Lego Pokémon Smart Play sets are the best kids toy of summer 2026

When I was a kid growing up in the late '90s, I had more Pokémon toys than you could imagine. Stuffed animals, bouncy balls with plastic monsters inside, gold cards — you name it. I still have some of my favorites on my nightstand to this day: a series of wheeled monsters that you could shoot out of launchers.

At the time, that was the coolest thing in the world. If I had Lego’s new Pokémon Smart Play sets back then, I’m pretty sure my mind would have been permanently blown.