If your children love to play but are keen to embrace some of the latest trends in technology, augmented reality toys are a great place to start. Combining the physical and virtual worlds, augmented reality (AR) toys create a unique and fully immersive way for children to play, allowing them to explore their environment and its surroundings from a whole new perspective.
Many children were introduced to the concept of augmented reality via the popular mobile app game Pokemon Go, but fast forward to 2024 and you can now find a variety of fun toys and games that use AR technology for fun and engaging play.
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality combines the digital world with the real world, using tools such as compatible apps, glasses or headsets. Unlike virtual reality where you navigate an entirely new world, augmented reality allows digital characters and gameplay to blend right into your natural surroundings - whether that’s in your living room, your local neighbourhood or simply ‘coming to life’ with 3D holographic images that ‘jump’ from the pages of a book or game.
Things to consider when selecting Augmented Reality toys
Here are some things to consider when choosing an augmented reality toy for your family:
- Age suitability: It’s worth highlighting that many augmented reality toys are aimed at older children. As a general rule, they are recommended from around 8 years of age, while some may be appropriate for younger children with parental supervision. Check the details of each toy to ensure it's suitable for your family.
- Technical requirements: Augmented reality toys often require the use of a compatible Android or Apple device. It’s important to check the specifications before you commit to buying an AR Toy, as many older devices may be unable to support the software requirements.
- Solo or shared play: You may want to consider whether the toy is recommended for solo play or something that can be played with siblings or friends. Some AR Toys may require parental support - especially for children who do not have their own smart devices.
- Educational benefits: Is the AR toy purely for entertainment value, or are you seeking a toy that has educational benefits too? Some AR toys provide some really beneficial learning experiences that can enhance your child’s general knowledge while others are focused on movement and fun.
How we tested
To bring you our pick of the best, we’ve put each toy through its paces, gauging its entertainment value, educational benefits and overall kid rating, thanks to our two toy testers 7 and 10.
Best augmented reality toys at a glance:
- Best augmented reality toy overall: Hasbro Twister Air Party Game - £13, Amazon
- Best budget augmented reality toy: Holo Toyz Augmented Reality Temporary Tattoos - £5, HoloToyz
- Best augmented reality game: Mario Kart Live Circuit (Nintendo Switch) - £77, Amazon
- Best educational augmented reality toy: Clementoni Play Lab: The History of Life on Earth - £17, Amazon
- Best augmented reality toy for older children: Nova Rico Augmented Reality Night and Day Globe - £50, John Lewis
Hasbro Twister Air Party Game
- Best: overall
- Age suitability: 8+
The original Twister is a game that we all know and love - one that’s known to get the party started and result in fits of giggles from participants and spectators alike. The new Hasbro’s Twister Air Party, however, takes this game to a whole new level, combining physical gameplay with an augmented reality app that tracks your wrist and ankle movements on screen.
The game is really simple to set up, scanning a QR Code to download the app onto your compatible tablet or phone before mirroring it to your TV screen and completing a brief calibration exercise.
By adding the stretchy bands on your ankles and wrists, the AR app then tracks your movements, with players performing high-energy dance moves as they attempt to sync up with the correct colours presented on the screen.
Our toy testers absolutely loved the high-energy nature of this game, which really got their pulses racing as they competed against each other. While only two people can play at a time, it’s also surprisingly good fun to watch, especially those who struggle to keep up with the pace. It’s worth mentioning that you need a fair bit of floor space to really get the ankle tracking on target, but overall this is a unique and fun ‘twist’ on the original game that is sure to fill your house with laughter.
Buy now £12.00, Amazon
Holo Toyz Augmented Reality Temporary Tattoos
- Best for: budget
- Age suitability: 5+
When considering augmented reality toys, you’d be forgiven for assuming they’re quite an investment. On the contrary, you can actually pick up some fun options from Holo Toyz at pocket-money prices, making them an affordable choice for parties, stocking fillers or simply an occasional treat for your kids.
In addition to their range of interactive books, stickers and wall decals, Holo Toyz has a selection of temporary tattoos featuring fun characters and designs. With themes including pets, dinosaurs, sea creatures and even characters from the hit TV series Paw Patrol, these safe and non-toxic tattoos are quick and simple to apply using just water.
