The best early Black Friday deals on toys at Walmart, Amazon and more - CBS News

2022-11-03 14:53:50 By : Ms. Bessie HuangZJ

By Carolin Lehmann, Lily Rose

Updated on: November 2, 2022 / 2:57 PM / Essentials

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Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up. Now is a great time to shop early Black Friday deals on top-rated toys. We've found the best early Black Friday deals on toys at Walmart, Amazon and Macy's that you can shop right now.

Top products in this article

L.O.L. Surprise fashion show mega runway playset with 80 surprises, $124 (reduced from $129)

Why not finish your holiday shopping before Thanksgiving? We've found tons of toy deals from your favorite retailers that you can buy ahead of any Black Friday sale. We've found a great deal of early Black Friday sales on things your kids want, including Nintendo Switch consoles, L.O.L. Surprise dolls, Squishmallows, Barbie products, Lego sets, card games, Crayola kits and more. 

And while you're toy shopping, also check out Walmart's 2022 Top Toy List  and Amazon's Toys We Love List .

If you're looking for a video game gift this year, according to Walmart, the Nintendo Switch is it. This portable console has a back library of hundreds of top-rated games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But that's not all: Plenty of new must-play games are coming to the Switch just this month, including the long awaited Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet.

Want an upgraded Nintendo Switch experience? The Nintendo Switch OLED edition features a larger, brighter and more vivid screen.

Nintendo Switch OLED model, $337 (regularly $349)

If you want more Nintendo Switch game ideas, check out our Holiday Gift Guide 2022: The bestselling Nintendo Switch games this Christmas and Hanukkah .

Why get just one squishy Squishmallows plush when you can get 12? This 4.7-star-rated Squishville by Squishmallows set includes Phillippe, Rorty, Avery, Maui, Cam, Fifi, Hans, Winston, Lola, Bubba, Santino and Malcolm. Each toy measures two inches.

Squishville by Squishmallows All-Star Pack (12 pc.), $26 (reduced from $35)

Kids won't get bored with this L.O.L. Surprise playset that offers 80 surprises, including 12 exclusive dolls with accessories to make over 1,500 mix-and-match looks. The included runway has four different play areas.

L.O.L. Surprise fashion show mega runway playset with 80 surprises, $124 (reduced from $129)

The Exploding Kittens card game plays a bit like Russian roulette. Each player draws from a deck of cards, one by one. There are enough "exploding kitten" cards in the mix to end everyone but the winner's game. But there are far more safe cards in the deck -- cards that can be played at the right time to avoid cat-aided doom.

Up to 10 people can play at once. Amazon reviewers rate the game 4.7 stars.

Exploding Kittens Party Pack card game, $19 after coupon (reduced from $25)

This incredibly detailed, 4.8-star-rated Lego tree house features three cabins, a tree with interchangeable summer and fall leaves and play-inspiring features including a crane, swing and a treasure chest. The 3,036-piece Lego set isn't for amateurs, though -- it's designed for ages 16 and up.

Lego Ideas Tree House, $175 (reduced from $249)

This baby and toddler learning toy bounces and plays music. It teaches the alphabet, colors, counting to 10 and opposites. It also plays more than 75 songs, sounds and phrases, complete with multi-color lights. Toddlers can press the mic button to record and playback sounds with fun remix effects too.

Fisher-Price interactive baby and toddler learning toy, $34 (reduced from $45) 

This Crayola light board makes a great holiday gift for young artists. It comes with a light up drawing board and six washable gel markers that kids can use to draw or trace glowing designs.

Don't forget to apply the coupon at checkout at Amazon to get the best price on this top-rated Christmas gift.

Crayola Ultimate Light Board for drawing and coloring, $22 after coupon (reduced from $33)

Kids can ride in style with this Harley-Davidson inspired tricycle. It features large foot pedals, durable tires and easy-grip handle bars.  

This tricycle is recommended for kids that are 2-5 years old.

This LeapFrog microscope is a fun way to get children excited about science. The microscope features up to 200x magnification. Kids can create their own samples to view or look at the provided images and slides. The kit comes with eight double-sided smart slides that show educational videos and images on the microscope's 2.4" viewing screen.

LeapFrog Magic Adventures microscope, $50 after coupon (reduced from $90) 

Save $4 at Amazon checkout on this popular strategy board game -- it's rated 4.8 stars on Amazon.

Settlers of Catan, $45 (reduced from $49)

This battery-powered Nerf toy can launch 10 darts in a row when in motorized blaster mode or six darts at once with air-pressurized pump action. 

The Nerf Elite 2.0 Motoblitz comes with a blaster, a clip, 22 darts, four AA batteries and instructions.

Nerf Elite 2.0 Motoblitz motorized Nerf blaster, $31 (reduced from $42)

The Barbie Dreamcamper comes with more than 60 accessories, including a pool and a tall slide. The camper has a kitchen, dining area, sleeping area, bathroom and den with a TV for Barbie to hang out in.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has scenes from all nine "Star Wars" films. Control hundreds of characters, ships and vehicles, as you journey through the galaxy in this game. 

It's rated 4.7 stars at Walmart.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga for PlayStation 5, $50 (reduced from $60)

Spark their creativity this holiday with this 4.6-star-rated toy. It includes 12 pentagon-shaped pieces that magnetically snap together. Choose from eight different colors. For ages 14 and up.

