These Are the Best New Toys Under $25 for 2024

These are cars with a big "wow" factor: They start off flat, thinner than a cell phone, and then kids can launch them and see as they pop into a 3D car shape. They drive fast, too. "He loved the novelty of this toy," one parent said. "He showed it to a lot of people." Another noted that everyone who saw it wanted to try it out. Ages 5+

This toy is a great value not only for its price, but because there are so many play features packed into one burger. Kids can stack the ingredients and work on their fine motor coordination. They can pop the center out of each ingredient, turning it into a mini puzzle. They can even use the pieces as a ring toss game. "She loved the different colors of it," one parent said. "Not only was she assembling it, she was counting the shapes and saying the colors of them." Ages 1+

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All of the Kanoodle variants have been popular on TikTok, and after testing this new one, we can see why: It's a mental challenge to figure out how to put all the different-shaped pieces in to solve the puzzle. This one even has a timer so you can see who can complete each challenge the fastest. "I like that I could easily take it with me places or in the car," one 10-year-old tester said. "I liked the challenge of it." Ages 7+

Kids will get a sensory delight with this steering wheel, which is soft to the touch, has pedals that crinkles, a horn that squeaks along with lights and sounds. Experts also liked that it could attach to a stroller for on-the-go fun. Ages 3 months+

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A groovy DIY project, kids can use this lava lamp to express their creativity, choosing the color of the globs, add sprinkles and put a colorful sticker on the outside. "They were excited about the colors," one parent said. Ages 8+

Testers didn't just love the way these plush felt, they love how they smelled, too! The bee has a lemon meringue pie scent, the caterpillar smells like green apple, the ladybug smells like strawberry and the snail smells like cinnamon rolls. Yum! Ages 3+

Kids who love strategy card games like Pokémon or Magic: The Gathering can now play one with the Disney twist. Testers liked this because it actually taught them how to play: It starts with just a fraction of the deck, and when players master how to use those cards, they can unlock more of the deck with different types of cards. "I like the board design," said one 8-year-old tester. "I like the characters in the deck. I like unlocking new packs so it keeps you motivated. It's a fun game." Ages 8+

A twist on construction blocks, rather than being rigid, these are squishy and stretchy. Some of them are even filled with items like beads or stars, adding a sensory experience. Even adults couldn't resist playing with them! Some testers noted that there weren't enough to build with on their own, but they liked mixing these blocks in with other building sets. Ages 2+

DIY bracelets are all the rage, but you've never seen any like these: Some of the beads are actually small rolls of stickers! Kids can dole them out, use them to decorate their school supplies and share them with friends as they see fit. And there are always refills for when they run out. "Then they got to wear the jewelry and play with the stickers, so there were two layers of play involved," one parent tester said. Ages 5+

For kids who love stickers, this toy lets them apply up to 300 round as easy as a stamp. There's an activity book they can use their stickers on, and they're easy to remove. The tube-like sticker stamper comes in different themes, too, including unicorn and dinosaur. "It was so easy to use and kept her entertained — great for travel!" one parent said. Ages 3+

Axolotls are the hot toy of the year, and this one lets kids have a "pet" axolotl of their own. It sings, lights up, and, when you put it in water (in its inflatable pool or in the bath), it shakes its tail like it's swimming. When it's held in a hand, it acts like a mood ring. Ages 5+

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Fair hair is on-trend, and this toy lets kids show off their style with tinsel and other hair accessories, like pony beads and air elastics. "She really enjoyed the colors of hair tinsel provided," one parent tester said. Ages 6+

A hot-potato-style game with an active twist, players are tasked with performing an action before passing the chicken along — hoping the timer doesn't run out before they can get rid of it. "I like how many of the cards involve exercise type things — I was actually winded one game," one parent said. "It's easy to understand, and the variety of cards/tasks keep it interesting." Ages 4+

The mini-everything trend shows no sign of slowing down, and this time it gets a Barbie twist. There are a lot of Mini Barbieland sets to choose from, too. (They even come with tiny Barbie dolls.) "She thought the toys and dolls were cute and loved that the house was a mini version of the regular size Barbie DreamHouse," one parent tester said. Ages 4+

This kit is a little STEM, a little DIY and a little art all rolled into one package. Kids mix ingredients and then pour them into mix-and-match squishies molds to create their own squishies characters — and then they can switch up the heads and bodies of the molds to make more. "They especially enjoyed that they could pick the color to make it their own," one parent said. "The directions were so simple and fun." Ages 6+

This game has an innovative, spy-themed mechanic: Players have to try and sneak up on the camera and disable it without being caught on film twice. (It's good for their motor coordination.) "My son felt like he was in a spy movie, and had lots of fun hiding behind furniture and jumping around the room avoiding being spotted by the camera," one parent said. Ages 6+

Kids have long enjoyed the sensory feeling of Kinetic Sand, and this set gives them a new mode to play with it. It comes with different stamp heads, and it's mesmerizing to watch the sand flow through the stamper to make an image. Even the carrying case was a hit. “She loved that it had a little briefcase to hold the sand that she could bring with her,” one parent noted. Ages 5+

This kit turns kids into writers, helping them make their own storybooks complete with words, illustrations, stickers and even an about-the-author section. It comes with things like vocabulary lists and prompts to get them started, too. "She loved the included story ideas and stickers to help spark ideas for illustrations and writing," one parent said. Ages 5+

In this game, players are cave people who are racing to get food — but they have to watch out for the dinosaur, who can knock them down with its tongue (or steal the snacks). "My children loved pressing the button on the Snack-o-Saurus Rex to eat the snacks," one parent said. "It's a magnetic mechanism that works in a manner similar to the classic game Hungry Hungry Hippos, but it functions much more smoothly and is a lot of fun." Ages 5+

This is for kids who love surprise unboxing toys, but it has a cute twist to it: Kids have to put little letters in a mailbox, and they get a package in return, culminating in them uncovering a Secret Findees doll. “It was such a fun, extended surprise unboxing!” one parent told us. “And she loved that she could put it back together and repeat the surprise.” Ages 4+