These toys are worth buying for your kids, according to Good Housekeeping experts and kid testers

Good Housekeeping reveals 2026 Toy Award winners kids could not stop playing with Kids and experts tested 160 toys for safety, at-home feedback and real-world play. Advertisement Updated: 8:14 AM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Lauren Lee Digital News Video Producer Good Housekeeping reveals 2026 Toy Award winners kids could not stop playing with Kids and experts tested 160 toys for safety, at-home feedback and real-world play. Updated: 8:14 AM EST Nov 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Lauren Lee Digital News Video Producer Hundreds of new toys hit shelves each year, but which ones are actually worth bringing home? Good Housekeeping has revealed the winners of the 2026 Toy Awards , showcasing the best toys tested by about 370 children and evaluated by experts through hands-on play, at-home testing and an in-person day of play. Advertisement Alec Scherma, the Good Housekeeping Institute's senior mechanical engineer, said around a dozen children visited the institute to test the newest toys while experts observed which ones caught their attention. In the lab, each toy goes through several kinds of tests. "We need to make sure that there's nothing too small for kids to eat, we always check on durability," Scherma said. "In terms of actual play, we always want to make sure that the toy is fun, right?" Here are some of the standouts: Connetix 32-piece Mini Travel Pack CONNETIX Magnetic Tiles Travel Mini Pack, 32 Pieces CONNETIX SHOP NOW target.com $24.99 Parents loved the Connetix 32-piece Mini Travel Pack for its portable magnetic tin, which doubles as a building surface. Scherma said the mini magnetic tiles stick together and to the tin, making it a safe and mess-free travel option for airplane and car rides. Melissa & Doug Swirl & Serve Set Melissa & Doug Swirl and Serve Ice Cream Play Set Melissa & Doug SHOP NOW amazon.com $32.99 $25.97 Kids let their imaginations run wild with the Melissa & Doug Swirl and Serve Set , which offers four soft-serve flavors and mix-and-match swirl combinations. Scherma said parents loved how compact it was and how much imaginative play it inspired. Monster Jam Chomping Megalodon RC Monster Jam Chomping Megalodon RC Truck Monster Jam SHOP NOW walmart.com $49.97 $44.88 This remote-controlled Monster Jam toy was a favorite during Good Housekeeping's in-person testing day. With the press of a button on the remote control, the megalodon goes into "beast mode," breaking free from its chain. The shark is speedy and can gnash its teeth, pop wheelies and spin in circles. With so many toys on the market, Scherma says parents should always verify they're buying from a reputable brand and that toys are third-party tested. "We make sure when we're testing them here every single toy brand they send us their safety papers which we review to make sure they follow everything that they're supposed to, that they're third-party tested," Scherma said. See more of Good Housekeeping's 2026 Toy Award winners here in the gallery below. Hapiko Hapiko Stickerbox AI Voice-Powered Mini Sticker Maker SHOP NOW stickerbox.com $129.99 Fisher-Price Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Cuddle & Crawl Duck SHOP NOW walmart.com $43.17 $34.99 GUND GUND Plumpkins Pig 8-Inch Premium Weighted Bottom Stuffed Animal Plush Toy SHOP NOW amazon.com $27.00 VTech VTech Little CEO Learning Desk Toddler Activity Center SHOP NOW walmart.com $29.90 Ravensburger Ravensburger Play+ Puzzle and Play Set SHOP NOW amazon.com $39.46 Super Mario Galaxy Movie Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hatchin’ Yoshi Interactive Toy SHOP NOW walmart.com $59.99 $45.49 Lite Brite Lite-Brite Trace & Dot Glowboard SHOP NOW amazon.com $29.99 Spider-Man Marvel Spider-Man Brand New Day Power-Charge Spider-Man SHOP NOW walmart.com $48.99 $39.97 Jazwares Kpop Demon Hunters 18-inch Sleeping Tiger SHOP NOW amazon.com $39.99 $34.97 Rubik's Cube Rubik's Rush Light-Up Electronic Game SHOP NOW amazon.com $19.97 LEGO SMART Play: Darth Vader's TIE Fighter SHOP NOW walmart.com $69.99 $55.99 Jazwares Pokémon Eevee Sleeping Plush SHOP NOW amazon.com $39.99 Make WLWT a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Wild video: Runaway tire flies off a truck and strikes an unsuspecting man 19-year-old to become one of Massachusetts' youngest representatives in state history Dramatic video: Mother rescues man drowning 'We brought him home': A WWII soldier killed 82 years ago has finally been laid to rest