Best Dragon Toys (2023 Buying Guide)

Updated 30th December 2021.

Dragons are a category of toys that seems to stand the test of time. Much like dinosaur toys, dragon toys remain a favourite of younger and older children despite the vast array of new types of toy, franchises and brands that have popped up over the years. 

From the soft, cuddly toys to ultra-detailed, interactive figures, there is a mind-boggling number of dragon toys out there for all ages, and it can be difficult for parents to know what to buy.

With that in mind, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide and reviews of 30 of the best dragon toys for babies, toddlers and older children. 

Why are dragon toys so popular?

Dragons have been embedded into our history for generations. Study the cultures of the world and you’ll be hard pressed to find many where dragons don’t feature heavily in mythology or legend. 

Typically, in legend and in much of early literature and fairytales, dragons are to be feared. Giant, mythical creatures to be overcome in a great quest of good vs evil, with terrifying horns, sharp teeth and claws...and of course, the ability to incinerate you in an instant. 

However, modern storytelling has taken a different approach:

Best dragon toys from baby to 2 year olds

The Flip Flap Dragon from Lamaze is ready to take off on a magical flight. Just pull the cord and watch it flap its colourful wings. Little ones will love the soft, plush feeling while they enjoy the six different sensory textures. 

Made by industry-leader AURORA World, this Zog the Dragon cuddly toy is the perfect choice for any older baby who loves the book. Fully licensed, it looks just like the warm-hearted dragon we love, zigzagging through the sky.

A great alternative to the usual interactive soft toys on the market, this cute and cuddly green dragon stimulates learning for young babies with five sensory buttons, lights and sound effects.

This double dragon headed soft plush hopper from iPlay is a great option for babies and early toddlers to get used to different textures and sounds. With mutli-coloured features, the body comes in purple and offers a great dinosaur ride to fill their imaginations.

This small, cute dragon from HABA Play ties onto a cot, pushchair or car seat. The green and blue-themed dragon can be taken anywhere and attaches to a small triangle mirror, along with a detachable mirror.

This multi-coloured pull along dragon from Legler is a great wooden toy for little ones who are becoming more confident playing while crawling or on their knees. It includes six little wooden balls attached to the wheels (feet) that make a fun and exciting noise as it moves. 

The Roly Poly Dragon from HABA is a unique dragon toy. It features a wide-based, soft and bright green dragon that sits on the bottom half of a plastic ball. Designed to develop motor skills and 'cause and effect' skills, the Roly Poly Dragon will gently fling back into its normal place after every movement. 

Diagon the Dragon is a quirky little squeaky dragon figure that can easily double as a teether thanks to its rubber material and non-toxic paints. Each Diagon can also be used in the bath, and is handmade as well as hand painted using non-toxic permanent food dye.

Great for the older children in this age range, this wooden dragon from Le Toy Van is a simple, but brilliant choice to encourage imaginative play. Part of the Castles Collection, it can be combined with a castle, siege tower, horse and knight to create countless different scenarios and stories. 

This flame dragon comes from AURORA’s highly popular Sparkle Tales range of cuddly toys. Super soft, it’s little wings, ears and eyes all feature glittery effect to make it sparkle. At 7inches tall, it’s suitable for even the littlest hands. 

Best dragon toys for 3 to 4 year olds

This adorable cuddly toy from AURORA World is a licensed product of the dragon character in Julia Donaldson’s Room on the Broom. It stands roughly 6 inches tall and the bottom is weighted so it can sit up well for play or story time. 

Bath time just got cooler with this dragon rubber duck toy from Wild Republic. With fire coming out of its mouth and moveable wings, it’s somehow cute and fearsome. All Wild Republic rubber duck toys are hole-less, so will stay free from mold no matter how many times they’re played with.

This ride-on costume is a dragon fanatics dream. Sitting on the child’s shoulders, they can either pretend to be the striking blue dragon with fiery red wings or dress up as a character riding the dragon. It is designed to provide some structure while staying soft and suitable for children’s play.

This set is a fun, dragon-themed twist on the much-loved matching game from Orchard Toys. The head and tails cards create a range of colourful knights, a castle, and most importantly, dragons.  

George is a friendly, interactive dragon from VTech’s Toot-Toot range. He loves going on adventures with his friends Magnus the Knight and Tim the Dragon. George walks and talks, responding with fun phrases, songs, and melodies. 

