In addition, the children's choir singing the song's opening chorus as well as the line "Won't you come out and play with me" are notable because five of her former Kids Incorporated castmates—Fergie, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Rahsaan Patterson, Devyn Puett, and Renee Sands—are among the singers.

The song spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in New Zealand while peaking within the top ten of the charts in both Australia and the United Kingdom.

Bryan Buss of AllMusic retrospectively reviewed the Martika album, stating "the big hit single, 'Toy Soldiers', works with its childlike vocals and lyrics, creating a haunting, effective dichotomy with its subject of drug addiction."

[4] Another editor, Rob Theakston, labeled the song as an AMG Pick Track on the 2005 compilation Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika.

[5] Harriet Dell from Smash Hits wrote, "It's a lovely song nevertheless, with a catchy nursery rhyme chorus sung by lots of cissy voiced kids".