Toy Fair New York: 12 Favorite Finds and Trends for 2026

I just returned from Toy Fair New York and I can't wait to share the latest toy trends with you, as well as my favorite finds from the show. I've been attending Toy Fair since 2017 and I take great pride in sharing the best toys for the coming year. Everything I see at Toy Fair helps me to create the gift guides I publish here at The Jersey Momma, including my Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide (published every  November) and my Easter Basket Gift Guide (published every Spring), as well as many others. You can also check out last year's Jersey Momma finds from Toy Fair here. This post is designed with your precious time in mind, so use my bold headlines to easily scroll for what you need.

Disclosure: this is not a sponsored post. I attended TFNY as a member of the media (although I am often lumped into the "influencer" group, much to my dismay), and all opinions here are my own. No one paid me to feature their items, and if you see multiple recommendations from one company, it's just because I loved them. This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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What is Toy Fair?

Toy Fair is a trade show that is not open to the public. It's a chance for retailers, wholesalers and store owners to see what's new and make important purchases from the toy industry for the coming year. Toy Fair used to have a very strict policy about who was allowed to attend, and children were not permitted. Over the years they have opened the show up to influencers and their children (as long as the children are part of the influencer's channel). I have mixed feelings about this. Although the show is filled with toys, it's still a place of business (and toys are BIG business). Many influencers want to attend simply for freebies or to be paid for 'promoting' certain booths. 

A Note from The Jersey Momma About Toy Fair 

The paragraph below is rewritten from my 2023 blog post because it still holds true and I think it's important to emphasize it again: 

I am a mom, former elementary school educator, entertainment writer, author, blog owner, social media manager, content creator, Ambassador of Play for The Toy Association, former Parent Panelist for The Toy Insider (you can still read my Toy Insider articles here), and CEO of Jersey Momma Media.  My goal when visiting Toy Fair is to share my finds with thousands of parents, kids, kidults, collectors, and FUN humans all over the world. I compose round-up blog posts, specific blog posts and Holiday Gift Guides that assist families and buyers, but also help bring traffic to my site and boost my Amazon affiliate sales. Once again, I was surprised that some booths would only offer me an "influencer tour" (and you know how I feel about being called an influencer). This mostly included photo ops, character meet and greets, and only specific toys on display. I know vendors have their reasons for segregating their booth visitors, but as an industry professional and representative of the toy-purchasing community, I find this quite sad. Maybe they are afraid of their toy ideas being stolen, maybe they are afraid of actual products being stolen, or maybe I'm just not important enough (gasp!). But when the 'hot toys' are behind closed doors, that means I can't share my honest opinion with you about many of these products- because I'm not going to tell you to go buy something for your kids or your collection if I never actually saw it work, or if I never held it in my own two hands. But I am grateful to the amazing companies who did stand behind their products at the show and demonstrated their best and greatest with me, knowing I'd share what I love with unabashed enthusiasm, like the true kidult that I am. Never underestimate the value of a kidult blogger parent! Stepping down from my toy soapbox now. On with the round-up.

Toy Fair Trends

What trends did I see at Toy Fair 2026? First, LICENSING. There were tons of recognizable characters featured on a variety of products across the board, including Peanuts, Strawberry Shortcake, DC Universe, Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh (to celebrate his 100th anniversary), Stitch, and more. Second, BLIND BOXES/COLLECTIBLES. I feel like almost every brand had some form of blind box or miniature collectible that buyers could unbox, collect or display. This is where your influencers come in, because unboxing videos are very popular on social media, and KIDULTS (like me!) are on the rise. Third trend is NOSTALGIA/THROWBACK. I saw many, many toys featuring favorite characters or themes from long ago, like Strawberry Shortcake Slinky, lava lamps, Snoopy, Big Wheels, retro action figures, Star Wars- I could go on and on. I love this trend and I'm totally here for it! Another trend is PERSONALIZATION/EXPRESSION, meaning there were many toys that you could decorate and design to make them "yours," like journals, charms, jewelry, clip-ons, bags, mirrors, and more. I also saw a trend of toy makers trying to steer kids away from screens- many tactile, soothing toys (squishies, squeezies, sensory toys, slime, puzzles, etc), which is wonderful. 

Favorite Finds

It's hard for me to summarize my favorite finds because there's always so much that I love at Toy Fair, especially after spending several days there. But here are a few of the stand-outs for me.

