walmart black friday — Walmart expects strong demand for toys this holiday season.
AP/Gunnar Rathbun

Walmart released a list of 36 top-rated toys for the 2020 holiday season, as selected by kids.
The company said it's seeing new trends in its top toys that are related to the pandemic and the extra time that kids are spending at home.
"Things like bikes and ride-ons and board games and puzzles — all of those things have been just really, really hot this year. And we think a lot of those trends will continue," said Brad Bedwell, Walmart's merchandising director of preschool toys.
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Walmart on Thursday released its list of top-rated toys for the 2020 holiday season.

The list of 36 toys includes items like a $59 Vtech "creator cam" for kids to create their own video content, scooters, hoverboards, and a $28.82 "Gotta Go Flamingo" that "poops" in a toilet after being fed.

Walmart releases a top-rated toy list annually and said this year's picks have been different than any other due to the pandemic and people spending more time at home.

"We've seen demand spike across the toy department ... especially as it relates to any toys that are keeping kids busy and having fun at home," Brad Bedwell, Walmart's merchandising director of preschool toys, told Business Insider. "Things like bikes and ride-ons and board games and puzzles — all of those things have been just really, really hot this year. And we think a lot of those trends will continue."

He said the company is also seeing some trends related to digital media consumption as many kids are getting more screen time at home. For example, there has been more demand for kid influencer-created toys, products that allow kids to create their own media content, and toys related to top shows and movies such as Blue's Clues and Paw Patrol.

"It's cool to see how social media and some of those trends are actually driving the product development," he said.

Toys with elements of mystery remain popular as well, such as Hatchimals and L.O.L. Surprise products, he said.

The toys that made the list were selected by a focus group of kids ages 2 to 12 years old, who play with, review, and rate their favorite items.

Walmart's toy team is stocking up to prepare for the holidays

There's a fair amount of uncertainty among all retailers around how the all-important holiday shopping season will be impacted by the pandemic.

But Bedwell said Walmart is expecting to see continued demand for toys and is making some changes to its supply chain in preparation.

"We're trying to make sure that we're in stock no matter what," he said.

As part of this effort, the company is stocking up on more toys and sending a bigger allocation of inventory to fulfillment centers to match surging e-commerce activity.

"This list gives us an early insight into what the hottest toys will be since it's literally kids telling us which ones they like most," Bedwell said. "And so all of the toy buyers at Walmart went back to toy suppliers and we ramped up production immediately and ramped up the buys on these particular toys to have a better chance of staying in stock all season."

Walmart is also launching an online "Wonder Lab," an interactive website that allows kids to unbox and play with top toys to determine whether they want to add them to their wish lists.

Here's Walmart's complete list of top-rated toys this season:

Barbie Sweet Orchard Farm Playset with Barn