The Hottest Tech Toys for Kids (2024)

Moonlite Storytime Mini Projector

Ages 1 and older

Your smartphone flashlight becomes the projector in this innovative way to ready digital storybooks. This one comes with 4 classic Disney stories.

Budsies Custom Stuffed Animals

All ages

Have a kid into drawing imaginary pals? Make that image come to life via the Budsies service, turning drawings into stuffies.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet

Ages 1 to 3

To make it clear this is not a real tablet. But it can make jealous littles feel like they’re in on the touch-screen action enjoyed by their siblings and friends.

PAW Patrol Augmented Reality Tattoos

Age 1 and older with help

Temporary tattoos are fun. Tats that come to life via AR when viewed through an app are Paw-sitively amazing.

LeapFrog On the Go Story Pal

Ages 3 to 8

This bunny is a great companion for younger kids. It comes loaded with over 70 entertaining stories, poems, and songs. Parents can also record themselves reading a story or singing a song for their child. The Story Pal comes with a carrying strap and has a headphone jack (headphones aren’t included) and volume control, so it’s truly usable “on the go.” And LeapFrog toys are well made and rugged. Reminder: it uses 3 AA batteries.

Sphero Mini Activity Kit

Ages 5 and older

We already thought theSphero programmable robot ballwas pretty cool. TheSphero Mini Activity Kitis a less expensive alternative that includes a clear-shelled, drivable Sphero Mini ball with a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and LED lights for 45 minutes of battery life. Also in the kit are accessories for 15 projects kids can build, play with, and even try some simple coding.

My Little Morphee

Ages 3 to 10

Imagine a tiny battery-powered boombox that, depending onhow you set the two dials on the front, tells your child one of 192 different soothing, mediative stories—it's like having animal story podcasts on direct request, without needing a screen. That’s what My Little Morphée is all about.

Tacto Chess by PlayShifu

Age 6 and older

Turn your tablet computer into an interactive chess board.

GoCube 2x2

All ages

Let kids master the 2x2 algorithm on the GoCube first (with app-based help) before tackling the more complicated 3x3.

Bitzee, Interactive Toy Digital Pet and Case

Ages 5 and older

The pod box can hold up to 15 digital pets that you can actually "touch."

Original CMY Cube

Ages 4 and older

The colors cyan, magenta, and yellow combine and captivate in these alluring, infinitely ogle-able sensory cubes.

Educational Insights MathShark Electronic Math Game

Age 6 and older

Budding mathletes in the family instantly answer whatever is on the screen to gamify all the math options.

Bonaok Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone

All ages

An inexpensive mic with integrated speaker that works with smartphones or tablets to instantly bring karaoke to any party.

Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears!

Ages 3 and older

Kids get 100 pieces in this kit that will introduce them to the world of working cogs and gears.

LeapFrog Magic Adventures Telescope

Ages 5 and up

An inexpensive and immersive way to introduce kids to stargazing, this telescope has a digital camera integrated, plus games.

Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit

Ages 3 to 5

The more basic kit for even smaller geniuses gets kids going on problem-solving and learning phonics. A separate iPad or Fire Tablet is required.

Osmo Reading Adventure

Ages 5 to 7

Story-loving kids will happily dive into this adventure! Osmo uses speech recognition and AIto guide your child through a personalized program, helping to improve their reading skills with support and feedback and adapting along the way. You can choose one of three starting kits, depending on your child's reading level. Kits come with four books; a cancellable $25-per-month subscription brings you four books each month.

Orboot Earth

Ages 4 to 10

Augment the reality of this globe with a mobile app full of animation and information about the planet

VTech KidiZoom PrintCam

Age 4 to 11

A Toy of the Year finalist in 2022, this camera for kids comes with a printer built in.Plus kids can play games on the 2.4-inch color screen on the back.

Original Rubik’s Connected

All ages

Solving a Rubik's cube isn't easy for most of us, but this cube connects to an app to teach the algorithm and foster competition.

Lego Technic Formula E Porsche 99x

Osmo Genius Starter Kit

Ages 6 to 10

The excellent Osmo kids turn your iPad, iPhone, or Fire tablet into learning wonderlands; the Genius Starter includes games and Tangram puzzles.

Furby

Ages 6 and older

The most terrifying toy? Maybe not with the new Troll-like color schemes that help keep these Mogwai-esue, burbling plush creatures in the limelight. The latest also can say about 600 different things.

Lego Star Wars Boost Droid Commander

Ages 8 and older

There are so many droids here that you are looking for! These versions of R2-D2, a Gonk droid, and more all have robot parts to control via an app.

PowerUp 4.0 Smart Paper Planes

Ages 8 and older

Every kid wants to power up their paper airplanes. This kit can actually do it, providing gyros and propellers that will keep the folded-up flyers afloat longer.

Artiphon Orba 2

Thames & Kosmos Mega Cyborg Hand STEM Experiment Kit

Ages 7 with help; Ages 10 and older without

Inexpensive and cool as heck, this Mega Cyborg Hand is Thames & Kosmos at its best. With no motors or batteries or screens required, kids can put together this three-fingered hydraulic hand they can wear for the feel of stronger robotic gripping. Make it for the left hand, or right hand, or just create a cool claw. Fits almost any hand, kid to adult.

Lego Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance

Ages 10 and older

A STEAM Toy of the Year: Kids who are into real-life space exploration and Legos will appreciate this excellent Mars Rover Perseverance replica, complete with Ingenuity Helicopter.

Abacus Brands Bill Nye's VR Space Lab

Ages 8 to 13

A kit full of Bill Nye-style science experiments, bolstered by Nye himself in augmented reality, is the first step for a budding scientist.

X6 Play Smartwatch

Thames & Kosmos Hydraulic Boxing Bots

Ages 10 and older

The winner of the 2023 ASTRA Play Awards, these hydraulic bots are the Thames & Kosmos answer to Rock-Em Sock-em Robots, but with free-standing, water-powered hydraulics to keep the boxing action alive. Just be ready to piece together 327 parts to make them work.

If your kids are ready for some serious tech deep dives, introduce them to The Best Gift Ideas for Kids Who Want to Code.

For more fun kid gift ideas, take a look at The Best Subscription Boxes for Kids.

And for gift inspiration for everyone on your list, check outPCMag's full holiday gift guide.