If you need to shop for a kid in your life, I think you’ll find some pretty cool stuff from this list. You can shop at FAO Schwarz for popular toys like Barbie & Hot Wheels, or Pop Mart for Labubus, and I also included sustainable and STEAM/STEM focused options. However, I do not have anything for KPop Demon Hunters, because those toys won’t be out until next year.
Beyond toys, here are some other article for kids gift shopping:
Electronics: MicroCenter is a great option for buying new and BackMarket works well for used/refurbished.
Crafting Supplies: A lot of the toy brands below have arts & crafts stuff, but you can also check out kids’ options at some of the craft stores mentioned, or visit a creative reuse store for cheap supplies. Yarn & Fabric brands here for the craftier kids.
Grove.co: Talked about them as part of my cleaning article, they also have a kids toy shop for 0-5+ for the holidays
People have also been asking about kids wishlists, which I’ll cover in my overall gifting article next week.
Local: Shop a local toy store if you can!
Direct: If you have a particular toy brand you like, see if they have a website where you can order directly versus through Amazon/Target/etc.
Thrifting & Free: There’s a lot of great toy brands I’ve included that are meant to last a long time, so check out your local buy nothing group or thrift store to see if they carry them. You can also make requests in Buy Nothing groups for specific brands or toys. In general, if the kid you’re buying for is younger (<5) and the toy is in good shape, I don’t think you need to buy new (though no judgements if you want to!).
KiwiCo: If you want to get a kid off tablets & other electronics, KiwiCo might be for you. They have subscription-based learning activity boxes for kids 0-12 and even Maker and Eureka boxes for teens & adults. Each crate is designed by experts to encourage kids to play and learn STEAM concepts. I can personally vouch for this one – I got their Maker Crate for paper marbling myself, and for a couple years I got a subscription for each of my nieces. Their kits are seriously great!
The Details: Founded and currently led by Sandra Oh Lin, KiwiCo is privately held and has not spent any money on lobbying or has a public diversity policy.
What they have: You can select your subscription by age group, get individual items like the Science of Ice Cream kit, or stocking stuffers under $20.
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: They ship anywhere in the US (including Alaska & Hawaii), and you can order your first crate to be shipped to a different address so you can give it as a physical gift. Shipping cut off for delivery by Christmas is 12/19.
FAO Schwarz: Owned by Toys-R-Us until 2016 when it was sold to ThreeSixty Group, a design and sourcing company that also owns or makes products for Sharper Image, Vornado, and Discovery. Neither ThreeSixty Group nor FAO Schwartz have spent money on lobbying in the last 2+ years, or have a public diversity policy.
What they have: Their classic teddy bears, Barbie, Hot Wheels, a whole holiday shop, in general I think if you’re looking for big brand name toys you can likely find them here.
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: Order online (no shipping cut off date posted yet) or shop in-store at their location in NYC.
Labubu: Owned by PopMart and exclusively sold there.
The Details: PopMart is a publicly traded company on the Hong Kong stock exchange, with founder Wang Ning owning approximately 47% of the shares. Pop Mart does not have a profile on Open Secrets or a public diversity policy.
What they have: Labubus, but also toys based on characters like Crybaby, the Monsters, and Skullpanda.
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: Order online (no shipping cut off date posted yet) or shop in-store. Pop Mart also has online ordering or stores in 15+ international countries.
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HABA: If you’re sick of getting kids cheap plastic junk, HABA might be for you. They make sustainable toys for ages 0-8+ with child development in mind.
The Details: Founded in 1938 in Germany, HABA is still family-owned and based out of Germany and Skaneateles, NY. HABA does not have a profile on Open Secrets or a public diversity policy.
What they have: Holiday toy shop, Best sellers, developmental toys, train track systems, all sorts of fun stuff
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: Shop online, their shipping cut off date is 12/16. They ship to Hawaii and Alaska. Internationally they are available in at least Germany and Austria, potentially other countries as well.
Melissa & Doug: Sustainable, well-crafted toys and more for ages 0-8 aimed to inspire creative thinking through open-ended play. They have Ms. Rachel learning toys!
The Details: Owned by Spin Master, a Canadian company, since 2024. Spin Master is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange with founder Ronnen Harary as the largest shareholder at approximately 30%. Spin Master supports diversity (although they call it belonging) and does not have a profile on Open Secrets.
What they have: Gift quiz if you’re not sure what to get, Blockables, pretend play toys, arts & crafts, puzzles, trains & cars
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: They do not have a shipping cut off date up yet on their site, but they do ship to Hawaii and Alaska. Although they don’t sell internationally directly to consumers, they do work with retail toy shops abroad and you can contact them to learn more.
