Wondering what to get your little one? “The Toy Guy” shares his favorites

He may not be Santa, but he knows what the kids want this year

If you are making your own checklist, and checking it twice, for what you want to get the child in your life, we know someone with suggestions. His moniker is “The Toy Guy,” and while he isn’t Santa, he does know all the hottest gifts this Christmas season. This “Toy Guy’s” real name is Chris Byrne, and he is the author of “Toy Time” as well as a certified toy historian.

High-tech toys are definitely popular, but one thing that may be a surprise is how important the audio component to a toy can be. A soft cube called Toniebox seems rather innocuous, but when you place one of the many small figurines on top, the character starts to share their story. There are many familiar Disney characters to sit on top of the box as well as some figurines you can record a personalized message into. The toy costs about $99.99.

Another favorite is the VTech Go! Go Smart Wheels Ultimate Corkscrew Tower. This is very engaging and interactive. As the car travels down the track he passes by smart points which will activate great learning moments.

Some great content-driven toys are the Cave Club dolls. These are prehistoric teens that are BFFs with dinosaurs pals. The dolls were created after a popular YouTube show of the same name. This is for ages 4 and up.

Due to the pandemic, many parents are looking for educational toys, but these don’t have to be boring ones to teach them their ABCs. Lots of kids will need soft skills like following directions, orders, and procedures for when they go back to in-person learning. One toy that will teach them all about that, while they have a fun time is GUJO Adventure Mars Mission Rocket. This toy is STEM authenticated as kids will have to follow directions to build their own rocket. He recommends this toy for preschoolers.

If you see this next toy on shelves, buy it quickly because it is a popular one, it is the PAW Patrol Dino Patroller. It is the first-ever motorized PAW Patrol vehicle.

For collectibles, L.O.L. Surprise is the big one this year. There are 4 new dolls, each based on a different music style, as a part of its “Remix” collection. As a bonus, the packages they come in actually play music. As you collect them all you will be able to build your own boombox.

Finally, if you are looking for something to make you laugh, check out Franky the Funky Flamingo. This dancing stuffed toy is for ages 3 and up.

For more information, watch the full video above.