Toy is a catch-all term. Its broadness can include everything from puzzles and action figures to board games, remote control cars and even the best LEGO has to offer. There are toys purely intended for recreation, while others help both children and adults unwind. Others offer a combination of these, plus educational benefits, such as introducing concepts around STEM.
The collectable category of the toy world is, of course, huge. Whether it's franchised merchandise from the likes of Marvel and Star Wars or purely through the brand or style of toy, there are many who enjoy toys purely for their cultural significance and display-worthiness.
If you’re looking to purchase a toy for yourself or someone else, we have collected a group of toys together in this article in order to give you some inspiration and highlight What’s The Best’s favourite toys right now.
Typically, our expert choices can be broken down into one or more of six categories. Here are some short explainers of the categories, and what they mean.
Collectable
A section home to toys desired by youngsters and big kids alike, here you’ll find toys that are geared towards franchises and hobbies. There’s a good chance these will end on display and are typically a higher price.
Construction
These toys are based on the act of building - in fact, they arrive in pieces and it's the player's job to piece them together. Think LEGO, Meccano and similar.
Action-packed
These toys are all about the ‘wow’. They get the blood pumping and the excitement up - often, there’s also a competitive element to the toy design. Here you’ll find toys featuring remote controls and speed.
Role-play
These toys are all about taking the player out of the normal world and into a new one, based on imagination. Model cities and fantastical worlds aplenty.
Educational
These toys have an educational lean, often familiarising players with STEM subjects.
Board games
Both competitive and cooperative board games are included here and provide a great chance for family and friends to gather around away from screens.
The best toys
Collectable
Playmobil has been on fire lately with a collection of iconic classic cars that blend style with the childproof design you'd expect from a toy rated for five years old and up. The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 is perhaps the best offering yet, complete with a modelled engine, Fuchs alloy wheels and an included picnic hamper, all wrapped in a Chartreuse body. Ryan Gilmore
Collectable | Construction
When wereviewed the LEGO Razor Crest, we knew we were in for a treat, but we didn’t anticipate just how excellent the build and resulting model would be. Star Wars fans will no doubt agree that this UCS is one of the best to enter canon in recent years, and this set does it total justice. The modular assembly - which includes over 6,000 pieces - impressed us, as did the overall attention to detail show inside and out. Expensive, but worth every penny. Ryan Houghton
Construction | Educational
Perfect for the little engineer in your life, this Meccano set contains 347 parts that can be assembled into 25 different vehicles complete with working LED headlights and an electric motor for propulsion. If you're wanting to ignite some mechanical imagination in a child, this Meccano set will set them on the right path. Ryan Gilmore
Action-packed
For those who like the sand-bursting thrill of the Dakar Rally, this one is for you. With a speed adjuster enabling you to get used to the car before going full throttle and fully independent suspension, you’ll be flying over loose terrain and tarmac in no time. Myles Warwood
Action-packed
Great for kids, the drift set means that the days are gone when your Scalextric car flies off the track at each turn. Here, it’s all about drifting and throwing cars around the corner as fast and hard as possible. If you do push it too far, it’ll just do a cool drift and spin 180 degrees. Kids big and small will be able to hammer around this figure-eight track for hours on end. Myles Warwood
6.
Carcassonne
Board game
A simple premise executed with grace, Carcassonne is a board game about flipping tiles and placing tokens to claim medieval land. Quick to play and easy to pick up, its play is fast-paced and deceptively tactical. Once you’ve mastered the base game, this edition includes two mini-expansions which mix up the gameplay for added challenge and point-scoring potential. We can’t stop playing it. William Lobley
Board game | Action-packed
On The Brink takes the already high-stakes globe-saving premise of the original Pandemic game and adds in new viruses to cure, new epidemics to contend with and simulates the annoyance of political interruption to best-laid plans. Why have we classified it as action-packed? You won't ask that after spending the weekend chasing a bio-terrorist around the world. An addictive addition to an already compelling base game. William Lobley
Construction | Educational
The 3-in-1 range demonstrates the excellent design principles that make LEGO so endlessly impressive. Here, the same pieces can be reconfigured into either a koi fish, tiger or red panda. It’s great for kids as it highlights the flexibility and imagination that can be applied to the same materials for different results. Plus, it feels like three toys in one as there’s always the chance to break the model apart and restart with something fresh. William Lobley
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Construction | Educational
This excellent STEM toy allows users to build, from over 200 parts, a moveable, useable hand. Bu installing and subsequently manipulating the hydraulics, the user of this cyborg's hand will be able to pick up objects and experiment with the mechanics. Additionally, the thumb can be removed to switch the hand between left and right or to be used as a hydraulic claw. William Lobley
Meet our testers:
Ryan Gilmore - Senior writer, gadget nerd and car fanatic
Myles Warwood - Writer, dad, adorer of fast pushbikes and faster cars
Ryan Houghton - Writer, gamer, fantasy fan, tech head and LEGO lover
William Lobley - Deputy editor, certified board game geek
William Lobley is a Deputy Editor and reviewer for What's The Best, specialising in technology and outdoors. He also writes for Empire Online.
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