Toys are a huge part of the holiday season. Many children around the globe are hoping that Santa brings them their favorite toys for the holiday. For some children that might include video games and bikes, and for others plush animals or dolls.
When I was a young girl I used to have a wish list a mile long. I knew that Santa wouldn’t bring me all the toys on my list, but it was fun to dream about them.
One toy I always wanted was a Star Wars “At-At.” I never did get one. I did get the Ballerina Barbie that I wanted one year. It was the first year I opened a present on Christmas Eve. It’s a long story. It had to do with my mom being in the hospital.
I still remember the Cabbage Patch Kid craze. If you around my age (forty-something) you probably remember it well. Cabbage Patch Dolls were “THE” toy of the holiday season. EVERYONE wanted one. It was next to impossible to find them. Some people were selling theirs for hundreds of dollars (for a $25 doll) – and people were paying those crazy prices for them.
I didn’t want one of those dolls when they were all the rage (thankfully), but my sister did. If I’m not mistaken she was able to get one from our cousins who live in the United Kingdom. I guess it was easier for them to be found “across the big pond.”
Our daughter always has a huge wish list. Our son is just the opposite – getting him to give us a wish list is like pulling teeth. He never really wants much. My kids are polar opposites.
All parents want to see the look on their child’s face when they open up presents on Christmas morning – most especially when they open up the toy that was on the top of their holiday wish list.
Every years that are toys that are considered “hot” and “must haves” for the holiday season. They are sometimes known as the “Fab 15” – the 15 “hottest” toys of the holiday season.
Kmart offers consumers ridiculously awesome toys and games for kids of all ages and stages. The list, which comprises Kmart-exclusive toys and hot brands like Disney’s Frozen, Star Wars, LEGO®, Barbie™ and NERF,® is carefully curated based on industry trends, input from parents and kids, and more than 50 years of experience in knowing what toys kids love to play with and find under their Christmas trees.
You don’t have to go from store to store to find the Fab 15 either. You can find them all at your neighborhood Kmart. You can also purchase the toys online at Kmart.com/Toys.
Kmart sent me the Fab 15 to check them out for myself. You had to see the two HUGE boxes that showed up last week.
Stacked up on top of one another the boxes were taller than our one of our bookcases.
I was surprised by all the wonderful toys that we found inside as we opened the boxes.
These are the toys that I received.
Ages 1-2
Playskool Sesame Street Play All Day Elmo by Hasbro
I saw this Elmo on television and it looked adorable. I was actually thinking about getting the toy for a family friend. After being able to see and touch it in person, I am totally in love with him.
This Elmo is very large in size. He says a lot of different phrases. Unlike other toys that say only a handful of things, this Elmo toy will keep kids busy for a long time. He also makes a snugly, cuddly friend.
The toy is made for children 1-2 years old, but I think older children will enjoy this toy just as much.
Ages 3-5
Hot Wheels® Ultimate Auto Garage by Mattel®
This toy is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! First and foremost it’s HUGE. I was shocked at just how big it is.
This set comes with a lot of “bells and whistles” including sound effects, a shark that tried to gobble up the cars, a helicopter and even plenty of Hot Wheels cars. This is the ULTIMATE gift for children who love playing with Hot Wheels-like cars.
Both my son and my husband were in awe of this toy. They both said that this is a dream toy for car lovers. I would have to agree with them.
Imaginext Ultra T-Rex by Fisher-Price®
This is another large toy (2 1/2 feet tall!). I haven’t had the chance to try it out (yet) but I have seen a video for it on the Kmart website and it looks like a lot of fun.
Click on the product link to check out the video to learn more about this cool toy.
I know from working at my previous job that Paw Patrol is a popular television series. If your child or grandchild loves Paw Patrol they will have a lot of fun with this set. It come with vehicles and character figures too.
Disney Frozen Sing Along Elsa Doll by Jakks Pacific®
Unless you have been living under a rock the past two years, you probably already know that anything and everything that has to do with Diseny’s Frozen is a “hot” toy. This one is no exception.
When you press on a jewel found on Elsa’s necklace she talks and sings in the same voice as the movie. Little girls who are fan of the movie will go crazy for this fun toy.
We’ve pressed the buttons so many time I’m surprised we didn’t wear out the batteries. Ha Ha.
This is a fun video camera for children. Think “Go Pro” for the 12 and under crowd. You child can video tape their adventures anytime, anywhere, using this portable camera.
Star Wars Signature Lightsaber by Hasbro®
Thanks to the new Star Wars film coming to theaters in December, Star Wars toys are all the rage this holiday season. Everyone is jumping on the Star Wars “bandwagon.” As a lover of the Star Wars franchise I am thrilled by all the awesome toys that are readily available.
Kmart carries this interesting Lightsaber set that allows a child to create their own unique Lightsaber using a variety of accessories. The main saber lights up and makes the Lightsaber sounds (just like in the movie). This is another toy we pressed the button so often that I think we wore out the batteries.
