Toy themes come and go, they often fall in and out of popularity with children, but one that really seems to always stand the test of time is Ghostbusters. Since the 80s when the movies first became popular, children have loved playing with ghostbuster toys, ghostbuster figures and nowadays, there are even LEGO ghostbuster models and hot toys!
Remember that ghostbusters pop toys proton pack that your friend had and you were so jealous of? Well, now you can buy it for your child. You might even have some old ghostbuster toys in your attic that you might want to dust off and pass on, or even sell.
Either way, the entertaining and enduring fun of ghostbusters kids toys will always be around, and here are some amazing ideas for best ghostbusters toys, merchandise and games that everyone can enjoy…
Things to Consider When Buying the real Ghostbusters toys
Style of Toy
The real ghostbuster toys are a massively popular theme for children’s toys, and there is a huge variety out there of ghostbuster-themed games and toys, but it will be helpful to have a think about what style of toy to get when you are buying one. There are figurines, dolls, cars, equipment and of course the famous ghostbuster firehouse.
You can even get ghostbuster clothing, in the form of t-shirts, hoodies and even baseball caps or socks, and this is a nice way of combining someone’s love of ghostbusters along with something useful that they can wear. There are computer games and even board games available in the ghostbuster theme.
Favorite Character
Everyone has a favorite pop toy ghostbuster characters right? Are you an Egon Spengler fan? Maybe you prefer good old Ray or you’re a fanatic about the hilarious Peter. Maybe younger fans of the movies prefer the newest movie release and are fans of the more modern versions of the characters.
Without sounding silly, are we right in thinking that Slimer probably stands out as a fond favorite, despite his crazy antics. Whoever your favorite character is, you will find all sorts of ghostbuster dolls and toys to choose from and this could be a good way to decide.
Age Group
There are many grown ups today that are massive fans of Ghostbusters, so it is not just the realm of children to enjoy this show. If you’re buying for a child, there are of course appropriate toys available depending on their ability and what is safe for them, so even little ones can enjoy ghostbuster fun, and then of course as children grow in age, toys become more suitable and a little more advanced, so remember to consider that your ghostbuster item should be well matched to the age of the person who is going to play with it.
Top Toys in 2024
1. Playmobil Ghostbusters Ecto 1
For more younger fans of ghostbusters car toys, this Playmobil Ghostbusters Ecto 1 is a fantastic buy, it has a clever detachable roof, so the children can fully engage and interact with the toy, bringing the adventures of the famous Ghostbuster vehicle to life.
It comes with moveable figures of Winston and Janine to get you started, and also boasts original sounds for the car as well as lights that flash and will delight and entertain children as they play. It can be used with all other Playmobil toys and an added extra is that with this purchase, you will receive four free episodes of The Real Ghostbusters to watch for even more fun.
2. Playmobil Ghostbusters Firehouse
The firehouse is an iconic image for all ghostbuster fans, and this Playmobil Firehouse is a great idea for a toy as it comes with the fireman’s pole, a space to park Ecto 1 and has some great accessories included in the purchase.
With the firehouse, you will get a proton pack, proton wand, ghost trap, the infamous PKE meter as well as some fun silicone ‘slime splatters’ that you can stick around the building. As usual, Playmobil is best for ages 6 and upwards and this toy also comes (for a limited time) with four free episodes of The Real lego ghostbusters toys to watch and enjoy.
3. Replica 1:24 Scale Ecto 1
A more substantial version of the famous Ecto 1, this is a solid, die cast car that has fantastic details and special aspects that make it very enjoyable. It is true to scale and made with high end materials as well as being an genuine licensed ghostbusters memorabilia item.
There are really fun details to this die cast model, such as doors that open and close for realistic playtime fun as well as vivid design and colors. This is a toy that someone can enjoy throughout their entire childhood because it is durable and will be appropriate for any age. This is equally good if you enjoy collecting die-cast models of famous vehicles.
