It’s already April, and of course that means that for many, the Easter Bunny will soon be hopping his or her way into their houses with a basket of treats. Here are a few ideas to consider for your kids—or kids at heart.
BuddyPhones (BuddyPhones)
Are you tired of hearing your kid’s video games or other noisy electronics? Do we really need to hear every time their character gets a coin? And don’t we deserve some peace and quiet once and a while? Giving them a set of headphones may sound like a good solution, but research shows that 12.5% of 6-18-year-olds have hearing loss due to overly loud headphones. The solution? Volume-limiting BuddyPhones, which let kids keep their noises to themselves and protect those young eardrums. These fun looking, high-quality headphones come in a variety of popular colors and designs (including a unicorn model). They’re also water resistant and have a battery life of up to 24 hours. Got more than one kid? BuddyPhones offers their patented shared BuddyCable, lets two kids listen at the same time (though getting them agree to what to listen to is up to you). $70-$80. www.buddyphones.com
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This kit comes with everything you’ll need to build five complete projects (called Toy-Cons). Each one starts as a series of sheets of cardboard. Pop out the pieces, fold them (video instructions are available—and extremely helpful), connect them to each other, and decorate to your heart’s content. Then you attach the Switch Joy-Con controllers and the magic happens.
With the fishing rod, you build a “working” rod and reel. Next, you fire up your Switch console and start fishing, for anything from minnows to sharks. You can even design your own fish.
Building a wearable robot suit out of cardboard is a daunting task, but we know you can handle it. Once you’ve constructed and connected all the pieces (including a backpack, visor, and attachments for both arms and legs), you’re ready to step into the game, where you control an on-screen robot (kind of like in Ready Player One) and can punch, stomp, and smash buildings, vehicles, and other minor inconveniences all by yourself, or go robot-head to robot-head against a friend (he or she will need another Robot Kit and controllers). Ages 6+. $69.99 MSRP. 
Includes tape, stencils, and a variety of stickers that you can use to customize and decorate your Labo creations. But you can just as easily use anything you have around the house or that you can buy at your local arts-and-crafts store (like glue, paint, and googly eyes—who doesn’t love googly eyes?). $9.99.
You can play this unique game using just the app or with what the company calls “connected play,” which “fuses augmented reality, physical trading cards, digital action figures, and more.” The figures are especially cool and can be used as actual game controllers, something we’ve never seen before. There’s no portal—all you need is your tablet, the app, and Bluetooth to link everything together, and you’re good to go. The interactive trading cards bring features into play and into (virtual) reality as you use them. Starter packs are about $40 at your favorite retailer. 
Mario Kart is one of those games that turns a room full of strangers into a room full of new buddies—or at least rowdy racers. Requiring equal parts skill, luck, and know-how, Mario Kart has consistently been a bright star in the gaming universe, and this one may be, dare we say, the brightest of them all. With almost all characters unlocked to begin with, this game is built for multiplayer action, and there are tons of characters to choose from, so there’ll be no squabbling. On the Switch, characters of different weights and sizes act differently and effect your controls, as do the type of vehicle and even the tires you select. The game also includes support for amiibos and amiibo cards, which unlock more in-game content, allowing for plenty of customization. $59.99 at retail locations or via download from the eShop. 
This is the newest in the proud Skylanders line, which uses real-life toy figures that enter the on-screen game through a “portal.” As always, the story follows the Skylanders as they try to defeat the evil Kaos in his latest plan to destroy Skyland. Kaos has found a new power called “Mind Magic,” and is creating an army of Doomlanders. The leader of the good guys is Eon, who calls upon Portal Masters (that’s you!) to battle Kaos and his army. To help, there are Senseis who give players new powers that you can use to build and equip your Imaginators. If you’ve got the new Nintendo Switch (more on that below), you’ll be able to save your Skylanders figures’ stats and abilities to the system so you can play Skylanders on the go, without having to schlep the figures or the portal.
This newest entry in the beloved Paper Mario series takes Mario to the formerly colorful Prism Island, where someone is draining the land of all its paint and color. As the hero we all know and love, Paper Mario comes along to save the day with his paint hammer, which splashes color on colorless portions of land, flowers, characters, houses, and even water. This game plays like other games in the series, where combat is turn based, but it also includes cards that describe what moves can be used next. This game is a blast to play for RPG fans or Mario fans in general. And if you’re new to Paper Mario, this is a perfect place to start, giving you an interactive role-playing experience that will help you paint-smash some dull areas of your own life. Only on the Nintendo Wii U. Retails for $59.99. 
