Top Holiday Toys, Gadgets and More To Shop Now — And What They’ll Cost You

It’s only October, but the holidays will be here before you know it. Therefore, it’s time to start making your shopping list — and checking it twice.

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Getting a head start on holiday shopping has never been a bad idea, but it’s more pertinent this year than usual due to global supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, two major toy company CEOs — Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment and Jay Foreman of Basic Fun — told CNN Business parents should start shopping early this year.

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In addition to being able to score the items on your list, getting a head start on shopping can also help you save money. While most retailers haven’t announced holiday sales just yet, keeping a watchful eye on the items you wish to purchase can allow you to secure discounts.

Not sure what items to seek out for your loved ones this year? Here’s a look at the top holiday toys, gadgets, household items and more for the 2021 holiday season.

Perfect for the fashionista in your life, the SKIMS Ribbed Long Dress is available in sizes XXS-4X. Featuring a classic style, this scoop-neck dress in ribbed stretch modal hugs the body for a flattering yet relaxed look.

Available in nine different colors, get this SKIMS slip dress for $78 at Nordstrom. Clearly a hit with shoppers, 84% of purchasers on the department store’s website gave it a perfect five-star rating, meaning it’s definitely doing something right to please the masses.

Ideal for kids who love animals, Piggly, an interactive pet pig, moves and sounds like a live baby pig. Complete with super soft skin, big floppy ears and a little tail that wiggles when she moves, this adorable pig is equipped with more than 25 sounds and reactions.

Priced at $17.99 on Amazon, Piggly comes with a bottle for feeding and her nose wiggles when she drinks, burps and giggles. Ideal for kids ages 4 and up, she also has a detachable leash for taking walks.

Ideal for the tech fiend on your list, the Ekster Parliament wallet features RFID blocking technology that keeps credit cards safe from skimmers. Handcrafted with top-grain leather, this wallet is impossible to lose, as you can install a tracker — sold separately — to call or map it.

Available for $79 on the Ekster website, this savvy wallet stores a total of 12-plus cards — including up to six non-embossed cards or four to five embossed cards in the aluminum cardholder.

Ideal for an urban gardener without much outdoor space, the Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 makes it possible to grow herbs in a small space. This self-watering indoor gardening kit comes equipped with a planter base — featuring a built-in water reservoir that holds a month’s worth of water — an LED lamp arm and three basil starter pods.

Available at Nordstrom for $99.95, this chic planter comes in beige, grey and white. It’s also dishwasher safe and contains a proprietary soil mix inspired by NASA, sure to impress anyone with a green thumb.

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Originally priced at $69.99, the Magic Mixies Magical Misting Cauldron is so popular, it’s currently sold out at Target and Walmart. However, if a special kid in your life has already requested this super popular toy, you can still snag one on Amazon — starting at $114.99 for a blue version and $119.49 for the pink variety.

Intended for kids ages 5 and up, this misting cauldron comes with all the ingredients and a special wand to mix a potion and create a Magic Mixie friend. Equipped with more than 50 sounds and reactions, it’s easy to see why kids can’t get enough of this interactive toy.

Featuring four microphones with uplink noise cancellation and diamond-inspired drivers, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Wireless Earbuds are ideal for home offices. Priced at $79.99 on the Soundcore website, these wireless earbuds offer seven hours of playtime on just one charge — and up to 28 hours with the charging case.

Offering a truly personalized listening experience, HearID maps your hearing sensitivity at several frequencies and analyzes the results to meet your needs. These wireless earbuds also offer quick and easy Bluetooth 5 connectivity, which will quickly make them an essential.

If your child is a “Bluey” fan, they’ll be thrilled to receive Bluey & Jean Luc’s Caravan Adventures Playset. Available for $29.99 at Target, this playset comes with seven pieces, including a 2.5-inch Bluey figure and another of Jean Luc in the same size.

