The 2020 Toy Insider Parents  — Charlene DeLoach, Darcy Zalewski, and Debbie Zelasny  — teamed up to create a Hot Holiday Toy List including toys that celebrate diversity and inclusivity.

To make the Hot Holiday Toy Diversity List, the product must have been either invented, designed, or created by; or must represent, in either packaging, messaging, donation from proceeds, or in the design of the product itself; one of the following underrepresented groups: women, racial or ethnic groups, LGBTQ+, and people with cognitive or physical disabilities.

Each of these toys fits one or more of the criteria, and offers tremendous play and educational value, too. So, without further ado, here are the Toy Insider Parents’ Hot Holiday Toy List Diversity List for 2020, full of toys that are perfect for any child on your holiday shopping list.

2020 AMERICAN GIRL OF THE YEAR (MATTEL)

New from Mattel, the 2020 Girl of the Year: Joss Kendrick is a doll with a meaningful backstory. Joss is a fierce surfer and cheerleader born with hearing loss. American Girl worked closely with a team of experts specializing in surfing, competitive cheerleading, and hearing loss, including 17-year-old surfing prodigy Caroline Marks, who is making history as a member of the first-ever U.S. Women’s Olympic surfing team. Joss exemplifies girl power and brings awareness to hearing loss. American Girl also has dolls with hair loss, different hair textures, skin tones, wheelchairs, and even artificial limbs, making American Girl reflective of the diversity in the world.

Ages: 8+
MSRP: $98.00
Buy It Now: American Girl



VOTES FOR WOMEN FLASH CARDS (eeBOO)

The Votes for Women Flash Cards from eeBoo make a wonderful stocking stuffer. Each card features someone who contributed to the suffragette movement. On the front of each card is an illustration of the person and their name. The back provides information about that person and their contribution. Best of all? eeBoo is a woman-owned company and the card illustrations were done by a woman.

Ages: 10+
MSRP: $14.99
Buy It Now: eeBoo


COLORS OF THE WORLD CRAYONS (CRAYOLA)

Crayola’s Colors of the World crayon packs feature 24 colors that represent different skin tones from around the world. This Crayola crayon set is the perfect stocking stuffer and makes a great addition to every child’s arts and crafts supplies. With these crayons, children can draw and color people that reflect themselves as well as friends and family from around the world. Kids love to create drawings of themselves and their family and these crayons provide more options to draw and color a variety of skin tones. There are also Colors of the World sets of markers and colored pencils to equip little artists with their favorite art medium.

Ages: 3+
MSRP: $2.49
Buy It Now: Crayola, Walmart


CREATABLE WORLD (MATTEL)

Creatable World Dolls by Mattel are gender-neutral dolls that invite all kids to join in imaginative play. The deluxe kits include an 11-inch gender-neutral doll with short hair, a long hair wig, several items of clothing including pants and skirts, shoes, and accessories. Kids can dress up their dolls in more than 100 different looks to create whatever character they want. It is also easy to change the doll’s look in order to become a new character for whatever story they are playing. There are different skin tones and hair textures available as well. They provide kids with the ability to create a doll that represents them and their friends.

Ages: 6+
MSRP: $29.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


Cinderella’s Coach and Incredimobile Wheelchair Cover Sets 

Kids can feel like super royalty with costumes that fit directly onto their wheelchair. Separate pieces can easily be assembled with self-stick fabric strips that help keep them in place. The Wheelchair Cover Sets from Disguise Styles include Cinderella’s Coach and the Incredimobile. While this set is to be used for standard wheelchairs with 24-inch wheels, it lets kids have fun playing dress-up, engage in pretend play, or just be the star at school or in the community. Having products specifically like this lets kids feel they have something special just for them, with the wish that more wheelchair-compatible products are in the market in the months ahead.

Ages: 3+
MSRP: $49.99
Buy It Now: ShopDisney


SENSORY FIDGET CUBES (HAND2MIND)

hand2mind‘s Sensory Fidget Tubes help kids manage their emotions through quiet, sensory-focused activity. Each tube consists of colorful sparkles, movements, or patterns to engage and promote calmness. The shape of the bottles and the variety of the collection set them apart from other sensory items on the market. They are gender-neutral and engaging to all levels. If a child tires of one they can easily pick up another and continue with uninterrupted sensory play. They appeal to a variety of ages and can be placed in a bag or backpack for fun on the go. With all of the changes going on in the world, many children need a way to channel their energy and feelings. These sensory fidget tubes help children redirect their emotions without the use of technology or computer devices.

Ages: 3+
MSRP: $29.99
Buy It Now: Amazon


A DAY AT THE BARBERSHOP PUZZLE, JOYFUL CAROUSEL MEMORY GAME (LITTLE LIKE KIDS)

“Screen-free play, here for fun all day” is the motto that appears on Little Likes Kids website. “A Day at the Barbershop” puzzle promises old-school fun in a jumbo size for little hands. The culturally diverse, colorfully illustrated “Day at the Barbershop” features a young boy getting his hair cut in a neighborhood barbershop. The Joyful Carousel Memory Game’s original artwork depicts families of mixed races and ethnicities. It’s so important for children to experience toys that represent them and for children to recognize themselves in the toys they play with. Little Likes Kids is a black-woman owned company and was created so that all kids feel a sense of belonging and can play with toys that represent the world around them and the diversity they experience on a daily basis.

Ages: 3+
MSRP: $17.95+
Buy It Now: Amazon


The toy industry has made great strides in offering more diversity in dolls, genderless packaging, support for causes, and toys reflective of cognitive and physical challenges, while still being educational, exciting, and engaging. The Toy Insider Parents look forward to seeing even more toys that are diverse and inclusive in 2021 so children can see toys that reflect them and reflect the world around them.

To read more toys, tips, and top gift lists from the Toy Insider Parents, click here!

About the author

Charlene DeLoach

Charlene DeLoach

Charlene DeLoach is a contributing editor at The Toy Insider where she primarily covers parenting topics. Charlene has been featured in print and on television more than 100 times. Before joining The Toy Insider, Charlene was an attorney, real estate broker, and interior decorator. In her current life, she has vowed to get grownups using toys as decor and to teach parents and toy companies to think outside the toy box at her websites playroomchronicles.com and totaltoycreative.com. Follow Charlene on Instagram where you'll see that her account is mostly dedicated to pics of her cute dogs, kids, and fun finds.

archivearrow-chevron-downarrow-chevron-left-greyarrow-chevron-leftarrow-chevron-rightarrow-fatarrow-left-blackarrow-left-whitearrow-right-blackarrow-rightarrow-roundedbookscalendarcaret-downclose-whiteclosedocumenteditorial-archiveeyefacebook-squarefacebookfilesgifthamburgerheadinghearthomeinstagram-squareinstagramlatestlinkedin-squarelinkedinmailmedia-inquiresmessagenewsopen-boxpagination-leftpagination-rightpauseplayprintproduct-archiverecent-productssearchsharesort-filterspotifysunteamtiktoktime_purpletimetrendingtvtwitter-squaretwitteryoutube