimney box of markers. $59.99, ages 3+, KidKraft.com
Purrfect Counting Purse
Soft, multi-textured fabric cat purse comes with loads of personality, accessories and learning content. Learn, pretend and music modes add playful variety. $19.99, ages 6+ months, Store.LeapFrog.com/en-us/store/p/purrfect-counting-purse/_/A-prod80-610000
Real-Action Fire Engine
Features a ladder that extends to more than 2 feet high and rotates a full 360 degrees, a retractable fire hose and more. The truck opens to reveal an exciting command center with all kinds of authentic details built right in—from a radio and a computer to tools and gear. $49.99, ages 3+, LakeshoreLearning.com
Monster Jam Megalodon Storm
A remote control vehicle that can dominate water AND attack land. Performance tires allow you to conquer any terrain—water, dirt, rock, snow—while performing 360-degree spins and wheelies. $49.99, ages 4+, SpinMaster.com
Eloise the Elephant
This adorable pal is knit with a luxe marl gray yarn and has the sweetest baby trunk and little tasseled tail. As part of the cuddle + kind family, each doll sold provides 10 meals to children in need. $68, ages birth+, CuddleAndKind.com/collections/hand-knit-dolls/products/eloise-the-elephant
- Dough Parlour Deluxe Build-Your-Own Gift Box
Premium, 100 percent nontoxic, fruity-scented, handcrafted modeling dough that arrives in a whimsical gift box. Select your own scents, colors and educational tools and accessories, to allow for an exciting, sensory play experience. $60, ages 2+, DoughParlour.com
- Tonies
Screenless and adorable audio entertainment system full of stories and songs. Comes to life when paired with one of the Tonies characters, including Disney favorites and Creative Tonies to personalize your recordings. $99.99/starter kit, additional Tonies available from $11.99 to $14.99, ages 3-5, Tonies.com
- Octobo, the Tech Toy That Teaches
Storytelling meets creative technology with this character-based play platform that transforms screen time into customized, active playtime with lovable interactive plush toys. Filled with games, stories and learning adventures. $139, ages birth-7, Thinker-Tinker.com
- Crayola Imagination Art Case
This portable art studio has it all with 115 pieces, packed in a colorful carrying case. Also built into the case are three rubbing plates to create cool textured effects. $19.99, ages 4+, Crayola.com
- Ice Hopper
A glitter-filled take on a classic toy perfect for active play. Available in four dazzling colors. $8.99, ages 6+, Kess.co
- BUILDZI
The fast-stacking, nerve-racking, block-building game. Be the first to build your tower, but don’t let it tumble. $24.95, ages 6+, ILoveTenzi.com
- Batman Launch and Defend Remote Control Batmobile
Race your Batmobile around Gotham City and launch Batman into action. This iconic vehicle comes with an exclusive 4-inch Batman figure. $39.99, ages 5+, SpinMaster.com
- Artsy Fartsy
From dragons to dog farts, not much is off limits in this fast-paced, hilarious game where you draw, guess and steal clues. $24.99, ages 10+, ArtsyFartsyGame.com
- Drone Home
Launch aliens down the ramps, racing to land inside the drone so they can fly home. Watch out—there’s a delay once you make it in, so others can knock you out. $19.99, ages 8+, PlayMonster.com/product/drone-home
- Courtney Doll, Book and Accessories
American Girl’s first historical character in three years is an avid gamer growing up with her blended family in California’s 1986 San Fernando Valley. She’s a total ’80s girl whose big, bright and bold ideas inspire today’s girls to find their inner hero. $140, ages 8+, AmericanGirl.com/shop/p/courtney-doll-and-book-and-courtneys-meet-accessory-05bun03
- Rainbocorns Sweet-Shake Surprise
For the first time, Rainbocorns sings, talks, speaks and repeats. Sporting iconic jelly hearts filled with goodness and delight and six new characters, each offering 15 layers of fun surprises. $34.99, ages 3+, Target.com/p/rainbocorns-sweet-shake-surprise/-/A-79402060
- Squeakee the Balloon Dog
An interactive balloon pet that’s part dog, part balloon. Bursts with personality with more than 60 sounds and movements—barking, sitting and scooting. Includes multiple touch sensors and responds to voice commands. $59.99, ages 5+, SqueakeePets.com
- Horse Club Mia’s Vaulting Set
Help Mia prepare for her first competition with the help of the vaulting set by Schleich Horse Club. $29.99, ages 5-12, Schleich-s.com/en/US/horse-club/products/horse-club-mia-s-vaulting-set-42443.html
- Veterinarian Practice with Pets
Lovingly treat a variety of animal patients back to health. Includes x-ray image hanging on the wall, examination table, doctor’s case and much more. $59.99, ages 3-8, Schleich-s.com/en/US/farm-world/products/veterinarian-practice-with-pets-42502.html
- The Animal
An unboxing truck where the Animal can claw and climb over anything in its way—including its own box. The Animal transforms from powerful 4×4 truck to beast. The Animal can be placed back inside its box, and the entire unboxing can be repeated over and over again.
