A little curiosity goes a long way

Understand the toy.
Choose the play.

From a first construction set to a robot with a personality: explore what toys do, what they need, and what makes them worth coming back to.

An illustrated toy robot and mechanical dog beside wooden blocks, puzzle pieces and a magnifying glass
Concept illustration of imaginary toys, created for Toysit.

Welcome back to the toy box

Toysit began with a simple habit: watching toy commercials and explaining the options as each holiday season arrived. That curiosity continues here, with practical guides for today and a toy archive to explore.

New on Toysit

Fresh toy profiles, with an original play idea to try.

An orange foam ball with a join around its middle and an opening at the top.

MODU Foam Ball, Burnt Orange / Dusty Green version. Courtesy of MODU.

New toy profile

MODU Foam Ball: Roll It, Split It, Build With It

Roll a round parcel to a drawn door, then explore its split shape.

Published

Explore the split ball
Six round play counters with eye holes arranged in a colorful ring.

Bilibo Dots: one sample of each of the six colors; the package contains 36 counters and a pouch. Courtesy of MOLUK.

New toy profile

Bilibo Dots: Sort, Count and Deliver Color Mail

Deliver colorful counters to drawn doorways, then change the sorting rule.

Published

Open the color-mail route
A red curved shell with two eye holes and raised side grips.

Bilibo Midi, single red shell. Supplied product photograph. Courtesy of MOLUK.

New toy profile

Bilibo Midi: A Small Shell That Changes Jobs

Give one compact shell three imaginary jobs in a small sand town.

Published

Explore the play shell

Start with a play idea.

Choose a small scene to explore. Follow a collection’s featured activities or begin with one historical article.

Build a small world

Make a place for a visitor, change an entrance and give each room a part in the story.

Make a mystery

Notice a visible detail, write a clue and invite a willing partner to work out what it means.

Tell a story with sound

Give an invented character a gentle rhythm, a spoken greeting or a place in a paper concert.

These routes combine historical profiles and original play ideas. Each article explains its evidence and edition limits.

Browse all 42 topics

What has our attention

Ten ways into play.

Start with the experience you want. These guides help you ask better questions before choosing.

01 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Robot Toys

Find the robot that fits the way you want to play. Compare controls, coding, space, setup and repeat play.

Explore robot toys
02 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Robotic Pets

Compare responsive plush, moving robot animals and connected companions by interaction, sound, care and support.

Explore robotic pets
03 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Kids Electronics

Understand the devices, apps, accounts, batteries and ongoing services behind an electronic toy.

Explore kids electronics
04 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Science Toys

Choose science toys by the questions they invite, the materials they use and the investigations you can repeat.

Explore science toys
05 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Building Toys

Compare building systems by connection types, compatibility, space and the possibilities after assembly.

Explore building toys
06 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Educational Toys

Choose educational toys by the activity, challenge and room for repeat play. Learn how to assess learning claims and adult help.

Explore educational toys
07 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Board Games

Choose a board game for the actual players, reading needs, time and mood. Compare turns, cooperation, competition and repeat play.

Explore board games
08 / CHOOSING GUIDE

RC Toys

Match remote-controlled toys to space, surfaces and steering skills. Check power, charging, equipment and repair needs before choosing.

Explore rc toys
09 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Puzzles

Choose a puzzle by its format, picture, piece size and the solver's experience. Plan for shared solving, pauses and storage.

Explore puzzles
10 / CHOOSING GUIDE

Art Toys

Compare drawing, painting, modeling and craft activities by creative freedom, materials, adult help, cleanup and repeat use.

Explore art toys

Choosing guides

More choosing guides.

Find an activity for a favorite character, explore music, choose a game or plan outdoor play.

Dolls & fashion

Dolls · Barbie · Baby dolls · Bratz · My Scene · Fashion toys

Homes & companions

Doll houses · Kitchen toys · Stuffed animals

Music & making

Music toys · Kids music · LEGO

Collecting

Diecast · Pokémon

Sand & water

Beach toys · Pool toys

Early play

Baby toys · Fisher Price

AI, with useful questions

Look beyond the talking toy.

Understand how it responds, what it remembers, and what happens when the connection goes away.

Read the AI Toy Guide →

From the toy box

Before this year's wish list.

Meet the robots, dolls, games and gadgets that caught our attention in earlier seasons. Original coverage stays part of the story.

Browse the 2013 season →

Explore the toy archive →
Toysit's original artwork

Created for Toysit by Tabbloza

A dinosaur with a character

In 2006, Toysit covered Pleo, a robotic dinosaur designed to respond to its surroundings. Revisit the original description, then compare the questions we ask of robotic pets today.

Read the original Pleo story →