The Top Toys And Games
Here’s our pick of The Must Have Toys 2018 for all ages and interests. These are the toys and games we think will be the best sellers for Christmas 2018. The list includes the latest toys for toddlers and babies, family games, collectible toy crazes, arts and crafts toys and other STEM toys. Most toys and games on our list are brand new this year. All links take you to Amazon [disclosure].
If you’re looking for a last-minute toy bargain, see Amazon’s Last Minute Deals for kids. Or check out the Christmas Toy Lists from all the top retailers and look through the top toys from ITV’s How To Spend It Well at Christmas 2018.
Vector Robot
New from the people at Anki, Vector is powered by AI and advanced robotics to answer questions, take pictures, navigate and self-charge. Requires a compatible iOS or Android device and the free Vector app for set-up.
Nerf Laser Ops Pro Alphapoint
Selected as the best toy on How To Spend It Well At Christmas 2018 was Nerf Laser Ops Pro Alphapoint. Also on the Christmas Toy Lists of Argos, Amazon, Smyths, John Lewis and Hamleys. This is a no dart Nerf that’s ready to play out of the box. Like Laser Quest at home.
Must Have Toys 2018 – The Sock Game
New from Spinmaster, The Sock Game came top of the games on How To Spend It Well at Christmas 2018. You use touch to find objects in the stripey sock. The first player to pull out the particular thing before the time stops is the winner.
Morfboard
Transforms from scooter to skateboard in seconds, no tools required. Designed for kids ages 8+. See other present ideas for children aged 9-11. Featured in the Thrill Seekers category of the Dream Toys 2018. We think this is one of the Must Have Toys 2018.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Boxer The Robot
New for 2018, Boxer Robot is also on Amazon’s Top Ten Toys For Christmas as well as the Argos Predictions 2018, Hamleys Top 12 Toys For Christmas and Smyths Top 15 Toys For Christmas. Boxer is a new AI robot with a big personality. There are many ways to play including tricks and games with a free app to extend play possibilities. See other robots on our STEM page.
Fingerlings Hugs
On the Argos Christmas List 2018 and winner in the plush toy category at the BlogOn Toy Awards. This is the cuddly toy version of the very popular Fingerlings Monkeys which were big for Christmas last year and are still Must Have Toys 2018.
Little Tikes Wonder Lab
Overall winner of the 10th annual Rainbow Toy Awards. Fabulous STEM play toy for curious minds. There are 20+ hands on experiments. For children aged 3+.
Laser X Twin Pack
The ultimate high tech game of tag. You can play inside or out, day or night. One of the Dream Toys 2018.
Chow Crown
The new game Chow Crown is one of Amazon’s Top Ten Toys for Christmas 2018. The aim is to eat the spinning food before the music stops. Snacks not provided. We think this will be one of the Must Have Toys 2018. It could be the Pie Face of this Christmas. See other new and classic Family Games.
Cra-Z-Slimy Creations
Slime is still sticking around as a huge craze. We have the Cra-Z-Slimy kit on our list of Toy Crazes.
Fingerlings Untamed Jailbreak T-Rex Playset
The Fingerlings continue to be a huge toy trend. The dinosaur collection now includes this playset which comes with a T-Rex dinosaur.
Harry Potter Wizard Training Wand
Just to prove that Harry Potter is as popular as ever. The Training Wand was also winner of the 2018 National Parenting Product Awards and is on the list of Dream Toys 2018. Comes in Hermione wand too.
Elmer’s Slime Starter Kit
Slime is still a big toy craze. This is a new starter pack with glue, glue pens and slime activator. Washable and child-friendly.
LOL Surprise! Pop-Up Store
Also on our post about LOL Surprise Dolls and one of our Toy Crazes. This is perfect to play, display and carry away your LOLs. Comes with one doll and holds around 55 others that you have collected separately.
Dream Toys 2018 – LOL Surprise Under Wraps
And to underline the popularity of the LOLs, here’s another Dream Toy. LOL Surprise Under Wraps contains 15 surprises. Also features on our page of Toy Crazes. Also on the Christmas Lists of Argos, Smyths and Hamleys.
Gravitrax
Use the Gravitrax starter set to create incredibly demanding ball runs. Also one of John Lewis’s Christmas Toys and an Amazon Choice toy. See our page on STEM toys.
Ozbozz Unicorn Scooter
Must Have scooter for all you unicorn fans. With light-up wheels and easy fold and lock mechanism.
Zoomer Hungry Bunnies
An interactive bunny that really eats paper treats! See other toys for ages 5-8 years. Features in the Paws and Claws section of the Dream Toys.
Roarivores
Large dinosaur figures from the Jurassic World movies. Dinosaur toys are always very popular with kids. Complete with realistic sounds and articulated arms and legs. For kids 3+. See other toys for 3-4 year olds.
Scruff A Luvs
Very cute concept toy where your kids turn a scruffy ball in to their new FFF (furry friend forever). Wash, dry, brush and love these adorable pets. Includes grooming kit and adoption certificate. Definitely one of the Must Have Toys 2018.
Messi Training Ball
New Championship edition warm-up ball from Lionel Messi to practise keepie uppies, flicks and control.
Robo Chameleon
New robot toy for younger kids (3+) which is fun and easy to use. It even shoots out its tongue to catch its food. A Toy Award winner for 2018. See other STEM toys.
Barbie Kitchen
New for 2018, the ultimate Barbie kitchen comes complete with doll, kitchen gadgets and Barbie dough. Barbie was first created in 1959 and is still a very popular toy. The kitchen is one of the Dream Toys 2018. Barbie Dream House is on the Christmas List of Smyths.
