Digital Play
Nex Playground Game System ($199.00) One way to think of the Nex Playground video game console is as the spiritual successor to the Nintendo Wii, the platform that got kids using their whole bodies instead of just their thumbs. But the philosophy behind the systems is markedly different, and the technology has advanced considerably since 2006 when the Wii first went on sale.
The Wii relied on a handheld controller to locate you in space. The Nex can see you, and figure out your movement based on its camera. This allows it to take your entire body into the action; the games can respond to your feet as well as your hands. Most impressive, an upcoming basketball game could even follow a real ball I was dribbling. Plus, there is no controller to accidentally get thrown at the tv screen in the height of gaming.
The content is family friendly; the same could not always be said for the Wii. Further, the company's willingness to include edutainment titles as well as action games in future releases is a refreshing change from Nintendo's explicit hostility to games that are designed to help children learn as well as play.
Parents will appreciate the annual subscription for software. For $89 per year you get access over 20 games, with new content being continuously cycled through the library.
I still think arcade play is less important than its analog equivalent. I'd rather see a child playing soccer on a field than in the living room. Nevertheless, there is a place for digital play in limited doses, particularly when it incorporates active play.
Constructive, Construction Play
Hot Wheels City Toy Car Track Set Ultimate Garage ($99.95) Here’s the newest design of the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage that’s topped off with a car-hungry dragon. There’s adventure waiting on every level of this giant play setting. The first floor track has movable hoses, a car wash , diverters and connectors so they can hook up other Hot Wheel sets to this one. Players take the elevator to the 2nd level and launch the two cars straight from the elevator to race. On level three they can do loop stunts, and on level four they aim to defeat the dragon or get eaten! As always, the garage also can house as many as 50 Hot Wheels vehicles, for the ultimate consumer. This garage setting comes with just two cars, but it’s a start to one of those collections that is likely to keep growing over time. A big action-packed toy that will be enjoyed for social or solo play. Designed for 5s and up.
Remote Controlled Toys
Wall Crawler Gecko, Rechargeable Remote Control Robot ($26.99) This irradecent-green robotic lizard can crawl up & down walls magically, and (at least in our tests) left no marks behind. Of course, your milage may vary.
Monster Jam Marvel Mega Spider-Man RC All-Terrain Remote Control Monster Truck ($85) Not every toy needs (or should have) batteries. I prefer toys that run on imagination. Still, this huge (nearly 2 feet long!) (rechargeable) truck will be such a smash that I'll make an exception in this case. Despite its size, the light wheels make it a vialble option for indoor play. The easy-to-use remote requires 2 AAA batteries.
Construction Toys
MAGNA-TILES Space 32-Piece Magnetic Construction Set ($49.99) This special kit is one of my favorites in the Magna-tiles lineup. It comes with all the pieces needed to build an imaginary space shuttle, or Mars rover out of magnetic tiles. I love that it comes with a magnetic action figure that can be used to propel imagination-powered play. Caution: It has some smaller pieces which should be kept out of the reach of smaller siblings or kids who are still exploring the world.
Fat Brain Toys Fat Brain Toys Air Toobz ($139.99) This totally-tubular toy invites kids to create courses for foam balls. The set is powered by a rechargeable fan. Our unit worked great, but I am somewhat concerned by the reviews on Amazon. While 69% of customers rated it most highly, 17% rated it at one star, due to bad customer service, defective motors, or restrictive return policies. My suggestion is to purchase toys through Amazon Prime because of the usually generous return policy.
Playmobil Pirates ($49.99) This is a great set that comes with a couple of caveats. The two-masted pirate ship comes with everything you need for open-ended adventure creating: there is even a plank when it is time to have someone take a walk, plus a treasure map, a monkey, three play figures (one is identified as a Pirate Queen), a treasure chest, a telescope, swords, and a manta ray.
Now for the concerns. First, there is a spring loaded canon that fires a projectile. You might want to "lose" the ammunition before giving it to a child to protect against eye damage.
