Army Toys | Kids Army Toys

Best Plastic Army Men Toys

Long before GI Joe, children played with plastic army men toys. Keeping them occupied for hours at a time, these simple plastic toys were able to transform according to the imagination. There are many varieties of plastic toy soldiers in circulation today. In some respects, they have evolved over the years, but in others they’ve also stayed much the same.

Please click for prices on the full range of plastic army men sets

Here are our top picks of some of those available to buy today.

Large Quantity Option

This collection of 1000 toy army men is reminiscent of plastic army soldiers from days gone by. The set includes a six inch wind up crawling soldier, along with 1,000 other two inch figurines, all in green and gray. Costing approximately 2 cents per soldier, you are certainly getting value for money when buying in this large a quantity. You could spray paint various selections of the 1,000 figures to make up different teams or just to make the collection more interesting. They will offer hours of enjoyment to any army toys fan and even if a few get lost or broken, they won’t be missed.

Please click for the current price

Toy Story Army Men – Quality Option

The Toy Story movies have caused a resurgence in the popularity of little green plastic army men so this ‘Bucket O Soldiers’ will be a welcome gift for either Toy Story or army toys fans. Based on characters from the movie, the bucket contains 70 2 ½ inch green plastic army soldiers in a selection of 10 poses, along with two working parachuting soldiers and various weaponry for extra excitement. The figures have sturdy bases so stand well and are easy to manipulate with little hands. The build quality and detailing are very good – far superior to most collections. The bucket with carry handle is useful for carrying the toys about and for storage. This is a great army toy sold at a great price that will stimulate the imagination. Please click the link for a more detailed review of these green army men.

Please click for the current price

Medieval Army Toys Figures

This Guardian Knights playset comes with 36 plastic medieval knights in two colors to create your own castle defense league. They are scaled 1/35 so approximately 2″ tall and are good quality with nice detailing. Perfect for a medieval battle as let’s face it, what young boys don’t like to play with knights and dragons. You’ll just need a replica castle to go with them.

Please click for the current price

Fully Varied Assortment

This 202 piece set is full of American, British, German & Japanese WWII toy army soldiers. Each troop is designated by a different color and has different moldings for a distinct look. The figures come in over 40 poses which makes them very realistic for imaginary battles. They are 1/32 scale standing at just over 2″ tall. This set is ideal being plentiful, varied and colorful and the affordability is just the icing on the cake.

Please click for the current price

An All Encompassing Playset

Offering great value for money this Civil War playset contains 72 pieces ranging from Union and Confederate soldiers, horses, fences, bridge, sandbag walls, buildings, wagons and cannons. The soldiers stand just over 2″ tall being scaled to 1/35.

Please click for the current price

Plastic Army Men Board Game

Days of Wonder Memoir ’44 is a distinctive historical war game where legions of plastic army men face-off in various WWII battles on an oversized game board. You get to develop a battle plan and deploy your incredibly detailed army men figures. This very popular game of strategy is best suited to players aged 12+.

Please click for the current price

Toy Walkie Talkies: Why They’re Great

Walkie talkie toys are effectively two way radios that give your kids a communication gadget to play with without you having to buy them a mobile phone that is going to cost you in call charges as well as the initial cost.

If you buy wisely, such as a set with long distance capabilities you could even use these ‘toys’ as communication devices to keep in touch with your kids when they are out and about and save yourself a bit of money in the process.

Kids seem to love walkie talkies toys. They are the perfect role play toy – your child can pretend to be GI Joe, James Bond or even a spy and will have the necessary equipment to communicate secretly with the rest of his team on their secret mission. They can dash around the house, garden or local woodland with them, talking to their friend in a different location. Espionage and war games are particularly popular and as a toy walkie talkie only needs batteries to get it going it is quick and easy to use.

Toy walkie talkies are so popular with kids that there are numerous models designed specifically with them in mind – Toy Story 3, Transformers and Power Rangers to name but a few. The trouble with the ‘kids’ versions is that hardly any of them get a decent write up. And they are not cheap either. You seem to be paying for the look rather than the function of these sets as they are expensive on batteries and the transmissions are barely audible. Other than the Lego Walkie Talkies that is, where as you would expect, you get a quality product.

