The 18 Most Bought Toys of the 2016 MPMK Gift Guides that You Can Still Get By Christmas

Only 2 days left until Christmas Eve friends!

In my final attempt to make shopping for the kids as painless as possible, I’ve put together a list of the most bought toys from our gift guides this year that you can still get delivered in time for Christmas!

But this is important…

In order to get these toys delivered in time, you must:

Sign up for your free Amazon Prime 30-day trial here (if you’re not already a Prime member).

 

Here are the toys, in order of popularity…

 

#1 – Snap Circuits 3D Illumination $64.99 On sale $48.99 (5 – 7 years)

These clever kits are the all-time-best-seller on our gift guides and another multi-award-winner that takes advantage of kids’ natural interest in building toys (like LEGOs) to teach the principles of electricity.  The components aren’t intimidating, snap together simply, and can be used to create a bunch of cool projects. The pieces include snap wires, slide switches, an alarm circuit, a music integrated circuit, and a speaker and are numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy.

The components aren’t intimidating, snap together simply, and can be used to create a bunch of cool projects. The pieces include snap wires, slide switches, an alarm circuit, a music integrated circuit, and a speaker and are numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy.

Snap Circuits 3D Illumination is the latest and hottest iteration this year. It allows kids to go beyond the flat surface to build circuits horizontally, vertically and even upside down. The 3D setup means you can actually build a house and there’s even a projector that projects things onto the wall

You’ll definitely also want to check out the Alternative Green Energy Kit and Snap Circuits Lights – just connect any MP3 player and be amazed as your music creates a mesmerizing light display. No two songs will ever produce the same light show. Includes prepunched patterns for motor, strobe light, and color-changing LED, lighted and glow-in-the-dark fans, strobe integrated circuit, color organ controlled by MP3 player, voice, or finger. Builds over 175 experiments.

Also worth noting, the Snap Circuits Student Electronics Training Program is down this year from $199.99 to only $125.47!

 

#2 – Educational Insights Magic Moves Talking Electronic Wand $21.99 $14.50 (18 months – 8 years) 

Normally I’m not big on electronic toys with lots of sounds and lights, but when said toy can help my kids get rid of all their pent up energy inside on a stormy day, it becomes my new best friend. This inexpensive magical wand uses 90 silly commands (sway, creep, stomp like a dinosaur, leap) and 26 songs, along with a light show to get kids moving.

This is one of those rare toys that’s great for siblings of different ages to play together (my 7-year-old, 5-year-old, and 18-month-old all love it).

It will keep the bigger kids interested (who doesn’t like having the mic and being the star of the show?) while developing listening skills in the younger set along with enriching their vocabulary and ability to follow directions.

#3 – Tot Tube Playset – Toy Car and Ball Tunnel Ramp Race Track $19.95 (1 – 10 years)

This deceptively simple toy is so much more than it appears. Parents and teachers rave about the hours and hours their kids spend shooting things through this heavy duty tunnel.

This is a great toy to get kids hypothesizing about, “what will happen when I… (put something heaver in, tilt it higher, put more than one thing in it, etc…)

When my friend first introduced me to the Tot Tube, I really liked the idea but wondered if it was worth the money- couldn’t we essentially do the same thing with a cardboard wrapping paper tube?).

What I like about this, though, is that it’s a lot more durable than a cardboard tube, it’s wider shape accommodates bigger sized cars and balls, it can break apart for easy storage or you can attach more than one for a super long tunnel, and the kids can see through it- making it so much more engaging. Read the reviews on this one and I think you’ll be sold.

Read the reviews on this one and I think you’ll be sold.

#4 – Ed Emberely Drawing & Art Books starting at $6.29 (6+ years) Up to 30% off

These books are just so cool for kids that have a passion for art because they can use them to teach themselves how to draw all the things they want to.

We started with the thumbprint book, which is great for younger kids, and recently added the animal and vehicle drawing books for my son’s birthday as well as Picture Pie, which incorporates cutting and pasting shapes to make things step by step instead of just drawing..

 

#5 – Educational Insights Design & Drill Take-Along Tool Kit $29.99 On sale $19.44 (3 – 8 years) 

I particularly like how this toy combines fine motor skills with pattern recognition AND adds a great dramatic play element. We got it for our son when he was 4 and he played with it quite a bit until his little old sister took it over.

Our youngest started getting in on the fun around 1 1/2 years old (mostly sorting and manipulating the pieces with his hands for now but I anticipate him picking up the drill pretty soon).

The popularity of this toy has also led to some cool variations, including the Design & Drill Flower Power Station and, my favorite, this Design & Drill BrightWorks– which is like if the original Design & Drill had a baby with the classic Lite Brite from my childhood (in other words, the pieces light up and it’s totally awesome).

 

#6 – No Stress Chess $17.99 On sale $14.67 (5+ years)

When my kindergartner came home from school one day asking me to teach him to play chess, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand I was excited because, despite spending a lot of our time together on sports-related activities, I have great memories of playing chess with my dad growing up. On the other hand, I was afraid he was a little young for it and might get frustrated and give up on the game all together.

