Toy makers spotlight interactive, nostalgic play ahead of holiday season

Toy makers turned the Toy Insider’s annual Sweet Suite in New York into an early holiday sales pitch, showing off products months before the shopping season and betting that interactive toys, nostalgic favorites and screen-free play will win the year-end scramble. Bradley Blackburn got a look at the new items that could land on children’s wish lists in December.

The toys on display were aimed at two audiences at once: parents making the purchases and kid influencers shaping demand. Companies leaned into items that crawl, spin and tap into familiar play patterns, a mix that suggests the industry is chasing attention without asking families to hand children another screen.

Price, however, was part of the conversation too. Blackburn also highlighted the most affordable toys for the 2025 holiday season, a reminder that holiday buying is being filtered through tighter household budgets as families look for value as well as novelty. That emphasis fits the broader retail backdrop, where growth has slowed, wallets have tightened and supply chains have remained fragile.

The Toy Association later unveiled its Top Holiday Toys of 2025 list, extending the race to define the season’s must-have gifts. The group says it tracks what is happening in the toy business and meets with hundreds of toy companies to identify trends shaping how children play, giving the holiday market an institutional runway long before December shopping begins.

The early push toward interactive play, screen-free options and familiar brands shows how manufacturers are trying to stay visible in a crowded market while keeping entry-priced gifts in view. For holiday shoppers, the preview signals a season built around value, nostalgia and features that can stand out before the gift wrap even comes out.