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Today I’m taking a look at some of the top toy gifts to give to kids this year, and there’s a whole lot to cover, so lets jump right in starting with the Osmo Coding Starter Kit for iPad. This cool toy is recommend for kids ages 5-12 and requires the use of a tablet (not included) to work. It features the fun character called Awbie and a variety of educational games, including three app-based games that teach kids the basics of computer coding and programming. These games are Coding Awbie, Coding Duo, and Coding Jam. Also included in the kit are special character blocks and a collectible game card, along with the stand that holds your iPad. If you want to give your kid(s) a STEM head start, the Osmo Coding Starter Kit is a great way to do it!

 

Another cool toy is the Roybi Smart Educational Robot. This tiny robot, which is intended for children ages 3-7, teaches kids the basics of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) as well as some useful language skills across a variety of common languages. Through games, stories, and songs, Roybi entertains your child while also teaching them valuable lessons. In fact, there are over 500 lessons across 70 distinct categories, and Roybi even knows 70,000 different words that he can help your kids to learn. He’s fun, educational, and he comes with 3 different hats that allow kids to occasionally change up his look. I reviewed Roybi very recently myself. Check out the full details of this little guy right HERE.

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The Shifu Orboot Augmented Reality Globe is another toy that I recently reviewed right here on the blog. It too is both fun and educational, and I was really impressed with it. Suitable for kids ages 4-12, this toy works in conjunction with the Orboot App to provide cool augmented reality (AR) games and activities that teach kids all about the exciting world around them. With more than 400 educational opportunities covering six different categories, including culture, cuisine, monuments, inventions, maps, and animals, this globe provides a whole wide world of fun possibilities. But what’s really cool is the way the AR animals, landmarks, and more pop right up off the globe when viewed through the Orboot App. It’s so much fun, kids won’t even realize they’re learning!

 

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Another very cool toy is the WowWee CHiP Robotic Dog. This fun dog moves and behaves just like a real, live pet—right down to his ability to follow kids around (when they wear the special, included smart-band) and play fetch with his ball. CHiP is also highly affectionate, does all kinds of special dog tricks, and helps to teach kids about the responsibility of having their own pet. If your kids have been asking for a dog but either they’re not ready for the responsibility for a living, breathing pet just yet, or you simply prefer to give them all the best aspects of pet ownership without the possibility of finding an unexpected mess on your floor, CHiP is your go-to pup!

If pets aren’t your child’s thing but clever robots are, the same toy manufacturer also has the WowWee MiP Arcade Robot. This robot not only has self-balancing technology, but he can also roll around on his own, has GestureSense Technology that responds to your child’s hand gestures, and he includes the special MIP Arcade App with more than 20 educational games that your child can play and learn from. These “brain training” games test your 6+ child’s memory and reflexes in a way that’s fun, engaging, and will keep them playing for hours. MiP connects to your smart phone via Bluetooth, and his app even includes multiplayer games that are fun for the whole family.

 

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Another extremely popular item this year is the new LEGO Super Mario: Adventures with Mario Starter Course. With 231 pieces of Mario themed fun, this set provides kids and other LEGO and Super Mario enthusiasts the opportunity to build a course for Mario to try and navigate as he does his usual thing—collecting (virtual) gold coins! Featuring built-in LED lights and sounds for the Mario figure himself, as well as 7 special action bricks that allow for Mario to encounter different (though classic) interactions, this LEGO kit is effectively a three-dimensional version of the classic Super Mario video games. If you loved those games as a child, you and your kids will probably both enjoy this set!

Not too long ago I reviewed a classic arcade gaming cabinet from the good folks at Arcade1Up. The one I had was the NBA JAM cabinet, but there are others available as well, like the Arcade1Up X-Men Vs. Street Fighter Arcade Machine with Riser. This particular cabinet features 4 built-in games: X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, X-Men: Children of the Atom, X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes. The great thing about these gaming cabinets is their retro arcade feel; it’s a very nostalgic thing. You do have to assemble the cabinet yourself, but it doesn’t take all that long, and once it’s built you’ve got yourself one cool retro gaming setup. Imagine the fun you and your gift recipient could have with one of these machines!

 

For the more artistic types, there’s the 3Doodler Create+ 3D Printing Pen. If your child doesn’t have a creative bone in their body, I would give a mild recommendation to avoid this one. Luckily, almost all kids are creative and enjoy activities like colouring and painting. The 3Doodler takes that concept to the next level by allowing users (with some artistic ability) to create their own three-dimensional artwork with this large pen that dispenses melty plastic in a variety of different colours. The plastic hardens fast though, so some skill/technique is involved. Just load whichever colour plastic rod you want, give it a minute or two to melt, and begin 3Doodling!

