Gift Ideas
Top Toys Over $100 for Christmas 2026: Award-Winning Picks from ChompSaw, LEGO, Bluey and BRIO
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The Short Answer
For most families, the ChompSaw is the big toy to put under the tree this year. It is the one pick here that both Shop TODAY and The Toy Insider named on their 2026 lists, and it turns the cardboard from every other Christmas delivery into forts, costumes and models, with no sharp blade to worry about. 1 2
Choose the LEGO Star Wars SMART Play Throne Room Duel & A-Wing for a Star Wars fan of 9 or older, the Bluey Light and Surprise Heeler House for a preschool Bluey fan, the BRIO Space Station for a family that already runs a wooden railway, and the LEGO Donkey Kong Arcade for the grown-up or older teen who remembers the arcade. 1 3 4
Check the age on the box before wrapping: these five run from 3 and up to 18 and up.
Find the right fit
Choices in guide order — compare the use case, not just the price.
Best overall big toy for 2026
Chompshop ChompSaw
Best for a Star Wars fan, 9 and up
LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing
Best for a preschool Bluey fan
Bluey Light and Surprise Heeler House
Best for a family with a wooden railway
BRIO World Space Station Set
Best for the grown-up fan
LEGO Super Mario Donkey Kong Arcade
Before you choose
The bigger Christmas toy is the one that has to earn its price twice: once on the morning itself, and again in February, when the novelty has worn off and it either comes back out or goes under the bed. The five here are the $100-plus standouts from this season's two big toy lists, Shop TODAY's first Best Toy Awards and The Toy Insider's 2026 holiday lists, and each was chosen because it gives a child something to make, build or play out again and again.
They suit very different children. Two are for the youngest, at 3 and up. One is a LEGO set rated 9 and up, and one is a LEGO model that LEGO itself rates for adults. The ChompSaw sits across all of them: it is rated for ages 3 and up with adult supervision, but the projects get more ambitious as the child does.
Prices were checked October 3, 2026. This guide uses Amazon's labeled List price where the product page shows one, and otherwise the featured Amazon selling price, labeled Amazon price. The LEGO Star Wars set and the Bluey house displayed a List price; the other three figures are Amazon prices. Check the current price before buying, since holiday offers change quickly. For more ideas by person, see the Christmas gifts by recipient guide, and for learning-minded presents, the kids educational and activity gifts guide.
Compare the published details
Scroll for all details. Keyboard: focus the table, then use the left and right arrow keys.
| Product | Price (checked October 3, 2026) | Age | Recognition | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$249.00Amazon priceLast checked | 3+ with adult supervision | Shop TODAY Best Kids Crafting Tool; Toy Insider Hot 20 | Cuts cardboard for forts, costumes and models | |
$159.99List priceLast checked | 9+ | Toy Insider Hot 20 | 962-piece set with 2 SMART Bricks that add sounds and lights | |
$159.99List priceLast checked | 3+ | Toy Insider Hot 20 | Over 28 in tall, 5 stories, 50+ sounds, phrases and songs | |
$139.99Amazon priceLast checked | 3+ | Toy Insider STEM 10 | 40-piece space railway with an elevated track | |
$199.95Amazon priceLast checked | 18+ | Shop TODAY Best Nostalgic Build (for the Older Crowd) | 1,367-piece playable arcade model |
The choices, in detail
Best overall big toy for 2026
Chompshop ChompSaw
A child who is always building something out of boxes, and a family with a steady supply of cardboard.