Aquadoodle Deluxe
New Aquadoodle with rainbow feature and seven accessories. Mess-free creative art for 18 mos+. See our other picks of toys for Babies and Toddlers.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Harry Potter LEGO Hogwarts Great Hall
One of the Dream Toys 2018. Brand new Harry Potter LEGO for ages 9-14 years including the very impressive Hogwarts Great Hall. See our other STEM Toys.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Fairy Light Garden
To add to the best-selling Fairy Garden toy collection is the new Fairy Light Garden. It lights up and plays harp music too. A must have toy for children 4+ who love fairies. See other Toys For Ages 3-4 years. See other craft toys on our STEM Toys page.
Kinetic Sand Beach Kingdom
We are big fans of Kinetic Sand. This new set – Beach Kingdom – allows you build sandcastles even when it isn’t beach weather! Winner in the Creative category at the recent BlogOn Toy Awards.
Harry Potter Talking Sorting Hat
Harry Potter;s Talking Sorting Hat (which you’ll remember from the films) features as one of our top toys 2018. Winner of the Bloggers’ Choice Award at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2018.
Power Tracks
Power Tracks set in the Action Science range from John Adams. Teaches the first steps of coding and circuit building. For 5+. This is a must have STEM toy for curious kids.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Jetts Razor Trainer Wheels
These trainer wheels were one of the Hero Toys 2018. Includes spark pads and skid pads.
Toot Toot Pirate Ship
Plenty of play possibilities with a firing cannon and three figures included. Great toy for ages 1 year+.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Botley Coding Robot
Another of the Hero Toys 2018, this much-anticipated coding robot is suitable for ages 5 years+. Kids can programme Botley to perform a sequence of steps as he avoids obstacles, manoeuvres courses and moves objects. On our current list of STEM Toys.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Fingerlings Dinosaur
On Argos’s Christmas List 2018, the TRex toy is new from Fingerlings. The Fingerlings monkeys were huge last Christmas. See our blog post about the Fingerlings with all the latest products.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Treasure X
New collectible toy craze on the Christmas Toy Predictions from Argos and Christmas Toy List from Smyths. See our page on the Latest Toy Crazes.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Sylvanian Department Store
Wow, a huge new playset for your Sylvanian Families. Features a two-storey department store with a working lift.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Star Wars LEGO Millennium Falcon
This is a massive LEGO set containing nearly 1500 pieces. Suitable for ages 9-14 years, this looks set to be a best-seller for Christmas. See other LEGO new releases 2018.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Twisty Petz
Twisty Petz are beautiful, collectible little pets that transform in to bracelets. Suitable for ages 4+. There are 70 to collect. We think these will be one of the must have toys of the year.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Pie Face Cannon
New for 2018 from Hasbro in the Pie Face family. Pie Face Cannon carries on the Pie Face tradition but fires the whipped cream this time! For ages 5+.
Fortnite Monopoly
Inspired by the popular Fortnite video game. Here’s the Monopoly edition for 2-7 players. Earn Health Point Chips instead of Monopoly money to stay in the game. For ages 13+.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Dance and Groove Rockit
New for 2018, Rockit encourages babies and toddlers to dance along to the music. See our other toy picks for babies and toddlers.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Paw Patrol Fire Truck
This is a great playset from the very popular Paw Patrol brand. Features a 2 ft extending ladder and much more. Lots of possibilities for imaginative play. On the list of Christmas Must Have Toys from Argos, Smyths and Amazon. One of the Dream Toys 2018.
Must Have Toys 2018 – VTech Crawl Along Doll
New crawl along doll in the Little Love range. Suitable for ages 2+.
Slam-It!
New card game from Ideal. So, if you love Dobble and Uno, this might well be for you. Lots of family fun for 2+ players aged 6+.
Speak Out Showdown
New game from Hasbro that builds on the very successful Speak Out game. This is the competitive ‘showdown’ version for ages 8+. Suitable for 4+ players. Included on our current list of Family Games.
Strictly Come Dancing Game
At last, there’s a Strictly board game complete with the voice of Craig Revel Horwood. This is one of the Hero Toys 2018 from the London Toy Fair and it is set to be one of the must have toys 2018.
Must Have Toys 2018 – Hamster Race
New game for ages 4+ where you race around the track, pick up cheese, tip the see saw and ride the wheel. Last hamster on the track wins.
What makes Must Have Toys 2018?
Must have toys 2018 are new or trending toys which are very desirable. They are likely to be the most-wanted Christmas presents. However, children don’t find the things they want for Christmas in toy shops any more. Neither do they get their gift ideas from TV ads. Social media is the big driver for the best new toys 2018.
Even kids who are too young for Instagram or Snapchat see new toys and games on YouTube. Furthermore, with the rise of social media, must have toys can come and go quickly.
Many vloggers work exclusively to market toys. This ramps up at Christmastime. Indeed, some influencers are very young children who are paid to promote products. The larger brands like LEGO have their own channels. Therefore, where toys are concerned, it can be hard to distinguish what is entertainment and what is marketing.
Toy Trends
It’s very hard to predict what will be the next big trend in the toy world. These predictions go into over-drive during the Christmas season as shops vie to get parents to buy certain toys as presents. The biggest shops and online retailers such as Amazon, Argos, John Lewis and Hamleys all publish lists of toys and games they think will be the biggest sellers.
However, there are plenty of toys and games that have stood the test of time. Others reinvent themselves to remain relevant for children.
Information about this page
This page is for information only: a listing does not mean a recommendation or endorsement. Some toys are listed for particular ages or genders. This is only to reflect popular search internet search terms. We are not making any judgements on suitability and you are advised to check any products you purchase via links on this page are age appropriate. We only test products where stated. You are strongly advised to check the profile of online sellers including delivery times, prices and product availability before you buy. Must Have Toys is an Amazon Associate which means we earn through qualifying purchases made via links on this page.