Click here for more information or to buy

As such, you are well advised to steer clear of kids walkie talkies and stick with the best rated ‘normal’ versions. Your kids will have a much better play time with these and they are likely to be cheaper or at least no more expensive than the latest movie themed versions.

Being an army toys focused site, I was hoping to be able to tell you about some cool camo walkie talkies for kids, but despite there being at least two sets on the market that I have reviewed, they are not much good, so I won’t even waste your time. Your kids are going to have to go with an ‘army’ theme for their role play rather than the look of their walkie talkies.

Why parents love them

Walkie talkies are great for parents as well as kids and here’s why:

Your kids will use their imagination to come up with more and more scenarios for walkie talkie play.
They will get exercise from having to move about on their covert missions.
They will get fresh air as it is likely that they will play outside whilst exploring what their walkie talkies can do.
They will play socially as they need a friend to join in the fun.
They will improve their communication skills as they need to articlulate well what they want to put across to their friends.
They may enhance their mental skills by using secret codes during communications.
They encourage quiet and shy kids to talk.
You can keep track of your kids whether inside or out of the house without yelling.
You can use them after bedtime as a safety blanket so your youngsters know they can get hold of you easily when you’re downstairs
You can keep in touch with older children that may want to do a bit of their own thing while you’re all out shopping.
You can check in with your kids wherever they are without embarassing them.
There is no monthly service fee to pay as with cell phones.

You can get a set of kids walkie talkie toys for less than $30. Given the prices of toys these days, this is pretty reasonable for a toy that has all the benefits mentioned above and will get a lot of use.

Please check out our other article for our top 3 picks of walkie talkie toys.

Best Walkie Talkies For Kids That Actually Work

Walkie talkies toys are often a favorite staple of kids army gear these days. They can come up with endless missions or spy games with these sets of communication gadgets.

Parents should love them too. Read why below but basically they encourage many different traits in kids play, such as imagination, exercise and socialization, and are also great to offer a bit of independence to youngsters whilst still allowing you to keep tabs on them.

These toys come in a number of different guises, although those made specifically for kids typically tend to be of inferior quality. We will look below at 3 of the best walkie talkies for kids – a quality Lego offering made especially for kids, a bestselling standard version that would still be perfect for kids and a cool wristwatch style of walkie talkie that will ensure your kids do not drop or lose them.

LEGO Walkie Talkies **Child Friendly

Click here for more information or to buy

Products designed for kids are always going to be better for them than adult products as they will be in fun colors and will typically be smaller and so easier for them to manage. As such these Lego toy Walkie Talkies for kids top the charts – they are made for kids but also actually work! They are easy to use with just one button to press to talk and can cover a distance of up to 1 mile between sets. The reception and quality is very good. There is also a volume control so you can turn them down when they are playing indoors. The Lego look of the design is fun and colorful. They have a good battery life and are able to stand up to the odd dropping dished out by children. The only downside is that there is only one channel and the Lego brick stickers can peel off over time but overall they are a great choice.

Uniden Walkie Talkies **Great value

Click here for more information or to buy

This set of walkie talkies is a bestselling adult option but if you want something that works for a great price, you would be well advised to talk your child out of the movie or cartoon character version they want. These two way radios have 22 channels to choose from and work within a 12 mile range. They weigh slightly more than the Lego option but are still a compact size so perfect for kids. They offer much more potential in terms of getting value for money as they can be used at much greater distances, say at school, sporting events or the shopping mall. They can also be used in areas where cell phone signals are weak. The range on these walkie talkies varies according to your location, as with all such sets. The more built up an area is the less distance the signal will travel so in urban environments, expect 1-2 miles. They come with six batteries and the battery life of up to 20 hours is extended thanks to the automatic power save mode and you know when your battery needs charging due to the displayed meter. It is still a good idea to use rechargeable batteries though to keep your ongoing costs down. The sound quality is very good and being affordable and easy to use they are perfect for kids.