The ChompSaw is a kid-safe power tool for cardboard, and it is the only toy on this page that both lists picked: Shop TODAY gave it Best Kids Crafting Tool, and The Toy Insider put it on its Hot 20. Shop TODAY sums up the appeal well: it has no blades or spinning parts, and it puts the cardboard in the recycling bin to good use. 1 2
It works like a fast hole punch. Inside a metal safety guard, the cutting tool moves up and down, nibbling tiny half-moon pieces out of the cardboard, and the scraps drop into a built-in drawer. Chompshop says it handles cardboard roughly two pennies thick, plus felt, fabric and craft foam thinner than 3 mm, so a child can cut curves, straight lines and slots to slot pieces together into 3D shapes. The box holds a hole punch, a scoring tool for folds and a cutting mat, and the box it ships in carries the first project. 5 8
Two things to know before wrapping it. It plugs into the wall, and it is not quiet: Chompshop puts it at about 70 to 75 decibels, roughly a household vacuum, and suggests ear protection for a sound-sensitive child. The listing rates it for ages 3 and up with adult supervision. Chompshop's Inventor's Club, which mails a project pack each month, is optional and sold separately, from $26 for a single month. 5 8
Best for a Star Wars fan, 9 and up
LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing
A LEGO builder of 9 or older who would rather play out the lightsaber duel than leave the model on a shelf.
The Throne Room Duel & A-Wing is one of LEGO's new SMART Play sets, and The Toy Insider put it on its Hot 20. It is a 962-piece build of the Emperor's throne room and an A-wing from Return of the Jedi, and the difference from an ordinary set is in the box: 2 SMART Bricks, 3 SMART minifigures, 5 SMART tags and a charger. 3 6
Set the SMART Bricks on the dueling arms and the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader lightsabers hum as the figures fight; the tags tell the bricks whether they are an A-wing, the throne or a turret, so the sounds and lights follow the play. Built, the throne room is over 19 inches wide, 11.5 inches deep and 5.5 inches high, a real centerpiece for a bedroom desk. LEGO also says the set works with its SMART Play Compatible sets, so it can grow. 6 9
The practical points: each SMART Brick runs about 45 minutes per charge, and a companion app handles setup, sound levels and updates. The set includes a built-in microphone that ships switched off, and turning it on would need a parent's permission and a firmware update. LEGO's page also carries a warning that the toy produces flashes that may trigger epilepsy in sensitised individuals. At the time of writing, the featured Amazon offer was $127.95 against the $159.99 List price, sold and shipped by Amazon.com. 6 9
Best for a preschool Bluey fan
Bluey Light and Surprise Heeler House
A 3-to-6-year-old who acts out whole Bluey episodes, especially with a sibling joining in.
The Bluey Heeler House is on The Toy Insider's Hot 20, and it is a statement present: the listing gives it as over 28 inches tall, with five stories and more than 10 play areas, including new rooms for Bandit's office, the laundry and the verandah. The Toy Insider points out the detail Bluey fans will spot first, a chimney that projects spinning stars and moons, just like Bluey's own light projector. 2 10
It comes with Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli, more than 30 play pieces and three surprise accessories, among them a washing machine with Chattermax, an oven with a Duck Cake and a TV that flips to change the channel. The house plays more than 50 sounds, phrases and songs. Setup is just three base pieces clicked together, so it can be ready before breakfast on Christmas morning. 10
Plan the floor space: a house nearly two and a half feet tall needs a spot in the playroom rather than a shelf. The Toy Insider lists three AA batteries. At the time of writing, the featured Amazon offer was $135.99 against the $159.99 List price, sold and shipped by Amazon.com. 2 10
Best for a family with a wooden railway
BRIO World Space Station Set
A 3-to-7-year-old train fan whose BRIO track already covers the living room floor.
The BRIO Space Station made The Toy Insider's STEM 10, and it takes a wooden railway somewhere new. The 40-piece set is built around a space lab on an elevated planetary railway, with an astronaut, a rover and a glow-in-the-dark alien. 4 11
The play is about collecting and carrying. The astronaut's suit has a magnetic back for picking up minerals and equipment, and the rover drives out to gather mineral pieces and bring them back to the lab. BRIO builds it from FSC-certified European beech, plastics and metal details, and it connects to any BRIO World layout, so it adds a destination to the track a family already owns. 4 11
On its own, 40 pieces make a contained loop rather than a big layout, so it is at its best as an addition. BRIO covers it with a one-year warranty against manufacturer defects. 11
Best for the grown-up fan
LEGO Super Mario Donkey Kong Arcade
A parent, older sibling or adult gamer who grew up on arcade games and still loves a big LEGO build.
