This year's most anticipated Christmas toys have faced their ultimate test: a panel of brutally honest children. For the first time ever, the official DreamToys top 15 list was handed over to a group of eight Mini Toy Testers aged three to 15, who delivered their uncensored verdicts in November 2025.
The Mini Toy Testers' Verdict
The secret testing session gave the children exclusive access to play with all the toys before the list's public release. The youngsters spent an entire afternoon rigorously testing a diverse range of gadgets and games, from the LEGO® Speed Champions F1® Racing Cars to fresh Pokémon cards and the Disney Stitch 'Ultimate Stitch' interactive plush.
Five-year-old Charlotte declared the Disney Stitch toy "super interactive", praising its numerous play features and impressive animatronics. Meanwhile, fifteen-year-old Max was captivated by the Hot Wheels Racing™ Formula 1 ® Grand Prix Circuit set, describing it as "really cool" and dedicating most of his session to racing cars around the track.
Eight-year-old Talia adored the Mini Brands Fill the Fridge set, stating she would "never get bored" of its entertaining additions. She also cherished the Wicked: For Good singing dolls, explaining that Wicked is her favourite film. Eleven-year-old Ruby was completely smitten with the Gui Gui slime set, while three-year-old Theo was spotted cuddling the Peppa Pig Interactive Oinks & Snuggles Baby Evie Doll.
What Makes a Toy a Winner?
The DreamToys list represents the UK's most authoritative prediction of desirable new toys, selected by a panel of independent toy retailers and experts. Paul Reader, chairman of the DreamToys Selection Panel at the Toy Retailers Association, emphasised that while experts choose the toys, children are the most honest critics.
The Mini Toy Tester panel was assembled following a survey of 1,000 children aged six to 12. The research revealed that 63% of children compile their Christmas wish lists based on items they've seen in shops, while 46% are influenced by friends' recommendations.
Nearly half (48%) of children surveyed prefer toys they can share with friends, while 45% want toys that allow them to be creative. An intriguing 32% expressed interest in toys that help them learn something new.
Complete DreamToys 2025 List
All the children were captivated by the Jurassic World Primal Hatch: T-Rex and enjoyed zooming around with the remote-control Monster Jam: RC Smash & Bash Grave Digger. Other crowd-pleasers included Marshmallow Madness and Human Controller, which had all the youngsters in stitches.
The Toy Retailers Association is running a competition offering 12 fortunate children the chance to win all 15 toys from the DreamToys list by visiting participating shops across the country.
The full unranked DreamToys 2025 list includes:
- Dress To Impress Mystery Model Dolls
- Gui Gui Shimmer Deluxe Pack
- Hot Wheels Racing™ Formula 1® Grand Prix Circuit
- Human Controller
- Jurassic World Primal Hatch: T.Rex
- Marshmallow Madness
- Mini Brands - Fill The Fridge Playset
- Monster Jam: RC Smash & Bash Grave Digger
- One Piece The Going Merry Pirate Ship - LEGO®
- Peppa Pig Interactive Oinks & Snuggles Baby Evie Doll
- Pokémon Trading Card Game: Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box
- Speed Champions F1® Racing Cars - LEGO®
- Sticki Rolls Sticki Rolluxe
- Disney Stitch Ultimate Stitch Interactive Feature Plush
- Wicked For Good Singing Dolls