This How to Train Your Dragon adventure set contains everything your little dragon trainer needs to set off on their journey; a compass to find their way, binoculars to search the sky for dragons and a torch to spot them in the night.

This Dreamworks Dragons set from Playmobil contains Light Fury with moveable wings, legs and mouth action, Toothless, viking children, arrows and fish. At 16 pieces, it’s a great starter set to introduction little ones to Playmobil for the first time. 

This super-realistic Spyro the Dragon cuddly toy is perfect for any little fans of the video game, whether they watch as you play or they’ve tried it out themselves. It comes officially licensed from Activision and stands 36cm tall (to the top of the horns) and 30cm long (to the tip of the tail).

This cute little dragon projector from Playbrites turns your little one’s room into a magical star show. It has six colours to choose from and its facial features can be swapped with other Playbrite projector characters to create funny faces. 

This Light Fury cuddly toy is a great choice for any new fans of the How to Train Your Dragon movies. This particular one comes from the third installment, with glittery dots and standing at 32cm tall. The big selling point, though, comes when you turn off the lights and see Light Fury’s eyes and wings glow.

Best dragon toys for 5 to 10 year olds

   21.    Children’s dragon play tent

This is one of the most detailed play tents we’ve ever seen. The tent itself depicts knights battling to defend their castle from attack by terrifying dragons, with the roll-up doorway doubling as the castle gates. The battle rages on inside the tent, too, with more detailed scenery and the local town shown on the tent floor.

‘It’s morphin’ time!!’ Your little one can take their Power Rangers play to the next level with this 14inch Dragon Thunderzord and 3inch Red Ranger set. Press down on his tail to activate his wings, opening mouth, light-up eyes and fearsome roaring sound effects.

   23.    Funko POP! Red-Eyes Black Dragon (Yu-Gi-Oh)

This collectible from the much-loved POP! Animation range is a striking adaptation of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. As it’s not really a toy, it’s best suited for older kids who’ve started their POP! collection or for new fans of Yu-Gi-Oh!

This super detailed red Roaring Dragon from Robo Alive is one of the most advanced dragon toys available. Its high-powered motor creates realistic walking motion, rotating neck and flapping wings. It also has reflective eyes and LED-powered fire breathing. 

This detailed Deathgripper toy figure comes from the How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World film, but with one important difference. Drop Deathgripper into water of 31°C or hotter and different parts of its body with shine bright and illuminate.

Dragon Snacks is a fun, family game from Goliath Games. Players wave their hand in front of the dragon’s face and say ‘Abracadragon...show me your treasure’ to get him to open his mouth. Take it in turns to grab a piece of treasure matching the colour shown on his nose. Be careful, though. If he’s in a bad mood, he won’t open his mouth and you’ll lose your turn!

This deluxe-sized Toothless is a collectible figure from the Dragons franchise. It comes with roaring sound effect, a glowing body and unfurling bioluminescent fabric wings at the touch of a button to soar into action.

Join Hiccup and his friends on an exciting adventure in this Dragons-themed junior version of the Monopoly board game. Play as your favourite character to collect others and build as many dragon training arenas as you can to win. 

This set from LEGO’s NINJAGO range includes a beautifully detailed white and gold battle dragon, and Master Wu and troublesome Gleck minifigures. With 321 individual pieces in total, the battle dragon has a moveable head, as well as wings, legs and claws to help Master Wu’s mission to secure the Ivory Blade of Deliverance.

Build your very own mechanical dragon with this set from Timberkits. Ideal for older children, it offers a challenging but fun, STEM and creative activity. The natural wood is primed for painting in whatever way your little one wants their dragon to look. Once built, make the dragon roar through a series of cranks.

Why dragon toys are great for children

Above all, dragon toys inspire children to an explosion of creative and imaginative play. With modern creative works altering how we think about dragons, there really is no limit to the scenarios a child can muster up in their imaginations. 

They’re not a one-trick pony kind of toy, though. Above anything, dragon toys encourage more creativity and imaginative play than alternatives because their existence in our cultures is based on exactly that. Naturally, depending on the different types of toys offer a huge variety of developmental benefits from motor skills, social skills, problem solving and more. Dragon toys can help to develop motor skills, social skills, problem solving, focus and more.