The Donkey Kong Arcade is the toy on this list for the adult who is still a kid at heart, as Shop TODAY puts it; it won Best Nostalgic Build (for the Older Crowd). LEGO rates it 18 and up, so it is a present for the grown-ups and serious older builders in the house, not for a young child. 1 7 12
It actually plays. Pull the lever and Donkey Kong throws barrels one after another from a set of 21 that circulate in a continuous loop; move Jumpman with the joystick and press the button to make him leap. The 1,367-piece build recreates the scaffolding, ladders and hammer with Jumpman, Donkey Kong and Lady. 7 12
Finished, it stands over 15.5 inches high, 10.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches deep, a cabinet-shaped display piece for a game room or home office shelf. 12
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these toys is best for a 3-year-old?
Is the ChompSaw safe for young children?
Chompshop says it has no sharp blade or spinning parts, keeps the cutting tool inside a metal safety guard and has passed independent testing to children's toy standards for ages 3 and up, including ASTM F963 and CPSIA in the US. It runs at about 70 to 75 decibels, so Chompshop suggests ear protection for a child who is sensitive to noise. 5
Do the LEGO SMART Play sets need an app or a screen?
The listing describes the play as screen-free: the SMART Bricks react to the minifigures and tags on their own. A companion app is used for setup, troubleshooting, sound levels and updates. Each brick runs about 45 minutes per charge, and a charger is in the box. 9
Which toys need batteries or a plug?
Sources & Methodology
This is a research-based shortlist, not a hands-on test. It starts from two dated 2026 toy lists, the Shop TODAY Best Toy Awards and The Toy Insider's Hot 20 and STEM 10, and keeps the toys from those lists that had a checked Amazon price of at least $100 and a featured offer on October 3, 2026. Each recognition named on this page is quoted from the outlet's own page.
Product details come from the makers' pages and the selected Amazon listings. Where sources disagree, this guide uses the figure stated by the maker or the listing and avoids the conflicting number. Advice about which toy suits which child is editorial judgment from those stated details.
Prices are dated observations for the named listings, not promises of current availability. The LEGO Star Wars and Bluey figures are the List prices Amazon displayed; their featured offers at the same check were $127.95 and $135.99. The other three are featured Amazon selling prices.
The opening image is an editorial illustration, not product photography. The product photographs come from the selected Amazon listings.
Shop TODAY: Best Toy Awards 2026
Shop TODAY Best Toy Awards: The Hottest Toys of 2026. Updated October 2, 2026; accessed October 3, 2026. ChompSaw named Best Kids Crafting Tool, recommended age 3+, with no blades or spinning parts; LEGO Donkey Kong Arcade named Best Nostalgic Build (for the Older Crowd), recommended age 18+, 1,367 pieces, "the ultimate gift for the adult who is still a kid at heart."
The Toy Insider: Hot 20, 2026 holiday gift guide
The Toy Insider Hot 20, 2026, with the product pages for Bluey's Light & Surprise Heeler House and ChompSaw + Inventor's Club, dated September 18, 2026. Accessed October 3, 2026. Hot 20 listing for both; Heeler House age 3+, chimney that projects spinning stars and moons, three AA batteries; ChompSaw age 3+, Inventor's Club sold separately.
The Toy Insider: LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing
The Toy Insider product page, dated September 18, 2026, tagged Hot 20. Accessed October 3, 2026. 962-piece interactive set with the Emperor's throne room and an A-wing, using LEGO SMART Bricks; age 9+.
