Family Life Fun Toys Kid Toys Best Baby and Toddler Toys of 2020 Kids are born ready to play. From dolls they can nurture to ride-ons they can use to scoot around, these toys fire up your little one's imagination and keep them happily occupied. By Adrienne Farr and Jessica Hartshorn Jessica Hartshorn Instagram Jessica Hartshorn has covered the baby and kid-product market for 22 years and is a mother of two herself. At the holidays, she helms parents.com/besttoys. our editorial guidelines Published on October 28, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jeffrey Westbrook 01 of 14 Best Toys of 2020: Toddler Toys 02 of 14 Madame Alexander Sweet Smiles Amazon.com Buy Now Available in multiple skin tones, Madame Alexander Sweet Smiles doll "is without exaggerated features," observes a grateful dad. Her eyes close when you lay her down, but your child decides if she's hungry or needs a hug. Ages 1+ To buy! Madame Alexander Sweet Smiles Doll 03 of 14 VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate Corkscrew Tower Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now Racing thrills for the playroom set: "I'm ready to hit the track!" the plastic car chirps, prompting kids to send it zooming more than 3 feet down the VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate Corkscrew Tower. Ages 1 to 5 To buy! VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate Corkscrew Tower 04 of 14 Fisher-Price Little People 1-2-3 Babies Playdate Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now Tots tuck the babies into this nursery or let them take turns on the rocking horse with the talking, light-up Fisher-Price Little People 1-2-3 Babies Playdate, which conveniently folds up when play is done. Ages 18 months to 5 years To buy! Fisher-Price Little People 1-2-3 Babies Playdate 05 of 14 Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Activity Toy LLama Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now The Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Activity Toy LLama is the newest in the brand's line of first playthings. "It travels everywhere with us," reports one mom of a 4-month-old, so yes, it has the potential to be that toy. Features a rattle and a removable teether. Birth+ To buy! Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Activity Toy LLama 06 of 14 LeapFrog Yum-2-3 Toaster Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now "My kids use this LeapFrog Yum-2-3 Toaster to pretend-make sandwiches, then run around trying to 'feed' each other!" says one mom. It has nine pieces plus buttons to press to learn opposites, numbers, colors, and more. Ages 1 to 3 To buy! LeapFrog Yum-2-3 Toaster 07 of 14 Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now With a sink, a stove, and a fridge on the back and this garden in front, plus some 30 play pieces (avocado toast!), Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen is packed with activities. Buttons turn on lights, sounds, and songs. Ages 18 months to 3 years To buy! Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Grow-the-Fun Garden to Kitchen 08 of 14 GUND Bedtime Elmo With Light-Up Flashlight Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now Fluffy GUND Bedtime Elmo With Light-Up Flashlight helps soothe nighttime fears with a small light that toddlers can click on and off. But "even the flashlight and Elmo's eyeballs are fabric," explains one mom, so it's still great to snuggle. Ages 1 to 4 To buy! GUND Bedtime Elmo With Light-Up Flashlight 09 of 14 WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Dancing DJ I can see you dance. Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now Just roll with the earworm hit beloved by tots: The WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Dancing DJ plays seven songs and detects motion for Freeze Dance. A plus: "My 2-year-old is able to navigate the games himself," one parent tells us. Ages 2+ To buy! WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Dancing DJ 10 of 14 Step2 Ball Buddies Adventure Center Two can play. Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now Take a cue from nursery schools and invest in a Step2 Ball Buddies Adventure Center, which works indoors or out. Kids push the train around, put balls through the hoops, and spin the paddle to make a current. The height is toddler-perfect. Ages 18 months+ To buy! Step2 Ball Buddies Adventure Center 11 of 14 Lamaze 3-in-1 Airtivity Center Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now This works with air-hockey technology: Shapes suspended on gently rising air swirl around the Lamaze 3-in-1 Airtivity Center. Remove the legs for floor-level play. "Even the music is great!" says a parent, a bonus for any toy. Ages 6 months to 3 years To buy! Lamaze 3-in-1 Airtivity Center 12 of 14 Mobo Wobo 2-in-1 Rocking Kids' Balance Bike Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now Mobo Wobo 2-in-1 Rocking Kids' Balance Bike is a great first bike (no pedals!) that easily snaps on and off a rocker base. "Our 1-year-old uses it in her room one hour and at the park the next," explains a tester parent, who adds that it gets daily workouts. Ages 1 to 3 To buy! Mobo Wobo 2-in-1 Rocking Kids' Balance Bike 13 of 14 VTech Count and Win Sports Center Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now "Dad uses the VTech Count & Win Sports Center for nightly games with the kids to get out their pre-bedtime energy," a tester mom tells us. It counts baskets and goals as you go and has more than 65 songs and phrases. Ages 1 to 3 To buy! VTech Count & Win Sports Center 14 of 14 Kid Trax Silly Skaters Unicorn Inflatable Ride-On Toy Jeffrey Westbrook Buy Now This is wild: You pump up the Kid Trax Silly Skaters Unicorn Inflatable Ride-On Toy in seconds using the included air pump. "The wheels light up like old-time skates," says a mom. Toddlers can bounce up and down as well as zip around. Ages 1 to 3 To buy! Kid Trax Silly Skaters Unicorn Inflatable Ride-On Toy Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! 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