Wrist Watch Walkie Talkies ** Cool

Click here for more information or to buy

For the best kids walkie talkies that are a bit more nifty although also a bit more expensive, take a look at these watch walkie talkies. They are state of the art fashionable wrist watch walkie talkies that any would be spy kid would be proud of. They are a functioning LCD display watch to keep your kids on time but also double up as multi channel walkie talkies with a 6km range, although this is reduced considerably in built up areas. They come with everything you need for a two person kit including two wired headsets. The wrist watches are lightweight and save you holding a walkie in your hand whilst communicating. Being strapped on, they will be hard for even your child to lose. The range and clarity of communication is very good so these cool little gadgets come highly recommended. They are perfect for spy games or for keeping in touch.

Toy Walkie Talkies: Why They’re Great

As such, you are well advised to steer clear of kids walkie talkies and stick with the best rated ‘normal’ versions – see our top 3 picks above. Your kids will have a much better play time with these and they are likely to be cheaper or at least no more expensive than the latest movie themed versions.

Why Parents Love Them

Walkie talkies are great for parents as well as kids and here’s why:

Your kids will use their imagination to come up with more and more scenarios for walkie talkie play.
They will get exercise from having to move about on their covert missions.
They will get fresh air as it is likely that they will play outside whilst exploring what their walkie talkies can do.
They will play socially as they need a friend to join in the fun.
They will improve their communication skills as they need to articlulate well what they want to put across to their friends.
They may enhance their mental skills by using secret codes during communications.
They encourage quiet and shy kids to talk.
You can keep track of your kids whether inside or out of the house without yelling.
You can use them after bedtime as a safety blanket so your youngsters know they can get hold of you easily when you’re downstairs
You can keep in touch with older children that may want to do a bit of their own thing while you’re all out shopping.
You can check in with your kids wherever they are without embarassing them.
There is no monthly service fee to pay as with cell phones.

Best Toy Guns For Kids

The shelves are stocked with all types of various weapons: shotguns, handguns, rifles, and submachine guns.

Have you entered the exhibit hall of the local NRA convention?

No. You’re strolling down the aisles of a toy store searching for the perfect birthday gift for your son.

Buying toy army guns for kids is completely natural for millions of American parents. Playing cops-and-robbers or other “shoot the bad guy” games is viewed as imaginative, innocent fun and serves as a rite of passage for little boys all over the world. It’s certainly part of the American representation of what it means to be a man: successful aggression is equated with heroics, making men appear tough.

Please click for prices on the full range of Toy Army Guns

Most of American history, particularly stories about the Wild, Wild West, is rife with mythology about gunfights and gunslingers. Thanks to films and television, most of us grew up with larger-than-life visions of famous gun-toting lawmen like Wyatt Earp and thrilling villains like Billy the Kid. Today, enemies tend to take on the characteristics of a space alien rather than a cowboy, but the idea is basically the same. The weapon of destruction may be more sophisticated than the old six-shooter, but the rules really haven’t changed that much. The objective is always, “Bang! Bang! You’re dead!”

Most army toy guns for kids are fairly inexpensive, costing under $25. However, for the true aficionado, there are toy weapons on the market that can cost you up to $200. And, these kids army guns have not diminished in popularity over the years. Available in any toy store or online, toy guns and their much-coveted accessories, including grenades, knives and various types of kids army gear, are even more lifelike now than ever before.

Here are our top picks if you are looking for an affordable option:

12″ Toy Machine Gun

This “Dual Spear Ranger Toy Machine Gun,” is equipped with realistic firing sounds, flashing red and blue lights, a red laser and ammunition clip. And, the barrel of the gun even rotates back and forth to give the full effect of a “real” weapon. This 12” machine gun with electronic sounds and LED lights looks and sounds just like the real deal.

Please click for current price

26″ M16 Toy Machine Gun

The “M16 Lights & Sounds Machine Gun” is a realistic-looking replica of a real M16, complete with flashing lights and sounds. This 26” battery-operated toy army gun is BIG and will provide hours of entertainment for “war” games. This is a must-have for any army wanna-be.

Please click for current price

22″ Toy Sub Machine Gun

The “Army Force Battery Operated Sub Machine Gun Scatter Rifle With Rotating Bullets And Sounds” allows kids to pull the trigger and watch the bullets rotate around. Complete with flashing lights and machine gun sounds, the 22” Sub Machine Gun includes a pretend scope and bipod legs for a realistic adventure.