These video-game themed toys have hit the trifecta: they’re cute, fun to play with, and encourage your child (and you) to act out scenes from his or her most beloved games. You’ll find just about any Nintendo character you can imagine—old ones, new ones, and even the most obscure ones—including Kirby, Mario, the coin box (really!), Koopa Troopa, Cat Toad, and regular Toad. Some make those well-known Nintendo game sounds like the coin bling and the Koopa Troopa “hit” sound. Prices vary, but most are under $10, and they’re available at any toy store.
Pokémon fans and collectors will love the new collectable Pokémon toys, which are being released to mark Pokémon’s 20th anniversary. Every month through December 2016, Nintendo will release one retailer-exclusive, Mythical Pokémon. These extremely rare plush figures will be 8-inches tall and made with a very special crushed velvet material. There will also be 2-inch pearlescent-finished figures that come with their own pearlescent-finished Poké Balls. The company will also release a number of limited-edition Pikachu products throughout the year, but you’ll have to move quickly because when they’re gone, that’s it! Visit 
These plush toys may not have the same instant recognition and cachet as Nintendo’s, but they’re just as sweet and snuggly, and they’re made by Aurora World (which has created some of our very favorite stuffies). The new 17-piece Precious Baby line is perfect for even the smallest cuddle monsters, and includes a blanket puppet, wind up musical toys, plush rattles, toys that recite prayers (in either English or Spanish), and a number of traditional plush toys. Prices typically range from $12-24. Visit Aurora’s website, 
If your kids loved Zootopia (is there anyone who didn’t?), you can’t go wrong with these figures. There are plush toys, character sets, and more. There are even vehicles, like Nick’s convertible and Judy’s Police Cruiser, which has a little jail cell in the back. Characters some in sets of two, three, and more. Prices vary. Available at your favorite retailer or 
With summer here, you’ll probably want to be outdoors as much as possible. For some parents, getting the kids away from screens can be a challenge, but you’ll be able to remedy that situation by making going outside an event for the whole family. Grown-ups and big kids usually have bikes, but what about your little one—you know, the one with the short legs and less coordination? Well, a Big Wheels trike might be just the ticket—and it’ll be a fun blast from the past for mom and dad as well. With the new Marvel’s The Avengers Big Wheel, your kids can ride with their favorite superheroes. These Big Wheels are easy to assemble (even for non-techies) and they’re sturdy, so when your helmet-wearing Captain America wannabe decides to take on a tree, the Big Wheels will survive to ride another day. These new Big Wheels have a “Grow With Me” seat that can be positioned up to three times. Retails for about $60 at stores such as Amazon and Walmart.
In many Pokémon games, you play as a trainer (a human who trains and cares for the Pokémon). But there’s also an RPG series where you play as Pokémon, exploring, battling, and earning treasure. The most recent game in that series is Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon. Pick your character and a Pokémon friend, and you’re transformed into a young Pokémon who must explore dungeons to help solve a major crisis: Pokémon are being turned into stone. Throughout Mystery Dungeon, you can meet all 720 known Pokémon—even the rare ones. Wonder Mail players can receive special items via QR codes. This game is available now for $39.99 in the e Shop or your favorite retailer.
Here’s a little something for the dads. Fire Emblem is the long running RPG series (now over 15 games) with tactical movements on a grid environment. Each environment has a variety of obstacles and story elements, from Dragon Veins to deep canyons. The most striking element of this game is the story line, which starts out as many role playing games do, with a lost main character just trying to fit in. Your first decision is whether to stay with the family that raised you, side with your biological family, or choose neither. Each choice triggers a different path, which takes your player on some interesting adventures and situations. Fire Emblem Fates Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates Conquest retail for $39.99 each and the 3-game Special Edition is $79.99.
Mario and the crew are back for a brand new adventure that pairs the 3-dimensional Mario with his paper version. The action in this game is played out in role playing style where players take turns attacking with various skills to defeat their enemy. Battles are action-based, rather than having to wait for your next turn. The funny dialogue and silly interactions make this game fun for both younger players and those with more experience. Be warned, though: Once you start playing, you’re not going to want to stop. Paper Jam also supports Amiibos as special power ups that can be used in battle. Each Amiibo can store character cards, and during battles, players can call upon these cards to get powers. Amiibos definitely make the game more interesting, and we highly recommend them because you can use them on multiple current generation Nintendo systems, from the new 3DS XL to the Wii U. Mario and Luigi Paper Jam retails for $39.99 at both the eShop and retail locations.
Mario Tennis has been an evolving franchise since the Nintendo 64, and with each iteration, the graphics get slicker and the game play tighter, with plenty of new bells and whistles. The most prominent addition to the Ultra Smash is the Mega Mushroom, which makes your character explode to triple your original size. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on your skill level. A total of 16 characters are available in Ultra Smash, some of which you unlock by completing specific tasks. The game also lets you level-up your Amiibos, improving their stats and giving them new skills. Retails for $49.99 at the eShop or wherever you buy your games.
