Institute For The Future

Rock or Block?

The definitive parents’ guide to the hot new toys of 2026

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As we wade deeper into the 2020s, the lines between fun, learning, and data-mining continue to blur beyond recognition. Every day it seems like there’s a new toy on the market that’s more platform than plaything, offering to transform your unsuspecting offspring’s way of life in exchange for a monthly subscription fee and unfettered access to their moldable little minds. Our intrepid research staff have opened their hearts and wallets to this year’s ecosystem of super-powered toys, sorting the prime virtual wheat from the 3D-printed chaff. What new toys will rock your children’s world, and which ones should you kick out of the sandbox? We’re here to help.

Best New Toy to Replace Your Kid’s Friends

HOBBS™ Virtual Buddy
Augmented Empire
Cost: $199 (plus subscription)

Like the wise-cracking animal sidekicks from every worthwhile children’s movie, the HOBBS™ line of augmented plush dolls has always straddled the line between comforting ally and powerful virtual assistant. This year, Rhona Rhino and Paulie Panda return from extinction to join Augmented Empire’s lineup of rugged, machine-washable toys, all of which spring to life in your favorite blended reality setup. With over a dozen algorithmic personalities available across 43 languages, HOBBS™ virtual buddies adapt to your child’s behavior and learning styles, playing the role of invisible friend and furry mentor from childhood through early adolescence.

Best New Toy to Replace Your Kid’s Pet

Micro-Biodome Bacteria Farm
BioTots
Cost: $179 (plus subscription)

Now your young microbiologist-in-training can explore the wild zoology of the bacterial world with this surprisingly accessible bacteria farm from BioTots. Styled more like an upside-down fishbowl than the ant farm for which it’s named, the Micro-Biodome can identify more than ten thousand different bacterial varieties within a 5-inch pocket of air. From your living room carpet to the front lawn, the playful visualizations of each unique bacterial cloud offer hours of childhood wonder for scientists of all ages.

Worst New Toy to Replace Your Kid’s Diaper

Poop-4-Me Potty Training Smart Toilet
BioTots
Cost: $239 (plus subscription)

Also from BioTots, the Poop-4-Me smart toilet wants to guide your little ones to diaper-free independence, but it’s not the kids who will be pissing their money down the drain with this one. Leveraging the same biotech found in the Micro-Biodome, the Poop-4-Me can analyze your child’s daily deposits for infections and dietary irregularities. Unfortunately, these teachable moments aren’t worth the hours you’ll spend scrubbing misfired guano from the unit’s many nooks. Between the condescending voice assistant and the inexplicably steep monthly subscription, you’re better off cutting the bottom out of your toddler’s coveralls.

Best New Toy to Replace Your Kid’s Teacher/Babysitter/Guardian

BoosterPak Complete Learning System
Shahrazad Group Holding LLC
Cost: $277 (plus subscription)

Hugely popular in China, the BoosterPak Complete Learning System comes west this year, offering a unique combination of learning, gaming, and ambient childcare. The BoosterPak system consists of an all-in-one backpack and blended reality visor that will turn any physical environment into an immersive classroom and virtual playground. The Beijing-based curriculum operates at a frenetic and sometimes troubling pace, but Shahrazad promises integration with major American e-learning platforms in the near future. In the meantime, your child won’t run out of things to do with the system anytime soon.

Best New Toy to Replace Your Kid’s Dreams with Nightmares

Spammy Bear
Original manufacturer unknown
Cost: N/A

Everybody knows the story: a cheaply made stuffed animal shows up in your child’s bedroom one day. It’s emblazoned with the logos of obscure companies. It smells bad. It’s ugly. It randomly blurts out corporate slogans. You try to throw it out, but a week later it’s somehow back. Nobody knows who first manufactured the spammy bears, but teardowns have revealed that these unwanted teddy bots are hiding enough computing power to host a generic DAC (decentralized autonomous corporation). Programmed to infest, they can order on-demand gig workers to ferry themselves out of the dumpster and reemerge into your child’s life.

Best New Toy to Replace Your Kid’s Toys (Special Mention for Resource-Strapped Families)

Malaika Super Doll
AfriCare Communication Systems
Cost: $35–$79 (plus subscription)

Named for benevolent spirits from East African folklore, the Malaika Super Doll is more than just a toy, it’s an investment. Beneath the Makondestyled exterior, these dolls are mostly battery, offering a generous 50000mAh of juice for supercharging your family’s lifestyle (or just recharging your devices). Already a mainstay from Sudan to Mozambique, these ornate figurines have gained popularity in recent years with hip urban nomads and international migrant camps. When the grid’s unreliable, this is one mythological spirit whose generosity won’t go unnoticed. 

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