Top 10 Toy Must Haves for Boys & Girls

It seems like everyone has Christmas shopping on the brain this time of year.

Toys are everywhere.  Stores are stuffed with fun products and it can be overwhelming to navigate.

I am excited to share with you our Top 10 Toy Must Haves for Boys & Girls list today.  These are all toys that we use, love and own.  I'm not making a random list of affiliate links for you to shop based on a title.  These are all toys that are in our home and we love.  All the links below are my Amazon affiliate links.  That means that I'll making a very small commission on the toys your purchase through my links at no extra cost to yourself.  Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!!

The kids sat down to write out their Christmas wish lists and several of these toys are loved so much that they're asking for more.  For references, I have a 6.5 year old girl and a 3.5 year old boy.  All of these toys get their stamps of approval.

1. Picasso Tiles
I've talked about these for at least a year.  My kids got them last year and loved them so much they're getting more this year.  They play with them daily.  Each day they build new and different structures.  Some days they collaborate and other days they solo build.  They are the best toy!  We have never had one break even after rough play and can't recommend them enough.



2. Duplos
We've been adding to our Duplo collection for probably 5 years.  We have a giant basket full of Duplos.  They get played with all the time and are so much fun.  The kids have built zoos, garages, cities and can really enjoy playing together.  I love that they can build without all the frustration of having tons of tiny pieces (ie Legos).



3. Barbies
I mentioned this before, but it's worth saying again.  My kids love to play Barbies together as long as they have boy and girl Barbies to play with.  I've pulled out some of my old Ken dolls and New Kid's on The Block guys and the kids love playing Barbies together.  The mini Chelsea series of Barbies is also a hit at our house.  Olive asked for an is getting a Barbie house for Christmas.  We got both kids new boy/girl Barbies to play with.



4. Paw Patrol
Olive started the love of Paw Patrol a couple of years ago and we've just been adding to our collection ever since.  The Mighty Pups are hot on our current love list and Christmas wish lists this year.



5. Games
We are always up for adding new games to our collection.  I'll list our family favorites plus the new ones the kids are getting this year.  They are all kid/parent approved.  That means I won't be adding Chutes and Ladders to my list because that is my least favorite game of all time - ha!




6. Kindle Fire
Olive received this as a gift last year and it's been such a fun resource for us.  There are books, learning apps and games that both kids love to play.  We travel with it, it holds a charge for a very long time and it's kid and parent approved.  One day we'll get  both kids their own tablet, but for now it's perfect to have one tablet to share and take turns with.  It comes in so handy for flights, long car trips, sports activities, waiting at doctor appointments and it's great on the go.



7.  LOL Dolls
My daughter first started liking LOLs when she was 5ish.  The first version she got were glittery pets and they came with this sandy play-doh.  They were messy and not my favorite toy.  I'm VERY happy to report that LOL Dolls have changed for the better each year.  There are now many versions to buy and they are really fun.  She currently loves the LOL Glitter Globe dolls and the LOL Pets.  She loves to play with all of them and my son enjoys playing with the pets.  There are also Lil' LOLs, LOL Boys and LOL Fuzzy pets.  They come with little pieces and offer a fun variety.  You do not know which doll you are getting inside the packages.  Each ones is sealed and under wraps.  The doll + all of their accessories are disguised in blind bags so each item you open is a fun surprise.



8. Nerf Guns
We own a few Nerf Guns and they are on the wish list again this year.  Kevin LOVES them.  The kids LOVE them.  So Nerf guns are the perfect Dad activity at our house.  He supervises and they have the best time making toy towers to knock down and finding characters to use as Targets.  We don't let the kids play with these unsupervised.


9. Hatchimals
Olive gets most excited about the new Royal Hatchimals series, but both kids enjoy playing with them.  She put them on her wish list again for the 2nd or 3rd year in a row.  Each year Hatchimals seem to come up with a new version or a new variety of Hatchimals.  The royals have tiny accessories and are glittery.  It's not the kind of glitter that sheds at all.  It just makes the Royal Hatchimals sparkle.


10. Art Supplies
Both of my kids really enjoy doing art together.  You can't go wrong with Crayola markers.  Olive has the Crayola Inspiration Art Case and it's AMAZING.  It has held up so well over the years.  She feels very official with a case for her supplies.  We love it so much that we've gifted it to friends a time or two.  They love lots of different art supplies so I'll link our most used ones below.  These are all items that I've purchases a time or two and that we use on a regular basis.



Let me know if you have any questions!  It was fun to share our favorites with you.

What toys are on your family's favorite list??