As most parents know, there are a lot of toys out there, and the really good ones are shockingly hard to find. Some toys make bold promises on the box and end up breaking easily, or maybe your child just loses interest in them quickly.
Whatever the case, we’ve compiled an extensive list of some of the most highly-rated toys on Amazon, meaning they have an average rating of five stars (or 4.5, at the very least), and have hundreds if not thousands of reviews vouching for their success.
Whether you’re working on a birthday list or getting ahead on holiday shopping, here’s an engaging list of the highest-rated toys Amazon has to offer.
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Score: 4.9 out of 5 stars; 5,301 ratings
Keeping kids entertained during bathtime is key, and these Sesame Street-themed bath buckets will get the job done. Suitable for kids nine months and up and featuring the faces of popular Sesame Street characters Oscar, Elmo, Abby and Cookie Monster, you can't go wrong with this set, which has nearly 5,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
Promising review: “Great quality and probably one of my toddlers top toys to play with. You can use them for bath time, the pool or water table and they are easy to clean.” — Samantha
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 500 ratings
Before there were iPhones, there were digital cameras — and kids will have a blast using this one. Suitable for kids between the ages of 3 and 8, this camera is made with non-toxic, durable silicone materials and is ideal for taking photos and selfies. Featuring a USB rechargeable battery, reviewers love it. "This seems very durable so far. It has many different functions and a selfie mode. The picture quality is pretty good for the price and exceeded my expectations. It’s the perfect size for my 4-year-old," one customer wrote.
Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars; 1,004 ratings
Featuring intuitive buttons and joysticks, kids will have a blast with this remote control car. Suitable for kids between the ages of 5 and 7, this car is equipped with LED lights, is available in eight different colors and is made of durable, nontoxic plastic. Plus, it can do 360-degree flips — what's not to love?
Promising review: “
Score: 4.9 out of 5 stars; 1,836 ratings
This 150-piece magnetic tile set is guaranteed to keep kids over the age of three entertained for hours on end. Plus, they're great for improving problem-solving skills, pattern recognition, and more. This set is unique in that it comes with a five-year warranty, and Amazon customers are obsessed. "Such great value for money! Lots of pieces for a reasonable price. The little people and the cars are a fun perk in comparison to other brands of magnetic tiles," one reviewer wrote. "Very easy to clean. Also love that it has lots of window pieces to build more detailed designs. My four year old, and my 6 and 8 year old nieces love them!"
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 9,678 ratings
This interactive electronic farm comes with over 45 sounds, songs, and phrases for storytelling and fun. In addition to one farmer figure, four animal figures and two food play pieces, and perfect for helping small hands refine their motor skills, the farm play set also comes with fun features including the ability to pop corn, hatch chicks, and turn on barn lights.
"My 2-year-old son is obsessed with this little people farm," one reviewer wrote. "It makes noises and all the features are super cute. The little details are great, like the chicken eggs you can make move like they are hatching. This was a great purchase."
Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars; 12,455 ratings
While singing toys may drive parents a tiny bit crazy, babies and toddlers will love this musical ball that comes with intelligent sensors to recognize roll, tap, shake, or toss options. Equipped with over 30 sounds and songs, this plush ball makes the ideal first birthday gift and has 9,000 5-star Amazon ratings.
Promising review: “I gave this to my 1 and 1/2 year old grand son and he loved it. It is soft enough that he can throw it around inside his house. Since he is just beginning to talk he found the words entertaining” — LovesDogs
Score: 4.6 out of 5 stars; 5,098 ratings
This toy has 4,000 five-star reviews, and there's a reason why parents and kids love it so much. They can easily match and snap these mushroom nails to different illustrated pattern cards to enhance fine motor skills, gain familiarity with coloring and design and encourage imaginative play.
"I bought this for my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter," a reviewer wrote. "She absolutely loved it. She played with it for over an hour and actually made about 5 of the pictures. I explained how to do this on her first picture and then it was game on! She did not want any assistance. She also loved sorting the pegs by colors and counting the pegs."
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 20,305 ratings
Kinetic sand gives kids the benefits of sand play without the mess. This one comes with three different sand colors — red, yellow, and blue — and includes three fun stampers and five tools for crafting different shapes. Made from natural sand that never dries out, this kit is easy to clean up and has 17,000 5-star Amazon ratings.
Promising review: “Great for every age! Everybody likes this stuff whether you think you do or not.. put a little in your hand and you're hooked at least for a couple of minutes. This kit makes it so you don't have to buy piece-by-piece if you're giving it as a present. All the tools keep my kids busy and creative and they're free to play at their sand table and walk away from it without worrying about it drying out, melting or getting blown away, they can return to it whenever they want with things still (mostly) intact. I will say if you have pets indoors where kids will play with this, say goodbye to any of the sand that falls on the floor. It will catch the fur and never let go.
I didn't give my kids all of the sand at once, you already know.. the first thing they did was mash it all up into one doodoo brown color even after I told them not to. Then when they were sad because they couldn't separate the colors again, I asked if they'd listen to me this time and then gave them the chunks I kept away :)
This is worth the money, and easy to pick up when I know one of my younger kid's friends has a birthday coming up.” — mallorien
Score: 4.6 out of 5 stars; 4,665 ratings
This two-sided letter tracing board is perfect for toddlers and kids who are just learning how to write their letters. With vowels displayed in red and consonants displayed in blue, young kids can easily pick up on the sounds each letter makes as they begin to write uppercase and lowercase letters without the mess of markers and crayons.
"The magnets work great with the pen and I love that the pen is attached so it doesn’t get lost. It’s perfect for learning to write and learning letters and bonus having lower and capital letters," one reviewer wrote.
