The top toys

The Toy Insider, the leading holiday gift guide for toys and gifts, announces its Hot 20 and Top Tech 12 holiday toy lists, giving gift-givers a sneak peek at the must-have traditional and high-tech toys this holiday season. From Doc McStuffins to Elmo, Lego Fusion to LeapTV, each list includes top picks for kids of all ages. Covering a variety of play patterns, including classic toys and high-tech options, the Toy Insider gives parents and gift-givers a head start on finding the best toys for the holidays.

«Favorite characters, engaging play patterns, and terrific tech toys are key trends this holiday season. We believe in a ‘well-balanced toy box,’ and have selected an assortment of products that feed a child’s development in different ways, from dolls and plush to robots and ride-ons», says Laurie Schacht, Toy Insider Mom. «But be sure to shop early, many of these toys will sell out before the holidays arrive».

The Toy Insider’s panel of toy experts spent months evaluating all of the new toys and gifts on the market, resulting in a list that will make it fun and easy to choose the perfect holiday gift.

The Toy Insider’s Hot 20 for 2014

• From 0-2 Years
  • Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair – Fisher-Price
  • Let’s Imagine Elmo – Playskool
  • Twista – Yvolution
  • Go! Go! Smart Animals Zoo Explorers Playset – VTech

• From 3-5 Years
  • Disney Frozen Snow Glow Elsa Toddler Doll – JAKKS Pacific
  • 11-Inch Interactive Talking Turtles – Playmates Toys
  • Disney Frozen Cool Tunes Sing Along Boombox – eKids
  • Doc McStuffins Get Better Talking Mobile – Just Play
  • Paw Patrol Lookout HQ – Spin Master
  • Disney Princess Palace Pets: Magic Dance Pumpkin – Blip Toys

• From 6-8 Years
  • Air Storm FireTek Bow – Zing Toys
  • Ever After High Thronecoming Dolls – Mattel
  • Razor PowerRider 360 – Razor USA
  • Shopkins Small Mart Playset – Moose Toys
  • Skylanders Trap Team – Activision
  • Tsum Tsum Plush Collection – Disney Store

• From 9+
  • amiibo – Nintendo
  • Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition) – Disney Interactive
  • It’s My Biz – Fashion Angels
  • Lego Star Wars Rebels The Ghost – The LEGO Group

• The Toy Insider’s Top Tech 12
  • Crayola Virtual Design Pro Fashion Collection – Crayola
  • VEX Robotics – HEXBUG
  • InnoTab Max – VTech
  • Kidizoom Smartwatch – VTech
  • Kurio Xtreme – Techno Source
  • LeapBand – LeapFrog
  • LeapTV – LeapFrog
  • Lego Fusion Town Master – The LEGO Group
  • MiP – WowWee
  • NERF N-Strike Elite Nerf Cam ECS-12 Blaster – Hasbro
  • Sky Viper Camera Drone – Skyrocket Toys
  • Zoomer Dino-Boomer – Spin Master

The Hot 20 and the Top Tech 12 are the kick-off sections of the Toy Insider holiday gift guide, which will appear in the November issue of Woman’s Day magazine, as well as www.toyinsider.com. This year’s Toy Insider guide is the biggest ever, filled with 132 toys and gifts from more than 86 manufacturers.

In addition to Laurie Schacht, the panel of toy experts includes Jonathan Samet, publisher of The Toy Book, the leading trade publication in the toy industry; Jackie Breyer, editor-in-chief of The Toy Book; Marissa DiBartolo, and Ali Mierzejewski, senior editors of The Big Toy Book; and Reyne Rice, a leading toy trend expert.

The Toy Insider is the source for the hottest toys and gifts for the holidays. Now in its ninth year, the Toy Insider is an annual guide featuring toy and gift recommendations broken down by age groups. The 2014 guide is jam-packed with 132 toy recommendations from more than 86 different manufacturers, each carefully selected by a team of experts with years of experience in the toy industry. The Toy Insider is published by Adventure Publishing Group, publisher of leading industry trades The Toy Book and The Licensing Book.