It’s officially award season, and the festivities are underway with the unveiling of the finalists for the 2026 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, often hailed as “the Oscars” of the toy industry.
The Toy Association and The Toy Foundation dropped the curtain on this year’s finalists on the show floor at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair’s Wishlist Weekend in Rosemont, Illinois. The TOTY Awards are hosted by and benefit The Toy Foundation in its ongoing efforts to support children in need through programs including the Play Fund and Toy Chest. This year’s finalists also take center stage in The Toy Book’s Celebrations Issue, which is set to hit mailboxes beginning next week.
There is no better way to kick off Wishlist Weekend at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair than by sharing this moment of excitement with kids, families, and toy fans of all ages! Each TOTY finalist is a testament to the creativity that defines the toy industry, which is always innovating to create products that spark joy, learning, and social connections through play."
As we celebrate these outstanding TOTY finalists, we're also championing the cause at the heart of it all: helping children in need experience the comfort and happiness that play provides. It's inspiring to see the toy community come together to celebrate the power of play – and ensure that children everywhere have access to it."
— Pamela Mastrota, Executive Director of The Toy Foundation
And the finalists are…
Action Figure of the Year
- Avatar Interactive Shoulder Banshee | Disney Consumer Products
- DOOM: The Dark Ages Doom Slayer McFarlane Elite Edition No. 1 Action Figure | McFarlane Toys
- How to Train Your Dragon Interactive Tame & Train Toothless | Spin Master
- Jurassic World Rebirth Delores Aquilops Interactive Shoulder Pal | Universal Products & Experiences
- Ninjombie Action Figures | MGA Entertainment
- Primal Hatch Jurassic World T.rex | Spin Master
- Super Mario Big Bad Bowser | JAKKS Pacific
Collectible of the Year
- Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game — Fabled Set | Ravensburger North America
- Hot Wheels Premium Formula 1 Die-Cast Vehicles | Mattel
- LEGO F1 Collectible Race Cars | LEGO Systems
- Magic: The Gathering Marvel Spider-Man Bundle | Hasbro
- Pokémon Trading Card Game: Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box | The Pokémon Company International
- Sticki Rolls Series 2 | Sky Castle Toys
- Wigglitz | ZB Designs
Construction Toy of the Year
- GeckoBot 2.0 | Thames & Kosmos
- Jelly Blox Construction Site Set Goliath
- LEGO Jurassic World Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex Set | LEGO Systems
- LEGO Wicked Welcome to Emerald City | LEGO Systems
- MAGNA-TILES Fire Station 50-Piece Set | MAGNA-TILES
- Melissa & Doug Blockables | Spin Master
- Rail Cube Magnetic Monorail Deluxe Set | Meekins Corp. on behalf of Sankyo Toys
Creative Toy of the Year
- Barbie Basics: You Create Doll Kit | Mattel
- ChompSaw | Chompshop
- Clixo Dino Adventure Pack | Toyish Labs
- Crayola Marker Airbrush | Crayola
- Gui Gui | Moose Toys
- Play-Doh Barbie Fashion Show Playset | Hasbro
- Swift Clicks Heishi Bracelet Maker | Make it Real
Doll of the Year
- American Girl Disney Moana Collection | Mattel
- Bratz Stylin’ Fashion Dolls | MGA Entertainment
- Disney Darlings | JAKKS Pacific
- Disney Doorables Adoorbs Dolls | Just Play
- Love, Stella Sleepy Time Set | Sassy, Baby
- Monster High Scary Sweet Birthday Cupid Asteria Doll | Mattel
- Woof & Co | Sunny Days Entertainment
Educational Toy of the Year
- 3Doodler Start+ Essentials 3D Printing Pen Set | 3Doodler
- CONNETIX 70-Piece PRO Constructor Set | CONNETIX, part of Brave Toys Pty Ltd
- Cooper the STEM Robot | Learning Resources
- ESPN Virtual Reality | Abacus Brands
- MAGNA-TILES Rail Racers Deluxe 90-Piece Set | MAGNA-TILES
- My Robotic Pet: Coding Chameleon |Thames & Kosmos
- Ollyball STEAM Accredited Master Artists Edition | Victury Sports
- Snap Circuits Spy Kit | Elenco Electronics
Game of the Year
- CONNECT 4 Frenzy | Hasbro
- Cows In Space | Relatable
- Dumpster Dice | Big Discoveries
- Exploding Kittens: The Board Game | Exploding Kittens
- Pokémon Trainer Expert | Ultra PRO
- Simon Jump Game Mat | Just Play
- Tetris Tumble XL |Buffalo Games
Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year
- Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn 4-in-1 Activity Table & Easel |Mattel
- Micro Mini Rock & Go LED Scooter |Micro Kickboard
- My First Tonies: Farm Set | tonies
- Play Tab | Fat Brain Toy Co.
