I’ve been attending Sweet Suite for 17 years now—dating back to the BlogHer days and before I had my voys—and somehow this incredible event still manages to top itself every single year.
Hosted by The Toy Insider, Sweet Suite isn’t your typical toy trade show. It’s one giant interactive party where more than 65 toy companies unveil many of the biggest toys you’ll be seeing on holiday wish lists months before they hit store shelves.
Think delicious food, creative cocktails, larger-than-life photo ops, hands-on demos, surprise product reveals, and enough toys to make every adult remember exactly what it felt like to be a kid again.
As both a blogger and mom of twin boys, it’s one of my favorite events of the year because I get to preview what’s actually worth keeping an eye on before the holiday shopping rush begins.
Here are some of the biggest trends and standout toys from Sweet Suite 2026! And yes…my holiday shopping list may have gotten a little longer.
🧱🧲 Building Toys Keep Getting More Creative
Melissa & Doug introduced its all-new Cheery Line collection to playtime! The lineup includes adorable, modular playsets and mini figures that’ll inspire endless adventures and encourage hands-on play.
Always our favorites - MAGNA-TILES is diving underwater with an ocean-inspired collection that transforms magnetic building into deep-sea adventures, while CONNETIX showed off exciting new ball run systems that take marble runs to another level.
Also, discover a new evolution of BRIO with Ravensburger’s BRIO Flora building sets, expanding beyond trains and railway sets into a new collectible flower-themed world inspired by nature. These colorful magnet toys having moving limbs that would be fun for busy hands. Meanwhile, I just thought they were so cute!
🎮 Screen Time Meets Play Time
Gaming continues to influence toys in a big way this year.
Nintendo had one of the busiest booths, giving attendees hands-on time with the Nintendo Switch 2 alongside upcoming games and kid-friendly experiences.
Bandai Namco also encouraged kids to become creators by building their own stop-motion movies using new Godziburst figures, while Crayola impressed everyone with its new Crayola Story Creator, a completely screen-free storytelling device that lets kids add voices and sound effects to their own drawings.
⚽ Got a 'Kick' Out of These Surprise Collectibles
As the mom of two soccer-obsessed boys, there was one booth that immediately caught my attention.
PMI unveiled its Supergoal Collectibles, letting kids build their own roster of soccer superstars.
Knowing my twins, these are going to disappear into backpacks, travel bags, and trades with their friends.
Needless to say, I have a feeling these are going to score big this holiday season due to the World Cup buzz.
🎨 Creativity Is Having a Big Moment
One trend I absolutely loved was how many companies focused on creativity instead of simply pressing buttons.
Kids could:
- WeCool Jelly Bands Bracelet Making Kit is very TSwift with alphabet charms, and they are also scented (I picked up three sets for my friend's girls)
- Create friendship bracelets with Make It Real
- Design with Spin Master’s Cool Maker Charm'd Accessory Studio to create clip-on charms!
- Record stories with Crayola Story Creator
- Sing through B. toys’ hilarious voice-changing karaoke microphone
It’s nice seeing toys that encourage imagination, storytelling, and hands-on creativity.
❤️ Retro Toys Are Making a Huge Comeback
If you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, prepare for a serious dose of nostalgia.
- Power Rangers from Playmate Toys
- My Little Pony trading cards
- Popples The Loyal Subjects has brought back these adorable plushes
- Trolls the original-looking ones
- Care Bears Cutie Companions
And perhaps the biggest nostalgia moment of all?
Just Play is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the iconic toy with what they’re calling the most ticklish version yet. Anyone who remembers the holiday frenzy surrounding the original Elmo knows this little red monster has serious staying power.
It’s fun seeing the toys many of us grew up loving now being introduced to our own kids.
Squishy Toys Are Still Going Strong
If there was one trend I couldn’t escape at Sweet Suite this year, it was that sensory toys are still popular!
One of my favorite photo ops featured an enormous Squishmallows throne, where everyone was lining up to snap photos surrounded by mountains of plush.
Our house has been a Squishmallow household for years, so I fully embraced the moment. I even showed up wearing my Cam Squishmallow slides from Aldi, which felt especially appropriate for the occasion.
This year’s squishy craze included:
- Sqzy, satisfying light-up LED squishies that glow while you squeeze them. (I plan to pack these in their trunks for my boys summer camp next year.)
- NeeDoh, whose endlessly satisfying sensory toys continue to be favorites with my boys.
- Squishy Tushy Toys, featuring hilarious little fidget collectibles with the fitting slogan: Squish. Giggle. Repeat.
- Big Squij, oversized squishy collectibles available at Five Below that are almost impossible to put down once you pick one up.
Apparently, we’re entering an era where everything is softer, squishier, and somehow impossible to stop squeezing—and honestly, I’m here for it.
🔋 Energizer is Making Toys Safer
While Sweet Suite is all about fun, one booth also delivered one of the most important parenting reminders of the night.
Energizer showcased its Ultimate Child Shield coin-cell batteries, designed with multiple layers of protection to help prevent one of the most dangerous household hazards for young children.
These safe-gaurd batteries feature a bitter coating to discourage swallowing, can help reduce the severe internal burns that traditional button batteries may cause if accidentally ingested, and even turn a child’s mouth blue if placed in it—giving parents an immediate visual warning that something is wrong.
As a parent, I appreciated seeing a company thinking beyond performance and focusing on safety. It’s one of those innovations you hope you’ll never need, but you’re incredibly thankful exists.
My Early Holiday Toy Predictions
- ⚽ PMI Supergoal Collectibles
- 🍑 Goliath's hilarious Butt Face dancing and farting doll, starring Chester Cheeks. This would be funny in offices too, not just for kids.
- 🧀 Relatable’s new sneakin’, squeakin’, cheese-stealin’ family game - Cats and Robbers
- 📖 Crayola Story Creator
- 🎮 Nintendo Switch 2 experiences
- 🤗 Tickle Me Elmo 30th Anniversary Edition
- 🐻 Care Bears Cutie Companions
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