My team and I have spent months testing the latest toys in the Good Housekeeping Institute Tech & Engineering Lab for Good Housekeeping’s 2026 Toy Awards, and we’ve found the best of the best. These toys not only passed our Lab inspections for safety and setup, but they also were favorites of the 370 kid testers who played with the toys at home and shared their feedback about what they liked and didn’t.
Toy shopping can add up, especially as prices only continue to rise. To help families stretch their budgets, I rounded up our award-winning toys priced under $25 for kids of all ages—from toddlers to teens. These are the best toy that are also easy on the wallet, whether you’re holiday shopping or just looking for a great gift that packs a punch without a big price tag.
Poppykins from Wild Republic couldn’t be cuter, cuddlier, or more fun for babies and toddlers. The plush penguin is combined with a pop fidget, so it’s the ideal multi-tasking toy. “She cuddled it for a little while. Then, when she had calmed down, she began popping the buttons,” one parent of a baby said. “It was great for both comforting and play." Ages 0+
With Learning Resources’s Counting Crayons, kids can master some of the skills they need for preschool like counting 1 through 5 and matching both colors and pictures. Simply sort the coins by placing them in the coordinating crayon slot. “This is the longest a toy has held my daughter's attention,” one parent tester said. “She loves problem solving and trying to get the coin in the slot.” Ages 1+
It’s a beautiful day in Mister Rogers’s Neighborhood, thanks to the latest figurine from Tonies. The iconic trolley from Mister Rogers (or maybe better-known-now from Daniel Tiger) plays 21 popular songs from the show and teaches kids all about emotional regulation and friendship. Kid testers who were fans of both Mister Rogers and Daniel Tiger had fun interacting with the Tonies trolley. Ages 3+
Color in the Aqua Puffs with markers, paint over the whole design with the water pen—and watch the animal creations grow before your eyes. After the puffy pal has dried, add a keychain ring or string to put it on display. Kid testers were excited to easily craft on their own, including one whose parent said, “He loved watching them puff up when he used the water pen and then was ecstatic that his creations could be made into keychains.” Ages 4+
Kids’ favorite characters from the Toy Story franchise talk and interact with each other, just like in the latest movie. Lilypad, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Forky, and Smarty Pants can address each other by name and have conversations. Just face them towards each other, and they’ll chat away. Ages 3+
Super sweet and sandy, this Kinetic Sand kit turns kids into confectioners. The colorful sand can be molded into candy bars and gummies and packaged up for serving in one of the candy cases. Kids loved playing with the sand—building and smashing their creations—and were excited about the candy theme. Ages 3+
These cars may be tiny, but they’re fast and furious. The die-cast cars were a favorite of car-collecting kids, including one whose parent said, “He loved looking at the different designs, lining them up, and racing them around the house. They’ve already become favorites.” Kids were impressed by the quality and design, sharing that the cars looked realistic—adding to the cool factor. Ages 3+
The best of both worlds, this bouncy plush from TY was a favorite of kid testers of all ages. Parents said their kids loved the soft feel and were impressed by how well they worked, despite their fuzzy texture. "The balls bounced really high and were fun to play with," one parent said. Ages 3+
A pocket-sized activity that parents loved using to keep kids busy, this Alma’s Way pinball machine is tiny but packed full of fun. Use the lever to send the balls bouncing through the aisles of Alma’s Bronx bodega, collecting points along the way. Ages 3+
These plush characters from popular book series Warrior Cats come in a surprise package, so kids don’t know which cat they’ll unbox. One kid tester shared, “I love them all,” adding, “they are so soft.” The 6-inch cats are perfect for playtime or collecting. Ages 3+
Before the rooster crows and rudely interrupts everyone’s sleep, it’s your job to gently wake them up instead. Race to collect animal cards and press on the rooster’s wings, inflating a balloon. Try to collect as many animals as you can before the balloon deflates, and the rooster yells “Cock-a-doodle-doooo!” Kids and parents loved the feeling of suspense, waiting for the rooster to squawk. Ages 4+
Your kid doesn’t have to know everything about D&D to get in on the fun. These blind-box collectibles are stuffed with cool dragon figurines, a D20 die, and a story starter to get the creative juices flowing for their first big campaign. Parents of kid testers were excited that the toy encouraged imaginative play. Ages 4+
Kids can uncover tons of fun with Gem Pets, which combines surprise toys, cute animals, and sparkling accessories all in one. Use the tools to scrape through the molded soap and find gems. Place the gems on the included accessories, and adorn the pet in your dazzling designs. Kids couldn’t get enough—literally. A parent shared, “My daughter already asked for a different one so she can collect more and play with both of them together." Ages 5+
With Sticki Rolls’ latest drop, kids can carry around flashy stickers with a little clip-on character, keeping them in the collector’s manual or passing them out to friends. The packages are blind boxes, so kids don’t know which character they’ll open, and kid testers were excited by the surprise, wanting to get more to grow their collection. Ages 5+
Kids were excited to work on a craft independently, without needing their parents’ help to set it up. The kit comes with lots of little peel-and-stick charms to adhere to a squiggly frame that’s fun to both design and display. When the frame is complete, kids can pick out their favorite picture to show off. Ages 6+
Players race to get rid of their cards by matching colors or numbers in this fast-paced family game. When someone’s hand is empty, they get to snag a (fake) wiggly gummy worm, trying to collect more than other players. According to parents, kids got competitive with the game and were thrilled by how realistic the gummy worms looked. Ages 6+
Instead of a traditional corn hole board and plain old bean bags, this version has a kittenish twist. Grab a card, read the instructions, and toss cool cats onto the cat condo to replicate whatever kooky activity the card says. Think naming a platform for your kitten to land on and only collecting points when it actually does or throwing kittens backwards over your shoulder. “This was a fun game to play as a family. We got a lot of laughs,” one parent shared. Ages 7+
A new twist on the Rubik’s Cube, this version is high-speed, light-up fun. The squares light up, and players have to quickly hit the button that will create a three-in-a-row sequence, whether it’s horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. Kids can play solo or with up to four players. “My son liked that it had multiple game modes and different difficulty levels,” one parent tester said. Ages 8+
Drawing games can feel intimidating when you’re not the most artistic person, but Mind the Lines gives kids a solid (or dotted) place to start. Players get a small dry-erase board covered in lines and a marker. After picking a clue, each player uses the existing lines to doodle a silly design—from a bike to a wedding cake. Kid testers enjoyed playing with their siblings and had fun guessing which clues corresponded with the drawings. Ages 10+
As we encourage kids and teens to get offline and play outside, old trends become new again. As a result, the Hack Sack is back and just as entertaining as ever. The simple toy is “Good, classic fun!” according to a parent, and kids testers loved showing it off to their friends. Ages 5+
