21 Top Toys of the Holiday Season Under $30

Pleasing the little ones in your life around the holiday season can be quite the challenge.

Their wish lists seem to go on and on, but you don’t have an unlimited amount of money to spend on gifts. You also don’t want their presents to be major duds.

We’ve got a way for you to get holiday toys that won’t disappoint — without dipping into next month’s rent money. Every year, toy experts at Walmart and Target publish lists of the hottest toys of the holiday season. We’ve scanned through those mega retailers’ lists for this year to highlight all the holiday toys you can buy for under $30. Bonus points if you catch them on sale and save even more money.

Note: The prices listed are the regular retail prices sourced online on Oct. 20, 2021.

21 of This Year’s Hottest Toys Under $30

Keep your holiday shopping stress low by choosing gifts off this list.

Toys Under $20

1. My Little Pony: A New Generation — Fashion Ponies

If your kid has been streaming the “My Little Pony: A New Generation” movie over and over on Netflix, this toy would make the perfect Christmas gift. Walmart is exclusively selling these ponies, which come in a variety of characters, including Sunny Starscout, Izzy Moonbow, Princess Petals and Zip Storm Sparkle. Each 6-inch pony comes with 17 accessories, like hair charms, hair extensions, headbands, combs, stickers and sunglasses. This toy is designed for ages 5 and up.

Find it at Walmart for $15.44.

2. Marvel Spider-Man Super Web Slinger

This role play toy helps kids transform into their favorite web-slinging superhero. Little ones can shoot web fluid or water out of the slinger apparatus while wearing a red, black and gold colored Spider-Man glove. You can purchase refills of the web fluid when it runs out or opt to just use water. This toy is designed for kids 5 and up.

Find it at Walmart for $19.87.

3. Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Rising Cake Oven Playset

Your little baker or creator will have so much fun engaging in imaginative play with this Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Rising Cake Oven Playset. The set comes with a mini toy oven that has a special cake pan that helps the “cake” rise when you pull down the handle. It even makes a “ding” sound, like a real oven timer. This Play-Doh set also comes with a mixing bowl, a frosting tool and various molds and other kitchen tools — plus five containers of Play-Doh. This toy is designed for kids 3 and up.

Find it at Walmart for $19.96.

4. Kinetic Sand Sandisfactory Set

You don’t need to plan a trip to the beach if your kids love building sand castles. This Kinetic Sand playset includes two pounds of sand in four colors: red, blue, yellow and black. The set also includes over 10 tools and molds so kiddos can make all kinds of creations. Unlike some molding clays, this sand is said to never dry out, so your children can use this tactile toy again and again. This set is not recommended for children under age 3.

Find it at Walmart for $19.97.

5. Chuckle and Roar Pop It! XL

This hot toy has been supersized. This circle-shaped fidget and sensory toy is three times the size of the original with 93 silicone bubbles you can pop on each side. Its tie dyed design means no two toys will be exactly the same. The Pop It! XL is exclusive to Target and is made for kids 3 and up.

Find it at Target for $19.99.

6. Crossed Signals Game

Like an electronic adaptation of Simon Says, this game tests how well you can quickly and accurately follow directions. Light and voice commands tell players whether to move the handheld wand up or down or to shake it. This game can be played solo or with a group of up to four players. There are four different variations of play. As you master one, you can advance to faster-paced levels. This toy is designed for ages 8 and up.

Find it at Target for $19.99.

Toys from $20 to $24.99

7. Sorry! Giant Edition

The classic board game has undergone an oversized upgrade in this edition of Sorry! At 64 inches by 64 inches, the whole family can play games outdoors on the lawn or sprawled out on the living room floor. The object of the game is to get all three of your large pawns around the board from start to home without getting knocked back to the beginning. Two to four players can join in on the fun. This game is made for ages 6 and up.

Find it at Walmart for $24.86.

8. Kryptonics 28 in. Complete Cruiser Skateboard

This 28 inch x 8 inch skateboard, which is sold exclusively at Walmart, comes in a variety of styles and colors. Its 9-ply maple deck has a cruiser shape and a single kickboard and comes fully assembled with grip tape.

Find it at Walmart for $24.97.

9. VTech Hover Pup

This interactive pup helps toddlers learn their numbers, counting, feelings and more. The VTech Hover Pup dances, moves and plays a game of follow the leader, gliding across the floor on his hoverboard. This educational toy has two learning buttons and plays more than 65 songs, melodies, sounds and phrases. This toy is meant for ages 9 months to 36 months.

Find it at Walmart for $24.97.

10. Purse Pets — Unicorn

It’s a purse. It’s a pet. It’s both! This gift is a fashion accessory as well as a cuddly friend who makes sounds, blinks its eyes and even responds to yes or no questions. This Unicorn Pet Purse plays fashion show music and will blow you a kiss to show its love. Store your lipgloss, sunglasses and other small trinkets inside the purse which measures approximately 4.25 in. tall, 6.25 in. wide and 2.5 in. deep. This gift is recommended for kids ages 5 and up.

Find it at Target for $24.99.

