We've left no stone unturned in this ultimate guide of the top Christmas toys 2022.
Christmas is an extra special time for children, from writing letters to the North Pole in the hope that Santa will leave the gifts they've asked for to discovering what's waiting under the tree on Christmas Day. But knowing what to get the little ones in your life isn't always easy, which is why we've scrutinised the top picks from retailers and toy experts to put together this ultimate list of top Christmas toys for 2022.
Whether you're looking for toys for tots or tweens, there's something for everyone on this list, which features recommendations from all the major toy brands and retailers. So don't leave it to the last minute this year and spend your December scrambling for gifts, instead take a look at these top Christmas toys for 2022, then all that's left to do is wrap them - all while wearing your best Christmas jumpers (opens in new tab).
Top Christmas toys for babies
This Fat Brain learning toy comes with 6 chunky, uniquely textured shapes - a cube, a diamond, a sphere, a triangle, a flower and the Fat Brain logo - and a cube made of elastic bands. While pushing the shapes through the elastic bands children can learn shape sorting and colour recognition, as well as providing a sensory experience. Designed for frustration-free play, this toy provides endless hours of educational fun that supports motor and problem solving skills.
With a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on Amazon from over 3,000 reviewers, it certainly seems the InnyBin is a safe bet for those buying for the youngest family member. One reviewer said: "I got this for Christmas for my 14 month old. She loves it! She can pull out the toys and put them back in, and it seems to keep her pretty entertained. The blocks are big, and easy to handle for little hands."
An adorable friend and an instant baby-soother! Fold the crinkly ears over the eyes for a game of peek-a-boo. Explore the fascinating fabric textures and then give it a squeeze to hear it squeak. The trunk blows a puff of air for a gentle distraction that quickly turns tears into giggles!
It's hard to go wrong with a sensory toy, and Amazon reviewers certainly seems to agree. One happy customer wrote: "My baby loves it so much that we lost the first and bought it again. No cons my baby plays with it everyday."
This calming plush panda helps calm little ones down at the end of the day. Press the tummy to cycle through four bedtime melodies, each accompanied by a red light and a vibration synced to the rhythm of a resting heartbeat - or press it a fifth time to hear the heartbeat on its own.
With a friendly, embroidered face and unique patterns and textures for baby to explore during play, this adorable plush panda is the perfect friend to have as part of your bedtime routine.
A comforting companion to find under the tree, all Tendresse dolls include a delicate ribbon necktie and soft, long legs for easy gripping making them super cuddly. The dolls come in a variety of personalities and outfits and can be personalised with any name. Packaged in an elegant gift box, Tendresse make the perfect Christmas gift to find under the tree for children of all ages.
Giselle the giraffe makes the most adorable companion for your little one. A gorgeous safari toy made with soft-to-touch fabric, she's perfect for snuggling up to before bed and for imaginary play.
Giselle comes perfectly presented in a luxury white and gold box with a personalised poem all ready to gift, making her the perfect present for first birthdays, new baby's, Christmas, christenings and many more special occasions!
Babbico has a range of different gift boxed animals - perfect for those who are buying for twins or siblings - including Bertie the Bunny (opens in new tab), Bobby the Christmas Bear (opens in new tab), and Elba the Elephant (opens in new tab).
Something for the younger kids, this DJ Bouncin' Beats turns playtime into a party and is a great learning toy too. When little ones press the buttons, this interactive dance partner bounces to life with colourful lights, motorised spring action, and 75+ songs, sounds, and phrases that teach the alphabet, counting, colours, and more. With 3 Smart Stages levels and lots of exciting bouncing action, the DJ Bouncin' Beats toy helps keep little dancers wiggling, giggling and learning as they grow.
Make bathtime fun with your very own dinosaur to dunk. This toy has suction cup so can easily be attached to your bath or tiles, and the pouring cup and water wheel makes for an easy way to shower little heads too, while aiding development through some imaginative fun. Not only is this dino fun to play with, his clever spinning motion encourages hand-eye coordination too.
Top Christmas toys for children under 2
Tested by: Jessica Dady (opens in new tab), mum-of-two to a five year old and three year old.
Good times are guaranteed on any trip out on the water with favourite cartoon character Peppa Pig. This fun bath time toy is made of three pieces: a water pourer, a sprinkle pourer and a wheelhouse. All the pieces fit together in the boat's hull for puzzle solving fun, too. Grandpa Pig and Peppa Pig can sail in the boat, or dip them in the water and give them a squeeze to fill them up, then watch them shoot out water.
Toy company TOMY (opens in new tab) says: "[This] set will help develop fine motor skills, demonstrate links between cause and effect all while encouraging role play and storytelling."
Our tester says: "A big hit with our 2-year-old niece who adores Peppa Pig. A good size for storing in the bathroom and easy to clean too. The perfect role-play toy where you can get involved with your little one taking it in turns to be Peppa or Grandad Pig."