4. Ghostbusters Proton Blaster
Everyone wants a proton blaster, don’t they? Since we see our heroes famously cross the streams in this epic movie, we’ve always wanted to pretend to be them and this toy will add to that playtime make-believe. It comes with five plastic darts and has a sturdy pull back mechanism to allow firing.
It claims to shoot accurately up to 70 feet, so you can really have some fun with this one! It has the signature ghostbuster colors and really smacks of the authentic ghostbuster era. Buy a couple of these for your kids and they will have hours of fun pretending to chase ghosts. These are cheap ghostbusters Items to buy!
5. Rubie’s Ghostbusters Costume
Not only is this a perfect ghostbusters fancy dress costume, but what could be more fitting for Halloween? It suits the spooky ghost theme and is a great children’s fancy dress option for children who want to dress up but prefer to keep it simple. It’s also just great as a fun costume at any time of the year.
Let’s face it, kids don’t really need an excuse to dress up in make-believe. It is the classic jumpsuit style and fits small, medium and large. Because it is made of resilient polyester, it would be easy to wash and dry, and would last your young one a long time.
6. LEGO Ghostbusters Toys for Kids Firehouse Set
This is a serious bit of kit, as LEGO Ghostbusters themes go. It comes with 9 minifigures of many of your favorite characters, including Slimer. It has over 4000 separate LEGO pieces, so not only will your child have hours of fun planning, building and creating this 14 inch tall replica of the Firehouse, they will then have years of fun re-enacting all the fun adventures of the ghostbusters team.
There are some really fun details in this pack, including accessories such as the alarm bell, computers, a toaster covered in slime, pizza and loads, loads more. If you’re buying the LEGO Ecto 1, it helpfully fits inside. A big toy, but years of fun to be had with it.
7. LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto 1 & 2
Featuring some of the more recent Ghostbusters team, this offering from LEGO gives us the Ecto-1 car with doors that open and close, storage in the trunk as well as a removable roof to put your characters in and out as you play. Included is a set of four proton packs, with a sidearm and an ion shield gun.
There are five minifigures with this kit, including Abby, Erin, Jillian, Patty and Kevin and it is suitable for aged 8 and up. You also get a side ladder and the famous ECTO-1 license plate. You’ll also enjoy the ECTO-2 motorbike as an extra element to your play.
8. Hot Wheels Kids Toy Ghostbusters Vehicles
Remember when they spruced up Ecto 1 for the second movie and added loads of new gadgets and accessories? Well, this pack of two die-cast models of both versions of Ecto are a great addition to any die-cast collection. Some children like to play with these and really enjoy them and older children might prefer to keep them pristine in a die-cast or ghostbusters collection.
No matter what your preference is, each of these versions of the iconic ghostbusters car is of great quality with minute details to make them really authentic. They are around 3 inches long and one of the original ghostbusters toys.
9. Diamond Select Ghostbusters Minimates
Minimates are good fun, and this is a pack of the four main men. Egon, Ray, Winston and Peter, each 2 inches tall and ready to have adventures and fun.
They have each got a removable proton pack which adds that extra aspect of interaction and have a range of parts and accessories that can be swapped and changed as they are used for play. There are even special details on them, such as splatters of ‘marshmallow’ from our old friend, Mr Stay Puft. Fab fun.
10. Stay Puft Talking Plush
Even though he wreaks havoc and causes no end of mayhem, we all still love the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man ghostbusters plush toys, don’t we? This plush version of our favorite squishy enemy is very cute and adorable and the bonus of this little guy is that he talks and plays the ghostbuster song, so every time his belly is pressed, you get something fun.
He is very cuddly and good quality and is a great gift for a cuddly bedtime toy for any child, especially if they are a fan of the ghostbusters franchise. The stuffed toys takes 3 LR44 size batteries.
11. LEGO Dimensions Story Pack
Video games add that extra layer to allow you to enjoy your favorite toy or movie. This LEGO Dimensions story pack is ghostbuster themed of course and has six separate levels for hours of fun and gameplay. This is based on the new movie version, and you’re challenged to help Abby and her fellow Ghostbusters to hunt down evil ghosts and spooks.
