Christmas Dream Toys 2026

Dream Toys is a list of some of the most highly anticipated toys this Christmas, selected by an independent panel of toy retailers and toy experts, from small independents to large national chains.

Alongside The Entertainer’s very own Top Ten Toys for Christmas, Dream Toys collates what toys and games the experts think people of all ages will be clamouring for and assembles 15 of the best into one handy list. Here, we expand on that list for you, and why the pros think they’ll sell like hotcakes.

Pokémon Trading Card Game: Elite Trainer Box – 30th Celebration

The Pokémon franchise has been one of the biggest the world has seen since its inception in 1996.  A story of young adventurers roaming wild regions, making friends, and battling with beasts known as Pokémon, it has produced cards, books, tv shows, LEGO sets, films, toys, and more, all to immense popularity across the globe.

To celebrate the 30^th anniversary of Pokémon, the TGC has dropped some very special products this year including the Elite Trainer Box. This set contains 9x booster packs, 1x full-art foil promo card, 16x Basic Energy cards, 6x damage-counter dice, 65x card sleeves, 1x competition-legal coin-flip die, 1x plastic coin, 1x collector’s box and 1x player’s guide, making it the ultimate collector’s gift set.

However, the extreme popularity of the TGC right now means that these sets are incredibly hard to come by online (unless you want to pay horribly inflated reseller prices) and so you’ll have to keep an eye out for the limited in-store drops, use the store locator to find the nearest to you.

NeeDoh Niceberg Swirl Super

Fidget toys and squishies have really taken off this year, and brands like NeeDoh seem to be at the forefront of this with their range of toys making for squishable, squeezable fun.

Their Niceberg is sure to get fidget fans excited as this psychedelic block comes in a variety of colours and has a unique texture to satisfy the senses, returning to their original shape after every heavy-duty pull or press. A super-sized squishie with a marbled design makes it a wonder to behold, whilst it helps children explore their fine motor skills through tactile exploration.

Giftie Badge Maker

Design it, make it, gift it with this incredible badge maker that does it all. Customise bags, clothes and jackets with your own badges or gift them to friends and family as keepsakes, making it extra special with designs unique to them.

Coming with 50 badges, 8 on‑trend design templates, 8 blank templates, a cutter template for creating designs from magazines or photos, and 10 Giftie backing cards for gifting to friends and family, it has it all for making badges of your favourite things or coming up with fresh and funky designs.

Starts With Ends With

An inventive and exciting twist on word games that’s fun for all the family. Ideal for parties or family games nights, spin the two wheels until they land on a letter each and then rush to get a word which both starts and ends with the same letters. Simple to pick up yet hard to master, it’s ideal for serious game players and casual chaos too.

Slap the token in the middle once you have your word as you race against the room, making it a game for both mind and matter as you must think fast and react fast too. If your word is right, collect the token. First to five is the winner.

Beyblade X Sneak Attack Battle Set

Beyblades are the battling spinning tops that you launch into an arena to see them clash. The first one to fall is defeated but use your nous in this stadium as each player gets to control a pop-up rail. Choose your moment carefully and sway the tide of battle or deal a fatal blow when your opponent is running out of steam. Be careful not to catch yourself though as it could be curtains if you get it all wrong.

This Battle Set has everything you need for awesome, high-intensity action including the Beystadium, 2 right-spinning tops, and 2 ripcord launchers. Build the stadium and bring your battles to life.

FurReal Gabby The Grow and Roar Tiger

An interactive pet that really grows the more you play with them, watch Gabby go from a cute and cuddly cub to an adorable tiger as you build a bond. A plush toy that roars, purrs, and responds with over 100 sound-and-motion combinations, the soft, huggable design grows from 12.75 inches to 15 inches tall.

Fancy reliving the baby years? Press a button on their back to reset them to original size and nurture them all over again. Offer them their bottle for playful eating sounds, and snuggle up with your very own tiger pet.

LEGO Creator 3 in 1 Iconic Pirate Ship

LEGO is always on a lot of Christmas lists and this set produces three times the fun, with three swashbuckling builds from the same bricks. At its core is an epic vessel filled with nautical naughtiness, perfect for sailing the seven seas and plundering the riches that hidden islands hold. Break it down though and you can build two smaller battling boats with cannons to keep the other at bay. The third option is to head ashore and make a magnificent hidey-hole for all your ill-gotten gains, a pirate castle to protect the booty you hold.

Each build has magnificent hidden features to uncover, and the set comes with 5 minifigures (4 pirates and 1 skeleton) with accessories and items to add to the adventure!