Speks magnetic building toy, $21 (reduced from $30)

The Lego Star Wars 2022 Advent Calendar is the gift that keeps giving the whole Christmas season. The daily surprises include eight mini figures (including Darth Vader in a summer outfit), 10 mini-build vehicles and six other mini builds. It's the perfect way to get a Star Wars fan excited for the holidays. Rated 4.9 stars by Amazon reviewers.

Lego Star Wars 2022 Advent Calendar, $36 (reduced from $45)

This toy ice cream truck has a Play-Doh soft serve machine, a scooping station, a sprinkle maker and tools and molds. Ring up customers at the register and play ice cream truck jingles. This playset comes with 12 Play-Doh colors.

Play-Doh Kitchen Creations ultimate ice cream truck toy playset, $80 (reduced from $95)

Like Hot Wheels, Nerf is another go-to brand. But which Nerf blaster should you get? According to Reviewed.com, this Nerf blaster: the Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot. 

The five-dart, front-loading blaster was rated by the site as the No. 1 Nerf gun of 2021. The toy won praise for being easy to load and easy to shoot.   

The Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Make the gift even cooler, and more potent, by adding a pack of Nerf Zombie Strike refill bullets to your shopping cart. (Talk about bang for your buck: You get 30 bullets for $7.) 

Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot blaster, $18 (reduced from $20)

Features of this touchscreen-operated wearable include a camera, pedometer, calculator, games -- and more then 100 "facial" expressions from its titular robot character. The smartwatch can be connected and used as a remote control for (sold-separately) accessories, such as the Tobi 2 Director's Camera ($47). 

It's recommended for ages 6 to 10. 

Little Tikes Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch, $59 (reduced from $68)

Why not put an electric bike under the tree this Christmas? This folding electric bike goes up to 16 miles per hour and runs for up to 15 miles on a rechargeable battery. It has twist throttle and cruise control settings. It also has a bright LED light for riding in the dark. This bike is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Jetson Bolt folding electric ride-on with twist throttle, $351 (regularly $389)

The Toys 'R' Us stores of your childhood may be gone, but the toy retail brand lives on at Macy's for the holidays. Right now, you can save 40 percent on fun, creative and educational toys by Discovery Kids, including the T-Rex feeding game (shown above) and a light-up drawing easel. This sale ends Nov. 3.

Discovery Kids Hungry T-Rex Feeding Game, $36 (reduced from $60)

Discovery Kids Drawing Easel with markers and LED neon glow, $36 (reduced from $60)

Discovery Kids RC T-Rex $42 (reduced from $70)

These toys and games also made it on to Amazon's 2022 Toys We Love List and Walmart's 2022 Top Toy List. They're not on sale right now but they'd still make a great holiday gift.

Surprise! This 4.6-star-rated Little Live Pets Mama Surprise guinea pig gives birth to three babies. Feed and brush mama until her heart starts to glow. Then place her in her hutch, and she will have a baby that comes with a special care package. Repeat the process and she will birth three babies in total.

Little Live Pets Mama Surprise, $108

This sweet FurReal pony has more than 80 sounds and reactions. She blink and moves her ears, head and neck, responding when you feed her and pet her.

FurReal Cinnamon My Stylin' Pony toy, $84

Your little "Frozen" fan will squeal with joy over this Disney bike with a doll carrier sleigh by Huffy. This 12-inch bike has training wheels and its frame has graphics of Elsa. It features sparkling streamers and ice tread tires.

Huffy Disney "Frozen" bike with doll carrier sleigh (12 in.), $94

You can also get a 12-inch Marvel Spider-Man bike by Huffy for the same price.

Huffy Marvel Spider-Man bike (12 in.), $94

Build a moveable Baby Groot from Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" with this 476-piece Lego set. It also comes with a pretend cassette tape and display nameplate. 

Lego Marvel: I am Groot, $55

Add to your little one's Squishmallows stuffed animal collection with this 14-inch rainbow platypus named Brindall.

Looking for a more random Squishmallows experience at an incredible price? Pick up the Squishmallows Mystery Box on Amazon. It includes three, nine-inch Squishmallows, all randomly selected.

This Amazon-exclusive, Duel of the Fates Qui-Gon Jinn bobblehead is one of three collectibles from "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." Combine all three bobbleheads to create a cohesive shelf display that sets the scene.

Funko Pop! Deluxe: Star Wars Duel of The Fates, $30

This 17-inch tall "Bluey" playhouse offers hours of fun. Just press the octopus to activate lights and over 50 sounds and phrases. It includes figures of Bingo, Bluey, Chattermax and Nana. There's even a moving dance floor where kids can recreate the opening dance scene of the show. Rated 4.5 stars.

Bluey Ultimate Lights and Sounds playhouse and toy box, $100

This classic UNO card game has themes inspired by "Jurassic World: Dominion" on it. Play with two to 10 friends.

UNO Jurassic World Dominion card game, $11

While there's still some time to wait until the official Black Friday 2022 sales  start, there are plenty of great deals you can get right now. Check out our early Black Friday deal articles.

First published on November 2, 2022 / 12:22 PM

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