The Hottest Toy Trends of 2015

This year’s expo gave us a lot of food for thought. Never have we seen such a buffet of inspiring toys that feed the imagination. One favorite: Kid O Rise & Shine Set, featuring colorful dishware, utensils and food (look at that bacon and egg platter!). Ages: 3 years+. What we love:

• Sparks imitative and imaginative play
• Encourages social interaction — who’s hungry for breakfast?

PlanToys offers more meal options than your local restaurant. But we love this new dough set, which lets kids actually roll, cut and mold their own play dough (or real dough, if you’re up for it). Ages: 3 years+. What we love:

• It’s perfect for tactile and sensory play
• Introduces new shapes and patterns to little bakers
  

Buy it: $20, PlanToys.com

This realistic kitchen set brings imaginary play to a whole new level. You might want to invest in some play food to go along with it. Ages: 3 years+. What we love:

• Clicking knobs and a real timer set the interactivity bar high
• With a full range of appliances, your toddler will be engaged all day
  

Buy it: $130, MelissaandDoug.com

Toy Fair hinted we’ll be hearing a lot more musical mashups in 2015. Start by helping your toddler find his rhythm with this colorful drum. With or without the included drumsticks, kids will love banging the day away. Ages: 3 years+. What we love:

• Banging out a beat helps develop a sense of timing
• Playing with sticks helps hone fine motor skills
• Because it’s wood instead of plastic, you might actually like what you hear
  

Buy it: $25, SassafrasStore.com

A potential prodigy deserves some high-quality keys. A popular baby shower gift, this tabletop piano is designed to introduce infants to music. Ages: 3 months+. What we love:

• Keys are actual-sized, encouraging little fingers to stretch
• When baby’s older, you can pair it with Schoenhut’s Learning System
  

Buy it: $66, Amazon.com

Perfect for the more “heavy metal” musicians, this award-winning toy lets babies send balls tinkling over a xylophone with the pounding of a mallet. Had enough of picking up balls for one day? The xylophone can be removed and played on its own too.

• Pound ball, hear music — it’s a true lesson in cause and effect
• Develops hand-eye coordination and spatial reasoning
• Multiple uses make it a two-in-one toy
  

Buy it: $30, HapeToys.com

With so many gardening and outdoorsy products on the market, even the littlest thumbs will be green. Work on coordination and garden cultivation with this wooden pegging game. Ages: 2 years+. What we love:

• Big green stalks and colorful flowers are easy to grab and stack, helping to develop fine motor skills
• The solid beech wood pieces are durable, even more the most destructive gardeners

Buy it: $40, HABAUSA.com

Whether you’re playing at the beach or actually sowing some seeds, this watering can set is a lesson in going green. Ages: 18 months+. What we love:

• Made from recycled plastic milk jugs, it’s environmentally friendly
• The cotton handle makes it easy — and comfortable — for little hands to tote around
  

Buy it: $17, GreenToys.com

Create the most magical fairy garden with rods, connectors and wheels. And early lesson in engineering, you can follow step-by-step instructions or build your own masterpiece. Ages: 3 years+. What we love:

• The 60-piece set allows for endless imagination
• Employs critical thinking as you build
• Encourages storytelling as you play
  

Buy it: $23, Superstructs.com

Bath time might not always go your way, but you can make sure it’s always fun. Yookidoo’s Flow ‘n’ Fill Spout features three separate tumblers to allow for different spouting actions, creating a dripping, spinning, googly-eyed chain reaction. Ages: 9 months+. What we love:

• It’s the cutest (and busiest) lesson in cause and effect
• Tons of different functions allow for versatile water play
  

Buy it: $20, ToysRUs.com

Keep water in the tub and toys off the floor with this innovative bath table. It suctions to the bottom of the tub and offers a no-slip surface for all baby’s bath toys. Ages: 12 months+. What we love:

• Removable colorful shapes (included) help baby understand spatial relationships and matching
• Small holes allow water to drain and not pool on the tabletop
• The rest of the bathroom (and hopefully you) stays dry
  

Buy it: $40, TubbyTableToys.com

Who knew bath time could be such a harrowing adventure? With a pirate, treasure chest, gun turret and paddle, this ship makes it easy to pretend the tub has become the high seas. Good luck getting your kid out of there. Ages: 2 years+. What we love:

• Fun pirate pieces encourage imaginative play
• Sustainable, preservative-free rubber wood is eco-friendly
• Use it in the rub or as a standalone water toy
  

Buy it April 1: $30, PlanToys.com