Best Baby and Toddler Toys of 2020

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, $34.95; amazon.com

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, $43.88; amazon.com

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, $33.98; amazon.com

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, $20; amazon.com

"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, $26.04; amazon.com

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, $79.99; amazon.com

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, $34.95; amazon.com

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, $33.88; amazon.com

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, $104.99; amazon.com

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, $69.99; amazon.com

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, $99.99; amazon.com

"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, $46.99; amazon.com

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, $34.99; amazon.com