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Your holiday shopping just got easier: 13 hottest toys for every kid on your list

From Magic Mixies to Cocomelon, Target has all of this season's top toy picks.
TODAY Illustration; Target; Kara Birnbaum / TODAY

Every time the holiday season rolls back around, parents find themselves faced with the same question: What are the best gifts for kids this year? With their short attention spans and rapidly changing interests, kids are notoriously tough to shop for. After all, you want to get them something that they'll actually play with and won't get bored of after a couple of hours.

And if you're already puzzling over the decision of what to get, don't worry — Target has you covered. With an impressive selection of hot toys, cool exclusive toys and gifting recommendations across its site, the retailer makes it easy to shop for the littlest members of the family. That's why Shop TODAY editorial director Adrianna Brach previously stopped by TODAY to share some of the hottest toys that you can shop at Target right now as a part of our ongoing Shop This List TODAY series.

From a STEM toy that promises to help kids learn valuable skills as they play to the "magical" toy that will be on everyone's list this year, here are 13 hot toys that you can grab at Target ahead of the holiday season. There's something for every age and every kind of kid, so you can check multiple little ones off your list at once!

Hot Target toys as seen on TODAY

National Geographic Glow-in-the-Dark Marble Run

Educational and STEM toys are a must for the holiday season, and this one brings all the fun of traditional building toys, but according to the brand, it also teaches kids about the physics of motion and gravity. They'll put together the 41 pieces to construct their own unique marble run. When they're done, they can use the included UV light keychain to charge their glow-in-the-dark marbles, turn off the lights and send one of the marbles rolling down to see their creation come to life.

CoComelon Boo Boo JJ 12-Inch Interactive Light-up Plush

Cocomelon toys are some of the hottest toys this season. In fact, one toy expert previously told Shop TODAY that it’s the “year of Cocomelon,” because the characters are all over the toy aisle. And if you see one, you should grab it, because it’s going to be at the top of every kid’s list. This JJ doll, which has been featured on multiple hot toy lists, sings “The Boo Boo Song” from the show and says other fun phrases, so it’s perfect for little Cocomelon fans.

Magic Mixies Blue Magical Crystal Ball

Just like the Magic Mixies Cauldron from last year, the new Magic Mixies Crystal Ball is shaping up to be the buzziest holiday toy of 2022. The toy brings that trendy surprise element that kids love and pairs it with special effects, including light and smoke! They’ll wave the magic wand and use “real” magic to create the mist and make their Mixie appear.

But the fun doesn’t stop after the first use. You can reset it and purchase Magical Mist Refill packs so they can make their Mixie disappear and reappear time and time again. Or, they can even make other items, like their favorite small stuffed animal, magically appear in the ball

Kinetic Sand Swirl N' Surprise 2-Pound Playset

This fun kit comes with two pounds of colorful kinetic sand that's designed to magically stick together (and never dry out) so kids can spend hours molding it and creating shapes. They can try to build an epic rainbow sandcastle, or they can use the swirler and other fun accessories to create swirly sand art that can be layered, squished and carved. And while you may be worried that playing with sand will cause a big mess, the brand says that clean-up is easy because it sticks together.

Creativity for Kids Glow in the Dark Rock Painting Kit

This kit proves that even the simplest toys can be fun. It comes with everything kids need for the activity, and the whole family can join in and paint rocks to hide around the neighborhood for others to find or keep for themselves. The paint is designed to be weather-resistant so they can display their work in the backyard or on the front stoop and they won’t have to worry about their art being ruined.

Flybar FunPark Racer Bumper Car

Your little one will have a blast zooming around the house in this tricked-out bumper car. It’s made for toddlers aged 1.5 to 4 years old and features a dual joystick for 360-degree turns and flashing LED lights. Worried about your furniture? Thankfully, it has a soft foam bumper all around the base to help protect your home. Plus, it has a seatbelt for added safety and can only reach speeds up to one mile per hour.

More hot toys from Target

Pop It! Pro Light-Up Fidget Toy

Pop It! toys have been big for a few years now, and this new iteration brings all the fun of the classic versions and turns it into a game. Kids will try to pop all of the lit-up bubbles and then press the big button on the back to reset it before time runs out. While they can play it on their own, it also has a multiplayer mode so they can get friends in on the fun!

Fisher-Price DJ Bouncin' Beats Interactive Musical Learning Toy

Babies and toddlers ages nine to 36 months will get a kick out of dancing, moving and bouncing along with this musical toy. It features more than 75 songs, sounds and phrases and displays mesmerizing multi-color lights. Plus, there are three "Smart Stages" of learning, so you can switch up the experience to match their age.

WowWee Got2Glow Baby Fairy Finder

Kids can use this magical toy to find fairies everywhere they go! It glows and makes sounds when they find one, and then they can feed and play games with them. They’ll love seeing all of the places where they can find magical fairies. One reviewer said it’s almost like “using a metal detector,” but the fairies are the treasure! Plus, when they connect it to the Find My Fairy app, they can see all the ones they’ve collected and learn more about each one.

Cool Maker Stitch 'N Style Fashion Studio Sewing Machine Toy

Does your little fashionista dream of being able to make their own accessories? Now they can with this fun toy! The machine comes with pre-threaded cartridges, so there's no threading needed. All they have to do is pop it in and start stitching. It also comes with a sheet of pre-printed, patterned fabric that they can use to make accessories like a belt bag, scrunchie, sunglasses case and more.

Tonies Disney Pixar Toy Story Toniebox Audio Player Starter Set

Made just for kids, this speaker is said to have a durable design, soft features and intuitive controls. All they need to do to start it is place the figure on top (it connects via magnets) and they can hear stories and songs. This one features Woody, so it plays songs from “Toy Story,” but you can get others, including a minion, JJ from Cocomelon and so many more add-ons for around $15 each. The best part? There are no screens! Kids can play songs and hear stories without pulling them up on a phone, computer or TV — so it's perfect for parents who want to limit screen time but still keep their kids entertained.

Chuckle & Roar Mini Golf Set

They'll be on their way to becoming a master putter with this Mini Golf Set. They can move the obstacles and hole around to customize their course and make it a one-hitter or a tougher round.

Connect 4 Spin Game

You're likely familiar with the classic Connect 4 game, but you've never seen it like this before! Players will choose where to place their disc and then spin the column. Like in the original, they'll have to get four in a row — but they'll want to keep an eye on where their opponent is putting their discs. They could win with just one spin!