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Finally, let’s take a look at the Intelino Smart Train Starter Set. This too is something I have reviewed myself, and it’s probably at least in my top 3 favourite toys on today’s list. And why is that? Well, it is a cool train set after all! It features a track that kids can assemble themselves into a variety of different configurations, 2 train cars that run around the track under the control of the Intelino App, and a world of educational possibilities in the field of coding and programming. And that’s because kids can program their train to perform different actions based on colour-coded tiles that they can install on the track in block coding sequences. It’s a really cool way for kids to learn some important STEM concepts, and I can definitely recommend it from personal experience!

And there you have it—some of this year’s top toys that can be given away as gifts. For more great Toys, Games, & Educational products for kids, visit Best Buy Canada today either in store or online!

Leonard Bond
Leonard Bond
http://www.hockeycontroversial.com
Leo enjoys writing about everything from secret agents to tech toys and gadgets to professional hockey. Find his reviews and other product related commentary right here on the Best Buy Blog and his latest hockey rants at www.hockeycontroversial.com.
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233 COMMENTS

  1. Shifu Orboot Augmented Reality Globe is a very entertaining and educational toy that gives a new perspective at how we view the world.

  2. I really like the Jimu Robot AstroBot: Cosmo Kit that has 387 Pieces. My granddaughter would love to put Jimu together and she would learn so much about robots.

  3. We are a huge fan of gaming and the arcade1up-x-men-vs-street-fighter-arcade would be absolutely amazing and we would have such a blast enjoying this! Especially my big kid (my husband!) he’s a huge fan of arcade 1 up!

  4. Shifu Orboot Augmented Reality Globe would be my choice as it’s a great learning tool for kids to see where animals come from around the world. I would love it too.

  6. My favorite would be the Shifu Orboot Augmented Reality Globe – Earth since it would be so interesting and educational for the kids.

  9. My brother is a Super Mario fanatic and collects everything he can get his hands on. The Lego set looks beautiful and I’d love to give it to him!

  12. I love the globe due to the great exploration of different countries and what is different in each one. But ultimately any of the educational toys are great because i am a mother of teens but have my neice here who is 6 years old and behind in school due to ADHD and behavioral issues and any of them would help her out

  14. I love the gaming cabinet like the Arcade1Up X-Men Vs. Street Fighter Arcade Machine. The whole family would enjoy this!

  16. The Sphero RVR All-Terrain Programmable Robot is my favourite choice. I think it would be a lot of fun to play with and since it is programmable, it is also a learning tool and learning is always better when it is fun.

  17. My choice would definitely have to be the Arcade1Up X-Men Vs. Street Fighter Arcade Machine with Riser to go back to the classic arcade feel that I got to experience in my small town!

  18. My favourite toy would be the Costway 12V Kids Ride On Truck RC Car w/ LED Lights for my nephew because he absolutely loves Jeeps. Cheers!

  19. I think the Star Wars: The Mandalorian – The Child Animatronic Edition Figure would be my choice. It would make a great present for my Granddaughter.

  20. My favourite is the Roybi Smart Educational Robot. It is the perfect toy for the age of my granddaughter and she has such a curious nature it would be great to educate her as well as be fun to play with.

  21. My favourite gift from this list is the The Shifu Orboot Augmented Reality Globe! It’s very neat. My girls love learning about new animals and I know we’d definitely use the globe every day.

  26. Our kids would love the Kano Touchscreen Computer Kit because they’re both interested in computers and electronics.

  27. The LEGO Super Mario: Adventures with Mario Starter Course – 231 Pieces is one of my faves because it incorporates my nephews fascination of Mario but gets his creative juices flowing a little differently with LEGO. Best of old school play with new school characters.

  28. The Roybi smart educational robot is my favorite as it’s entertaining and educational for kids and parents can customize the learning content.

  29. The Wowwee Chip Robot Dog is my favourite as I think both my 3 year old and my dog would get a kick out of such a cute robot dog!

  33. I think the CHip Robot Dog is my favorite! Dogs are awesome, but they can be a lot of work. It’s perfect for people who want one but don’t know how much responsibility it takes to take care of it!

  35. Definitely the LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox. It captures children’s imagination and offers the opportunity for basic introductory robot programming… plus it looks so fun and challenging for the kids. (Even I like to try it)

  40. My kids would love the LEGO Super Mario: Adventures with Mario Starter Course! So cool and has so many expansion packs. It’s like the train set of this generation!

  42. I love all of these, but definitely would love to play with the Lego Mario course, combining two of my favourite childhood toys – and getting to share them with my kids too!

  43. If you ask my 8 year old son what his favourite toy would be it would be the LiteHawk ACE 4WD 1/12 Scale RC Rock Racer and if you asked my 4 year old daughter, she says it’s the WowWee CHiP Robotic Dog.

  47. All the kids I will gift this Christmas have one thing in common: they love drawing and are great at it. So I really like the 3Doodler for them, so they can have another perspective and another way of practicing!

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