10 awesome classic toys kids still love in 2021
One day, LOL Surprise dolls, Snackin' Grogu and other upstart toys on Amazon's 2021 Toys We Love List may be considered classics. Until that day, you can find classic-toy recommendations for the 2021 holiday season right here, right now.
Our list has been culled from Amazon's bestseller rankings, and from the site's rundown of its top-rated classic toys (based on customer reviews). Only toys that have been around for at least 25 years are featured -- a bar easily cleared by century-old entries such as Lincoln Logs and Radio Flyer wagons. So, what are our picks for toys that are both timeless and timely? That satisfy buyers even after all these years, and perhaps iterations? There's no time like the present to find out.
1. Care Bears Share Bear stuffed animal
A breakout toy and prized Christmas "get" of the 1980s, the Care Bears bears are looking as bright-eyed as ever. Bestowed with an "Amazon's Choice" badge for availability, affordability and customer satisfaction, the 14-inch stuffed animals are available in a range of prices and characters, including OGs such as Wish Bear. The plush and purple Share Bear (pictured) was praised by one Amazon reviewer for being "soft and cuddly." Recommended for ages 4 to 15 (but we doubt 16-year-olds would balk).
Care Bears Share Bear stuffed animal, $12
2. Lego Classic Large Creative Brick Box
Denmark's gift to the toy world has been a perennial on Christmas wish lists of U.S. children since the 1960s.
The Lego recommendation here is for the Classic Large Creative Brick Box 10698, a 790-piece collection (of toy tires, toy windows, bricks and more) that should satisfy tinkerers from ages 4 on up, and, as of publication, was an Amazon bestseller in toys and games.
Lego Classic Large Creative Brick Box, $38
3. Playskool Sit 'n Spin
Children of the 1970s will be familiar with this portable merry-go-round. Originally sold under the Kenner banner, the bestselling Playskool Sit 'n Spin is offered as an Amazon exclusive. One verified-purchase reviewer on the site hailed the toy as being as "[a]wesome as I remember!...My 2-year-old grandson loves it!" Recommended for ages 18 months to 6 years.
Please note, the Sit 'n Spin is shipped in what's known as frustration-free packaging -- i.e., it's going to arrive in a plain (but recyclable) brown box, so adjust your unboxing expectations accordingly.
4. Hot Wheels 10-pack
Another Amazon bestseller in toys and games, this Hot Wheels 10-pack contains 10 things that have been driving kids wild since 1969: Hot Wheels cars.
The set is billed as exclusive to Amazon; toy car models may vary from pack to pack (and from what's pictured here). Recommended for ages 3 to 7.
5. Rubik's Cube 3 x 3 puzzle game
This confounding toy became a phenomenon in the 1980s, and its colorful squares have been turning (and spawning sequels) ever since. At last look, the classic-style Rubik's Cube (three rows across, and three rows deep) was an Amazon bestseller in toys and games. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Rubik's Cube 3 x 3 puzzle game, $11
6. Lincoln Logs 100th Anniversary Tin
An "Amazon's Choice" selection, this commemorative tin of Lincoln Logs contains 111 interlocking, made-in-the-USA wooden pieces fit for building (and leaving strewn throughout the house -- so, use that commemorative tin!).
Lincoln Logs were introduced in 1916. More than 100 years later, in 2020, a five-star, verified-purchase review on Amazon called the set "[g]ood old fashioned fun at a very low cost."
Lincoln Logs 100th Anniversary Tin (111 pieces), $44
7. Uno family card game
Uno has been a family friendly boredom-buster since the 1970s. As of publication, the classic version of the card game was an Amazon bestseller in toys and games, and while we won't say the popularly of the "Draw 25" Uno meme caused it, the meme likely hasn't hurt sales. The 112-card set comes complete in a tin. You supply the shouts of "Uno!" Recommended for ages 7 and up.
8. Playskool Mr. Potato Head Silly Suitcase
Another toy billed as an Amazon exclusive, this Mr. Potato Head set features 35 pieces, the better to keep the toy's titular (and long-running) character decked out with ears, mustaches and more. All of the pieces and Mr. Potato Head can be stored in what's called a silly suitcase, or carrying case.
On Amazon, the "Toy Story"-worthy toy is rated 4.8 stars (out of 5) based on more than 8,500 customer reviews. Recommended for ages 2 and up.
Playskool Mr. Potato Head Silly Suitcase, $20
9. Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon
Like Lincoln Logs, Radio Flyer wagons date back to the 1910s, and like Lincoln Logs, they're still making new friends today. Rated 4.8 stars on Amazon on the strength of more than 3,500 customer reviews, the Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon is a push walker for tottering toddlers. The wooden wagon features a bumper (to protect your furniture from wayward walkers), and resistance clickers (to keep said walkers from going too fast). Recommended for ages 1 to 4.
Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon, $79
10. Tonka Steel Classics Mighty Dump Truck
The Tonka Steel Classics Mighty Dump Truck belongs to the Tonka line's Basic Fun era, which launched in 2020 with a commitment to the "Tonka Tough" ethos of yore.
Boasting a 4.9-star Amazon rating based on more than 3,500 customer reviews, the Mighty Dump Truck features a movable steel bed that's just waiting to get dirty. (And, yup, as pictured, this is another toy that ships in frustration-free packaging.)
Tonka Steel Classics Mighty Dump Truck, $30
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