Best Toy Awards 2016 announced by Good Housekeeping

The holidays are almost in sight - and good housekeeping magazine is helping shoppers get a jump on the hottest toys this season with their 2016 best toy awards!

The good housekeeping institute checks out hundreds of toys with the help of their engineers, and of course kids - the real experts on fun!

They want to make sure the toys that make the cut are safe and enjoyable, too.

Here's how it works:

They took more than 500 new toys and evaluated them to make sure they meet safety standards set by the consumer products safety commission.

That means drop tests, checks for sharp edges and much more.

The top 100 toys for boys and girls, that passed the safety tests, made their way into smaller hands. Kids age 3 to 12 assessed the "fun factor" by playing with the toys in the engineering lab and at home. Only the best went on to receive the 2016 "Best Toy Awards."

The 2016 Best Toy Award list is broken down into categories based on price range.

Kid Testers' Top Pick

- Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends TrackMaster Thomas' Sky-High Bridge Jump ($100, 3+)

$20 to $30

- Technology Will Save Us DIY Electro Dough Kit ($27, 4+)

- Be Amazing Toys Frozen Science ($20, 4+)

- Creativity for Kids Light-Up Doodle Art ($20, 7+)

- Craftivity Kits ($20+, 12+)

- Blip Toys Street Shots Racers Street Blaster ($20, 5+)

- The World of Eric Carle Little Artist Super Dough ($20, 3+)

$30 to $50

- Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Track ($43, 4+)

- 3Doodler Start ($50, 8+)

- Crayola Air Marker Sprayer ($30, 8+)

- B. Toys B. Boogie Woogie Mat ($30, 3+)

- Zing Firetek Zyclone ($30, 6+)

- MGA Entertainment My First Flyer ($43, 4+)

$60 to $70

- Ravensburger Space Hawk ($70, 8+)

- Lion Guard Training Lair Playset ($60, 3+)

- Playmobil Pirate Raiders' Ship ($60, 4+)

- Elenco Electronics Snap Circuits Arcade ($65, 8+)

- Props in a Box ($60, 3+)

$80 to $70

- FurReal Friends Torch My Blazin' Dragon From Hasbro ($80, 4+)

- WowWee Lumi ($80, 8+)

- Wicked Cool Toys Xtreme Cycle Moto-Cam ($80, 8+)

- Lego City Airport Air Show ($90, 6+)

- Crayola Imaginables ($90, 1+)

- Hexbug BattleBots Arena ($80, 8+)

$100 and Up

- BB-8 by Sphero ($150, 8+)

- LittleBits Rule Your Room Kit ($100, 8+)

- Cepia Big Robots ($120, also sold separately for $60, 8+)

- Svan Ice Cream Cart ($130, 3+)

- Bosebuild Speaker ($149, 8+)

- Acoustic Loog ($159, 6+)

For more information, visit http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/childrens-products/toy-reviews/g3929/best-toys/