This year’s kids gift guide has finds for all the little ones in your life, from infants to tweens. Ahead are 34 playful suggestions, including the must-have toys of the season, dressy sneakers, dress-up clothing, cuddly creatures, and more. Plus, for the new parents, a high-tech bassinet that gently rocks babies to sleep.
Turtle Plus Blocks
An award-winning choice in the Baby Soft Toys competition, the Italian Clemmy Turtle holds 15 huggable blocks within its shell.
Paper-Plane Launcher
The Sky Paper PPL-1 blasts paper planes up to a hundred feet and can stack three at a time for rapid-fire launch.
(Update: This toy is sold out everywhere, but you can pre-order it here for January 2017.)
Hybrid Animals
Animals don’t like labels either: Mix and match interchangeable parts to create, say, a giraffephant.
Little Levi Jumpsuit
This infant one-piece looks like cool-kid denim, but is knit in soft cotton.
Stretch Armstrong
The original gel-filled action figure, whose legs, arms, and torso can be pulled to four times his size, is primed for a comeback thanks to a new Netflix series on him scheduled for 2017.
Taco Booties
Dyed, spun, felted, and stitched by hand in Kyrgyzstan.
Paper Lion Costume
Because 3-year-olds love playing dress-up in thick recycled paper printed with nontoxic ink.
Cuddly Llama
An incredibly plush fleece llama who, according to his Etsy creator NaBakir, “loves hugs.”
Baby’s First Mermaid Tail
The mermaid blanket sweeping your social-media accounts is also available in kid form, thanks to the artisans who weave these cozy tails by hand.
Baby Beanie
The wool-cashmere blend provides warmth; the pom-poms just look really cute.
Girl Gear
An Under Armour pullover with dual-layer heat-trapping interior is a guaranteed-to-be-worn gift for kids.
The Return of The Little Mermaid
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid paired with Yayoi Kusama’s haunting undulating line drawings.
Dressy Sneakers
A two-tone pair of little-girls’ Keds that can be dressed up with a cute skirt or down with jeans.
The Must-Have Toy of the Season
Listen for your Hatchimal’s heartbeat; wait for it to break through its shell; then teach it to talk and play.
Animatronic Dragon
Rub his tummy and Torch displays over 50 sounds and motions. He also breathes fire, a.k.a. red mist.
Pre-Tween Tutu
An elastic-waisted tulle skirt from Kate Spade that is surprisingly machine-washable.
Stinky the Garbage Truck
Sometimes Stinky’s all business (zooming, collecting trash), sometimes he’s up on his hind legs giving high-fives.
Build-Your-Own Racetrack
Tracks are easily twistable, making for complex, looping courses.
Fridge-Art Doll
A Shark Tank–birthed start-up that’ll turn your kid’s drawing of a head with seven arms into a stuffed doll.
Modular Dollhouse
Mini-architects can create whatever kind of dwelling they have in mind — a two-story townhouse or a Venice Beach bungalow — with the 41-block Manhattan Toy Mio Doll House set.
Next-Level Legos
Lux Blox can be connected via a snap-and-lock hinge, allowing for bendable structures.
Armani Baby Bottles
Only the best for bambino. Comes in a pack of three.
Westworld Fort
Turn the playroom into a dystopian cowboy prestige drama. Tree stump and bale of hay sold separately.
Baby Benz
Comes in white or yellow and features real LED headlamps and taillights.
Nerf Battle Racer
A pedal-powered go-kart outfitted with a Nerf gun, for kids ages 4 to 10.
Minimalist Robot
Unlike clunky DIY tech toys, Cubetto is a smiling wooden bot on wheels that subtly teaches coding.
Mini Motorcycle
Ten-year-olds with a need for speed will get their fix as the Mongoose MGX 250 revs up to 10 miles per hour.
Mini Moto Jacket
Real leather, quilted patches, and an asymmetrical zip for the badass-in-training.
Barbie’s Smart Home
Her new Hello Dreamhouse uses Wi-Fi-enabled speech recognition to open doors.
Covetable Baby Kitchen
The Grand Luxe comes with a mosaic backsplash, Keurig-style coffeemaker, and working stove lights.
Flare Dress
A zipper straight down the front gives this little girl’s Milly number some edge.
Heavy-Duty Kids Snowsuit
The seat and knees are reinforced with an extra waterproof layer.
Fashion’s First Selfie Stick
Courrèges and Minolta’s 1984 AC301 camera has a front-facing mirror and self-portrait “extender.”
A Sleeping Baby
The SNOO, a collaboration between pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp and designer Yves Béhar, is a sleep-training bassinet for babies up to 6 months old. Designed to mimic the womb, it rocks your baby while playing gentle swishing noises and turns up the volume and speed if he starts to cry. It worked like a charm on the 1-month-old in this very picture.
*This article appears in the November 28, 2016, issue of New York Magazine.
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