Please click for current price

If you have some cash to splash here is a more expensive option:

1/32 Anti Tank Army Toy Gun

This realistic 1/32 scale model will add real style to any collection.

Please click for current price

Don’t forget no army role play is complete with just a toy gun. Accessories such as grenades, helmets and vests will all be needed so check out this affordable combat set:

Army Combat Set

The “Ultimate Kids Toy Army Combat Set” is an all-in-one set that includes a 24” camouflage machine gun with lights, realistic vibration and firing sounds; two kid-sized military vests and helmets; one 8” pistol; two 4” grenades; one military flashlight; and one 4” military binocular.

Please click for current price

Gun Collection

For children that like choice, it can be best to buy a set with a collection of different guns. The “20+ Military Police Army Gun Set” is an all-inclusive set that features two 24” black M16 toy army machine guns; two grenades; two 10” toy knives; two replica kids walkie talkies; two sets of hand cuffs with keys; two fake watches; two 9” pistols with soft darts; and two badges.

Please click for current price

Toy Army Guns Safety

Toy weaponry has been around since the dawn of time. And, it’s a known fact that little boys can make a weapon out of anything they happen to have on hand, even a tree branch. However, with the many different varieties of toy weaponry today, most of it looking so much like the real thing, certain countries have even banned toy army guns because they’re so often used to commit crimes.

Toy army guns in and of themselves don’t necessarily encourage violence among growing, impressionable young children. However, many experts argue that allowing children to role-play with toy guns is a recipe for disaster. If you are going to allow toy guns in your home, here are a few safety tips:

Be sure that part or all of the gun is brightly colored so it’s not mistaken for a real gun.
Keep gun play inside the house. Caution your child not to bring toy guns to school or to play with them outdoors.
Teach your child not to pretend to shoot people in the real world. Guns, even toy ones, should never be pointed at people.
Take the time to talk to your child about gun safety. They’re never too young to learn that certain things could kill them and aren’t just for fun.

Top Army Toys For Kids Brands

There are many cheap and cheerful army men toys and army playsets available online but if your child plays with kids army toys a lot, you may want to consider some of the better quality versions on offer. Whether they are toy soldiers, army toy tanks or role play toys, those from the following brands will typically offer larger, more detailed and more durable toys to last the test of time.

Army Men Toys

For large scale detailed army action figures, GI Joe will probably spring to mind and rightly so. The range of toys was revamped in 2009 following the popular GI Joe movie and so these articulated military style army figures are as popular as ever. They can be played with following the movie themes but also offer great imaginary play for any army scenarios. They are aimed at children four years and over, who can act out mini battles and ensure good triumphs over evil. There are numerous different size army men figures, as well as vehicles, so you will be sure to find one that suits your budget. They are well made as you would expect from the toy giant Hasbro, so you can be assured of spending your money wisely. The smallest army figure stands 3.75″ tall and starts at around $10, whilst the 12″ figures go for around $20. Even the smallest come with weapon accessories but for the extra money you get real clothing and electronic sounds.

==> Click HERE to see the full range of GI Joe army action figures <==

Parents in the UK have another good choice of army men action figures in the recently released HM Armed Forces toys range. These large scale plastic toy soldiers standing at 10″ tall cost around $15 and are extremely detailed versions of members of the British Armed Forces. They sport life like military uniforms and weapons and are fully poseable.

Army Toy Tanks & Other Vehicles

For detailed models of an army toy tank and other vehicles, your best bet is the Unimax range of toys. They offer many different styles of toy army tank, battleship, helicopter, airplane and other army vehicles. Their models are either 1:32 or 1:72 scale models and start at around $16 going up to over $500. They are made from die cast metal and plastic and are very detailed. They are probably best for children aged at least 7 years old and are even suitable for serious collectors.

