Toy Takeover! The Coolest Gadgets, Toys and Games of 2026 Have Arrived

Scout Life’s kid testers give you the scoop on the best stuff this holiday season. They’ve made their top picks to help you make your holiday wish list.

From drawing robots to creative crafts and mysterious games, these are some of the best toys, games and gadgets of 2026!

All prices listed are MSRP — manufacturer’s suggested retail price. You can often find better prices at stores or online.

FIN-TASTIC

Make a splash with Rainbow Reef Shark — it swims just like a real one! Our 8- and 12-year-old sibling testers, along with their dog Cody, had a blast chasing the shark in the pool and making up different games to play. $21.99

KNIT IT UP!

The Learn to Knit Kit Deluxe comes with everything you need to make a cozy scarf and headband, something you can keep or give as gifts! You’ll learn two knitting techniques using the step-by-step printed instructions and/or YouTube video tutorial. The kit includes colorful heavy-duty yarn, knitting needles, a loom, loom hook and more. $29.99

MIX IT UP

With the Kinetic Sand Smoothie Mixer, every day’s a party! Our 7-year-old tester and her friends whipped up different pretend smoothies and frozen ice pops — layering, cutting, smushing, molding, blending and more. Tip from tester’s mom: Play on the floor or somewhere else easy to clean up. $9.99

FLAG OF THE FUTURE

Play a modernized version of the classic game with Redux Capture the Flag. Now the light-up and glow-in-the-dark pieces keep the fun going even after the sun goes down. Our four testers (ages 6 to 15) declare it “definitely a winner.” At least four players are needed for this game of speed and strategy. Includes eight light-up markers, eight glow bracelets, five territory markers, two orbs and 10 downloadable game variations. $59.90

YUMMY SCIENCE!

With I’m the Chef Too! kits, you’ll learn cool science — then eat it! Our 6-year-old tester and her mom made white chocolate “fossils” with the molds provided in the Fudgy Fossil Dig kit. Then they buried them in a chocolate cake and built a dig site out of chocolate rocks and cookie dirt. Kits come with most ingredients and tools — just add basics like water, eggs and pans. You can buy a subscription ($14.48-$36.95) or individual kits ($36.95-$113.95 each).

UP, DOWN, ALL AROUND

Our 7-year-old tester and the whole neighborhood crew (ages 5, 10 and 12) had “way too much fun with this!” We’re talking about the Rail Cube Magnetic Monorail Starter Block Set. They built their own track designs — even sideways loops and tricks. The set includes 32 easy-to-connect cubes and a mini train. Add on more Rail Cube pieces and sets for bigger builds. $99.99

ART BOT

A robot that’s “super cute”? That’s exactly what our testers (ages 6 to 13) said about the GROWNSY Smart Drawing Robot. It’s also super easy to use. Just show the robot one of the 150 picture cards — from animals to cakes, trees and bikes — and it draws the scene right on the dry-erase board! Markers and dry-erase board included. $69.95

NEXT-LEVEL LEGO

They might look like regular LEGO bricks. But LEGO SMART Play bricks and minifigs come alive — changing color, lighting up and even making sounds. How? Tiny sensors, LEDs and speakers. Pick from themes like Star Wars, Peanuts, Pokémon, Ninjago or LEGO DUPLO. $69.99-$159.99.

BUILD AND RACE

Build it — then race it! After putting together 414 bricks to create the Wise Block RC Racing Car, use the 4-way remote control to give it a spin. What’s really cool is that the bricks work with most building-block brands, so you have even more ways to be creative. $36.99

QUIET TIME

Stuck inside on a bad weather day? Bring the action indoors with Incredible Silent Sports Balls. Our four testers, ages 6 to 15, tried out the basketball, soccer ball, volleyball and mini basketball with hoop. Just like the name says, the foam balls make zero noise and hold up to some seriously rough play. Tip: Keep the action in the playroom or basement so the adults stay happy. $19.99

SUPERHERO SWIM

Jump in the pool for a great time with Air Boat Batman from SwimWays. Pump the back of the boat until Batman’s head is fully inflated, place it on the water — and then watch the air boat take off! Besides Batman, you can also choose from Pufferfish, Spider-Man, Iron Man and Monster Jam Megalodon. $14.99

WATCH OUT!

Not ready for a smartwatch yet? Your parents might be OK with a TickTalk 6, which allows voice and video calls, messages, GPS and more. Our 7-year-old tester used it for playing music, snapping photos, and chatting with family and friends. Plans with no contract start at $9.99 a month. $159.99

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Looking for a challenge? You’ll get one with the National Geographic Four-Cylinder Engine-Building Kit. The instructions are easy to follow, but watch out — you’ll have to keep track of 175 tiny parts. Our 15-year-old tester said, “It was very cool to see how everything connected to make a functioning system.” $49.99

SCORE!

Puck Shot! combines shuffleboard and cornhole. Flip your puck onto the target board to score points and knock your opponents’ pucks off. Whoever gets 21 points first wins. Our 7-year-old tester played with her parents for family game night. “It’s easy to set up,” she said. “Flipping the puck was challenging, but once we got it down, we were screaming!” $17.99

MUSICAL MATH

Musical Math Make music by solving math problems! Make Music Count is “cool and makes math fun!” according to our 7-year-old tester. Get a problem right and you earn a musical note. Collect enough notes and you’ll have a whole pop song. Three different kits cover everything from basic math to algebra, with more than 1,500 songs to play. A keyboard is included — but no piano skills are needed. $49.99-$99.99

AQUA-MAZING

After building the 125-piece Aqua Maze Water Marble Run, use the scoop to pour water and floating marbles through the top spouts. The wheels will spin, water dumpers will dump and the whirlpool vortex will whirl, taking the marbles along for the ride. There’s a waterproof mat to place under the maze, but you’ll still want to take it all outside. $45.95

BUILD AND ENERGIZE!

Energize your building experience with Snap Circuits Bric: Structures from Elenco. Your constructions will light up and make different sounds due to the set’s circuitry system that involves actual electricity. (Don’t worry — it’s all safe!) You can create over 20 projects from more than 200 parts. $58.95

BIG GIFTS, SMALL BOXES

Get ready for spinning fun with new Peanuts yo-yos from Duncan! These special holiday yo-yos show off Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the whole gang. They’re built tough with strong plastic and smooth metal parts, so they spin great and can handle lots of playtime. $9.99 each

Our testers, ages 6 to 15, fought over who got to play Rubik’s Rush! Getting three same-colored lights in a row sounds easy, but it gets tricky fast! The testers, who loved playing the game in the car, say the color-coded directions were easy to figure out on their own. $19.

Make more than 15 new furry friends with Bitzee Doghouse, including a corgi, pug and bulldog. Feed and play games with your virtual pets, or even connect with a human friend for side-by-side play. Our 7-year-old tester collected every single pup and keeps the doghouse in her purse so they’re always with her. $19.99

Whodunit? That’s for you to figure out! The Prime Suspect Deluxe card game comes with 45 different mysteries and three difficulty levels, and you can play alone or with others. Using logic and deduction, our 12-year-old tester said she had fun solving the cases. $19.99

Our 6-, 11- and 13- year-old testers couldn’t get enough of Kraft Squishi Toys and FluffMellies. They loved how the foam toys — mac-and-cheese, ice cream, pastries, dumplings and more — look and feel. Plus, they’re tough enough to handle lots and lots of squishing! $3.99-$14.99