The Toy Insider: BRIO Space Station Set
The Toy Insider product page, dated September 18, 2026, tagged STEM 10. Accessed October 3, 2026. 40-piece train set with a space lab on an elevated planetary railway, an astronaut, a rover and a glow-in-the-dark alien; magnets in the suit and the rover collect cargo; age 3+.
Chompshop: ChompSaw product page
Chompshop ChompSaw (with Hole Punch & Scoring Tool). Accessed October 3, 2026. Contents (ChompSaw with 100–120 V power supply under the lid, hole punch, scoring tool, cutting head, dust drawer, cutting mat), recommended for ages 3+, one-year warranty; FAQ on the guarded oscillating cutter, cardboard about two pennies thick and softer materials under 3 mm, 70–75 dB with ear protection suggested, independent testing including ASTM F963 and CPSIA; Inventor's Club from $26 a month.
LEGO: SMART Play Throne Room Duel & A-Wing (75427)
LEGO 75427 product page. Accessed October 3, 2026. Contents (2 SMART Bricks, 3 SMART minifigures, 5 SMART tags, 1 charger), compatibility with SMART Play Compatible sets, and the warning that the toy produces flashes that may trigger epilepsy in sensitised individuals.
LEGO: Donkey Kong Arcade (72051)
LEGO 72051 product page. Accessed October 3, 2026. 1,367 pieces; a set for adults; 21 barrels thrown one after the other by a lever, circulating in a continuous loop; Jumpman moved by joystick with a jump button.
Amazon: Chompshop ChompSaw listing
Chompshop ChompSaw B0DYRF6D4C listing. Accessed October 3, 2026. No sharp blades or spinning parts, ages 3 and up with adult supervision, built-in drawer for shavings, no assembly, and product photograph. Amazon price: $249.00, sold by Chompshop, Inc. and shipped by Amazon, checked at 22:45 PDT on October 3, 2026.
Amazon: LEGO Star Wars SMART Play 75427 listing
LEGO Star Wars SMART Play Throne Room Duel & A-Wing B0FMYVF9NB listing. Accessed October 3, 2026. Lightsaber duel sounds, SMART minifigures and tags, screen-free play for ages 9 and up, SMART Assist app, deactivated microphone, 962 pieces, dimensions, about 45 minutes per charge, and product photograph. List price: $159.99, with a featured offer of $127.95 sold and shipped by Amazon.com, checked at 22:45 PDT on October 3, 2026.
Amazon: Bluey Light and Surprise Heeler House listing
Bluey Light and Surprise Heeler House B0G3RKYTMS listing. Accessed October 3, 2026. Over 28 inches tall, five stories, 10+ play areas, 50+ sounds, phrases and songs, star-projecting chimney, 30+ pieces and three surprise accessories, four Heeler family figures, three-piece base setup, and product photograph. List price: $159.99, with a featured offer of $135.99 sold and shipped by Amazon.com, checked at 22:45 PDT on October 3, 2026.
Amazon: BRIO World Space Station Set listing
BRIO World Space Station Set B0DXNFN46C listing. Accessed October 3, 2026. 40-piece space railway, magnetic astronaut suit, rover and mineral pieces, ages 3+, FSC-certified European beech, BRIO World compatibility, one-year warranty, and product photograph. Amazon price: $139.99, sold and shipped by Amazon.com, checked at 22:45 PDT on October 3, 2026.
Amazon: LEGO Super Mario Donkey Kong Arcade 72051 listing
LEGO Super Mario Donkey Kong Arcade B0G2T1VZ2L listing. Accessed October 3, 2026. Ages 18 and up, Jumpman, Donkey Kong and Lady, scaffolding, ladders and hammer, lever-and-joystick play, 1,367 pieces, 15.5 x 10.5 x 5.5 inches, and product photograph. Amazon price: $199.95, sold and shipped by Amazon.com, checked at 22:45 PDT on October 3, 2026.
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