Suggested for ages 3 and up, flip and fold out the caravan to create rooms for Bluey and Jean Luc to play in. Kids will have a blast customizing the caravan with fun stickers and it’s also compatible with the Heeler four-wheel drive car.

A favorite for generations, the Original Spirograph Kit is equipped with markers and precision-engineered wheels and rings that make seriously impressive designs. Compatible with almost any pen, pencil or marker, this drawing set features 19 Spirograph precision wheels, two Spirograph precision rings, one Spirograph precision rack, a 0.17-ounce container of reusable Spirograph putty, eight markers, a 14-page guide book, 20 sheets of design paper and one storage tray.

Ideal for kids ages 8 and up, this seriously fun kit is available for $14.99 at Target.

Sure to be a hit for anyone who enjoys spending their free time in the kitchen — or simply those who need a kitchenware upgrade — the 10.25-inch Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet is available for $17.90 on Amazon. This round skillet offers unparalleled heat retention and even heating, making it easy to sear, sauté, bake, broil, braise, fry and grill.

Ideal for use in the oven or on the stove, grill or campfire, this ultra-tough skillet is also available on Amazon in several other sizes, ensuring there’s something to meet your favorite chef’s needs.

A gift sure to delight anyone who enjoys cooking, the Chefman Multifunctional Digital Air Fryer creates a deliciously crispy texture with at least 98% less oil than traditional fryers. Featuring a 10-liter capacity and 17 preset options, this versatile machine also serves as a rotisserie spit, an oven and a dehydrator.

Easy to clean, it has a removable drip tray and dishwasher safe parts, along with two air flow racks, a rotisserie spit and forks, rotating basket, rotisserie retrieval tool and drip tray. Spacious enough to feed a houseful, snag this air fryer on sale for $102.99 at Best Buy — normally it’s $129.99.

The perfect gift for a budding photographer, the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam Digital Camera and Printer allows kids to take pictures and print them instantly. Intended for kids ages 4 and up, this set comes with a paper roll that prints up to 80 images — a refill pack is sold separately.

Available for $71 at Walmart, stickers, borders and filters can be added to any image or video for the ultimate creativity. The camera is also equipped with a USB cable, making it easy to transfer all photos and videos to a computer

The perfect gift for the hair-crazed person in your life, the Panasonic Nanoe Salon Hair Dryer features an oscillating quick-dry nozzle that moves back and forth, drying hair quickly and gently. Easy to use, this innovative hair dryer produces salon-quality results from home.

Available for $149.99 on Amazon, it features two speed settings, three heat settings and drying times can be customized for different hairstyles and types. In addition to the removable oscillating head, this hair dryer comes with a concentrator nozzle and a full-sized diffuser.

A 21st century take on the classic Rubik’s Cube, this app-enabled version connects to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. It also features tutorials that allow users to learn how to solve the Rubik’s, play mini-games, improve their game and connect with others around the world to put their skills to the test.

Priced at $59.95 on Amazon, the Rubik’s Connected Cube is ideal for kids ages 8 and up, but it will likely become a favorite pastime for the entire family.

A sure way to impress gadget lovers, the Ember Mug² Temperature Control Smart Mug makes drinking hot beverages more enjoyable than ever. This smart mug allows you to set an exact temperature for your drink — and keeps it at this temperature for 1 1/2 hours — so it always tastes just right.

Available for $99.99 at Target, this 10-ounce mug has a built-in rechargeable battery. You can also download the Ember App — available for iOS and Android — to set your ideal temperature and customize presets.

Give the gift of luxury in the form of a Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe. Seriously soft and luscious, this robe is made of combed, long-staple Turkish cotton, allowing the lucky recipient to feel like they’re at the spa every day.

Ideal for anyone, this Brooklinen robe has an oversized fit, wide-sleeve adjustable cuffs, pockets and an adjustable tie waist. Available in several classic colors and a few limited-edition hues, get this robe for $88.20 on the company’s website.