Zoomer Kitty with Toy Mouse by Spin Master™ (Kmart exclusive)
After seeing a video for this toy (a Kmart exclusive) on the Kmart website, I just had to try it.
Zoomer Kitty is super cute.
You have to charge it before you can play with it. I was surprised that it came with a USB charger – not a wall charger. You have to charge it from your computer. You can easily remedy this buy inserting the USB side of the plug into a wall charger with a USB port.
It took a few hours for it to be fully charged. If you give this as a gift you might want to charge it the night before so that it’s ready to be played with and enjoyed Christmas morning.
I TRIED to take a video of Zoomer Kitty but our cat Anakin kept getting in my way and eating Zoomer Kitty’s toy. LOL!
Zoomer Kitty follows what is in front of it’s face. When I was sitting on the kitchen floor playing with it our dog came running in the kitchen and ran right up to it. The toy rolled backwards than rushed towards him (as if it was going to ponce on our dog). Our dog was so surprised and scared by it that he jumped on top of me and nearly jumped out of his skin. I almost died laughing. I mean, it wasn’t funny that our dog was that scared – but in a way the way it happened was funny.
The toy is cute. It’s limited to what it can do, but it can still provide hours of fun.
Monster High® Boo York Floatation Station™ with Astronova™ Doll by Mattel®
I work with kids that are 9-11 years old. I hear that Monster High is a popular series among the girls.
I don’t know anything about the show. I haven’t really looked into this toy yet, but it looks weird. LOL!
There is a video on the Kmart site that gives you more information about this toy.
Ages 6-8
Holiday Auburn Barbie™ 2015 Doll by Mattel® (Kmart exclusive)
Growing up I always wanted the Holiday Barbie doll, but Santa never brought me one. As per my mom they were collectible dolls – no ones that you play with.
I can see why mom said that. This Barbie doesn’t have the same body movements as other Barbie dolls do. You cannot bend the knees or arms. They are locked in their current position.
You CAN play with her, she’s just limited. I also tried to comb out her hair but I think I messed it up a bit. When I took her out of the box the hair was all scrunched up. I combed it and it looks a bit frizzy. I should have left it alone.
She’s a beautiful doll. I love her hair color. I like that she’s not a blonde like many other Barbie dolls are. Her dress and jewelry are beautiful too.
FurReal Friends Star Lilly the Unicorn by Hasbro®
I LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE this toy! She is absolutely beautiful and adorable (at the same time).
Starlily makes the sweetest sounds and I adore the way she bats her eyes and flaps her wings. She even stomps her front foot up and down from time to time.
This toy is very realistic. My husband joked that he didn’t want to leave her out at night time because he was afraid he’d wake up in the middle of the night and find her staring at him. Ha Ha. Even my daughter said that the horse kept staring at her.
Here is a video that I made. It’s not the best, but hopefully it gives you an idea what to expect with this adorable toy.
If I was a little girl I would have this toy on the top of my wish list. I absolutely adore this toy. Even when she’s turned off she is still beautiful to look at.
This plush horse/unicorn/Pegasus is very soft and lovely to pet. She has sparkly eyes and other sparkles on her body. Even the way her hooves are made it almost gives them a bit of a sparkly appearance too.
NERF® Zombie Strike Doominator by Hasbro®
You can never go wrong with a Nerf gun. These are a lot of fun. My only word of advice would be to not play with it around dogs. Dogs love to play “fetch” with the arrows and end up using them as a chew toy. At least that is what our dog does.
This gun also shoots very far away so you might want to play with it outside or in a large room so as not to accidentally hit something and break it.
The sponge arrows are soft and don’t really hurt if you get hit with one of them – unless it’s in the face.
Hulk Smash RC Vehicle by Jakks Pacific®
This is a really weird toy. It’s not my “cup of tea,” but for a super hero lover or Hulk fan this toy would be a lot of fun.
Check out the video on the Kmart site to see how this remote control vehicle works (Hulk’s arms swing around!).
MONOPOLY Here & Now by Hasbro®
Monopoly is a fun game for the entire family. This game comes with some unique playing pieces including a Statue of Liberty, Cowboy Hat, Baseball Glove and White House.
Ages 9+
LEGO® Friends Pop Star Show Stage
LEGO toys are typically associated with boys. That should not be the case. Girls love to build with LEGO blocks as much as boys do. That is why I appreciate sets like LEGO Friends Pop Star which are geared more towards girls (boys can play with them too).
I haven’t opened this set but it does look like a lot of fun.
These are Kmart’s Fab 15 toys of the 2015 holiday season. What do you think about them?
These toys were tested by Kmart’s first-ever Kid Toy Advisory Board which consisted of a select group of kids of Kmart employees who served as toy experts and holiday toy consultants.
You can shop for these toys at your local Kmart store or online anytime at Kmart.com/Toys.
See what others are saying about these must have toys of the 2015 holiday season by searching for the hashtag #Fab15Toys on social media.
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.