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 10,660 ratings
Inspired by Jurassic World, this isn't your typical tiny dinosaur. Measuring over three feet long, this Allosaurus features sharp teeth, black spikes, and menacing eyes. It can also swallow other dinosaurs thanks to its wide-opening jaw. If this isn't enough to sell you on the Allosaurus, just check the Amazon ratings — this dino has over 9,000 five-star reviews.
Promising review: “Ok so I got my son this and he LOVED IT he spends way less time on electronics and more time on this toy. Quite realistic, excellent children’s toy. He never stopped using this once summer started. Excellent toy I will get from this brand again” — Wendy Gomez
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 10,863 ratings
If the kid you're shopping for is a fan of Disney princesses, you can't go wrong with this play set. Officially called the "Ready for the Ball" play set, this set is two feet wide, and includes a vanity with drawers, a stool, a two-sided mirror, a dressing room with a rotating curtain, and more.
Score: 4.9 out of 5 stars; 2.586 ratings
This interactive sensory teether toy will keep infants calm and entertained for hours. Don't believe us? Check the nearly 2,500 5-star Amazon ratings. Featuring a soft strawberry and silicone teether, this toy uses crinkly sounds and soothing materials for the ultimate sensory experience for teething, sore-gummed babies.
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 5,857 ratings
Foster those early math skills with this fun balancing toy. This set comes with 30 adorable bears, 10 number blocks, one tweezer, and 11 activity cards and is designed to stimulate thinking, curiosity and creativity, and help kids better understand weight and calculation. "When this product arrived at the door, my 4-year-old daughter immediately wanted to open it. This game had her organizing bears by color, and by cup. She started counting on her own! Very sturdy toy as she plays with them a lot," one reviewer wrote. "I would recommend this product as a learning or fun game/toy."
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 4,493 ratings
This safe, durable dino egg matching toy is will provide hours of entertainment as toddlers learn to identify different shapes and facial expressions. Made of nontoxic, BPA-free plastic, this toy will easily teach kids between the ages of one and three colors, counting, and matching.
"These are a favorite with my one-year-old granddaughter when she comes to visit. They open up conversation about colors and shapes," one reviewer wrote. "They teach a finer coordination than just pushing hard to make things fit which is a toddler's tendency. We have also discovered that they are fun for a matching memory game when the halves are separate and face down. They're even fun to spin like a top when they're put together."
Score: 4.8 out of 5 stars; 607 ratings
These hole-free bath animals are far from your average rubber duck. Completely sealed with food-grade epoxy glue, these bath animals don't run the risk of growing mold like so many bath toys do. They're also made with BPA and phthalate-free PVC and include eight colorful animals that come with a drying mesh bag. What's not to love?
Promising review: “These are perfect for bath toys that won’t mold as they don’t have a hole. My daughter loved them and they are a great size for little hands. We bought a second set for her to play with outside of the bath tub.” — J Taylor
Keep scrolling to see which toys reviewers say their kids are “obsessed” with.
Promising review: "My 6- and 3-year-old are OBSESSED. They play for an hour at least! Played with daily since we got it. When it’s my turn to hide, I make it tricky enough that I can actually be productive until it’s my turn again." — Cara Lentz
Promising review: "My 9-year-old daughter LOVES this — OK more like is obsessed with this! Everything holds up and is durable. The recipes are so simple to follow. She takes over the kitchen and does everything by herself. Cooks things in the toaster oven. She makes us delicious cinnamon rolls, apple pies, pizzas…everything! Everything is written and geared to have a child be able to do it. We have told all her friends, and now they all have this, too! The kids on the street all come to our house just so they can tiny bake! Every kid needs one of these!" — Summer
Promising reviews: "My 1.5-year-old is obsessed with these. Not sticky enough to do any damage but can also be reused a few times" — Katie Merkatoris
"I love that they are removable. They don’t leave marks on your window. You can even place them back on the plastic sheet and use them again. I have a busy box for my toddler, and these stickers are in there. She peels them off and puts them on the lid of the box and then peels them off again and puts them back. She creates scenes with them. She puts them on windows at home. I peel them off and put them back. They really are fantastic stickers." — Elizabeth A. Zapf
Promising review: "My 10-year-old son is obsessed with this game. He loves figuring out each maze. It makes him use problem-solving skills and logic. This is a great toy for an only child whose parents can't entertain the child every minute. He chooses this over video games! Now that is saying something." — Amy P.
Promising review: "My toddler is obsessed! The construction is solid, pieces are well-finished (no splinters or uneven cuts), and I love that this particular type of puzzle will allow him to make different arrangements each time. Currently, he loves to assemble the same 20–30-piece puzzles over and over again, and I wanted to find him something that would present a little challenge with critical thinking as well as variety." — Alex
Promising review: "This game is a hit! My 5-year-old is obsessed, and my teenage sisters were fighting over who got to bring it to camp, so I had to buy two copies! It's such a fun party game, it is guaranteed to bring the laughs." — Jennifer Simms
Promising review: "A must-have. My 2-year-old son is obsessed. Always asks to play the 'find you' game, LOL. Then we play it, and every option on the game, he actually thinks really hard, then says, 'Come on mommy,' and runs me through the house to find the object. Highly recommended from a mom of four." — Britney bansley
Promising review: "My 5-month-old son is obsessed with his. I love the neutral colors and how easy it is to clean. We can clip it onto our Baby Björn or onto his car seat and gives him something to play with when we are on the go! Such great quality, too." — Mhinkle2518
Craft-tastic is a woman-owned small business based in Michigan. All their products are focused on teaching kids new skills and limiting screen time.
Promising review: "My niece was obsessed with this. I thought of this as a minor gift that I gave her (5 years old) with a bunch of other fun things, but this ended up being her favorite. My sister-in-law now buys this as a gift for all the kid parties they go to." — Amy
