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Jan 23, 2024

Amazon Top Christmas Toys 2023

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. So many are on sale right

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

So many are on sale right now!

When it comes time to buy gifts for kids, you can never be too prepared. Whether you're keeping the birthday-party present cache stocked or are getting an early jump on holiday shopping, it's good to keep abreast of toy trends, hot toys and what the kids are into — especially since you want to strike whenever deals are hot.

Right now, it's too early for Amazon to come out with its official list of hot holiday toys for 2023. And similarly the Good Housekeeping Institute has not yet completed its toy testing for the 2023 Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards. But if you're looking to get a jump on the shopping, these are the best holiday toys to buy on Amazon in 2023.

Right now, the list is full of Amazon's hottest best-sellers and biggest new releases, plus a few editors' faves, and we will update it with the site's official holiday toy list when it becomes available.

What's cool this year? Creative DIY kits, family games and tie-ins to this year's biggest kids' movies are all popular, as are mini collectibles, STEM sets and other educational toys that help them build on their school skills. Plus, there's plenty out there for the "kidults" — or kids at heart!

Just when you thought you knew every way there was to celebrate Disney's centennial, along comes these blind LEGO minfigure bags. This comes with six blind bags to open, revealing characters like Pinocchio, Stitch, Pocahontas, Miguel & Dante, Robin Hood, Tiana and Baymax. Ages 5+

This game has gone viral for its brain-boosting properties: Challenge cards will start players off with a 2D pattern that they have to re-create — and then finish with the remaining pieces. Then, when they've mastered the 2D challenges, they can attempt the 3D ones. If they like it, you can gift them other Kanoodle variations, like Kanoodle Head-to-Head, Kanoodle Pyramid and Kanoodle Genius. Ages 7+

For kids or "kidults" who want a Barbie that matches the look in the movie, there's this collectible fashion icon, who makes every home feel like Barbie Land. Ages 3+

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If you need an indoor art project to occupy a preschooler, this is as easy as it comes. The set comes with four double-sided canvases with the start of some dinosaur-themed pictures, and kids can use the include stickers to complete the scenes. If dinosaurs aren't their thing, there are also Dot It sets for unicorns, animals and dress-up. Ages 3+

Get their creative juices flowing with this kit, which comes with 10 rocks that kids can decorate with groovy, out-of-this-world, glow-in-the-dark designs of their own making. They can use them to decorate their desks, illuminate a garden or act as fun kindness rocks. Then, the kit does double-duty: You can always send them on a nature walk to collect more rocks to use as raw materials. Ages 6+

Animal lovers will dig this Polly Pocket set, which comes in the shape of an adorable corgi. Then, inside, there's an animal hotel play set, complete with two dolls and pets to go with them (dogs, naturally). Ages 4+

This toy might seem like it doesn't do all that much — just folds and unfolds into different shapes — but man is it mesmerizing. Kids can flip it into more than 70 different configurations, revealing different patterns within, and they can try and form it back into a cube again. Ages 8+

These cute characters are filled with beads, and kids can squeeze them and shake them around for a sensory experience and it would be enough. But there are also tiny letters, objects and more hidden within the beads, so they also work as a built-in "I Spy"-style game. Ages 3+

LEGO enthusiasts and dino fans will come together to praise this set, which lets kids build a model of a mighty T-Rex. But in true LEGO Creator form, once they're done with that, they can take the Tyrannosaurus apart and use the same pieces to build a Triceratops or a Pterodactyl, so it's like getting three building kits in one. Ages 7+

Get those toddlers outside, active and working on their gross motor coordination! This bike has four wheels for stability, but kids can push them with their feet — no pedaling. It also comes in eight different colors. Ages 1 – 2

RELATED: The Best Gifts for Toddlers in 2023

With Barbie fever in full swing, the fashion-doll fan in your life might appreciate this modern, three-story townhouse. It has tons of cool details to inspire imaginative play, including an elevator, a hanging chair and a rooftop lounge — and there's plenty of accents in the signature Barbie pink. Ages 3+

Perfect for restaurants, doctor's offices, grocery stores and any place there might be a long wait, the paint brush for this art set just needs water to work, and kids can fill in the Bluey-inspired scenes with color like magic. The color goes away once the pages are dry, so kids can use them over and over. Ages 3+

What's better than getting a new Squishmallow toy? Getting a set of two! This one comes with a bigger Ariel and a smaller Flounder to pal around together, and they both have the adorable Squishmallow style and squeezable plush feel. If the kids aren't Little Mermaid fans, though, there are plenty of other Squishmallow shapes out there, including lots of animals and food. Ages 3+

These electronic pets let kids experience the best part of the Harry Potter world: caring for magical creatures. There are 25 different kinds of fantastic beasts to nurture, in addition to other modes of play, including mini-games and spending time at Hogwarts Castle. Ages 8+

Fingerlings have returned, and they're better than ever. Now, the different baby monkey characters have different personalities, and they have flocked skin and tails that move so they can sit on a table when they're not on your finger. They still react to kids' touch with different sounds and actions. Ages 5+

Little scientists and fans of the GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope can add to their at-home labs with this telescope. It uses real NASA images, and the voice of Emily Calandrelli, the star of Netflix's Emily's Wonder Lab, explains what the budding astrologists are looking at. Plus, preschoolers can look through the eyepiece with both eyes, so they don't have to practice closing one eye. Ages 4+

This one little kit is basically a pottery studio in and of itself, able to hold paint, brushes, texture plates, a sculpting tool and even a pottery wheel. It also comes with instructions that'll walk them through different projects they can make, including a few different animal sculptures. Ages 4+

This line of toys is the recipient of a previous Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award because both parents and experts were impressed with its vocabulary-building powers. This interactive book takes toddlers through 100 different words in English and Spanish, and also plays songs and offers fun facts about the different words. They'll learn more about animals, food, colors and opposites along the way. Ages 18 months

If your kids have seen Obi-Wan Kenobi, they're going to want a Lola of their very own. This one is incredibly lifelike, with more than 45 different light and sound combinations to make it seem like it's really reacting to your child's commands. And, if they want to add to their interactive droid fleet, the Chatter Back Chopper is available for pre-order and will be released this October. Ages 4+

RELATED: The Best 'Star Wars' Gifts for Fans of All Ages

This has so many things to explore, inside and out! This playhouse is full of interactive features like a kitchen area with a shape-sorter fridge and cooking area, a home office area with a clock, a crawl-through door, a porch light that turns on and off, and balls that you can send through the rain gutter. If that weren't enough to keep a toddler's attention, it also plays 200 songs and phrases. Ages 6 months+

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH’s growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH’s annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.

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