Keeping up with the whims of the playground is an expensive task. Before they hit teendom, kids struggle with the concept of money – or a lack of it. It makes finding exclusive bargains in the run-up to the festive period all the more important, so we can treat our little darlings to something special for Christmas (even though Santa gets all the credit).
There are, however, perennially popular items which are always a crowd-pleaser come Christmas morning. Extra-large Lego sets like the Millennium Falcon are a joy for kids and adults alike, while classic tech items like tablets and e-readers will have tweens in a good mood for the entire festive season. You needn’t spend an arm and a leg either, for Black Friday has finally landed.
Find brilliant bargains on everything from Barbie Dreamhouses to puzzles, board games, cuddly toys and more. We’ve curated a selection of the best toy deals below.
Before you scroll off into the sunset, don’t forget that we’ve worked hard to bring you the best Black Friday guides and shopping roundups in our dedicated section here. Whether you love the fast delivery of Amazon or enjoy the extra cover John Lewis affords, you’ll find lists on retailer deals and product type here. Keep up with all the Black Friday action on our Live Blog.
Top deals on toys
Toniebox Bundles
Tonies is offering 20 per cent off bundles and accessories this Black Friday. Bundle up and save up to £64 when you buy a Toniebox and up to 7 Tonies from the Tonies’ website.
Buy now, Tonies
Barbie™ The Movie MEGA DreamHouse
There have been reports that creating Barbie’s Dreamhouse for Greta Gerwig’s movie led to a worldwide shortage of pink paint. As a result, the film’s version looks incredible, with the slide into the pool specifically requested by Robbie herself, according to reports.
This, slightly smaller but still very pink, buildable DreamHouse has no walls or doors but does include a spiral staircase, pool with a slide, kitchen, bar and bedroom. It comes at a high price but is guaranteed to bring pure joy to all Barbie fans.
This set comes with 1795 bricks and other pieces so is recommended for children aged 10 plus and younger children may need help assembling it. It’s also worth noting that this set may take up quite a bit of space in your home (dimensions are 55.88 x 48.26 x 26.42 cm).
Was: £129.99 (60 per cent off)
Buy now £68.00, Amazon
LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon Collector Series Set 75192
Designed for big kids aged 16+, this LEGO build will delight Star Wars fans. 7500 pieces need putting together to create the Millennium Falcon, with exterior detail matching the inside too. You’ll find just as much joy in building this as you will in displaying it afterwards.
Was: £735
Buy now £525.00, Argos
Hyper Lamborghini Sian 12V Powered Vehicle - Yellow
Prime your toddler for F1 by introducing them to the wheel as young as three-years-old. This replica Lamborghini can reach speeds of up to 1.9mph, comes with a seat belt, horn and a £65 discount.
Was: £165
Buy now £100.00, Argos
Roald Dahl Collection 16 Books Box Set, Illustrated by Quentin Blake
Enjoy Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake’s entire illustrated collection at a value-for-money price. Delightfully unique, narratively complex yet easy for little ones to grasp, there’s a reason all of Dahl’s books and Blake’s illustrations have stood the test of time.
Was: £104.84
Buy now £29.40, Amazon
KIZJORYA Dance Mat for Kids
Best for: value for money
Enjoy endless fun for under £50. KIZJORYA’s affordable toy for kids is an extra large pick to see your youngsters through the growing stages. LED lighting informs the user where to step, while non-slip features promise a safe, secure boogie. The mat is a highly versatile piece as it can be paired with your smartphone or other Bluetooth-enabled device. Select your favourite song from your music library and control the volume directly.
Buy now £42.49, Amazon
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro
If your children have graduated from Amazon’s original kids’ tablet, it’s time to upgrade them to the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro, which is designed for school-aged children from 6-12. Each tablet still comes with those colourful durable cases, but here they’ve been streamlined to give a much more adult look and feel, while still being appealing to little ones (and, most importantly, still protecting the tablet itself). While it still has the same overall look and feel as the familiar Amazon Fire HD devices, this one comes with way more bells and whistles to keep older kids interested.
