The Hottest Holiday Toys & Where to Find Them Locally 

Getting your hands on this year’s most popular toys isn’t always easy. Avoid eBay’s high resale prices by hitting these Wisconsin retailers.

While some of this season’s hottest toys are already sold out, like Lloyd’s Golden Ultra Dragon Lego Set, many are still available–if you know where to look. We compiled a list of 2022’s most popular toys and where you can find them in Wisconsin.

Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball

Photo courtesy of Moose Toys

Ages: 5 & up

Sold at: Walmart, Target, Macy’s

Price: $62 – $76

Last year’s hot ticket toy, the Magic Mixies Magical Cauldron made by Moose Toys, was the product retailers just could not keep in stock. This year, the company released an update: the Magic Mixies Crystal Ball. The toy comes with a “spell book” for kids to cast spells and conjure up toys from the ball. As a bonus, the Crystal Ball also functions as a night light! 

LOL Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets Surprise-O-Matic Dolls

Photo courtesy of LOL Surprise

Ages: 5 & up

Sold at: Target 

Price: $12 – $15

LOL Surprise dolls are not new to the toy scene, but the LOL Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets Surprise-O-Matic Dolls are this season. The new Netflix movie has kept them popular among young kids, and these Surprise-O-Matic dolls are the result of a partnership with candy companies. Each of the 12 collectible dolls comes with a different sweet treat, like DumDums, Milk Duds, Jolly Ranchers, and/or Hershey’s. Finding them locally can be difficult and availability is limited, so be prepared to visit more than one Target.

Squishmallows

Photo courtesy of Squish Alert

Ages: 5 & up

Sold at: Walmart, Target, Claires, Gamestop, Five Below

Price: $5 – $40 depending on size

Searching for the right Squishmallow for your child, tween, teen, or 20-something might give you Beanie Baby flashbacks if you were around for that craze; and this might be due to the fact that the Squishmallow was voted 2022’s Toy of the Year by the Toy Association. Each year, new collectible plush Squishmallows fly off store shelves, especially the rainbow ones. This year, some customers are visiting stores on a daily basis in search of specific edition, like Axolotl – Althea Squishmallow or the Squishmallows Mystery Box. However, you can find various types in various sizes (8 to 20 inches) in multiple stores. 

BONUS TIP: Five Below is supposedly dropping a line of new, small Squishmallows on Dec. 11. Download the Squish Alert App in the App Store or Google Play to get specific alerts. 

Jurassic World Dominion Dinosaur Figure: Strike ‘N Roar Giganotosaurus

Photo courtesy of The Geek Chronicles

Ages: 8 & up

Sold at: Target, Walmart, Macy’s, Fleet Farm

Price: $35 – $50

This massive Jurassic World dinosaur toy has movable legs and arms and a huge mouth to devour its prey. In fact, you can fit up to 20 Jurassic World mini-dinos inside one Strike ‘N Roar Giganotosaurus. This figure was also named Toy of the Year, so inventory is hit or miss. While the prehistoric giants sold out at stores before Black Friday, they appear to be back in stock… for now. Buy one up sooner rather than later for your future paleontologist. 

Snap Circuits Green Energy Electronics Exploration Kit

Photo courtesy of Elenco Electronics

Ages: 8 & up

Sold at: Barnes & Noble 

Price: $60

Snap Circuits are returning favorite for those looking to give something entertaining and educational, too. The 2022 version of these STEM-geared toys put a sustainable spin on the circuits. This year’s kit encourages kids to think about renewable energy and gives directions on how to build an electric car, a windmill, a clock, lights, and more. Currently, Barnes & Noble is the only retailer that has the Snap Circuits Green Energy Electronics Exploration Kit in stock. 

Nintendo Switch OLED

Photo courtesy of Nintendo of America

Ages: 10 & up

Sold at: Target, Gamestop, Best Buy, Sam’s Club

Price: $299 – $350

If you’re going big for the gamer in your life, the newest model of the Nintendo Switch is a definite pleaser. While the price tag is higher than the other items on this list, it’s significantly lower than an Xbox or PS5. This OLED model, first released in October 2021, was hard to find last holiday season. This year, it’s available at most big box retailers as well as Gamestop. The new model comes with a larger screen that offers sharper images than the original Switch. 

BONUS TIP: Head to Sam’s Club to get the bundle– and more bang for your buck. For $430, the console comes with a headset, wired controller, case, and a 256GB SanDisk. Not a member? Ask for a free trial pass.