These Are the Best New Toys of 2021, According to Top Toy Experts

One prevalent trend is this year's new releases is toys that use water to incorporate a sensory experience into their play. PLAYMOBIL, for example, has a new line of toddler toys that have floating pieces, scoopers, watering cans and other splashy features. The line ranges from a small duck boat with scoopers (Aqua Duck Family, $10) to lazy river where kids can use a crank to make the current flow (Splish Splash Water Park, $65). Ages 18 months+

Just when you thought animatronic Baby Yoda toys couldn't get any better, the Galactic Snackin’ Grogu comes along to prove you wrong. This comes with four accessories (a bowl with tentacles, a cookie, a shifter knob and a spoon), and The Child reacts differently when you place each one in his hand. There's a total of more than 40 sound and motion combinations. Ages 4+

This innovative RC is meant to be driven indoors, with soft wheels that don't scratch walls or furniture. But the stunts are wild, and the car can jump up to 22 inches in the air! Kids can also try spins, flips, drops and rebounds. Ages 4+

These 14-inch dolls come with an important job: They each have a pocket where kids can store their wishes, and the fairies will guard them. Each doll has its own colors and personalities, but the Stella doll (center) is extra special and comes with light-up wings. Ages 5+

It's a stacking game, with a Wonderland twist! The wacky cups must be stacked on a tilted tea table, and cards affect which cups you can place and where. Ages 5+

The object is simple: Launch LaBron from his starting pad and see if you can get him to fly across the air and dunk the ball. His hands are large enough to palm the ball — or hang off the rim for his signature dunk. And if your kids are big LeBron (or Looney Tunes) fans, there's a ton of figures for Space Jam: A New Legacy, too. Ages 5+

There's lots of fun to be unearthed in each of these eggs! Each Mega Surprise comes with a dinosaur to build, light up and do battle. In addition, there are 20 different surprises in each egg, including four Smasher eggs and multiple compounds for sensory experiences. Ages 4+

Your baby may never know the artistry of making the perfect mix tape, but this is the next best thing. This "cassette" lights up and plays songs that teach the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes and greetings. Kids can also use their fine motor coordination to press the play button, turn the reels — even pull the "tape" out. This is part of a series of retro-inspired toys that includes a boom box and a handheld video game. Ages 6 months+

A companion to the the 2018 Good Housekeeping Award-winning Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog, this toy offers kids a lot of satisfying sensations. Little hands can spin the wheel, turn the crank, press the button, twist the knob, push the plunger and move the switch, building motor coordination skills along the way. This is one of a whole new line of Spike toys that includes a sensory playset, a rainbow stacker and a puzzle. Ages 18 months+

This set comes with clay in both bold hues and a range of skin tones, and the clay is designed to be blended together to create any skin tone imaginable. The clay doesn't dry out and harden, so it offers hours of sensory play and helps kids with their fine motor skills. Ages 3+

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of families have been looking to bring the playground experience indoors — but it's a big space-suck. This slide, made from 100% recycled materials, folds flat when it's done, then sets up again in a flash. And yet, it's sturdy enough to hold 50 lbs. (It's also a rainy-day lifesaver.) Ages 2+

Now that Paw Patrol: The Movie is out, kids are going to want to break out their pups and race them all around the city. This play set works with the True Metal die-cast vehicles, and it features locations from the movie that each have their own action feature. For true fans, there's also a separate, 36-inch-tall lookout tower on the way designed to look the the one in the movie. Ages 3+

Kids can use these DIY crafts to amp up their videos. The craft kits come with materials that kids can use to make or decorate hair extensions, stickers, nails, sunglasses and other accessories. Then, they clip the Let's Glow LED clip on any smartphone, tablet or laptop, and they can use it to make cool glow-on-the-dark lighting effects on the accessories they've crafted — you can even change the color! The LED clip doesn't need to plug in (no finding compatible wires!), and no apps are needed to control it. Ages 8+

Some toys have water. Some toys have music. This one has both! Kids can press each of the colored whales to play this like a piano, or put it in fountain mode and listen as it plays and spouts water at different heights. This can be used in the bath or in a kiddie pool — it has suction cups on the bottom to keep it in place. Ages 18 months+

For fans of building elaborate marble runs, the GraviTrax PRO expansion lets kids build higher structures with fewer pieces. Walls, pillars and balconies lets kids experiment with STEM concepts like magnetism, kinetics and, of course, gravity. The set is compatible with existing GraviTrax sets — or, if you don't have one already, you can start with the Vertical Starter Set. Ages 8+

This works like a typical fashion doll, with a striking blue jumpsuit inspired by the one Raya wears in Raya and the Last Dragon. But it also falls into the trend of spa-like wellness toys, since it plays a soothing melody if you lift the arm with the Kumandra flower. Ages 3+

A new take on a 2019 Good Housekeeping Toy Award winner, the revamped Little People palace now boasts an elevator, multi-color lights and figures of Anna and Elsa. And yes, it still plays "Let It Go." Ages 18 months+

Kids will get a thrill every time they open this jar and invite real fairies to come inside. There are more than 100 fairies to collect, and kids can say hi to them, feed them or even give them a hug and a kiss. If two friends have their own jars, they can actually swap fairies between the two. And keep an eye out for secret tips and tricks for catching different and rare fairies. (For example: See what kind of fairy you can catch when you hold your jar upside-down.) This will come out in August, but it's available for pre-order now. Ages 5+

This track is large enough to launch either a Hot Wheels Monster Truck, or two regular Hot Wheels cars, and send them off and crashing through a "ring of fire." When it's not in use, it folds up into a case with a handle for easy portability. It also comes with the Tiger Shark monster truck and a Hot Wheels 1:64 scale vehicle. Ages 4+

If you have a kid who's into crystals, or decorating their rooms with light-up LEDs, this is definitely their toy of the year. Each of these light-up fairy dolls is associated with a different color that embodies a certain crystal power (love, wisdom, luck or healing). They also come with crystal shaped amulets for kids to wear that can "collect" all of the different colors — and even pass them to friends who might have their own amulet. The dolls can share their colors on the moon-shaped doll stand, too, to make for a cool room display. Ages 4+