This is for use with the LEGO toy pad that connects to your gaming station and is a fantastic way to bring LEGO building into the digital world. You can even play with up to four people so it is great to enjoy with friends. These make perfect girl ghostbusters toys and gift sets!
12. Ghostbusters Rubber Ducky
What just is it about rubber duckies? We love them don’t we? These Celebriducks range are really hilarious and if you have a child that just loves bath time as well as Ghostbusters, then this little duck is a great stocking filler at Christmas or even a little fun toy to buy just because.
It is quite large at 4 inches high and made in the style of the heroic ghostbusters wearing his uniform, goggles and proton pack. Quirky and funny, this rubber duckie is sure to raise some giggles.
13. Ghostbusters Mr Potato Head Edition
Combine two absolutely classic toy legends and what do you get? A Ghostbusters Mr Potato Head of course! This 6 inch tall PopTater figure is a true Ghostbuster at heart, ready to fight spooks with his proton pack, Ecto Goggles and jumpsuit.
Of course you get the added fun of the traditional range, allowing for mixing and matching of accessories and parts to create hilarious looks and odd jumbles that will have you and your friends laughing for hours.
14. Mattel Ecto Goggles
Man, these are so cool. What kid doesn’t want to pretend to be one of the Ghostbusters with this amazing piece of kit on their heads? These Ecto Goggles are a fantastic, detailed replica of the Ecto Goggles from the Ghostbuster movies, and they are a great addition to any costume your child might wear at Halloween, and would look particularly good with the jumpsuit and proton pack.
It’s one size fits all and pretty much anyone can wear these, including adults (we know you wanted to know!) and when you look through them you can see four separate short stop-motion cartoons of the infamous Slimer who always haunts our guys. These are sure to raise a smile with any Ghostbuster fan, whether its for their birthday, Christmas, or just because you know they’d love them.
15. Brick Loot Lighting Kit for LEGO Firehouse
Make sure you pay attention to this one – it’s NOT actual LEGO, but an accompanying accessory. A really cool one, though. Once you’ve made your LEGO Firehouse, you really want it to come alive and buzz with excitement, so if you get your child this Brick Loot Lighting Kit which is specially designed to accompany the LEGO Firehouse, then you will be able to see their joy as their creation lights up at night, just like the real thing!
It is easy and quick to install and doesn’t require any fancy set up. It is USB cable rechargeable also, so that is really handy. Just make sure if you’re buying this, that you buy the LEGO Firehouse Kit to go alongside it, or you might have one slightly (very!) disappointed child.
16. Ghostbusters the Board Game
Family board games are making a comeback, and this Ghostbuster themed board game is a definite source of fun and excitement for yourself and your family. It is also a good gift to buy for family friends who are fans of Ghostbusters, too. There are custom pieces relevant to the movie, including some big favorites, such as Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddemore.
Of course there are ghouls and ghosts galore also and even the famous Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man – well, it wouldn’t be a Ghostbusters game without him, would it? The game comes with a helpful guide book and a stylishly designed game board for hours of fun for friends and family.
17. Hot Wheels 30th Anniversary Ecto 1
This is an amazing piece of toy memorability made courtesy of Hot Wheels. The iconic Ecto 1, created with amazingly specific and colorful detail, it comes also with the four guys, our main men, the Ghostbusters; Egon Spengler, Peter Venkeman, Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz. Based on the original 1959 Cadillac ambulance, this version of Ecto 1 was made specifically for the 30th Anniversary and is both a great toy and a collector’s item.
Whether you collect Hot Wheels vehicles in general, or are more of an actual Ghostbusters collector, this is a really special and memorable gift to be enjoyed for many years.
18. NECA 7 Inch ghostbusters slimer toys
Slimer ghostbusters ghost toys, oh how we love to hate Slimer. He is just the iconic Ghostbuster character, loved by everyone who has enjoyed the movies and cartoons. He is of course terrifying and disgusting, but also weirdly cute and lovable. This seven inch to scale Slimer figure is incredibly detailed and realistic, and sprouts out of his ectoplasm base, ready to cause havoc with his gross hauntings!