The 10.1-inch display is much larger than other Amazon tablets, while our tester was particularly impressed with the 12-hour battery life, which came in particularly handy over a long-haul flight. There are plenty of controls on there to make sure children are using it safely, from the ability to make calls to approved contacts to restricted access to the internet. Like the Fire HD 8, it also comes with a two-year guarantee against accidental damage and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
Was: £199.99
Buy now £109.99, Amazon
Yoto Mini + Starter Pack for Little Kids
A child’s obsession with a song is not to be underestimated and we don’t blame you if you’re about to explode after the same Frozen song has played for the sixth time on what was meant to be a relaxing car journey.
The Yoto Mini is a portable audio player designed for children allowing them to listen to their favourite songs or audiobooks, all whilst giving parents a much needed break.
The child-friendly device is controlled with physical cards which can be purchased separately and there are over 400 titles to choose from that includes the Marvel audio books, Enid Blyton classics and Ladybird Lullabies for bedtime.
There is up to 20 hours of play per charge, a USB-C fast charge cable and it’s small enough to fit into the palm of a child’s hand.
You can grab the same bundle deal with a Starter Pack for Big Kids, too. Should you want to snag a pair of headphones too, we recommend going for the Yoto Mini Adventurer Bundle.
Was: £79.98
Buy now £57.99, Yoto
Hatchimals Mystery Hatch Pufficorn
There’s something about mystery collectables that is wonderfully exciting for the little ones. This Hatchimals Alive Mystery Hatch egg features a magical hatching experience which prompts little ones to cuddle, tap, lift and rock the egg before mist builds and the egg begins to glow in rainbow colours. Before long, you’ll have hatched a brand new Pufficorn in one of two unique colours to enjoy.
Was: £64.99
Buy now £32.00, Amazon
Blue Orange Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza card game
High-octane yet wonderfully simple to grasp, this speedy, family-friendly card game has been described as Slap Jack’s ‘rowdy cousin’. Suitable for two to eight players aged eight and up, each round offers a maximum of 10 minutes of play. Simply say one of the five words in the game’s title (taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza) as you flip your card over, and slap the pile with your hand when the word matches the card. If you're the last to slap the pile, or make a mistake, all the cards played are yours to take.
Was: £11.99
Buy now £7.20, Amazon
Vtech Kidizoom Smart Watch DX2
Best for: Fun for 4+ year-olds
Stripping the idea of a smartwatch for kid right back to basics, Vtech are famed for their tech for tiny ones and, indeed, many of my children’s first forays into the likes of digital photography and video have been with the assistance of kit from the Kidizoom range, so you can be quietly confident of what your £55 outlay will get you.
Doing away with the likes of GPS and SIM cars, the DX2 brings your bambino everything they really want at that tender age, such as the ability to snap and store photos, play learning games (including an app to help learn to tell the time), record and playback voice note, set an alarm, access a stopwatch and a time, and count their steps over the course of the day, just like the adults around them do.
With a small but accessible LCD colour touchscreen and Blue or Pink colour options, the Vtech Kidizoom Smart Watch DX2 hits it age bracket target dead on.
Tech Spec
Buy now £43.93, Amazon
Barbie DreamHouse Doll Playset, Slide and Accessories
Make your little one’s dreams come true this festive season, quite literally, with the 360 Barbie DreamHouse doll playset - featuring a marvellous three-story spiral slide and over 75 storytelling pieces.
Was £349.99
Buy now £129.99, Amazon
Total War: Warhammer III
Total War, a strategy game that sees you field enormous historical armies, and the Warhammer tabletop game were made for each other, and the three titles released under this banner are some of the best and most accessible from a series that has previously taken on ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and the Warring States period from Japan.
What Total War needed all along was magic and monsters to fight alongside the men-at-arms and longbows, and this third Warhammer crossover delivers. The main singleplayer campaign follows multiple factions as they try to rescue a bear-god, shot with a cursed bullet and kidnapped by a daemon. Rescuing the inconvenienced deity becomes more important here than conquering the entire map, which would have been enough to secure victory in previous Total War games and is still possible this time.
