Dinos, diggers and fast cars – the toys tipped to be best sellers this Christmas

Singing witch dolls, a grave-digging monster and shimmering slime are among the predicted top-selling toys this Christmas, according to industry experts.

The 15 toys to have made the 2025 DreamToys list, selected by a panel of independent toy retailers and experts, include innovative and unusual items, as well as old favourites such as Lego sets, and even a Human Controller game that encourages teenagers and adults to do daft things like pretending to lay an egg like a chicken.

“The list is still very much driven by licences, movies and interactive toys,” says Paul Reader, chairman of the DreamToys selection Panel at the Toy Retailers Association.

He reassures parents that all the toys on the list should remain in supply until Christmas, pointing out that some items were left out of the running because they weren’t widely available.

“We exclude any supplier exclusives or products that are only available in selected retailers,” he explains, “because while they may be popular, they’re not easily accessible by the masses.

“It’s really important that when we select what we believe to be the hottest toys at Christmas, they’re in general distribution – so you can be anywhere from Land’s End to John O’ Groats and you should have access to all the products on our list.”

The cheapest toys on the list are the £12.99 Dress To Impress Mystery Model Dolls, and the most expensive is the £120 Lego One Piece Going Merry Pirate Ship, and Reader stresses: “Two-thirds of the products are under £50. We’re very conscious when we put the list together that it’s still challenging out there as a parent or a grandparent.

“Christmas is very special, and you want the kids to have a really enjoyable experience, but it’s got to be affordable, and we’re very conscious that the list has got to be accessible to all.

“The list is designed to help gift-givers, and to say if you’re not sure, these are what we believe to be some of the hot properties this Christmas.”

The DreamToys list, in alphabetical order, is…

Dress To Impress Mystery Model Dolls, £12.99. Age 6+

A collection of articulated model dolls, each with their own signature style, from vintage streetwear to gala glam, with endless looks that can be created by swapping the doll’s hair, top, bottom, accessories, and shoes. Each doll comes with a sparkling gold-star display capsule and a special collector card.

Gui Gui Shimmer Deluxe Pack, £19.99. Age 6+

This is ‘the most beautiful slime ever’, with different-scented ones to collect – with this pack containing Shimmer Slime and Crystal Pearl Slime, plus boosters to add for a ‘glamorous texture upgrade’.

Hot Wheels Racing F1 Grand Prix Circuit, £79.99. Age 5+

Kids can recreate the thrilling racing excitement of the Formula 1 Grand Prix Circuit with this track set, which includes three miniature F1 cars and features a lap counter and an interactive DRS diverter that allows vehicles to overtake the leader on a turn.

Human Controller, £34.99. Age 14+

Human Controller is a party game where you download the app and take turns to put on the headset, which receives signals from the controller’s device to it as you carry out one of 30 interactive tasks while blindfolded. You could be dancing, drawing, throwing or just laying an egg like a chicken.

Jurassic World Primal Hatch T.Rex, £64.99. Age 5+

This dino toy lets kids watch their baby T-rex hatch, and they can then decide whether it grows into a friend or a fierce predator. The articulated toy features more than 100 sounds, reactions and interactive play modes.

Marshmallow Madness, £19.99. Age 8+

A family marshmallow-eating game where you start the timer and race to see how many marshmallows you can grab with the tiny hand figure while posing behind a silly illustrated face plate. The player who can eat the most mini marshmallows (not included with the game), in 60 seconds is the winner.

Mini Brands – Fill The Fridge Playset, £19.99. Age 8+

This playset includes a mini fridge with a working UV light, plus exclusive minis, magnets and accessories to stock and restock.

Monster Jam Smash & Bash Grave Digger RC, £49.99. Age 4+

This remote control monster truck executes spins, tumbles and stunts and compresses into a ‘smashed’ state after crashing into obstacles. It automatically resets to its original form with the press of a button.

One Piece Lego The Going Merry Pirate Ship, £119.99. Age 10+

This 1,376 piece Lego ship measures 34 x 39 cm, includes five One Piece mini-figures and boasts a crew’s cabin, kitchen, storage, and an accessory workshop, plus four ‘Wanted’ posters.

Peppa Pig Oinks & Snuggles Evie Doll, £29.99. Ages 3-5

This interactive baby doll is Peppa Pig’s baby sister Evie, and kids can activate more than 20 different sound effects by giving her the pretend dummy or bottle, bouncing her up and down, or laying her down for nap time. Comes with accessories including a playmat, bib, and baby blanket.

Pokémon Trading Card Game: Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box, £54.99. Age 7+

This Pokémon Trading Card Game marks the first expansion in the new Mega Evolution Series, so players can collect cards featuring powerful Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, including Mega Lucario ex and Mega Gardevoir ex.

Speed Champions Lego F1 Racing Cars, £22.99. Age 10+

Kids can build models of iconic F1 cars from the 2024 championship season, with the model cars including Mercedes and McLaren featuring a mini-figure driver, opening cockpit, rear wing, wishbone suspension, sponsor stickers and wide tyres.

Sticki Rolls Sticki Rolluxe, £40. Age 5+

This is a glam shoulder bag sticker station to hold all kids’ favourite Sticki Rolls and accessories. It includes 50 Sticki Rolls featuring 500 unique, Kawaii-themed stickers, three Jumbo holographic Stickis, and enough supplies to make 10 bracelets and two pendants.

Disney Stitch Ultimate Stitch Interactive Feature Plush, £79.99. Age 3+

This 17-inch plush toy brings the Disney Stitch alien to life with more than 100 sound and motion combinations. Tap his nose, tongue, belly, or hand to trigger giggles, sneezes, songs, kisses, and chaotic Tantalog phrases. He purrs, chomps, dances and even throws tantrums!

Wicked For Good Singing Dolls, £34.99. Age 4+

Inspired by the new Wicked: For Good movie, if kids press a button on the torso of The Wicked 2 Elphaba and Glinda singing dolls (sold separately), they’ll hear a clip from the song ‘For Good’.