He also comes with several food accessories, because we all know you can’t have Slimer without the food, can you? He is also fully poseable so you can have real fun playing with him and recreating famous scenes from the films, or even making up a few new ones from your own imagination.
19. NKOK Remote Controlled Ghostbusters Vehicle
An Ecto-1 that can actually chase around and drive? Amazing. Not only does it have the look of the real Ghostbusters car, but it can be radio-controlled to your child’s heart is content. They can chase, drive and race around the house while pretending to be one of the Ghostbusters crew!
It is a perfect replica, with strong bright colors and its a large size, too. The radio controller boasts a clever pistol grip style, that is specially designed so your child can easily grip and control the car as they choose to race it around. The car goes backwards and forwards and left or right and also has working lights, and siren sounds for added realism. A really good quality interactive Ghostbusters toy.
20. Extreme Deluxe Roland Action Figure
This action figure is called Deluxe for a reason, he is pretty solid, durable and well designed. Based on the new Ghostbusters, Roland is the mechanic within the crew and is more level headed and sensible than some of the other more maverick characters.
He is in charge of repairing and making improvements to the Proton Packs and the Ghostbusters vehicle, and he has a really sensible approach to chasing spectres. This ghostbusters cartoon toy figure is poseable and lights up and makes authentic Ghostbuster Roland sounds to the delight of any child.
Overall Best Pick
NKOK Ghostbusters Remote Controlled Ghostbusters Vehicle
So many of these Ghostbusters themed presents are amazing, and they all offer a different kind of fun activity or challenge.
Some are collectors items, others are more skills based and some are interactive or offer a challenge with friends and family, but the Remote Controlled Ghostbusters Vehicle is a really great toy because not only is it an exact replica of the amazing Ecto 1, but it actually can be controlled and driven around for hours of fun.
The fact that the pistol grip is ergonomically designed means that it can be held firmly and safely while your child enjoys practising and driving their favorite Ghostbusters toy around the house! The sound effects and flashing lights just clinched the deal in the end.
Best Budget Pick
Rubie’s Ghostbusters Costume
We just had to choose the costume, didn’t we? How could we not? Some Ghostbusters toys, because of their popularity of the franchise, are more costly, and when it came to a budget pick, the costume won hands down. Why?
Because every little boy wants to be part of the gang. He wants to join Ray, Egon, Peter and Winston and pretend to fight the scary ghouls and malicious monsters, and what better way to do it than having the real jumpsuit and proton pack?
The fact that it is made of polyester was great too, because every parent knows how much of a tough time these costumes get when they are worn lots, so it is bound to be quite resilient and therefore a good investment if you looking for the new ghostbusters toys.
What Can Kids Learn from These Toys?
Believe it or not, kids can learn plenty from these Ghostbuster toys. They offer so much that a young person can use to grow, develop and learn, all the while having amazing fun in the process. One of the main benefits of these toys is learning about social interaction with other children.
When they get together to play with their LEGO set or their action figures to play Ghostbusters, they will learn how to engage and react to other people, learn social norms and develop their communication skills and confidence also.
The other toys in this section offer the development of creative skills, such as the LEGO and Playmobil sets, because they involve an element of building and logic, so your child can learn about these aspects also. The final most important thing that kids will learn from these toys is the simple fun of make believe and magical fantasy – that their imagination can be unbounded.
Is Ghostbusters Suitable for Young Children?
Of course it is!! While there are some aspects of the feature films that they might not be ready for, the cartoons, comics and toys are more than age appropriate.
There are a wide range of toys that are appropriate for smaller children right up to young adult, and there are even items that are suitable as collector’s items, so its obvious that the Ghostbusters range can be enjoyed by everyone.
Apart from anything, the fact that your child will be introduced to playing make-believe with ghosts and ghouls means that they will never develop any irrational fears because they know it is a funny and pretend theme – they ain’t afraid of no ghosts!
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