There are multiplayer campaigns, skirmish battles in which you set up a single fight, and if you own all three games and all the DLC packs you can combine them into a mega-campaign dubbed Immortal Empires, in which every map, faction and hero is available. It’s a huge amount of game.
Was: £49.99
Buy now £13.49, CD Keys
SULIFEEL Rainbow Unicorn Adjustable Roller Skates for Kids with Light up Wheels
Complete with Velcro straps, nylon shoelaces, a safe-lock and fantastic light-up wheels, these adjustable roller skates deliver a smooth, comfortable and colourful ride.
Was: £69.99
Buy now £55.99, Amazon
Lego Friends Mia's Wildlife Rescue Playset 41717
Explore wonderful imaginative play with the help of the Lego Friends Mia’s Wildlife Rescue Playset, through which little builders can imagine rescuing and caring for injured animals by jumping in the ATV and racing the creatures back to the medical centre.
Was: £44.99
Buy now £35.99, The Entertainer
Madd Gear Pro Series Complete Skateboard
This eight-inch maple deck features groovy graphics and quality components, making it perfect for beginners and intermediates alike.
Was: £27.95
Buy now £14.95, Decathlon
The World of Peter Rabbit - The Complete Collection of Original Tales 1-23
Bedtimes will never be boring again with the help of this brilliant set of 23 Peter Rabbit tales.
Was: £140
Buy now £35.49, Amazon
Furby Purple Interactive Toy
Hey, Furby! A timeless classic that’s always a hit with the little tykes, save big on a little Furby this Black Friday.
Was: £74.99
Buy now £54.99, Very
Play-Doh Pizza Delivery Scooter Playset
Until now, we didn’t know such life-sized Play-Doh accessories existed. This brilliant set lets kids imagine they own and run their very own mobile pizza delivery service. Children can craft Play-Doh pizzas, then load them into miniature boxes and pop them in the under-seat scooter storage before riding around and delivering the freshly baked pies.
Was: £83.99
Buy now £41.49, Amazon
Zuru Snackles’s Series 2
These adorable, 12.7cm high collectable plush animals known as Snackles come with their favourite licensed snack, ranging from Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Hershey’s bars to Pringles and Bubble Tea. Delight your little one with these adorable creatures and collect them all to create your very own Snackle family. They’re also available in small, medium and large sizes – with the 12.7cm option being the mini.
Was: £9.99
Buy now £7.99, Amazon
Simba SCREAMERZ
Available as an adorable money, bear or rabbit, these silly little plush toys feature a hilarious surprise. Simply squeeze the centre of their fuzzy belly and they’ll let out a scream which varies in power depending on how hard you push.
Was: £14.99
Buy now £10.00, Amazon
When is Black Friday 2024?
Black Friday is the Friday following Thanksgiving in the US. This year, Thanksgiving fell on Thursday, November 28, which means Black Friday began on November 29. Hurrah!
When does Black Friday end?
Though it’s technically supposed to span a 24-hour period, Black Friday tends to extend over the entire holiday weekend right up until Cyber Monday on December 2 during which bargain-hunters can expect even more eye-watering deals.
Why is it called Black Friday?
There are many theories as to why Black Friday is called as such. One includes this fun tidbit: historically, financial ledgers were written in red and black ink. The former signified losses, while the latter represented that a company was profitable. Though modern sensibilities dictate that we should refer to profitability as being ‘in the green’ – old school trumps contemporary in this instance. Thus, Black Friday, a period in which companies can reap immense financial compensation, is named as such.
Why you can trust ES Best’s Black Friday coverage
Amassing over a decade of shopping experience between us as a team, there’s no one better equipped to scour the web for the best possible Black Friday deals than us here at ES Best. We’ve been shouting about the annual sales extravaganza for years now, allowing our dedicated readers to get ahead of the festive shopping season while bagging brilliant bargains.
We’re selective in our offering, which means we’ll only alert you to the best possible deals on truly coveted items. From our individual deal round-ups to the Live Blog that we run all weekend long, you won’t miss a beat.
