The Only Christmas 2025 Toy List You Need (Chosen by Parents)

When it comes to holiday shopping in general (but toys in particular) I’ll do anything to avoid in-store scrambles and unpredictable, last-minute shipping times. You don’t need to wait until Black Friday — or, worse, the second half of December — to buy gifts for the kids in your life.

To dodge the rush, I turned to the experts: parents whose living rooms double as play labs. Their favorites in 2025? Screen-free musicmakers, creative STEM builds, giggle-inducing party games, and puzzles for every age. Here are the toys and games they say are worth wrapping this year.

Fisher-Price Kick & Play Piano

Price: $39.88

Ages: Infant

This baby-friendly piano gym keeps little ones moving and grooving. Newborns can kick the piano to trigger music and lights, then transition to tummy time with repositionable toys, and later sit up to play real notes. The Smart Stages content (songs, sounds, and phrases) adapts as baby grows, and the mat is machine-washable for easy cleanup. A fantastic, long-lasting gift from birth to toddler years.

“The songs are too good. ‘Purple Monkey in a Bubblegum Tree’ is a bop." —Jessica

tonies Ms. Rachel Audio Play Figurine

Price: $40

Ages: 1+

Beloved educator Ms. Rachel brings songs, stories, and interactive learning into Toniebox’s system (sold separately). It includes three stories, 20 songs, and a total run time of about 50 minutes. Simply place the figurine on the Toniebox and watch the kids learn!

“Really glad to get this one. My son now has three tonie figurines, and of course she's the fave!" —Ashanti

First Orchard Cooperative Toddler Board Game

Price: $29.99

Ages: 2+

First Orchard is a cooperative game that teaches colors, turn-taking, and teamwork. The goal is simple: collect all the fruit before the raven reaches the end of the path. Toddlers will love the color recognition, rolling the die, and the chunky wooden pieces, and adults will love watching little ones experience the joy of board games at an early age.

“Our two-year-old learned the rules surprisingly fast, and now she can set up all of the pieces herself. I think she’s ready for chess?" —Martin

Cookies!: An Interactive Recipe Book

Price: $21.06

Ages: 2—4

This board book lets kids “bake" a batch of cookies without turning on the oven. Pull-tabs and sliders guide little chefs through each step — such as measuring and mixing — and build sequencing skills, fine-motor coordination, and early literacy.

“We bought this and loved it! The book actually walks you through a chocolate-chip cookie recipe and has fun textures, measurements, and movable parts for younger kids to enjoy." —James

MAGNA-TILES Combo 62-Piece Magnetic Construction Set

Price: $49.99

Ages: 3+

A favorite for nearly 30 years, this translucent set clicks together to build everything from simple shapes to soaring castles. The mix of squares and triangles is perfect for open-ended play, color sorting, boosting spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity — and it’s fully compatible with other Magna-Tiles sets for easy expansion.

“I love how creative kids get with magnetic tiles! I got them for my son last year, and as he’s grown, his builds have become more and more complex, so he’s getting an upgrade with extra pieces this time." —Simone

Rirool Music Mat

Price: $17.99

Ages: 3+

This jumbo mat is touch-sensitive, so kids can play while promoting coordination skills. Simply press, dance, or run across the keys for different notes or fun animal sounds. The mat also has an auto-shutdown feature after two minutes of inactivity.

“Very cute mat with volume control. Perfect size for a 1-year-old. Only downside is that it is slippery on hard floors." —Arun

LEGO Rainbow Bricks 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Price: $17.95

Ages: 3+

Don’t be fooled by its simple design — this puzzle is bright, colorful, and a satisfying challenge, providing a true test of teamwork (and some patience, as it can take 5 to 15 hours to complete). Perfect for rainy days in!

“So much fun, I’ve done it a couple more times since I first bought it. Great quality puzzle. … I suggest you separate the flat edges into a separate bag so you don’t have to hunt for them next time. I find this part tedious, so I only want to do it once. Also, if you have trouble telling slight color differences apart, this one might be more challenging." —California

Jurassic World Rebirth Tyrannosaurus Rex Action Figure

Price: $29.94

Ages: 4+

This 18-inch dinosaur unleashes all the excitement of the classic movie franchise. Kids will love interacting with the dino’s posable head, jaw, legs, and tail, along with creating ferocious chomp attacks by pressing buttons near the tail.

“It's perfectly sized. This compares very well with human figures and [toy] cars. If you look for a T. rex toy, I would recommend this." — Braden

6-Pack Of Bluey Wood Jigsaw Puzzles

Price: $10.97

Ages: 4+

This puzzle set is such an amazing find for the price, ranging from 8 to 24 pieces, and kids will love all the familiar characters. The set also comes with a storage box that neatly fits the pieces and a puzzle tray for easy cleanup.

“My three-year-old grandson loved these as his first jigsaw puzzles. The one on the cover is the largest, but there are five other puzzles [that] have fewer pieces and helped him build up to the larger on his own." —Sandra

Slime Mart Donuts

Price: $17.99

Ages: 6+

Kids can shape, decorate, squish, and stretch slime into ultra-realistic, donut-inspired creations. These kits are perfect for sensory play, stress relief, and pure fun. Note: While these slimes look good enough to eat, they are non-edible, so gift to older kids or make sure younger ones play with adult supervision.

“I would definitely recommend these slime kits. We ended up buying all the food items, and my kids beg to make them. They absolutely love it. It's such a blast to do!" — Danielle

Dinosaur Tea Party

Price: $23.94

Ages: 8+

A hilarious, lighthearted deduction game where players guess each other’s dinosaur identities. (Think Guess Who?, but quirkier and longer-lasting.)

“Such a fun game for older children and adults alike. I would not recommend for children under the age of seven. The artwork is funny, and the game is easy to learn." —Rachel

Harmonies

Price: $34.99

Ages: 10+

A beautiful and award-winning game that lets 1–4 players create landscapes to gather the most points. Part luck, part planning, this game is intuitive enough for kids but offers deep strategy for adults, keeping everyone on their toes for around 30–45 minutes.

“This game is absolutely a favorite in our family, relaxing enough to play at the end of the day. We’re huge fans of the artwork and how we can make it more challenging (or easier) with simple tweaks." —Jordan