Tested by: Jessica Dady, mum-of-two to a five year old and three year old.
This colourful toy features four different rings that will interlock if assembled in the right order, designed to encourage developmental play for babies and toddlers and promote logic and problem-solving skills.
Hitching a ride is baby dino - freshly hatched from his egg - shake him about to hear his cute growl. Whether your child is crawling or walking, they can pull mummy dino along and watch her tail move, with baby on her back.
Our tester says: "This pull-along Ankylosaurus is perfect for a variety of different play - whether it's stacking the rings on the back of the dinosaur, pulling it along over different surfaces, or pretending you've got your very own pet dino along with a newly hatched infant. A durable toy that was dropped several times and still looked as good as it did when we opened the box."
Tested by: Jessica Dady, mum-of-two to a five year old and three year old.
The Bubble and Bake Bathtime Kitchen provides the unique experience of being in the bath and the kitchen all at once! Using the suction pads that cling to the bath, attach the oven/hob cooker combination and kitchen sink (with a working tap!) together or they can be set up separately - ideal if two children want to share or do their own thing at opposite ends of the tub.
Included cookware includes a ladle, a pie dish and a pan that doubles as a water pourer. Place the pan on the hob, add some water and pump the yellow button - when you look inside and you’ll see bubbles rising for a simmering effect. If you add a few drops of bubble bath you can even make the pot 'boil over'.
Our tester says: "My 3-year-old daughter loved playing with this. She was pretending to make the whole family birthday cakes including her 5-year-old brother and cousin who wanted to get in on the action. They started saying they were a cake-delivering company that delivered birthday cakes made by Alice. Very sweet. I would recommend for kids who are particularly interested in Alice in Wonderland, the Disney Junior show or into 'baking'. A great inactive toy that encourages imagination play."
Tested by: Jessica Dady, mum-of-two to a five year old and three year old.
Spin & Hatch Dino Eggs is a spinning incubator that includes 5 cute colourful classic dinosaurs: T. Rex, raptor, stegosaurus, triceratops & Pteranodon. Fill the spinning incubator and help the dinos hatch by pushing the level and watching them spin until they release! You can also give each of these little dinos a shake and hear their growling sounds. Matching the 5 dino egg shell tops to the correct colour bottoms is a perfect activity for developing logic, problem solving and fine motor skills.
Our tester says: "Great for younger kids who love the idea of spinning things and letting them fly out everywhere for pure entertainment. Mix and match dinosaur eggs which are vibrant in colour - making them easy to spot around the house and quick to clean with a damp cloth or wet wipe."
The Rocking Tricycle by Janod gives toddlers two different types of active fun. With the rockers on they can't go too far but can feel themselves getting some serious motion going, helping to develop their confidence, balance and core strength. With the rockers off it becomes a no-pedal trike, on which they can steer themselves using the handlebars and really start to explore the world around them.
Wooden toys never go out of style, and we love this Melissa & Doug grocery cart. Filled with fun skill-building activities, young kids can sort colourful chunky wooden food shapes through holes in the sides of the cart, and place them in two wooden puzzle boards that store in the cart.
Spin the built-in roller drum for sensory stimulation and matching games, and enhance imitative pretend play with a realistic coffee cup with removable lid that fits in a cup holder in the cart. As kids grow, using the cart as a push toy helps build motor skills and inspire imaginative play. A great way to encourage kids 12 months and older to explore problem-solving and cause-and-effect.
Top Christmas toys for toddlers
If you're buying for a Peppa Pig fan, then this toy is bound to bring some Christmas cheer when it appears under the tree. At 28-cm tall, this adorable doll features lights, sounds, speech and music. Push her forward gently or pull her back and then let her go to make her move on her skates while playing fun tunes. If the doll falls, she says encouraging phrases to get up and try again. This toy giggles and plays three songs too.
Get into the festive spirit with this doll, complete with a removable Santa hat and red reindeer onesie, your child can sing along to ‘Deck the Halls’ with the doll and activate more fun sounds and phrases by pressing his tummy.
This fun and festive doll is one of the Cocomelon toys range, based on the popular YouTube channel for preschool kids that aims to help children learn letters, numbers, animal sounds, colours, and more through beautiful 3D animation and toe-tapping songs. With this doll, the packaging includes a cut out for extra fun.
If you're buying for a CBeebies fan then this toy might be the one for you, as it's based on the award-winning Numberblocks TV series. Children can use special edition Numberblocks MathLink Cubes to build the Numberblocks One to Ten in all the ways shown in the series, and master early maths skills through fun activities.
Each set includes 100 Numberblocks MathLink Cubes, 59 faceplates, 54 stickers, 11 Numberlings, 11 Character Cards, 15 double-sided write-and-wipe Activity Cards, one stand for Zero, and one Supporting Activity Guide, so kids have everyth