With 2020 being a tumultuous year for most families across the UK, many of us are looking towards the new year for opportunities to heal and reconnect. With a new year comes new beginnings, and we're sure parents and children will be looking to bond with their children as (at the time of writing) lockdown measures continue to be enforced.

As such, we've put together the following list of top toys and brands to try in 2021. From dolls and action figures to sensory toys and cool tech, there's a range of toys to suit children of all kinds.

Beyblade

It's genuinely surprising to see just how popular the Beyblade brand still is in 2021! Beyblade has managed to impressively persist as a childhood favourite since the early 2000s. Spinning tops have always been a mainstay among children's toys, and Beyblade takes that concept to an accelerated degree.

To reignite some friendly rivalries between parents and children, we can easily recommend the Beyblade Element-X 3 Pack. This excellent pack contains three of the very best Beyblades in the business for one low price.

Let them rip in the Beyblade Beystadium with a compatible launcher for hours of competitive fun!

Barbie Skipper

The Barbie Skipper range of dolls and playsets continues to impress, especially with its Babysitters Inc. playsets. Such sets offer a variety of activities with their included dolls and accessories, fueling imaginative play between parents and their young children.

Particularly, we love the Barbie Skipper Nap n' Nurture Nursery Playset. The amount of individual pieces filling up this playset for its price is nigh on unmatched in its space. It includes a trendy Skipper doll, two baby dolls and loads of accessories including a cot, rocking horse and tons more!

The Barbie Skipper Nap n' Nurture Nursery Playset is available here on our website, alongside several other Barbie Skipper dolls and playsets, including this baby doll with accessories!

Board Games

Love or hate it, Monopoly has continued to lead the charge in family entertainment while everyone's been at home, whether due to the pandemic or family get-togethers over the Christmas and New Years period.

Monopoly Pokemon: Kanto Edition continues to be a favourite for lovers of both brands. Players will visit nostalgic locations from Pokemon's first generation, while playing the familiar game of Monopoly families hate to love (or vice versa)!

If you've got trivia lovers in the family, though, look no further than iKnow from Tactic. This 1600 question strong board game provides an almost boundless range of easy and difficult quizzes across four different topics.

Kinetic Sand

It's been a big year for Kinetic Sand toys as parents look for innovative toys to hold the attention of their kids that doesn't require an electronic device!

This marvel of a toy features non-drying sand that can be moulded, squeezed and shaped however one sees fit. This is perhaps best demonstrated in the Kinetic Sand Butterfly Garden in which kids and parents can create a sparkling, colourful sand lot that looks amazing when finished and displayed!

For those looking to add a bit of sheen to their Kinetic Sand creations, the eye-catching Metallic Gold pack provides just that - a sparkling gold 1lb heap of Kinetic Sand!

Teksta

We previously mentioned Teksta in our blog on Christmas Present Suggestions for Kids, and we're still impressed by their popularity and wow factor.

In the Newborn Robotic Jumping Puppy, Teksta have created a surprisingly intelligent and responsive robotic pet for its low price. This electronic pup is fully interactive, and can sing, jump and beg on command! The puppy will even jump into your hand under the right circumstances!

This Teksta toy is programmed to respond to interaction, and kids can make it visibly happy by simply playing with it. It's the perfect toy for kids interested in tech, programming and what exactly makes electronics tick. It's a bonus if they already love dogs, too!

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With 2021 well underway, we're sure that parents and kids both will have myriad new years' resolutions they'll be pursuing to achieve. In addition to this, bonding between parents and children will likely be stronger as families look towards what will hopefully be a better, more productive year for all.

Let us know which toys and games have helped you spend time with your children over the last year! And will you be looking to try any of the toys listed above for the first time?

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Featured Image by AnnaliseArt