One of the biggest stars to come out of Guardians of the Galaxy was the lovable tree, Groot. This character only said three words, "I am Groot" and we loved every minute of it. As we dive deeper into the Funko Marvel Cinematic Universe with Guardians of the Galaxy, we had to single out all […]
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe decided to get cosmic so does Funko with their massive line of Guardians of the Galaxy Pop wave. There were a lot of characters in this set with the two fan-favorites getting priority with Rocket Raccoon and Groot. Bradley Cooper took over like the infamous voice of Rocket was a […]
The Child, L.O.L. Surprise, Blue’s Clues, YouTube-Inspired Toy Lines, and Budget-Friendly Fun Top the Toy Insider’s Hot 20, STEM 10, and 12 Under $12 Lists
September 23, 2020 – New York, NY – The Toy Insider, the toy industry’s most influential organization and a trusted go-to resource for parents and gift-givers, today unveiled its expert picks for the best kids’ toys and gifts in its 15th annual holiday gift guide. The hottest and most coveted items for 2020 are broken out into three lists: the Hot 20 (the most wished-for items of the year), the STEM 10 (science, technology, engineering and math toys that make learning fun) and the 12 Under $12 (affordable toys packed with play value and unboxing experiences).
Shopping for holiday gifts will look different this year as the Coronavirus pandemic continues: social distancing guidelines are still in place, limiting the number of in-store shoppers; retailers are starting holiday promotions earlier; and consumers are increasingly conscious of their spending during a tough economic year.
“This holiday shopping season will be unlike any other. It will be in your best interest to plan ahead and grab these hot toys before you start carving out your pumpkins,” said Laurie Schacht, Chief Toy Officer, The Toy Insider. “Playtime offers a powerful way of coping with the world we live in, and the wide assortment of toys we reviewed for this year’s holiday gift guide showcase the innovative, creative and affordable ways toymakers are serving the needs of families during challenging times.”
This year’s hand-picked selections represent an extensive variety of open-ended toys to keep kids busy; screen-free playthings filled with educational value; toys that promote diversity, sustainability, and accessibility; and affordable toys that fit any budget, among many more categories that are sure to please kids of all ages this holiday season.
For high-res product photography and broadcast-quality B-roll footage of The Toy Insider’s Hot 20, STEM 10 and 12 Under $12, as well as detailed product fact sheets and 2020 toy trends,click here.
0-2 years
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen (Mattel)
Speak & Learn Puppy (LeapFrog)
3-4 years
Blippi Recycling Truck (Jazwares)
Blues Clues & You! Dance-Along Blue Plush (Just Play)
Barbie Color Reveal Slumber Party Fun (Mattel)
HEXBUG Nanotopia (HEXBUG)
Pinkfong Baby Shark Dancing DJ (WowWee)
PJ Masks Transforming 2 in 1 Mobile HQ (Just Play)
Ryan’s World Shadow Warrior Ninja Mystery Box (Bonkers Toys)
Star Wars The Child Animatronic Edition (Hasbro)
5-7 years
KidiZoom Creator Cam (VTech)
LEGO Super Mario Adventure Starter Course (The LEGO Group)
Present Pets (Spin Master)
Rainbow High Fashion Dolls (MGA Entertainment)
Squeakee the Balloon Dog (Moose Toys)
Zoe (Healthy Roots Dolls)
8+ years
Beyblade Burst Rise Hypersphere Vortex Climb Battle Set (Hasbro)
Chocolate Pen (Skyrocket)
Pokémon Trading Card Game Battle Academy (The Pokémon Co.)
Snap Ships Gladius AC-75 Drop Ship (PlayMonster)
3D Build & Play (3Doodler)
Apollo — A Game Inspired by the NASA Moon Missions (Buffalo Games)
Blockaroo (Blue Marble)
Botley 2.0 The Coding Robot (Learning Resources)
Circuit Explorer (Educational Insights)
Crayola STEAM Paper Flower Science Kit (Crayola)
DIY Music Maker Science Lab (hand2mind)
JIMU Robot Mythical Series: Firebot Kit (UBTECH Robotics)
Mega Cyborg Hand (Thames & Kosmos)
National Geographic Science Magic (Blue Marble)
5 Surprise Mini Brands Series 2 (ZURU)
Blume Petal Pets (Skyrocket)
Butter Cloudz Castle Bucket (WeCool Toys)
Cats vs. Pickles (Cepia)
Curligirls (Basic Fun!)
