Top 10 Creepy Toys From The Uncanny Valley

#10: Labubu

These collectible characters have taken the world by storm ever since Blackpinks Lisa was seen sporting a Labubu on her purse in 2024. The plush creatures have fluffy bodies and hard vinyl faces, complete with a wide, toothy grin and piercing eyes. Their faces are somewhere between cute and ugly, which makes these toys quite polarizing. The way these toys have blown up seemingly out of nowhere seems untrustworthy, like theyre secretly an alien race waiting until theyve spread out far enough before they take over our planet for good. Cute bag chain today, alien overlord tomorrow.

#9: Jolly Chimp

This classic toy, also known as a cymbal-banging monkey toy, has been around since the 1930s. The mechanical monkeys are meant to resemble the real trained monkeys that frequently accompanied organ grinders. This, however, is way creepier than the real thing. From its red, unblinking eyes to the way it bares its teeth menacingly as it plays, there is nothing cute about this terrifying toy. Everything about its appearance is unnerving. It only gets worse when the toy is wound up and played. The mechanical movements and jarring cymbal crashing noise just make you wonder how anyone had a good time playing with this toy.

#8: Jack-in-the-Box

Have you ever thought about how truly strange this classic toy is? First made in the early 16th century by a German clockmaker, this toy features a box with an attached crank that releases an animated devil, also known as a Jack. The toy became more widespread during the 18th century, and throughout the years since has evolved into the typical clown-in-a-tin-box toy we know today. Really, this seems less like a toy and more like a mean-spirited prank for kids, as its essentially a jumpscare in a box. These toys are still common today, though the jumping Jack is usually replaced with a friendlier face.

#7: Chatter Telephone

Introduced by Fisher-Price in 1961, this toy telephone has been tugged around by toddlers for decades. The product was the companys best-selling toy throughout the 60s and 70s, cementing Fisher-Price as a leader in the toy industry. While contemporary iterations of this toy have a more cartoonish and cutesy appearance, the original design was a little less adorable. With eerie wide eyes that moved as you played and a fixed grin, it was a toy that looked like it was staring into your soul. The toy is beloved enough to still be produced despite imitating incredibly outdated technology, but its updated look definitely says Fisher-Price knew how creepy the original looked.

#6: The Bones Family

Meet the Bones Family, a terrifying line of toys released by the Marx toy company in 1970. Resembling a way too realistic stick figure drawing, Skinny Bones is made of a thin plastic skeleton that supports a human-like head and plastic hands. Kids could also play with his sister, Ginny Bones, dog Ham Bones, and horse Trom Bones. All four toys were equally disturbing and utterly confusing, as its unclear what the purpose of the emaciated toy line actually was. The figures were poseable and parts could be mixed and matched, but the final product looks completely unfinished. Some boxes suggested putting clothes on the toys, which probably would have helped a lot.

#5: Reborn Dolls

These handcrafted dolls were borne out of doll collectors desires for more realistic-looking dolls. Reborn dolls are designed to look virtually indistinguishable from a real human infant. Impeccable craftsmanship aside, the realistic appearance of these dolls can be very unsettling to some. Some reborn dolls are purchased for therapeutic purposes by those mourning the loss of a child. Others are purchased by collectors and enthusiasts. While they are genuinely works of art, theres something about seeing a hyper-realistic infant-looking thing that doesnt move or breathe like a real human that just feels totally off.

#4: Baby Alive

For kids who think regular baby dolls are just too easy, Baby Alive makes dolls that eat, drink, and wet themselves to make playtime a real challenge. First introduced in 1973, the toys have remained popular in the decades since. Even Cabbage Patch Kids created a similar product with their Snacktime Dolls, which ended up being a hazard to children. Baby Alive has continued to evolve with new iterations of their original concept, including dolls that talk and baby food kids make themselves. Though its mechanical imitation of real human bodily functions might seem creepy to us, Baby Alives enduring popularity proves kids love imitating adult responsibilities.

#3: Ventriloquist Dummies

First popularized in the 18th century, ventriloquism is a form of entertainment in which the performer makes their voice seem as though it's coming from a different location. The ventriloquists puppet, or dummy, becomes a vessel for this disembodied voice. The question is, why do the dummies always have to be so creepy? As far back as 1962, The Twilight Zone centered an episode around a possessed dummy, and theyve been featured in countless horror films since. Though intended as half of a comedic duo, something about a puppet that acts like it's alive makes you worry that that thing is coming after you in your sleep.

#2: Face Bank

The classic piggy bank is a tried and true method of teaching young children about saving money. Over the years, theyve been manufactured in a variety of different ways. Mechanical banks began to grow in popularity in the mid-nineteenth century, which eventually made way for this terrifying toy. Face Bank is a mechanical change-saving device that will literally eat your coins and store them safely away. Its simple yet eerily realistic face and inhuman mechanical movements place it squarely in the deepest depths of the uncanny valley. Youll save money, simply because youre too afraid to get close enough to open up its bank.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Raggedy Ann

The Friendly Looking Doll that Inspired Annabelle

Teddy Ruxpin

A Mechanical Teddy that was Anything But Cuddly

Little Miss No Name

An Orphan Child in Need For Every Little Girl!

Baby Laugh A-Lot

A Demonic Laughing Toy

#1: Furby

Once the it toy of the 1990s, the Furby is an iconic creature familiar to all of us. As cute as these toys were, there was always something sinister lurking beneath their fluffy exterior. In 1999, Furbies were temporarily banned by the NSA due to security concerns. The ban was overturned when it was proven the Furbies werent recording audio, but theres something still untrustworthy about those huge mechanical eyes. The Furby was also the first successful domestic robot, an important turning point in recent human history. We might someday look back on the innocuous Furby as the robot that started it all.

Are there any other toys that give you that uncanny valley feeling? Let us know in the comments!