Is there anything more unlimited than a child’s imagination? Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht stopped by the offices of Family Circle magazine to show off some of her favorite toys that will spark the imagination of any child on your holiday list. For more on the products featured in this segment, check out the notes below, and be sure to view our complete holiday gift guide.
Crayola Super Duper Art Studio (Grow’n Up)
- This giant easel converts to a desk and includes a chair.
- Allows up to four children to create masterpieces at once.
- Features a chalk board, dry erase board, and clips for paper.
- Magnetic surface extends the fun.
- Foldable for easy storage.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: $59.99
- Available at: Toys “R” Us, Amazon, Walmart
Corgi and French Bulldog Puppets (Folkmanis)
- Show and tell is one of the most exciting experiences at school, and now kids can use their incredible puppets to share their stories.
The Corge and French Bulldog are two adorable pups and kids can use them to share their tales.- Puppets also encourage interaction between kids, strengthening key social emotional skills necessary for school.
- They also encourage expressive action, helping kids gain confidence in their ability to positively express themselves.
- MSRP: $55.99 (Corgi), $29.99 (Frenchi)
- Available: Amazon, Folkmanis.com
Sqand - With Cra-Z-Art’s Sqand, create and display awesome underwater scenes with specially formulated sand that holds its shape!
- Squeeze out the compound and it becomes the ultimate molding fun!
- Make different figures—build up, build out, squish it, squirt it.
- There’s no mess and it never dries out, until it comes out of the water and becomes magically dry.
- Ages: 6+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Toys “R” Us
Riding Center with Rider, Horses, and Accessories (Schleich)
- This brand new, colorful playset with rider, horses, and additional accessories is guaranteed to provide hours of fun.
- The riding school can be quickly and easily transformed into an open riding arena. And just like a real horse farm, it has troughs, saddle and bridle holders, and movable gates and windows.
- It can also be decorated with stickers and adorable flowers to create a personalized riding school.
- Ages 5-12
- MSRP: $99.99
Spirograph Shapes Set (Kahootz)
- Hearts, stars and teardrops… oh my! The classic way for aspiring artists to create amazing designs is getting new pieces for the first time in a generation!
- This kit features 12 wheels in ALL-NEW unique shapes, as well as 3 new Spirograph rings to create a whole new, never-before-seen assortment of Spirograph designs.
- The sturdy storage box comes with handy organizer tray, three colorful design markers, two 24-page drawing pads, detailed instruction guide and complete set of new shaped wheels and rings—which are compatible with all other Original Spirograph sets.
- The creative world of Spirograph is shaping up better than ever!
- Ages: 8+
- MSRP: $24.99
- Available: Amazon, Walmart
Gemmies Design Studio (Tech 4 Kids)
- Gemmies is a new craft and activity which allows kids to create their very own 3-D crystal gem creations!
- Through the simple steps of “Clip and Connect” with gems and bands, kids can create their own adorable crystal pets, animals, flowers and more.
- Gemmies Design studio includes storage for gems, light up display stands for your creations, and a design mat to master your creations.
- Ages: 6+
- MSRP: $24.99
- Available: Amazon, Toys “R” Us
Space Rocket with Launch Site (Playmobil)
- Count down to liftoff aboard the Space Rocket with Launch Site. Outfitted with working lights and sounds, this rocket is mission-ready.
- Use the moveable maintenance platform to help the space technicians inspect the rocket prior to launch.
- With the help of the repair robot, they can make sure that everything is in tip-top shape for the next space mission.
- Set includes two figures, rocket, launch site, satellite, repair robot, mechanical tools, computer, and other accessories.
- Ages: 6+
- MSRP: $49.99
- Available: Amazon, Toys “R” Us, Walmart.
Hamsters in a House: Ultimate Hamster House (Zuru)
- Hamsters in a House creates hamster-sized worlds where fun, fuzzy, mini Hamsters buzz, scot, scurry, and zoom.
- Kids can customize the hamsters’ worlds for endless role-play fun.
- They can collect all nine adorable hamsters and all the different hamster houses.
- The Hamster House features all the luxuries for the hamster world, where hamsters can sleep, slide, exercise, and more with 16 interactive sounds to go with it.
- When kids place hamsters on hot spots throughout the house, fun phrases are activated.
- Ages: 4+
- MSRP: $29.99
- Available at: Toys “R” Us
Magic MeeMees (Future of Play)
- These adorable and “magical” little figures each have their own shining and colorful personalities.
- Press their heads and watch as they let you know how they’re feeling.
- Feed them their mini foods, and watch to see if they like them or not.
- Collect all 24 happy MagicMeeMees figures and create your own MeeMeeopolis. Get ready to feel the MagicMeeMee Mania!
- Ages: 4+
- MSRP: $3.99-$19.99
- Available: Amazon, Walmart
Cabbage Patch Kids Baby So Real (Wicked Cool Toys)
- Cabbage Patch Kids Baby So Real allows you to enjoy the most magical and interactive experiences in the history of the baby doll category. These lifelike babies combine traditional play pattersn with groundbreaking technology.
- The sweet sounds and random reactions are designed to surprise and delight.
- With your touch, Baby So Real comes to life with beautifully animated LCD eyes that open, close, and look around.
- Loaded with realistic features that encourage interactive nurturing play, Baby So Real has sensors for peek-a-boo and tickle play, feeding from a special bottle, burping, diaper changing, and rocking to sleep.
- If your baby should develop a fever, you can calm those red cheeks by administrating TLC from a magical spoon.
- Just like the original Cabbage Patch Kids, Baby So Real is soft and cuddly with removeable clothes.
- Ages: 3+
- MSRP: $99.99
- Available: Amazon, Target, Walmart
Yummy Nummies S’more Maker Playset (Blip)
- The S’more Maker Playset allows kids to make their own graham crackers, marshmallow and chocolate for scrumptious mini smores!
- This no-heat playset comes with fun smore-making utensils and actually lights up and flickers!
- Yummy Nummies are candy, snack and meal making sets that come with everything kids need to create no-bake, realistic-tasting mini foods!
- Magically fun and delicious, Yummy Nummies intrigue little taste buds with a creative activity that requires no oven or stove. The results are adorable little foods that look and taste just like the real thing.
- Ages: 6+
- MSRP: $19.99
- Available: Amazon, Target, Toys “R” Us
