Top-rated toys from Walmart

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Kids have opinions — especially when it comes to toys. Whether you’re shopping for your own kids, your nieces and nephews, or a toy drive, the challenge is finding a gift they’ll love and keeping it a surprise until they tear open the wrapping paper (no slow unboxing here).

Why try and guess what kids have on their wish lists when Walmart already knows? Walmart launched their holiday 2021 toy catalog and it’s loaded with the top-rated playthings kids want. What’s even better? Their selections are chosen by kids and broken into different age groups.

Here are the toys that will earn you high-fives, huge smiles, and big hugs. Shop the catalog until Dec. 31 and get it right.

Interactive fun and learning for ages 2-4

Credit: VTech

Toddlers and preschoolers want hands-on toys they can roll around and snuggle after a long day. The plushy furReal Sweet Jammiecorn Unicorn ($24.96) makes sounds when you touch her ears and lights up when you press her horn. She glows a happy yellow during the day and a soothing blue at bedtime. For improving motor skills, the VTech Hover Pup ($24.97) has cool moves — and built-in sensors — to dance around or just chill out when tykes need a rest. The stackable Fisher-Price 4-In-1 Ultimate Learning Bot ($41.74) has three bots with googly eyes, motorized wheels, and sounds for learning about letters, numbers, and shapes.

Tools for making things for ages 5-7

Credit: VTech

Once kids have hit their stride with coloring and counting, they want to get creative and do projects (DIYers start young). For sand art with a touch of magic, the Kinetic Sand Sandisfactory Set ($16.97) has 10-plus tools for shaping and slicing kinetic sand — a squishy, moldable sand in four colors (the “magic” is a silicone coating). Or, inspire a budding photographer with a rechargeable VTech KidiZoom PrintCam Digital Camera and Printer ($69). Kids can take pics and selfies and use templates for comic strips, greeting cards, games, and other designs. They can print up to 80 black-and-white images with the included paper roll — and for added fun the refill pack (sold separately) has sticker paper.

Cool wheels for ages 8-12

Credit: Jetson

Whether it’s a Kryptonics Complete Cruiser Skateboard ($24.97) with sweet graphics, a HALO Rise Above Supreme Big Wheel Scooter ($39.93) with different colorways for the wheels, or a tricked-out Jetson Hali X Luminous Extreme-Terrain Hoverboard ($178), grade schoolers and tweens want to cruise around in style. The latter even has a light-up deck and Bluetooth speakers. But this doesn’t mean they’re too old for the Batman All-Terrain Batmobile Remote Control Vehicle ($49.97). No one is too old for this action-packed vehicle. Kids can use the rechargeable, 2.4 GHz dual joystick remote control to drive through water, snow, mud, and grass. And, yes, you can fit a Batman action figure (sold separately) in the driver’s seat.

Credit: Kryptonics