Then there is the issue of whether to construct this before you give it, or make it a parent-child project. Playmobil and Lego take very different approaches to model building. Though both require you to assemble the toy after purchase, with Lego the play value is largely in the building process; the final toy tend to be somewhat fragile. Playmobil sets have fewer pieces to put together and, in my parental experience, the fun is more in playing with the completed project than the building. If your child is going to participate in the building process, with or without parental guidance, no problem. But, we've seen situations where the time required to put the toy together can be frustrating for the child, and harrowing for the parent. If you're going to be doing the building, perhaps consider putting it together beforehand and giving it as a fait accompli.
Lego City Vehicles ($29 and Up) Part puzzle, part model, and part toy, Lego City's vehicle kits offer multiple play opportunities, both while they are being built and afterwards. These trucks mix well with block building imaginative play. The transporter trucks come with one or more cars or boats, and often other pretend play miniature props. The sets are available in different sizes and price points - and it is important to match your child's abilities to the set. In other words, don't give a huge set as a first foray into Legoland. These sets make great parent-child projects, but remember to let your child do as much of the building as they are able. It is easy for some parents to get so wrapped up in the building that they forget who the toy is for! A great part of the value of Lego comes in the motor-skills and following-directions-skills that come from the building, and before the "playing".
Now for something completely different, but also in the Lego City line-up, look at LEGO City Robot World Roller-Coaster Park Adventure ($99.95)! You not only build the amusement park and working roller-coaster, but also a Japanese manga style robot like the one that used to watch over Yokohama harbor (see below).
Games
Tumball ($24.99) Think of this as the Jenga tower game, but in reverse, and with marbles instead of blocks of wood. Players take turns adding balls on top of the suspended marbles. Too many and they fall through! Over Christmas vacation it is good to have a few games to bring the family together. This one is a lot of fun for everyone (parents and older siblings, too) - and no batteries required!
Skippity ($22.99) Throw checkers, the game of Othello, and a dash of color, and you end up with skippity. Jump colored pieces to capture. It sounds simple as checkers until you realize that you win by collecting the most of a set of colors, not just number of pieces.
SLAPZI - The Fast-Matching, Card-Slapping Game ($9.99) This simplicity of this fast paced game makes it a hit. Each player is dealt five picture cards, and the object is to get rid of all of them. Take turns reading a clue card - if you have a picture that matches, slap it down and you win the round.
STEM Toys
Bill Nye's Science Kits (from $39.99) This series of VR enabled kits are a cut above most STEM toys this year. The more expensive sets come with a plastic viewer designed to hold you phone for the virtual reality, otherwise you'll get a cardboard viewer/holder. The VR portion of the kits requires a smartphone, and the technology adds a bit of panache to the study of science. However, what really makes the kits shine are the well written, illustrated booklets that are full of fun facts and experiments to try.
Crafts and Creation Toys
Crayola Ultimate Light Board ($24.99) Batteries do really serve a valid function in this toy. The five dry-erase markers that come with this set glow brightly when the board is turned on. The board can use a black background for the most vivid colors, or transparently, in which case kids can use it to trace art placed behind it.
Creativity for Kids Monster Trucks Craft Kit ($13.99) Too often it feels like the craft kits market is entirely directed at little girls who have a fancy for sparly pink things. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but all kids should have opportunities that let them express themselves creatively. This inexpensive set comes with stickers that can be used to decorate the two included trucks.
With Blaze The Race Car ($10.95) you only get one car, but the set comes with paint to make it a more involved creative experience.
Speaking of jewelry kits aimed at girls....don't miss: Super Smalls bead kits (from $22.95 and up). The alphabet bracelet set ($49.00, show above) was a particularly big hit.
Dolls
American Girl dolls are, like the annual trucks from Hess, perenial favorites. This year the featured entry is spectacled, rainbow-outfitted, animal loving Summer ($125). She looks like she is California Dreamin' to me.