- Shape & Color Garden | Learning Resources
- VTech Get Growing Tractor & Mower Ride-On |VTech Electronics North America
- Yookidoo Pour ‘N’ Grow Pop-Up Garden | Yookidoo
Kidult Toy of the Year
- Barbie Signature LeBron James Kenbassador Doll | Mattel
- Hack Pack | CrunchLabs
- LEGO Game Boy | LEGO Systems
- LEGO Wicked Glinda & Elphaba Bookends | LEGO Systems
- Marvel Legends Series Spider-Man Electronic Expressive Mask | Hasbro
- MGA’s Miniverse Make it Mini Food Diner Series 4 | MGA Entertainment
- ZipString Aracna | ZipString
License of the Year
- Bluey | BBC Studios Americas
- Disney Stitch | Disney Consumer Products
- Hot Wheels | Mattel
- Ms. Rachel | Spin Master
- Pokémon | The Pokémon Company International
- Squishmallows | Jazwares
- Wicked | Universal Products & Experiences
Outdoor Toy of the Year
- Crazy Cart Shuffle | Razor USA
- Jaw-Some Shark Catch | iPlay iLearn
- Ocean Emotion Seashells | Learning Resources
- Outdoor Kitchen | Hape
- Pocket Mod Lightshow | Razor USA
- PoppinColorz Galactic Color Bubble Machine | South Beach Bubbles
- The Original Woblong Double-Wing Flyer | Rival Flyer
Playset Toy of the Year
- Barbie Dream Camper Vehicle Playset | Mattel
- Bluey Supermarket Playset | Moose Toys
- Dōteki Mulitplayer Battle Pack — Heatoru & Arctos | TOMY
- Hot Wheels Track Creator Triple Loop Speed Kit | Mattel
- Monster Jam Smash & Bash Smashbot Playset | Spin Master
- Star Wars StarSpeeder 1000 Vehicle Playset | Disney Consumer Products
- VTech Bluey Road Trip Playset | VTech Electronics North America
Plush Toy of the Year
- Again Friends Cow | Mary Meyer Corp.
- Care Bears x Wicked 2-Pack Boxed Set | Basic Fun!
- Disney Stitch Ultimate Stitch Interactive Feature Plush | Just Play
- furReal Maggie the Feed & Follow Cow | Just Play
- GUND Disney Peek-a-Boo Winnie the Pooh Animated Plush | Spin Master
- How to Train Your Dragon Toothless Puppetronic by RealFX | Wow! Stuff
- Hugarounds | Hugimals World
Preschool Toy of the Year
- Color Wonder Bluey Light Up Stamper | Crayola
- Creative Play 3 in 1 – Play Kitchen, Store & Workshop | HABA USA
- Fisher-Price Wooden Picnic Basket Set | Mattel
- Little Tikes Creative Construction Power Cuts Set | MGA Entertainment
- MAGNA-TILES Pet Playhouse 50-Piece Set | MAGNA-TILES
- Melissa & Doug Simmer & Stir Stovetop Play Set | Spin Master
- Mini Farmstand Sorting Set | Learning Resources
Specialty Toy of the Year
- Anywhere Sports — Silent Basketball 9.5-inch Regulation Size | Thin Air Brands
- Better Butter Thinking Putty | Crazy Aaron’s
- Clixo Tiny & Mighty Space Magnetic Building Set | Toyish Labs
- Magshuto Stunt Park | Fat Brain Toy Co.
- NeeDoh Nice Cube Swirl | Schylling Toys
- Pets 2 Love | Luki Lab
- The Yes & Know Original Invisible Ink Trivia Game Books | Tree Town Toys
Vehicle of the Year
- Air-Power Turbo Racer | Thames & Kosmos
- BRIO World Pull Back Train Set | Ravensburger North America
- Flat 2 Fast Card Racers Speed | Luki Lab
- Hot Wheels Ultimate Dual Dragon Transporter | Mattel
- Hyper Burst Shockout Circuit | Goliath
- PAW Patrol Fire Rescue: Rapid Reload Fire Truck | Spin Master
- Toy Story Moving Truck Vehicle Playset | Disney Consumer Products
Voting is now open to retailers, media, Toy Association members, and consumers via ToyAwards.org. The Specialty Toy of the Year is chosen based on votes exclusively from members of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (Astra). The People’s Choice Award is determined solely on consumer votes, while an industry panel will select the overall Toy of the Year Award. Voting ends at midnight Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Join the industry at the TOTY gala on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Pier Sixty in New York City, at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets go on sale November 11.
The post The Toy Foundation Unveils 2026 Toy of the Year Awards Finalists appeared first on The Toy Book.
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