For years, Tonies has delighted both parents and kids with its screen-free design and endless opportunities for entertainment. The toy has won multiple awards, has been featured in viral TikToks and even has celebrity fans. According to the brand, since its launch in 2014, there have been more than 9.5 million Tonieboxes and 125 million Tonies sold.
And now, the much-beloved device is getting a big upgrade. The brand just announced that it will be releasing a new version of the toy, the Toniebox 2. According to Tonies, it is its largest innovation since it released the first version 12 years ago.
But that's not all! The company is also releasing two new products: a series of interactive games, Tonieplay, as well as a line of soft, squeezable Tonies called My First Tonies.
"We’re always inspired by what our customers are doing on the Tonies platform and wanted to raise the bar on the long-term value with Toniebox 2," Tonies' chief experience officer Ginny McCormick shares with Shop TODAY. "We did a lot of research on customer needs and existing feelings on the original Toniebox to make the best upgrades for Toniebox 2."
Below, we have the exclusive details on all the new releases — including how you can pre-order them now. (You may want to do it soon, as we have a feeling these will be some of the hottest picks of the 2025 holiday season.)
The Toniebox 2, which is currently available for pre-order, builds on everything that both parents and kids loved about the original toy, but makes it even better. It still has the screen-free design and ability to connect with the many Tonies on the market (it’s compatible with pre-existing characters and accessories), but it has some fun new features.
McCormick says that the brand worked with child behavioral experts to ensure that the new product was perfectly designed for the different stages of development. “How kids learn and how they listen differs for a 1-year-old who has a much shorter attention span and need for repetition versus a 7-year-old who can handle more complex and imaginative stories,” she says.
When creating all of the latest releases, the brand wanted to provide options that could grow with kids. McCormick shares that parents told them they wanted to give Tonies to their kids earlier, “so we redesigned it to be certified safe from age one—durable enough for little hands, intuitive enough for toddlers. Parents simply hand their toddler a Toniebox 2 and it takes all the taps and play a child of that age will do.”
The Toniebox now has rounded corners, more squeezability and even comes in fun new colors. It also has a new light ring that glows in bright colors when a Tonie is playing and gives cues during games. Plus, there are smart bedtime and sunrise alarm features to help your kids master their sleep schedule.
Parents will also appreciate the upgraded app, where they can adjust the toy’s settings and monitor their kids’ usage.
Tonieplay takes the whole experience to the next level. McCormick says that it was created because older kids were "craving deeper experiences," so the team built Tonieplay as "a way to bring interactivity and gaming into Tonies without introducing screens.”
Instead of songs and stories, kids will be able to access games featuring characters from beloved shows like "PAW Patrol," "Gabby’s Dollhouse," "Winnie the Pooh" and more. Sticking with the Tonies ethos, the experience is still completely screen-free. They'll be able to team up with friends and family or play on their own, as the audio prompts guide them through challenges and games. McCormick describes it as an "ears-first, board-like experience," where kids can create their own adventures.
"Parents today are navigating a tricky balance: kids are drawn to interactive digital play, but many families feel uneasy about how early and how often screens dominate childhood," McCormick says. "With Tonieplay, we wanted to reimagine what play could look like in the digital age, just as engaging as online games, but designed to fuel creativity, imagination and social connection without the downsides of screen time.
The brand's new My First Tonies are perfect for the littlest ones in your family, as they are perfectly squeezable and play real-world sounds, age-appropriate songs and help them learn new words. Plus, they come in super cute designs like a cow or a sheep.
When will the Toniebox 2 be available?
While you can pre-order all of the new items now on the Tonies site and at Walmart, the Toniebox 2 will be available in-store exclusively at FAO Schwarz in New York City on Sept. 15. It will be available to ship from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kohl’s and specialty retailers starting on Oct. 5. Some of those stores will also have availability in-store, but Walmart in-store purchases will begin on Nov. 1.
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