Bruder: If you have a kid in your life that loves trucks and cars, check out Bruder. They make high-quality, realistic vehicles – to the point where you can even shop by brand like John Deere and UPS trucks.
The Details: Founded in 1926 in Germany and still family-owned today. Bruder does not have a profile on Open Secrets nor a public diversity policy.
What they have: Roadmax toys for ages 2+, they have vehicles and toys by brand and by category, like agriculture, construction, emergency services, forestry, & leisure
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: I believe they ship to Alaska & Hawaii, but its not included in their free shipping, and there’s no cut off date mentioned yet. Bruder is available internationally in over 70 countries, and you can find them in-store in the US and Canada via their store locator.
Fat Brain: Over 7,500 toys, games, and gifts in stock that are focused on quality and children’s development. They also own FarmToys.com if you are looking for tractors and fun things like that.
The Details: Founded in 2002 in Nebraska and now owned by Tomy Company Ltd, a Japanese publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Tomiyama Family has the largest share percentage at 7% out of all shareholders. The Tomy Company supports DEI, and does not have a profile on Open Secrets.
What they have: Holiday gift guide, building & construction, arts & crafts, pretend play, STEM toys, Montessori inspired toys, special needs toys
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: Can shop online or in-store at their locations in Omaha and Kansas City. They ship to Hawaii, Alaska, APO, DPO, & FPO addresses and internationally.
Picasso tiles: More affordable but still high quality version of MAGNA-tiles. My sister has these for my nieces.
The Details: Privately held, does not have a profile on Open Secrets nor a public diversity policy.
What they have: Magnetic tiles & building sets, STEAM toys, race car tracks
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: Only ship to the continental US. Cut off for holiday shipping is 12/14.
Hape Toys: Sustainably made toys for ages 0-6+ with child development in mind and recognized worldwide with over 300 awards.
The Details: Founded in 1986 in Germany by Peter Handstein, the current CEO, and owned by him and his family still today. Hape does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy
What they have: You can shop their latest toys and bestsellers, and they have the standard stuff like trains and pretend play, but also cool categories like music, marble runs and sand toys
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: The US website/online order system only ships within the continental US and APO/FPO addresses. Hape sells internationally but likely through country-specific sites.
BannorToys: Wooden toys designed to be fun and easy for kids and parents to play with, without having to worry about batteries or other complicated mechanics. As of 2024, Stacey (one of the owners) makes the toys!
The Details: Founded and owned by Stacey and Jesse Bannor and based out of Iowa. Note – the Bannors visited the White House during Trump’s first term in 2019 and were on Fox & Friends a couple of times as part of Trump’s “Made in America” push. However, I don’t think the Bannors are necessarily super conservative – Stacey posted on Instagram last year encouraging people to vote and shared Smart Her News’s account which doesn’t seem to be a conservative news source. I could be wrong, but I feel like they were trying to take advantage of the publicity of the White House event and Fox & Friends versus gung-ho on Trump.
What they have: Gift sets, bestsellers, wooden blocks, teethers, rattles – including by state!
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: I believe they ship to Alaska & Hawaii, and they also ship internationally. They have not listed a cut-off date for Christmas yet.
Toys-R-Us: Owned by WHP Global, which is basically a holding company for Toys-R-US and other brands like Express, Bonobos, Anne Klein, Vera Wang, and Rag&Bone. While WHP Global is technically not private equity, it is funded through private equity firms Oaktree Capital Management and Ares Management. WHP Global’s CEO Yehuda Shmidman donated $5K to RFK Jr. in 2023 and $1.5K to AIPAC in 2024.
My thoughts: I do not like WHP Global or its CEO, but I think if you’re in a bind Toys-R-Us still a better alternative to Amazon, Walmart, and Target.
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: No shipping cut off listed yet. You can shop online or in-store at one of their 30+ locations.
LEGO: Majority-owned (75%) by KIRKBI A/S, the investment firm for the Kirk Kristiansen Family, the remaining 25% is owned by the LEGO foundation. Although it’s family owned, keep in mind this family is a bunch of billionaires. LEGO has spent $570K on lobbying in the last two years, but does support diversity and inclusion.
My thoughts: I don’t like that LEGO spends money on lobbying and they’re owned by a family of billionaires, but if a kid in your life loves LEGOs and wants them for the holidays I don’t feel like you have to avoid spending with them unless you absolutely want to.
Ordering/Shipping info & cut-offs for Christmas: They have not released their shipping cut off date yet, so I would order by 12/15.
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