KPop Demon Hunters Huntr/x Singing Dolls

Kpop Demon Hunters is the all singing, all dancing sensation that created millions of fans for its main characters. A Netflix film about a KPop music group called Huntr/x that fights demons when not touring the world (sometimes when they are too, actually), they soon come up against The Saja Boys who are sent to take them down.

These dolls are authentically detailed in their on stage outfits, and sing the iconic hit “Golden”. Pose them to play on stage or prepare them for battle against hordes of demons. With each doll sold separately, you can pick up Rumi, Mira and Zoey to complete the band or just get your favourite to sing along with.

Hot Wheels City Ultimate T-Rex Garage Playset

A T-Rex is tearing through Hot Wheels City and has made itself at home at the local parking garage. Oddly, the operators have decided to keep it open so hapless motorists from the iconic Hot Wheels franchise must avoid its chomping jaws as they whirl through each level looking for a parking space.

Providing the high-octane action you’d expect from a Hot Wheels playset, you can use the lift to raise your car to the top, and then speed through different routes as you try to avoid becoming a drive-thru dinner. One path can lead to knocking the dino out, but do you dare take on the lairy lizard? This massive garage can also store more than 50 1:64 scale vehicles and comes with two cars included to start off your collection.

Gui Gui Mega Slime Haul Series 2

“Beautiful” and “slime” aren’t usually words you see next to each other but Gui Gui have taken that notion and run with it, creating unique sparkling slime sets that have become all the rage.

This set allows you to create your own slimes, with sparkles and charms to throw into the mix and 5 signature slimes to swirl together and create a gooey, tactile toy. With over 50 pieces in this mega-haul, you can use tools to create a slime with charms and figurines, and attach the included vessels onto bags and backpacks with the clips that also come with it.

Paw Patrol The Dino Movie Megasaurus Dino Vehicle

The Paw Patrol gang starred in a film of their own this year, seeing them discover an island filled with dinosaurs. Naturally, the rescue pups needed upgraded vehicles to help keep these pre-historic pests from causing havoc.

Rocky is the recycling pup, and his Megasaurus Dino Vehicle comes with front claws to gently pick up dinosaurs, and a platform to transport massive prehistoric monsters like the included inflatable dinosaur. Luckily this vehicle also comes with a Rocky figure to pilot it so he can help out any dinos that need assistance.

Primal Hatch Megalodon

If you ever fancied a prehistoric predator as a pet, then here’s your best bet. An electronic toy pet that comes in its own egg, hatch this spooky science experiment by filling the included tank with water and watch it churn and chum as a moving, maniacal shark hatches from inside.

Watch as the water fizzes and turns red, and then play with the roaring, red-eyed monster as it splashes about. Fancy seeing it hatch again? Simply rinse it off and dry before resetting it for another scary, sensory experience.

Clickeez Bubble Pops Keyboard

Clickeez are the delightful clicking fidget toys that come with sweet little characters on top of a keyboard key that produces a satisfying click-clack when pushed upon.

Collect all the characters and assemble them on this keyboard for storage or as a tactile toy itself as you simulate typing with a satisfying sensory appeal. It comes with the Clickeez-themed Keyboard Collector Case, 12 x Bubble Pops-themed Clickeez (including 3 light-up Clickeez), 1 x Keychain and a Collector’s Guide so you can start assembling your set today.

Toy Story 5 Explore and Learn Lilypad

Lilypad is at the heart of the story of the latest Toy Story movie, and this learning tablet takes inspiration from that. Learn letters, colours, and numbers with educational games, as well as fun messages from Jessie, Buzz and Woody when you press the corresponding buttons.

With fun animations and sound effects, you can learn as you play with the whole gang. Twist Lilypad’s feet and watch her eyes spin, and enjoy a playlist of musical melodies as well as ribbits from Lilypad too.

Mini Brands Really Works Vinyl Playset

A working vinyl player that is small enough to fit on your desk or shelf, this tiny music machine is perfect for those who love retro-chic. With an included miniature vinyl of “APT.” by Rosé & Bruno Mars, set it to play and watch it actually spin as it pumps out the hits.

Collect more records from the Mini Brands Mystery Capsules and build your record library to listen to you on this cute record player.

Win The Whole Dream Toys List

Now you’ve seen what’s on the Dream Toys list for this year, you can win the whole lot. Lucky children aged 3-12 could win every toy featured above simply by asking a parent or guardian to visit one of our stores. There, they must scan the QR code displayed on the standee by the tills, and submit their child’s details. It’s one entry per child so get brothers and sisters involved too, and good luck!

If you want more gifting inspiration or to check out similar items to the Dream Toys list, discover more in our Christmas hub today.

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