Glitter Burst (YULU)
Junkbots (HEXBUG)
Kitten Catfe Purrista Girls (JAKKS Pacific)
L.O.L. Surprise! Present Surprise (MGA Entertainment)
Oh! My Gif – 1-Bit Pack (Moose Toys)
Ravel Tales (Sunny Days Entertainment)
Something Wild Card Games (Funko Games)
The Toy Insider‘s 2020 holiday gift guide will appear in the November issue of PARENTS magazine, on newsstands on Oct. 5. An extended guide appears online at thetoyinsider.com starting today. This year’s print guide features nearly 160 toys, and an additional 150 toys can be found online, representing more than 110 toy companies in total.
Parents and gift-givers can easily search for toys and games by a child’s age (broken out into 0-2, 3-4, 5-7 and 8+ age groups). They can also view the guide online with their children to create a wish list of favorite toys, making holiday shopping easy for friends and family.
The Toy Insider is an independent organization. Its team of experts attends major toy industry trade shows and events, and conducts briefings with manufacturers, retailers and analysts throughout the year. The Toy Insider gift guide submission process is open to all toy companies, of all sizes. Toys must be new for 2020 and available to consumers for purchase for the holiday season, either on the company’s website or widely available through any retail partner. When evaluating toys, the team considers play value, originality, skill building, product integrity and, of course, fun factor.
To join in the holiday toy fun on social media this season, use #weknowplay and find @TheToyInsider onTwitter,Instagram and Facebook.
About The Toy Insider
The Toy Insider is the go-to source for product information about children’s toys, tech and entertainment. It publishes two annual gift guides—one for summer and one for holiday—and reviews toys 365 days a year on thetoyinsider.com, a trusted resource for parents. The Toy Insider’s content is produced by an editorial team with more than 100 years of combined experience covering the toy industry. The Toy Insider is published by Adventure Media & Events, publisher of The Pop Insider, a daily pop culture news and review site that fuels fandoms, as well as leading trade publication The Toy Book. For more information, visit thetoyinsider.com and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
After Captain America: Winter Soldier, Marvel fans were looking for answers now more than ever. However, we had to look to the stars with the Marvel Cinematic Universe masterpiece with, The Guardians of the Galaxy. This was a very interesting choice of movie at the time, and many fans questioned it, and now it one […]
The Mandalorian hype train is back at long last as fans prepare for the premiere of season 2. October 30th is the start of the long-awaited return of Mando and the Child and everyone is celebrating. We have seen some new figures from Hasbro with Star Wars: The Black Series, a new premium statue from […]
With New York Comic Con postponed, fans were at a loss on where their favorite exclusives will go. While it is unclear how others plan on handling it, Funko continues the tradition of their Virtual Con. The Funko Virtual Con 4.0 has been confirmed to take place between October 5th, 2020, through October 10th, 2020. […]
Discover a Bounty of All-New Star Wars Products, Books, Comics and Digital Content Inspired by the Hit Lucasfilm Series
GLENDALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fans of the Disney+ original series “The Mandalorian” just received a new reason to look forward to Mondays. Disney and Lucasfilm today announced Mando Mondays, an all-new global consumer products, games and publishing program, kicking off on October 26, that will debut goods inspired by the series.
After premiering last fall and quickly taking the world by storm, “The Mandalorian” – which took home seven awards last week during the 2020 Primetime Emmy® Awards – will return for its highly anticipated second season Friday, October 30, streaming only on Disney+. The Mandalorian and the Child continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through the dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.
After fans experience the latest episode every Friday on Disney+, they can visit MandoMondays.com each Monday to see what new toys, collectibles, apparel, books, comics, digital content and more will be unveiled. Mando Mondays will run for nine weeks, culminating on December 21.
“When ‘The Mandalorian’ debuted last year on Disney+, the show became an instant phenomenon, with fans of all ages expressing excitement for products related to its iconic characters – particularly the Child,” said Kareem Daniel, president, Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing. “This fall, as the world continues to watch the narrative unfold, we will further bring this unique Star Wars story to life through a must-have selection of toys, books, comics, digital content, and more.”
To celebrate this announcement, select pre-orders for the first wave of Mando Mondays products will kick off today at 1:00 p.m. PDT / 4:00 p.m. EDT across top retailers globally, including shopDisney.com. Products available for pre-order today include the Hasbro Black Series Credit Collection, new Funko Pop! bobbleheads, the LEGO® Star Wars The Child construction set and much more, all viewable now at MandoMondays.com.
