20 Toys That’ll Buy You At Least Five Whole Minutes Of Peace This Holiday Season

It’s about time somebody said it. Finding a holiday gift that sparks a child’s joy and keeps them busy for more than 30 seconds is basically a superpower. You get a good moment of satisfaction that extends slightly past the shredded wrapping paper, and before you know it, your tiny human is demanding your attention again. As far as the item at the top of mom’s shopping list (five whole minutes of peace), you’re still holding out on finding the right toy that will get you there.

That’s why you have to check out The Toy Insider 2025 Holiday Gift Guide. Think of this list as your holiday survival kit. The Toy Insider team has spent all year field-testing a wide selection of play gear to captivate, entertain, and distract your kids long enough for you to enjoy a glass or two of mulled wine. This year’s list offers craft kits, tech gadgets, character toys and more. In other words, you’ll be the hero delivering all the holiday magic.

Ready to knock out the shopping and cash in on some “me” time? Here are a few selects from The Toy Insider 2025 Holiday Gift Guide that will keep little hands busy, minds engaged, and your sanity intact just long enough for you to take a deep breath.

1. Pixicade! Instant Game Maker

Give your kid the power to create their own video game without a single screen time argument. Draw characters and levels, snap a picture of your creation, and start playing your very own video game. The pack includes five washable markers and a 108-page game design book.

2. Brick Like This!

Bring classic LEGO bricks to game night with this board game. Players race to build silly shapes while their teammates try to guess what they are. Perfect for families who love a little friendly competition!

3. Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle

Power up playtime with the video game bundle your kid has probably been asking for since it launched. This set includes the Nintendo Switch 2 system and Mario Kart World, a new multiplayer racing game exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. Whether they’re racing solo or connecting with friends, kids will be fully immersed, hitting the open road with Mario and friends. And if you play your cards right, you might even get a turn.

4. Lite-Brite Colorpop! Collection

These vibrant light-up activity sets feature characters like Stitch, Hello Kitty, and more. Each includes 650 Mini-Pegs, a translucent HD screen, various light modes, templates, and an easel display. It’s calming, creative, and so mesmerizing that your kid might just sit still long enough for you to finish that text comprised of — dare we say? — a full sentence.

5. Zhu Zhu City Starter Set

Sophie the hamster zooms, spins, and scurries with patented random motion. Each Zhu Zhu hamster has its own birthmark symbol, personality, and more than 40 sounds and reactions. Zhu Zhu City sets have customizable tracks that kids can connect, rebuild, and rearrange. Your kids get giggles watching the hamsters race around the track, and you get a moment of respite.

6. Crystal Gem Creations

These easy-to-assemble 3D crystal floral kits let you snap the pieces together, decorate with shimmering gems and stickers, and create a one-of-a-kind display. Designs include: Blossoming Bonsai, Blooming Lotus, Jewel Succulents. Each design features gem-like pieces that catch the light, adding a beautiful glow to any room. Perfect for anyone who loves crafting, florals, or DIY décor.

7. Crayola Marker Airbrush

This DIY kit includes a hand-powered airbrush, eight washable markers, and five reusable stencils. Kids simply load the marker and press the button to spray their designs on paper. It’s hands-on, easy to clean, and endlessly entertaining.

8. Hook Rally

Part skill, part luck, and totally addicting, Hook Rally is about to be your family’s new favorite game. Players swing their rings to try and capture the hooks. Once they capture a hook, it shifts so their opponent can’t reach it. The first to snag three hooks wins the game.

9. Soccer Bot

Kids can enhance their close-control soccer skills with this indoor robot. Set up the play area using the four smart discs and try to dribble the ball and “beat the bot.” It features an LCD screen to keep score, two play modes, and three variable training speeds.

10. Play-Doh 6 Variety Compounds

There’s something oddly satisfying about squishing Play-Doh and now, kids can explore six unique textures in one set. This set features scented, colorful compounds, including Cloud, Super Stretch, Foam, and Butter textures. Each unique slime is ready-to-play and resealable.

11. Disney Darlings

Available in a diverse range of hair, skin, and eye colors, these baby dolls come alive with lights and sounds at the wave of a magic wand. Kids can dress their new doll in a variety of character-inspired outfits and headbands, including kid-favorites like Minnie Mouse, Stitch, Marie, and Winnie the Pooh.

12. BLDR Squish Tour Van

Tour life has never been so fun (or quiet). With this 788-piece set, kids can construct the Squish Tour Van vehicle, then take the buildable Cam, Bubba, and Brina figures on tour. When built, the vehicle features a fully detailed interior.

13. Swift Clicks Heishi Bracelet Maker

Making friendship bracelets has never been so easy! Crafters can use the maker’s refillable, rotating carousel to select their desired colors and thread them by clicking the button. This 2,047-piece set makes more than 20 bracelets, includes 16 Heishi bead colors, and stores easily.

14. RC Spongebob ATV Rider

This ATV is F.U.N.! Inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants, this colorful car moves forward, backward, left, and right with the help of a long-range remote control. With grippy rubber tires and a powerful motor, kids will be zipping around faster than you can say “pineapple under the sea.”

15. Gecko Run: Marble Run - Challenge Edition

This isn’t your average marble run; it’s a race of brains and balance. With 32 challenge cards and two rapid-fire launchers, kids can team up together or race against each other to build the most impressive marble run courses on any flat surface.

16. Just Dough Character Packs

Kids can squeeze, shape, and form characters with this safe, nontoxic, gluten-free compound that features calming, child-safe scents. It’s screen-free, mess-free fun that smells good and feels good, too!

17. Boggle Jr.

Boggle, for the younger crowd! Learning and fun go hand-in-hand with two matching games that encourage reading and memory skills. In Match It/Spell It, kids look at the picture and word, then spell it out. In Cover It, kids use the word shield to spell words from memory.

18. 3Doodler Candy

This 3D pen is sweet in more ways than one. Kids load in a candy capsule and press the button to make delicious 3D creations. The pen is great for decorating sweet treats, and the candy capsule is made with a sugar substitute that’s gentle on blood sugar and teeth.

19. Slime Mart Small Basket

Imagination meets deliciousness in this fast food-themed gift pack. Kids can shape this new compound into kitchen creations that they can then squish and stretch. Choose from a burger- or pizza-themed set. The mess stays contained in the “basket,” which saves the clean-up crew (aka you) some valuable time.

20. Tamagotchi Paradise

Our favorite 90s-era digital pets just got an upgrade. With more than 50,000 possible characters to nurture, kids can use the zoom lens to explore their characters on a cellular level, then zoom out to explore the planet. Dock two together to play with a friend.

For more hot toys for kids of all ages, check out The Toy Insider's 2025 Holiday Gift Guide and follow @thetoyinsider on social media!