Walmart unveils list of top holiday toys
BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Walmart has unveiled its annual top toy list, chosen by hundreds of kids.
The list includes many toys that will be exclusive to the retailer. Walmart also announced the return of its popular layaway program, which opens on Sept. 2.
“Santa may know who is naughty and nice, but we know what’s on their list,” said Anne Marie Kehoe, vice president of toys at Walmart U.S. “Santa’s workshop is hard to compete with, but we are confident our assortment hits the mark with kids of all ages - we have playsets, ridealongs, licensed merchandise even toys that fly. Our customers can count on us to bring the coolest toys at everyday low prices, online and in stores, and enough of them for even the last shopper of the season to take home something that is going to put a smile on a child’s face.”
Walmart will have more than 400 exclusive toys in addition to the six toys that are exclusives on the Chosen By Kids list. Some of these exclusives include Star Wars Black Series collector figures, the Barbie Camping Collection and a FlipaZoo plush.
According to the retailer, hundreds of kids, ages 18 months to 12 years were given the chance to play with some of the year’s hottest toys and pick their favorites. This one-of-a-kind playdate led to this year’s Chosen By Kids list – the top 25 toys of the season, nearly a quarter of which are exclusive to Walmart.
Walmart divvied up the list by category of toy recipient:
The Boss
Top entrepreneurial toys include:
My Life As Food Truck – Walmart exclusive (coming soon)
Num Noms Lipgloss Truck
Pom Pom Wow Decoration Station
A young girl plays with the PomPomWow game
The Humanitarian
Kids love to take care of others and with these toys they can put their skills to the test.
Toys that make this list include:
Doc McStuffins Hospital Care Cart
FurReal Friends Torch, My Blazin' Dragon
Hatchimals (coming soon)
Little Live Pets Puppy
The Dreamer
Playsets and toys that give kids the opportunity to create their own story and put their imagination to work.
Frontrunners for imagination are:
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Batcave – Walmart exclusive (coming soon)
Barbie Rainbow Cove Princess Castle Playset
Fisher Price Imaginext Bat Flight City
Fisher Price Little People Sit 'n Stand Skyway
My Little Pony Explore Equestria Crystal Empire Castle
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mega Lair Playset
The Thrill-Seeker
For the thrill seeker, these toys allow kids to take an adventure right in their own homes.
Topping the list of adventurous toys are:
A toy Mikey from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is standing on a skateboard
Pie Face Showdown! Game – Exclusive to Walmart for a limited time
Razor PowerCore E100 Electric Scooter – Walmart exclusive
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Remote Control Skateboarding Mikey – Walmart exclusive
Fisher Price Imaginext Ultra T-Rex
Hot Wheels AI Racing Playset (coming soon)
Nerf N-Strike Elite HyperFire Blaster
Tyco Terra Climber Remote Control Vehicle
Vtech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Treasure Mountain Train Adventure
Mr./Ms. Independent
Sibling not home to play? These toys are a perfect way to keep kids entertained for hours by themselves.
Top independent toys include:
Disney Princess Carriage – Walmart exclusive
Paw Patrol Zooming Marshall
Sky Viper Streaming Drone (coming soon)
Star Wars Electronic R2D2 (coming soon)
Walmart’s layaway program begins Sept. 2 allowing customers to get a head start on holiday shopping. This servce offers customers the opportunity to stay on budget, keep gifts hidden until the holidays or pay over time. Customers can find all of the top toys available to reserve through the layaway program, along with thousands of other items in Walmart stores.
There is no opening fee for customers to start a layaway account and they only need to put down 10% (or $10, whichever is greater). Walmart has kept its minimum threshold again this year. Customers can put items as low as $10 on layaway with a $50 minimum basket. Customers have until Dec. 12 to pay off their account.
In addition to working with kids to test and review the top toys, Walmart engaged adults to test and review other popular categories such as home, apparel and electronics. This year, video games and consoles are also expected to be hot items for the holiday. One of the most coveted gifts of the season for teens and children at heart – the Sony PlayStation Virtual Reality Bundle.