The countdown starts now! For more details, visit MandoMondays.com and follow the conversation on social using #MandoMondays.
About Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing
Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing (CPGP) brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world through products and experiences across more than 100 retail categories from toys and t-shirts to apps, books, video games, and more. A division of the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment, CPGP’s global operations include: the world’s largest licensing business, one of the biggest children’s publishing brands, a leading licensor of interactive games across platforms, Disney store locations globally, and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.
About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment. In addition to its feature film and series production, the company’s offerings include cutting-edge visual effects and audio post-production, digital animation, immersive storytelling, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers commercial-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content. Alongside unprecedented access to Disney’s incredible library of film and television entertainment, the service is also the exclusive streaming home for the latest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+. Visit DisneyPlus.com to subscribe and/or learn more about the service.
With the aftermath of The Avengers, Captain America's solo adventure was fast-paced unique and introduced Russo Brothers to the MCU. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is probably one of my favorite films in the Marble Cinematic Universe. It's full of twists and turns, and it catches the audience off guard with the monumental bombshell that […]
The NYCC 2020 Funko reveals might be over but the yearly reveals are continuing on. Funko is seemingly still adding to their new Retro Toys Pop line with classic characters like Mr. Potatohead, the Operation guy, Stretch Armstrong, TMNT, and even some new G.I. Joes. The '80s is mostly where these classic toys derived from […]
The power has been put into Star Wars fan's hands as Disney Parks opens up a fan vote for Galaxy's Edge. The vote is to have fans pick the next Legacy Lightsaber Collection that will head to Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities. 12 lightsabers are already offered in the shop and fans have a choice […]
Funko has finally shared the New York Comic Con 2020 shared retailer list. This is a list of where all the exclusives will be going to make a note and prepare for the event. This year fans got to see a massive set of upcoming exclusive from Masters of the Universe, My Hero Academia, Naruto, How […]
The fourth day of Funko's NYCC 2020 has ended and it provided collectors with some great collectibles. The day started off with some fan-favorite characters with Robin Sparkles from How I Met Your Mother, a glow in the dark Pop from Beetlejuice, and Beach Head for those classic 80s G.I. Joe fans. The biggest wave […]
The world can seem like a terrible and strange place sometimes, but there are highlights. And at Bleeding Cool you can still read all about comics, merch, TV shows, games, movies and more. Whether that's Wil Wheaton, Karate Kid, Dave Bautista, Funko or more. The Daily Lying In The Gutters remains a long-running run around […]
Funko ends their day 4 of reveals with of course their main man himself, Freddy Funko. While he is not getting a new Pop but a new Funko Soda Vinyl that will be extremely limited to only 2,000 pieces. Freddy Funko will have a Chase variant which will give fans a pizza shirt variant instead […]
Even though day 4 of the New York Comic Con 2020 Funko reveals is coming to an end, Funko is not slowing down. It looks like this time we are heading to Pop Animation with a nice set of anime Pop Vinyls. You can't have a convention without at least one exclusive from the hit […]
Masters of the Universe is getting a nice set of New York Comic Con 2020 exclusives from Funko. With three Pop Vinyls and two Funko Soda's, fans will have plenty to choose from this year. However, there is a catch as most of these will be Toy Tokyo exclusives which is the hardest place to get […]
Funko has been revealing new Pop Vinyls all week for New York Comic Con 2020 and now we move onto day 4. The day started off with some sparkling reveals as Robin Sparkles from How I Met Your Mother starts the day. How I Met Your Mother still has yet to release their normal wave of figures […]
At last, day 3 reveals began and ended with some big surprises for Funko collectors. The long awaited comic book Pops finally was announced with 4 coming out of Marvel and 3 from the alternate dimension of DC Comics. Starting it all was the announcement of the Street Art Marvel Pop that will be exclusive […]
The world can seem like a terrible and strange place sometimes, but there are highlights. And at Bleeding Cool you can still read all about comics, merch, TV shows, games, movies and more. Whether that's Pokemon, Witcher, Karate Kid, Dave Bautista, Funko or more. The Daily Lying In The Gutters remains a long-running run around […]
Day 3 of the Funko New York Comic Con 2020 comes to an end with some television and movie Pops. Starting us off first is Snake from the classic sci-fi film Escape from New York. This is the film's Pop debut and perfectly coincides with the New York theme and will be sought after by many […]
