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Good Housekeeping reveals 2017 'Best Toy Award' winners

Tested for safety by the GH Institute's engineers and approved by kids for the "fun factor," these are the hottest toys for the holidays.
/ Source: TODAY

The holiday will be here before you know it, which means it’s time to start buttoning up that Christmas list! Feeling stumped about what to get the youngest recipients on your shopping list? You’re not alone.

The experts at Good Housekeeping took on the task of sorting out the best holiday gifts for kids of all ages by vetting 500-plus new toys for safety, quality and skill-building. And the winners had to go through a rigorous test that included:

  • Good Housekeeping Institute's engineers making sure toys met safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
  • Passing assembly, construction and durability evaluations. They conducted a drop test to ensure that they wouldn’t shatter into small pieces and pose a choking hazard, examined toys for pinch points and sharp edges.
  • Judging from the toughest critics. Final decisions came from 100 children, ages 1 to 13, who assessed the fun factor in the GH Media & Tech Lab and at home.

Here are just a few of the kid-approved toys that landed on this year’s list. Be sure to pick up a copy of the November issue to see the full roundup!

1. Hasbro Furreal Roarin' Tiger, $117, Amazon

Amazon

This playful tiger responds to sound and motion — he roars when you roar and moves when you pet him. Kids went wild for how furry, huggable and interactive he was, and GH engineers were wowed by his 100-plus sounds and animations. (Ages 4+)

2. Despicable Me Dru's Super Lair Playset, $41, Amazon

Amazon

Dru’s lair is equipped with everything mischief-makers need to create some Mineez mayhem, including a radar launcher, trapdoor, silly sounds and more. (Ages 5+)

RELATED: These 10 toys will be on every kid's wish list this holiday season

3. Crayola Color Wonder Magic Light Brush & Draw Pad, $20, Amazon

Amazon

Let your budding artist’s creativity run wild without fear of spills or stains. Kids will have hours of fun painting colorful pictures and parents will appreciate that it’s mess free! GH Tip: Keep wipes on hand; you have to clean the light brush when you switch shades. (Ages 3+)

4. LeapFrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart, $77, Amazon

Amazon

With this full-service cart — stocked with magic (magnetic) scoop, cones, four flavors of ice cream, syrup and three toppings — kids can take orders and create tasty-looking combinations, build memory and sequencing skills by choosing from six animal order cards and develop gross motor skills by pushing the cart around. (Ages 2+)

RELATED: Ice cream cart, riding unicorn: Hottest new toys for holidays

5. HABA Symphony Croc, $40, Amazon

Amazon

Encourage your child's love of rhythm and foster fine motor skills with this crocodile-shaped music set, complete with a drum and two mallets — making it great for play-date duets — xylophone, guiro wooden block and bell. (Ages 2+)

This item sold out! For more gifts for two-year-olds check out our two-year-old gift guide!

6. Fisher-Price Little People Animal Rescue, $30 (normally $40), Amazon

Amazon

Tots can send the fire truck and spinning helicopter into action. Plus, there’s plenty of sounds, songs, phrases and light to keep kids engaged. Engineers were wowed by the quality design, easy folding for storage and well-sized pieces. (Ages 1+)

7. LittleBits Droid Inventor Kit, $99, Amazon

Amazon

Star Wars fans and future innovators can follow step-by-step instructions to construct their own R2 unit and then use the free Droid Inventor app to teach it new skills, like head spins and self navigation, and even send it on special missions. (Ages 8+)

RELATED: Hot holiday toys: Batbot, Roarin’ Tyler, Hatchimals Surprise and more

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Looking for more suggestions? Check out the gift guide for babies and 1-year olds. Or try the best toys for kids gift guide, the 10 toys that will be on every kid’s wish list this holiday season or Amazon's top e017 toy list.

If you need to check other people off your list, test out our interactive gift guide! You simply choose who you are shopping for, what they are like and how much you want to spend, then we generate the gifts for you!

Click here to try it out!