11. Monopoly Game: Target Edition

This board game is the perfect gift for the little Target lovers in your life. A play off of the classic Monopoly game, this edition has a Target theme where players go around the board buying merchandise and racking up savings rather than acquiring properties. The player with the most savings at the end of the game wins. Instead of playing with the traditional tokens like a top hat or thimble, this game’s pieces include a shopping bag, a shopping cart, a coffee cup and Bullseye — Target’s canine mascot. This Monopoly edition is exclusively sold at Target. It is geared for players ages 8 and up.

Find it at Target for $24.99.

12. Throw Throw Avocado Game

Throw Throw Avocado is a dodgeball card game where you collect matching cards, earn points and toss squishy toy avocados at one another. This game is a sequel to Throw Throw Burrito and includes a bonus deck of cards that can be combined with Throw Throw Burrito to create a big food-throwing fiesta. Two to six players can join in on this game, which is made for ages 7 and up.

Find it at Target for $24.99.

Toys from $25 to $29.99

13. Orbeez Soothing Spa Activity Kit

This gift is perfect for kids who like to be pampered. The Orbeez Soothing Spa is a foot spa filled with 2,000 squishy, colorful water beads, which rain over your feet in a cascading waterfall. The Orbeez water beads start out as tiny seeds, so first you have to soak them in water for four hours to plump them up. If you want to add more beads to your spa, you can purchase refill kits separately. The Orbeez Soothing Spa is recommended for kids 5 and up.

Find it at Target for $26.99.

14. Barbie Tye-Dye Deluxe Styling Head

Budding cosmetologists will enjoy practicing different stylish looks on this Barbie Tye-Dye Deluxe Styling Head. This set includes a multicolored brush, scrunchies, ribbon, hair gems, barrettes and more. It comes with blue and pink dye and a spinner for kids to customize the hair scrunchies and ribbon with a tie-dye design. This styling head also features Barbie’s hands and includes stickers to decorate her nails. This toy comes in two varieties: a blue-eyed Caucasian doll with blonde hair or a brown-eyed Black doll with brunette hair. The styling head is recommended for kids ages 3 and up.

Find it at Walmart for $29.84.

15. furReal Sweet Jammiecorn Unicorn

This soft, cuddly, super cute unicorn in pajamas is more than just a simple plush toy. Its horn lights up, its eyes open and close, and it can make over 30 sounds and reactions. If you feed the unicorn with the included bottle, it will make eating noises. In nighttime mode, the unicorn can play lullabies or make soothing white noise. This toy is made for kids ages 4 and up.

Find it at Walmart for $29.96.

16. Monster Jam: Megalodon Monster Wash

Monster trucks are sure to get muddy, so this set helps them become squeaky clean. This 3-foot long truck wash setup has a power wash area where you get your truck nice and wet, and then a working conveyor belt takes the truck through a series of brushes for it to get scrubbed and spun dry. This set comes with a Megalodon monster truck that’s 1/64th the size of the real thing. The truck changes color and goes from muddy-looking to clean (and back again) based on whether you soak it in warm or cold water. This set is also compatible with other 1:64 Monster Jam Dirty to Clean vehicles, which are sold separately. This monster truck set is geared for kids ages 3 to 8.

Find it at Walmart for $29.97.

17. CoComelon Ride-On School Bus

Fans of CoComelon will love this ride-on school bus where JJ and his friends help little kids learn their letters, numbers and popular nursery rhymes. This scootable toy also includes a working horn, a flip-open door, a pull-out stop sign and an under-seat storage space — the perfect spot to stash smaller CoComelon toys. There’s also a rear handle for toddlers to hold onto as they push the bus around. This Walmart exclusive toy is designed for little ones from age 18 months to 36 months.

Find at Walmart for $29.97.

18. LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Fish Tank

This 3-in-1 LEGO set provides hours of entertainment and is exclusively sold at Walmart. Kids can use the 352-piece set to create a fish tank with five “floating” fish or use the alternate instructions to build a toy easel or a treasure chest. They can also tap into their imaginations to come up with their own creations. This LEGO set is geared for kids age 8 and older.

Find it at Walmart for $29.99.

19. LEGO Star Wars: The Armorer’s Mandalorian Forge

Build a scene right out of Star Wars with this 258-piece LEGO kit. The set’s detachable forge has multiple flame elements and a rotating exhaust hood. This building kit includes three LEGO minifigures — The Mandalorian, Paz Vizsla and The Armorer — complete with their own weapons and accessories. This toy is recommended to ages 8 and up.

Find at Target for $29.99.

20. Bluey and Jean Luc’s Caravan Adventures Playset

Help Bluey and Jean Luc go off on an adventure with this caravan playset featuring characters from the popular Australian cartoon series. The caravan opens up to reveal a kitchen area, dining space and bunk beds for Bluey and Jean Luc. There’s a campfire along with a marshmallow on a stick for roasting. This playset also includes stickers for decorating the camper. This toy is recommended for children ages 3 and up.

Find at Target for $29.99.

21. 5 Surprise Toy Mini Brands: Toy Shop

Unbox five mystery toys and display all of your Toy Mini Brand trinkets on the shelves of this tiny toy shop. Toy Mini Brands transform popular toy brands like Rubik’s Cube, Frisbee and Nickelodeon into super small versions for collecting or role playing. This toy set also includes a tiny shopping cart and basket. This gift is suitable for kids age 3 and up.

Find at Target for $29.99.

Nicole Dow is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

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