Best toys for little kids 2013

It took 75 families, 136 kid testers and nine months, but, at last, we bring you the absolute best new toys for little kids this holiday season.

Produced by Leah Rumack
Prop styling by Daniel Onori

An adorable forest full of woodland creatures is at your child's fingertips with this artsy toy. Making the mosaic with fuzzy tiles and jewels is fun, and afterward, the 3-D figures provide hours of imaginative play. There are enough pieces to entertain several children at once.

Where to buy?
The Orb Factory $17, orbfactory.com

While the look is retro cool, these bright wooden blocks are anything but old-fashioned. Small hands can easily build castles, houses, bridges and skyscrapers with the multi-purpose blocks (and knocking their creations over is fun, too!)

Our toy tester says...
“Once built, those towers were guarded — we'd have some upset kids if they accidentally got knocked over.”
— Rick, dad of Blake and Cole, 7

Where to buy?
Shure, $85, amazon.ca

This fun kit includes rolls of brightly coloured tape and everything else your fashionista needs to make her own purse, bracelets, headbands and more.

Where to buy?
ALEX, $33, alextoys.com

Little learners will love building this fun Lego set (and then using it as a dollhouse afterward!).

Our toy tester says...
“Joey built the entire thing in a few hours on her own. I was amazed she was able to do it herself. Challenging, but awesome.”
— Haley, mom of Joey, 8

Where to buy?
LEGO, $60, shop.lego.com

Fire up imaginations with this space-themed kit. Kids can make their own stickers with preprinted stencils and coloured sticker glue.

Where to buy?
ALEX, $11, alextoys.com

Mini adrenaline junkies will have a blast carving and drifting on this cool, three-wheeled scooter.

Where to buy?
YVolution, $120, toysrus.ca

Get ready for a case of the sillies. Kids tuck wiggly eggs into their armpits or between their knees, then run around without dropping any.

Our toy tester says...
“This game was so funny, I laughed too hard to hold the eggs!”
— Karlie, 6

Where to buy?
HABA, $23, babynaturopathics.com

Talk about bright ideas - kids create cool designs that light up and move at the push of a button.

Where to buy?
Crayola, $24, amazon.ca

Distract the kids from your tablet with this made-for-them option. It plays videos and MP3s, has a camera and comes with 16 pre-loaded apps.

Our toy tester says...
“This thing has been everywhere and every one of our kids played it for hours. It was one of their favourites.”
— Rick, dad of Blake and Cole, 7, Trent, 5, and Jillian, 3

Where to buy?
Vtech, $80, futureshop.ca

Make family game night even more fun with this quick game of chance. Players roll the dice and try to find matches before anyone else.

Our toy tester says...
“Jakob loves fast-paced games, so this was right up his alley. Great stocking stuffer!”
— Lisa, mom of Jakob, 10

Where to buy?
Blue Orange Games, $19, blueorangegames.com

Cops and robbers gets an upgrade with this detailed set. Your little investigators can interrogate their suspects, lock them up in jail cells and, best of all, catch would-be prison breakers with the help of an alarm system.

Our toy tester says...
“Oliver was very keen to show it off to his friends during playdates. He was excited that there was a bad guy and a jail!”
— Catherine, mom of Oliver, 4

Where to buy?
Playmobil, $100, playmobil.ca

Maybe a real jungle safari isn't in the cards, but this heavy-duty four-by-four could be the next best thing. Let the kids loose in the backyard or venture out to the park for somefun off-road adventures.

Where to buy?
Ty Global, $30, winners.ca

Kids can use the multitude of rods and connectors to build their own robot primate. It even moves just like a monkey. So cool!

Our toy tester says...
“My seven-year-old loved being creative with this set. It sat on the living room table all week, and he played with it daily.”
— Rachel, mom of Elias, 7

Where to buy?
K'NEX, $17, knex.com

Little builders will have a great time constructing - and even better, destroying! - a level from the popular Angry Birds Space game.

Where to buy?
K'NEX, $26, knex.com

Attach this cool track to the nearest wall and let your speed demons loose.

Our toy tester says...
“This looks really complicated to set up, but is actually easier than it seems. Charlie loved how fast the car went.”
— Sydney, mom of Charlie, 6

Where to buy?
Hot Wheels, $45, shop.mattel.com

Scientists-in-training can turn plaster, paint, baking soda and vinegar into a working, realistic volcano.

Our toy testers say...
“The waiting time between steps, to allow for drying, seemed disappointing at first, but it actually allowed for some discussion about volcanoes.”
— Judy, mom of Eliot, 7
“Kids can build the volcano with minimal help from parents, and everything in the kit is safe for kids to touch.”
— Andrea, mom of Carter, 7, and Trevor, 9

Where to buy?
Curiosity Kits, $20, orbfactory.com

Known for being the original educational tablet, the LeapPad Ultra is possibly the most fun a kid can have while learning, thanks to its library of 800 games, eBooks and apps. And because of LeapSearch, it's easy to control what content your kids are accessing.

Where to buy?
LeapFrog, $160, toysrus.ca

If your little one is into adventures, she'll be all over this Transformers-themed building set. Making her own Optimus Prime in either robot or truck mode is just as much fun as waging an epic battle against the cyber beast Razor Back.

Where to buy?
KRE-O, $30, hasbro.com

Quick! Find the right path to connect two blocks, then recreate it using your own pieces.

Our toy tester says...
“This is a game the whole family can play that will challenge everyone.”
— Jennifer, mom of Ben, 9, and Meg, 6

Where to buy?
Learning Resources, $23, scholarschoice.ca

Crafty kids can put together their own stuffy - the kit comes with all the gear they'll need - and the easy-to-follow directions mean they won't need too much help from Mom and Dad.

Our toy tester says...
“It had just the right amount of challenge so that it wasn't frustrating, but she felt proud of her accomplishment.”
— Jessica, mom of Charlotte, 7

Where to buy?
ALEX, $28, alextoys.com

Best toys for big kids 2013>