==> Click HERE to see the full range of Unimax vehicles <==

Army Lego

Unfortunately Lego does not have a range of modern day warfare sets. Of course, you can build anything with Lego and you just have to look online to see what serious Lego builders can achieve. But if you are after army building block sets for your child you will have to look elsewhere. The Mega Bloks Probuilder range is well thought of and includes many military models. There is a good range of toy helicopters, ships, airplanes and tanks suitable for children aged over 8 years old. They range in price from about $20 for the 343 piece Gromitz Minehunter Boat to closer to $300 for the 1,700 piece USS Kittyhawk. As you can see from the number of pieces they are very detailed and quite advanced building block sets but come with easy to follow instructions.

==> Click HERE to see the full range of Mega Bloks military kits <==

Role Play Army Toys For Kids

Moving onto role play army toys for kids, Hasbro’s Nerf seems to lead the way in blaster style toy guns. Whilst not exactly military issue replicas, for some good shooting and battling fun, they are ideal and receive rave reviews. One of the hot picks from last Christmas, the Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS-35 Dart Blaster, is still a top choice and can be bought for around $30. For more covert operations and night time fun, EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Binoculars and Goggles are well thought of but are top end toys. Toys may in fact be an over simplification as these bits of kit feature real night vision technology allowing you to see up to 50 feet away. They are not cheap though starting at $50 for the binoculars.

==> Click HERE for reviews of these night vision binoculars <==

So if your child is army toys mad, then it may be worth investing in some of the better quality military toys, rather than the cheap plastic junk you can find in most dollar stores.

What Kids Army Toys Can You Buy?

If your children are into kids army toys then you will not be stuck for choices when it comes to buying them presents. The range of army related gifts is very varied and includes soldier action figures, army vehicles, role play toys such as guns and costumes and even board games.

Build up your collection with army, navy and air force figures and send them into battle in their army toy tanks, boats and airplanes for lots of army toy action fun.

Photo by supernova3688.

Plastic Army Men Toys

You can buy army action figures quite cheaply in various sized sets. They are typically small, green toy army men who are posed in fixed positions so children can arrange them in their imaginary battles. A smaller set of 40 pieces will cost about $7 while larger collections of 1,000 army toy soldiers of less quality sells for about $25. Anyone who has watched the Toy Story movies will know these little green army characters are often found helping out, so you can also buy buckets of Toy Story army men or a 90 piece Toy Story Army Legos set which includes figures and an army Jeep. Also staying with the movie theme, GI Joe toy army soldiers are hugely popular following the movie in 2009. This range includes larger scale army action figures which are highly detailed and articulated. These cost upwards of $10 per figure. Finally, for kids who are more into the whole model scene, you can buy Airfix soldiers in two different sizes which can be built, painted and then played with.

Photo by John-Morgan.

Army Toy Tanks & Other Vehicles

There are various toy army sets of vehicles that seem quite good value for money. You can get 100 items including toy army tanks, jets, trucks, flags and more for around $25. You can also buy larger scale, more detailed models individually. Unimax do a good range of authentic vehicles made from die cast metal and plastic. They are 1.72 scale models and include many battle tanks, a cargo truck, helicopters and airplanes costing from around $16. You can also find MegaBloks ProBuilder sets covering many army vehicles such as the 545 piece Navy Destroyer battleship for $35 as well as many other army boats. Remote control helicopters seem to be a particular favourite with kids today as well.

Photo by Jerry.

Kids Army Toys & Costumes For Role Play

Moving onto role play toys, you can find army camouflage helmets and many toy guns. These guns come in various forms such as machine guns, some of which have rotating bullets and sounds, pistols, shot guns and even a pistol and knife set. Dressing up wise there is a large range of costumes costing around $25 covering the army, SWAT and Special Forces. Some even come with a helmet and walkie talkie.

Board Games

For children who are more into army strategy than role play, there are a few board games available. A version of Monopoly has been made for all areas of the armed services including the army, navy and air force. The game play is similar to what you are used to although the board is a custom design. You travel from basic training to HQ collecting troops and equipment cards as you go and you fortify your properties instead of building houses. For $17 it is well thought of. Perhaps the most well known military game is Risk where you employ strategy and hope for some luck as you attempt to persuade your attackers to move on somewhere else. Of course there is always Battleships to keep you busy seeking and destroying your enemy.

With such a collection of games and army toys for kids out there to choose from, there is plenty to satisfy your child’s interest in the armed forces.