Toddler’s verdict on Christmas 2025 toys: imagination wins

A mother and her three-year-old tested seven of Christmas 2025's hottest toys to see which would actually engage a toddler. Amelia guided the evaluation, answering her mother's questions with a blunt, often hilarious focus on what would spark imagination rather than what sounded the loudest in ads.

The exercise blended retailer roundups, consumer reviews and product videos, but the real test was whether the toys invited her to imagine, invent and play alongside a caregiver. Studies on early childhood development suggest that simple, open-ended play—using blocks, dolls and pretend-play sets—boosts memory, self-control, spatial reasoning, problem-solving and language skills, while also supporting social-emotional growth and neural development. The assessment aimed to identify items that supported those developmental benefits in a playful, age-appropriate way.

Amelia’s first test subject was CONNETIX magnetic tiles, a 102-piece building system priced at $99. The lightweight yet sturdy tiles click together with a satisfying snap, and their bright colors encouraged open-ended construction. In the first minutes, Amelia created a dollhouse out of squares and rectangles, then shifted to a castle with towers and drawbridges, testing fit and planning as she built. The experience helped her practice problem-solving and spatial layout while deep in play. “You want to play with that?” she asked her mother, signaling the shift from a single toy to a springboard for shared storytelling.

The Bluey Supermarket Playset offered more than 15 pieces, including a multi-level layout with an escalator, a working intercom and exclusive Bluey and Bingo figures. Priced at up to $49.99, the set featured 24 sounds and phrases that amplified pretend shopping, helping Amelia reproduce scenes from the show while inventing new scenarios. The design supported cooperative play and hand-eye coordination, and Amelia behaved like a store manager, moving carts between levels and narrating her own grocery adventures. The play also encouraged problem-solving as she navigated the store’s layout and simulated social scenes with the figures.

The Micro Maxi Foldable LED Scooter, priced at $169.99, offered a growth path many families seek. With adjustable handles and a three-wheel design for stability, the scooter can be used by a child well into early adolescence. Amelia demonstrated confident balance during a test ride around a small space, and the scooter folded compactly for storage and travel. The heavier price tag was weighed against durability and long-term use, and the samples from Kris, a company representative, suggested the Maxi would continue to serve a growing rider for years to come.

The Little Live Pets Ouchies Retriever, at about $59, is a soft, six-inch interactive pup that arrives with a “magic cast” for kids to wrap and remove as part of its pretend-healing storyline. Amelia quickly took ownership of the pup, renaming the official Cooper as Lucy. After reading the instructions, she applied the cast with care, then watched Lucy react with sounds and movement. The toy delivered a nurturing play experience, encouraging caregiving and role-play as the pup “healed” and barked with joy when the cast came off. The combination of soft textures and responsive sound helped sustain engagement without screen time.

Bluey and Bingo Chat Mates, priced at $15 each, are six-inch-tall talking figures activated by pushing a nose. They repeat familiar lines from the show, inviting toddlers to press again and again to hear new phrases. Amelia embraced the opportunities for spontaneous storytelling, turning the figures into characters in a running, improvised episode. The durable construction and simple, single-action play made them accessible for independent play while still offering prompts for adult–child storytelling.

GUI GUI, starting at $9.99, is marketed toward older children and focuses on a multi-step slime routine. Amelia, though younger than the kit’s typical target, remained engaged through the hands-on, sensory process. The initial slime was sticky, but adding the booster transformed it into a dough-like texture, easier for small hands to manage. The kit includes charms, beads and a hidden mini figure, which added a surprise element to the routine and kept Amelia attentive through each stage of unboxing, mixing, decorating and final presentation—an experience that resembled a small, science-based craft project rather than a traditional toy.

Tin Can, priced at $75, stands out as a screen-free, Wi‑Fi–based communications device designed for kids. It comes with a parent app to manage contacts, quiet hours and built-in 911 support, and offers plans that allow calling other Tin Can devices or standard phone numbers. The device evokes nostalgia for landline calls while delivering modern safety controls and a gentle transition away from smartphones. For families prioritizing real-time conversation without screens, Tin Can presents a thoughtful bridge between toy and technology.

Across the tests, Amelia gravitated toward items that invited collaboration, imagination and practical problem-solving rather than feature-heavy gadgets. The toys that encouraged shared storytelling, open-ended construction or nurturing play tended to hold her attention longer and sparked more prolonged engagement with a caregiver present. While the retail hype around the year’s hottest toys remains strong, the toddler’s responses underscored a simple, enduring truth: when play centers on imagination and interaction, children build cognitive and social skills while having fun.

The takeaway for parents shopping this holiday season is clear. Open-ended, imaginative toys—whether they’re magnetic tiles that spark architectural building, a multi-level market that invites role-play, or a wearable of growth that supports safe, screen-free exploration—tend to resonate most with three-year-olds. The appeal isn’t solely in the latest trend; it’s in how these toys invite children to create, problem-solve and narrate their own stories, side by side with a grown-up who joins the game. As Amelia’s reactions show, the best presents are the ones that become shared adventures rather than standalone gadgets.