1. MOMIJI DOLLS

I adore these collectible blind box dolls that come with a hidden message in their base. I'm a bit obsessed with them, actually, and went back to visit the booth twice. I could not get an "official" tour or appointment at this booth, but they're from TOMY, so you'll have to look them up on your own. 

2. EVERYTHING SQUISHMALLOWS

There are so many new Squishmallows and Squishmallows products that I can't even name them all here (be sure to check out my Squishmallows reel on Instagram or my video on YouTube). But I know people will be very excited to see favorite characters like KPOP Demon Hunters, Pokemon, Mofusand, Avatar, and more. Look for tons of new BLDR sets, Squooshems, Micromallows, etc. I also LOVED the Cafe Collection Espresso Mugs from BigMouth, Inc. These Squishmallow mugs come adorably packaged with a surprise charm inside. I also loved their Squishmallows pool floats. 

3. BUM BUMZ PLUSH

BumBumz licensing is off the charts! With Golden Girls, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Sanrio, Care Bears, and Friends characters coming soon, just to name a few. 

4. PLUS PLUS KITS

Plus Plus is a unique building toy that is very easy to assemble and consists of little plus-shaped pieces that easily connect. I loved their new line based on famous artists (like Van Gogh), as well as their Peanuts line and their holiday line. The possibilities are endless with Plus Plus and even adults seem to like them. 

5. YOTTOY STORYBOOK CHARACTER SETS

I loved Yottoy's products based on classic storybook characters including plush, dolls, tea sets and more. I loved seeing Frog and Toad, Harry the Dirty Dog, Madeline, Knufflebunny,  Leo Lionni and Richard Scarry (my favorite) along with many others.

6. WORLDS SMALLEST

Worlds Smallest from Super Impulse never disappoints. They have so many new additions to their amazing miniature line, including Monchichi, Snoopy, a complete miniature Sea Monkeys tank, Nanoblocks, Snoopy Snow Cone Machine and YoGabbaGabba figures. 

7. LOOPS LAB

The creator of Loops Lab just won Toy Inventor of the Year from The Toy Association. Loops Lab combines collectibles with music and allows the user to create a fully personalized music experience that can make a party come to life. Begin with the Loops Lab Starter Set to mix and create music, and then choose some add-on sets to add different styles of music and instruments.  I personally loved the Fantasimo Classical Bunnies.

8. CALICO CRITTERS

Did you know that I'm a Calico Critters Ambassador? But even if I wasn't, I would still recommend their incredible line to you. They're a favorite in the Kidult community because of their cuteness factor, flocked bodies and high quality. This year, keep an eye out for the Biscuit Bear family mansion, the Citrus Birds, the Dalmatian family, the double decker bus, and their fantasy line featuring teeny tiny non-flocked mini critters!

9. COAST HIPPIE VET KIT

I thought the Coast Hippie Vet Kits from Wild Republic were so clever. Each little carry case features a different type of plush in need of help. An axolotl with a soda tab on its foot, a sea turtle with soda can rings stuck to its head, a shark with a hook in its mouth- they all need your help! Use the included "tools" to remove the offending items, check the plush's "xray" card and check off the steps on the medical card. It's a great way to teach about conservation and the importance of our planet. 

10. KAWAII SLIME COMPANY

I'm not the biggest slime fan, but Kawaii Slime Company is so unique. Everything in their booth looked like it came from a fresh and cute market! Squishie ears of corn and sticks of butter, jars of 'pie filling' slime, new kits featuring Sanrio characters, and of course their line of themed slimes with different mix-ins. Their packaging is adorable and trademarked- the little dome-shaped top and bow are unique to them. Their slimes make great gifts, especially the ones themed for holidays. 

11. PMI KIDS WORLD 

Your kids are going to love all of the toys coming from PMI. Italian Brain Rot toys, FIFA themed collectibles, balls, and more, Werebears plush, Minecraft goodies, all new Fugglers, and so much more. They seem to have the jump on exclusive licensing of some very popular brands! I wasn't permitted to photograph their newest items, but stay tuned and hopefully I can share more details over time. 

12. WISE WIZARD GAMES

I found two fun games from Wise Wizard, including Locus (which can be played solo) and Caution Signs, which is a great party or family game. If you're looking for something new for game night or a way to encourage less scrolling, then check these out!

For all of my toy posts, gift guides and industry news, be sure to check out this section of The Jersey Momma. And don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so you know when my next gift guides are coming out.