Toy Insider’s Chief Toy Officer Laurie Schacht joined News 12 on Long Island to talk about the best tips for shoppers looking for the year’s hottest toys. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below. For a complete rundown of the year’s hottest holiday toys, be sure to check out the Toy Insider’s 2026 Holiday Gift Guide. 

About the author

Bill Reese

Bill Reese

Bill Reese is Director of Operations at Adventure Media & Events, where he's worked since 2014. A proud and profoundly weird graduate of SUNY Purchase, he spends most weekends rooting for the New York Red Bulls pro soccer team and making subway systems out of Brio trains with his little boy Jonah. ↙️↙️↙️

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