Not only do they look great, but once scanned using the free HoloToyz app, these 2D characters literally jump to life, with impressive 3D augmented reality animation that appears to leap out into their surroundings. Our toy testers were really impressed by the lifelike animal movements and sound effects and couldn’t wait to show their friends. With ten tattoos in each pack, they offer excellent value for money.
Buy now £5.00, Holo Toyz
Mario Kart Live Circuit (Nintendo Switch)
- Best: augmented reality game
- Age suitability: 6+
We’re all familiar with the iconic game Mario Kart, but what if you could combine gameplay with your real-life surroundings? Thanks to the augmented reality game Mario Kart Live Circuit, made exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, it’s entirely possible to create bespoke circuits in your own home.
Surprisingly simple to set up, you can bring your home courses to life within different environments including jungles and snowscapes. Place the four supplied cardboard gates (numbered 1 to 4) around your room to create your circuit, before adding additional objects such as teddies and toys from around the house for extra obstacles to navigate. Then, control your real-life mini-kart as it races around your living room while watching the action as it unfolds live on the screen of your Nintendo Switch (sold separately).
Our testers loved setting up their circuits and the big reveal moment when they first set sight of their AR creation from Mario’s perspective. The game requires a fair bit of space to play, however, so it may not be the best choice if your living room is on the compact side. It’s also worth bearing in mind that pets may find it a little intimidating - our cat certainly wasn’t keen.
While you’ll need more than one kart if you want to challenge family members, we synced the Switch to our TV and found Mario Kart Live Circuit was also fun and interactive to watch.
Buy now £79.00, Amazon
Clementoni Play Lab: The History of Life on Earth
- Best: educational augmented reality toy
- Age suitability: 8+
If you’re looking for an educational augmented reality toy that can still provide hours of fun and entertainment, the Clementoni Play Lab: The History of Life on Earth set makes an excellent choice. Packed full of fun scientific experiments with elements of anatomy, palaeontology and geology, this set combines augmented reality, mixed reality, immersive virtual tours and 360 videos with physical experiments and real-life creations.
Using the free History of Life on Earth app from Google Play or the App Store, children can use their smartphone or tablet to bring digital components to life, with digital avatars of Paul and Claire guiding children through each activity. With plaster creations, chemical reactions and 3D models to construct, you’ll even find a build-your-own headset viewer, helping create some really impressive and immersive 3D experiences.
Our testers loved making and painting their volcano model (although this required a little patience during the 48 hours it took to set), before watching it erupt and learning more about the world’s most famous volcanoes using the educational AR cards. There are various mixed reality zones too, combining physical models with 3D animations. The girls really enjoyed constructing a giant T-Rex and building a skeleton model with organs to explore inside the human body.
We loved the variety of play methods provided with this set. Offering excellent value for money, it includes one-off tasks such as the meteorite excavation, combined with elements children can go back to and repeat. Some elements have the potential to make some mess, however, and due to the additional ingredients required for some experiments, parental supervision is required.
Buy now £17.00, Amazon
Nova Rico Augmented Reality Night and Day Globe
- Best for: older children
- Age suitability: Unspecified
If you’re seeking an educational augmented reality toy for an older child, the Nova Rico Augmented Reality Night and Day Globe is certainly worth a look. Sitting just over 35cm tall on its stand, this illuminating globe not only looks great in your child's bedroom or desk space but can be genuinely useful too - helping assist with their geography homework as they learn more about continents, countries, geographical boundaries and major cities.
When it starts to get dark, children can simply turn on the switch to create a warm amber glow, allowing the impressive constellation mode to become visible.
While the free AR app is more of an add-on feature, it can be used to aid your child’s learning by providing bite-sized information and facts including common constellation names - ideal for inquisitive minds.
Buy now £50.00, John Lewis
Verdict
With a budget-friendly price tag, fun gameplay and promotion of physical movement, our toy testers gave Twister Air a big thumbs up (or should we say hands up?) for the best AR toy you can buy right now.
If you have the space in your home for high-energy movements and laughter, Twister Air is a great option for parties, gatherings and special occasions.