$39.99, ages 4+, SpinMaster.com
- Blue’s Clues & You! Really Smart Handy Dandy Notebook
Learn what’s new with Blue and Josh! Includes 14 light-up app icons to introduce colors, counting, shapes, weather, health and hygiene, and phone, music and mail apps for pretend play. $14.99, ages 2+, Store.LeapFrog.com/en-us/store/p/blues-clues-really-smart-handy-dandy-notebook/_/A-prod80-610700
- Scribble Scrubbie Pets Grooming Truck
Features a working spray pump that easily allows kids to wash their pets and doubles as a storage solution. $19.99, 3+, Crayola.com
- Back to the Future: Dice Through Time
It’s up to you to help Doc and Marty repair the space-time continuum before time paradoxes unravel the very fabric of the universe. Jump in your time machine, complete events, return items and help restore temporal order. $29.99, ages 10+, Target.com/p/back-to-the-future-dice-through-time-board-game/-/A-79396332
- DinoMazing Egg Decorator
Explore your inner paleontologist with this dynamic craft kit that’s two activities in one. Decorate and then crack open the shell to discover a surprise collectible covered in colored slime. $25.99, ages 3+, Eggmazing.com
- RC Crane with Building Section
This functioning crane can hoist heavy building materials up and down and rotate up to 360° to the accurate location for building to continue. Includes two figures, RC compatible crane, RC remote, building materials, safety helmets and more. $99.99, ages 5+, Playmobil.us/rc-crane-with-building-section/70441.html
- BRIO Smart Tech Sound Action Tunnel Travel Set
This 37-piece interactive toy train set uses Smart Tech Sound technology that allows the battery-powered Record & Play Engine to communicate with its surroundings. Multicolored lights, motion and sounds enhance the imaginative play. $199.99. Ages 3+, Brio.us/products/brio-world/travel/smart-tech/smart-tech-sound-action-tunnel-travel-set
- Disney Hocus Pocus: The Game
Work together to stop the Sanderson sisters from draining the lives of Salem’s children by ruining their potion before the sun rises. $19.99, ages 8+, Amazon.com/Ravensburger-Disney-Hocus-Pocus-Cooperative/dp/B086B89SB4
- The Little Mermaid Tubby Time
Make bath time playful with Tubby Time, a shape-matching storytelling game with fun puzzle play. $14.99, ages 3+, Amazon.com/60001870/dp/B086B7JDWY
- Spirograph Scratch & Shimmer
Create amazing art in a whole new way. The glitter gears and wheels can be used with your own pens and markers on regular drawing paper as well $19.99, ages 8+, PlayMonster.com/product/spirograph-scratch-shimmer
- Trailz
A lighthearted take on a strategy game where teams of shrooms and slugs face off to outsmart and out-maneuver each other. $14.99, ages 7+, PlayMonster.com/product/trailz
- Honest History
An adventure magazine for young historians published quarterly as a place for kids to explore the past and discover stories of people who changed the world. $17.95, ages 6–12, HonestHistoryMag.com
- Hello Amigo/Hello Friend
A fun, bouncy bilingual song from 123 Andrés’ Grammy Award-winning album, now brought to life in a whole new way that’s perfect for story time sharing. $8.99, ages 1- 6, 123Andres.com/product/hola-amigo-book
- Silly Skaters Unicorn Inflatable Ride-On Toy by Kid Trax
Make playtime fun and fanciful with this soft, inflatable unicorn on light-up roller skates. $39, ages 1-3, KidTraxToys.com/
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