What to Know about the Toys Kids Want This Holiday Season

Every year, parents search for the hottest holiday gifts for their kids. These are the toys that kids want most, and you would do anything to make sure that your little guy or gal gets what’s trending.

This year is no different, with a CNBC report predicting that U.S. toy sales will grow almost 5 percent this year, and various retailers already publicizing what the “top” toys of 2017 will be. Below, we’ll share three.

Amazon’s Kid-Selected List

Yes, that’s right. Amazon is featuring a list of favorite toys for 2017 hand-picked by kids. Here’s a selection of their top choices.

• LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox 17071 Building and Coding Kit: Build your own operating robot from LEGO pieces.
• Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage Playset: The biggest Hot Wheels playset at over three feet tall, with storage for over 140 cars and a working elevator.
• Tonka Classic Steel Mighty Dump Truck FFP: Sturdy and strong, able to withstand hours of rugged play.
• Crayola Inspiration 140 Piece Art Set: A pink case filled with markers, colored pencils, crayons, and paper.
• Dalmatian Vet Kit: Plush puppy with carrier and many other veterinarian tools.
• Nickelodeon Paw Patrol – Sea Patroller Transforming Vehicle: a boat with additional figures, lights, and sounds to delight a preschooler

Toys R Us and Their Exclusives

Not to be outdone, Toys R Us has a line of exclusive toys that are sure to be top-sellers this year.

• Little Tykes 3-in-1 Sports Zone: Toddlers can play basketball, soccer, and bowling with this set.
• Fisher Price Shimmer and Shine Magical Light-Up Genie Palace Set: Three play levels and 20 pieces make up this interactive genie set.
• You & Me Baby So Sweet 16 inch Nursery Doll: This baby doll is soft and snuggly, dressed in a lilac-colored outfit.
• Hatchimals Surprise Twin – Peacat: The popular Hatchimals toy holds twins inside with different personalities.
• FurReal Roarin’ Ivory The Playful Tiger Pet: A baby tiger who makes sounds and motions.
• Pikmi Pops Surprise!: This lollipop-shaped toy comes with a ball-shaped dog, cat, or bunny and hidden charms.
• Power Wheels Boomerang 12 Volt Ride On: Kids can tilt and spin on this three-wheel vehicle.

CNBC’s Other Predictions

Along with their prediction that overall toy sales will grow by five percent, CNBC also has their own list of “hot” holiday items they think will be in demand.

• WowWee’s Fingerlings: tiny interactive monkeys that curl around your finger
• Hatchimals Colleggtibles: a smaller and less expensive option for this hot trend
• “Star Wars” Black Series 6 inch figures: extremely popular this year as the newest movie debuts in December
• Slow-rise squishy toys: food-shaped foam toys in blind packaging for a surprise
• O.L. Surprise: A case filled with a surprise doll and other accessories.
• Nintendo Switch: A hot seller since March, which is bound to be a gift for many more kids.
• Nerf Rival – Nemesis: This weapon uses round balls instead of darts and is immensely popular.

What Else Should You Know about the Toys You Buy?

Before you careen from store to store in the vain hope that you will stumble across one of these must-have gifts for 2017, remember to make sure that the things you buy are safe and audience-appropriate in order to prevent injury. That means you need to:

• Follow age guidelines. Before you purchase a toy, look for the age guidelines. This is not only meant to describe your child’s ability level, but to protect young children from choking hazards.
• Inspect the toy for damage. Make sure no sharp edges are exposed or any parts are dangling.

• Check reviews and recalls. Even many safe-seeming toys can be problematic if they are defective.

Additionally, remember to promptly discard all packaging to avoid choking and cuts, and replace any batteries that came with toys because older batteries can potentially leak and cause chemical burns.

If your child is injured due to a toy defect, give us a call. We may be able to prove negligence and get you the compensation you deserve.

About the Author: 

Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2017 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – and was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite” and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015, 2016, and 2017.