Power Rippers 2-in-1 Competition Set (Jakks Pacific)
If your children love cars, or shows like Pokémon or Battlebots, they’ll surely enjoy this set, which comes complete with everything you’d want or need. It includes a Track Set and Battle Arena, dual loops that you can reconfigure for side-by-side racing, one long track, a crash zone, and an “epic jump” for the perfect ending… The kids will use the Battle Arena to, yes, you guessed it, battle each other (or mom and dad). The set comes in its own case, which makes for easy clean-up, storage, and take-along. Ages 4+. Under $30 at your favorite toy retailer. https://powerripperstoys.com/
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We’re already a week into Advent—have you bought an Advent Calendar for your child yet? If not, Playmobil has two adorable options. For children who love animals, the adorable farm-themed set #6624 is perfect (Playmobil refers to their sets by number and it’s sometimes easier to find them that way). Every day, as you count down to Christmas, your child can punch out a numbered door and find a fun surprise, such as a kitty, cow, goat, or a tractor. Whether you’re country born, or just have a country soul, #6624 is sure to please. About $25 at Toys R Us and Amazon. For sporty kids, the NHL Hockey set #9017 will score big. Once all the pieces are revealed, your hockey fan will have it all: hockey figures, child figures, flags, goal, Stanley Cup, puck bag, reindeer, and a Santa referee (who better to break up disagreements?) Around $27 at major retailers. 
Beauty and the Beast is arguably one of Disney’s best films. Anyone who’s seen it—no matter how long ago—probably has vivid memories of at least one or two scenes or characters. And what could be more memorable than the night Belle has dinner with Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and the other enchanted objects? Now your little one can join in the fun by having her very own tea party—and if you’re lucky, you’ll get invited. The cart is delightfully ornate and comes with a Mrs. Potts teapot, two cups (including Chip, of course), two spoons, and more. And with the push of a button, it plays “Be Our Guest.” It’s for ages 3+, although you’ll need to be there to assemble the cart and install the batteries. Available at most retailers for around $59. 
Laser Pegs kits are compatible with traditional building systems, but they add an element of light (and, in some cases, sound), which makes them unique. The Construction Runner comes with a power base and plenty of pieces to build eight different machines (one at a time), including a front end loader, bulldozer, and a crane. The Dinosaurs kit is a lot bigger, and, in addition to the base, contains enough pieces to build 24 different dinos (again, one at a time), including a few we’d never hear of (Tapejara and Sauropelta, for example). Once you install the batteries (which aren’t included), your creations will flash, blink, and generally astound. Both are for ages 5+. Construction Runner retails for about $23; Dinosaurs for about $45. 
With ZOOB, you don’t just build something and put it on a shelf. ZOOB’s unique ball-and-socket-type connectors, let you twist, turn, move, and redesign your creation—activities that help bring your playtime to life. ZOOBOdyssey (a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey”) is one of the stars in the Galax-Z line, a constellation of building kits with, as you might guess, an outer space theme. This kit contains 34 ZOOB pieces, a few important accessories (engine turbines, wing blasters, and more), a ZOOBonaut, and instructions for creating a number of different spacecraft, including a Robo Battle Station that transforms into a Time Warp Traveler and a Planet Observation Tower with an Interstellar Searcher. For ages 6+. $34. 
If you’ve ever used real tools—hammers, saws, and so on—around young child children, you know how much they want to help. And you know how much you worry about them hurting themselves or someone (or something) else. With Real Construction kits, those worries are gone. These innovative kits allow your child to safely measure, saw, hammer, nail, screw, and assemble pretty much anything he or she wants. Real Construction Deluxe Workshop comes with a variety of pieces of “Kid Wood” (dense polyethylene foam), plastic tools (saw, hammer, screw driver, square), hardware (screws, nails, hinges), and plans for eight projects. Unfortunately, those plans aren’t nearly as clear as they should be, but there are very detailed instructions on the website. The pride and joy on your child’s face at having built something from scratch is priceless. Ages 6+. Prices vary. 
Fascinations has created several lines of building kits that are aimed squarely at builders who are looking for a challenge that traditional systems have a tough time providing. You start with several sheets of amazingly detailed, laser-cut metal. And after a few hours of thoroughly satisfying hand-eye- and fine-motor-skills-intensive work, you’ll end up with an even-more-amazingly detailed creation. In this case, it was the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the flagship of the 18th century pirate, Blackbeard. This ship is part of the ICONX line, which are especially advanced and not for the impatient. Other ICONX kits include the Taj Mahal and a stunning motorcycle. If you’re looking for something to warm up on, try their easier-to-build Metal Earth line, which include buildings and cars that are a great introduction to the techniques you’ll use with ICONX. Ages 14 and up. Queen Anne’s Revenge retails for about $16. But prices for other kits vary widely. 