Enter “No Stress Chess”. This genius game uses cards to teach young kids how to play in stages. The cards tell you which piece to move, so even children (and adults) who have never played the game can jump right in.

The moves for each piece are on the cards as well as on the game board and the first stage makes the game about chance, not skill – you simply draw a card and do what it says, perfect for learning how the pieces work. Once that is mastered, you can draw 3 cards at a time and decide which one you want to go with to introduce some strategy to the game.

Finally, when you’re ready to play chess for real, just get rid of the cards and flip the board over to a traditional chess board.

#7 – Thinkfun Roll and Play Board Game $19.99 (18 months – 3 years)

This is the first board game made specifically with young toddlers in mind. Toss the big plush cube and identify which colored side faces up. Choose a matching color card and perform the simple activity shown, such as “Make a happy face”, “Moo like a cow” or “Find something blue”.

Designed for parent and child to play together, Roll & Play strengthens bonds and builds confidence while encouraging creativity, active play and gross motor skills.

This seems like a good solution if you’re looking for a family game night selection that can incorporate even your youngest kiddos.

For another great young-toddler-friendly game, check out Thinkfun’s Hello Sunshine Game as well!

#8 – Lil Lockitz Best Friend Party Pack (5 – 12 years) $39.99 On sale $16.62

My 6-year-old daughter loves, loves making rainbow looms for her friends and trading them with her friends. So, I’ve been looking around to see if there were any other jewelry-making kits that would equally capture her interest. I think Lil Lockitz is definitely it.

Last month my husband purchased this rubber band refill set and she absolutely loved the charms that came with it… The Lil Lockitz sets are all about charms. The sets supply kids with gems, backgrounds and charms to fill and personalize each locket. Kids love the ability to customize the locket to fit their personality and if boys aren’t into the necklaces, there are bracelets and keychains to be made too.

Plus they’re large and easy to manipulate. And, like any good toy, there are a million different themed sets available. This Christmas I’m leaning towards starting my daughter off with the Best Friend Party Pack, which comes with a photo puncher to use your own photos in the lockets.

 

#9 – Kidoozie Foam Pogo Jumper $14.95 On sale $12.95 (3 – 10 years)

The key to a good indoor toy is its ability to wear a child out without requiring a lot of space to do so.

This soft pogo jumper is an Amazon #1 Best Seller because it does just that. It will keep the kids happy (and get them good and tired) and you won’t have to worry too much about them knocking over your stuff (or each other).

#10 – First 100 Words $4.76 On sale $3.92 (9 months – 3 years)

This quintessential first book for babies is uber popular, and with good reason. It’s a sturdy board book with a lightly padded cover that’s easy for baby to hold (and, let’s be honest, mouth) and it’s full of bold, beautiful pictures.

Words are grouped together into categories making this a great tool for vocabulary building and shared reading time between mom/dad and baby (who pediatricians now recommend reading to at least 15 minutes a day from birth!)

 

 

#11 – Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late $11.51 (4 – 7 years)

When my son was in kindergarten, he really started getting into math and began asking for story problems at night before bed, so imagine my excitement when I saw this book, which contains just that! From the publisher, “Inside this book, families will find fun, mischief-making math problems to tackle—math that isn’t just kid-friendly, but actually kid-appealing.

With over 100 math riddles on topics from jalapeños and submarines to roller coasters and flamingos, this book bursts with math that looks nothing like school. And with three different levels of challenge (wee ones, little kids, and big kids), there’s something for everyone.”

This is a great way to change up story time at night and encourage math skills in kids that are excited about the subject as well as those who need some help getting excited. We’re now onto the second and third books in the series.

 

#12 – Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set $8.50 (6 months – 4 years)

Balls are excellent for open-ended play and motor development for babies and younger toddlers – truly, every child should have a set.

The varying textures, colors, and sizes of the balls in this pack make them extra great for sensory engagement.

 

#13 – ALEX® Toys – Early Learning Button Art $14.80 (no longer mouthing toys – 3 years)

As I said, finding engaging toys that build fine motor skills and concentration skills for this age group is HARD. They aren’t interested in the baby toys anymore but a lot of the more advanced toys are still too difficult for them.

This pegboard set seems to be specially designed for the curious two-year-old.

The pieces are the right size for them to easily manipulate and the colorful puzzles are interesting enough to keep their attention but not so hard that they become frustrating.

This one gets great reviews from parents of two-year-olds looking for that elusive perfect toy and we’re getting it for our toddler this Christmas.

 

#14 – Castle Logix $26.99 (3 – 8 years)

The entire line of single player puzzle games from SmartGames gets such stellar reviews that it was hard not to recommend all of them!  The bold colors of these two 3-D wooden castle puzzles especially caught my eye. I bought it for my daughter a couple of years ago and it was an absolute winner.

Assemble the wooden blocks and towers to match the challenges included in the booklet. With simple challenges for inexperienced builders to complex puzzles that will challenge skilled architects, these puzzles serve to develop logical thinking skills and spatial reasoning abilities.

 

#15 – Amazon Fire Kids’ Edition $99.99 On Sale $89.99

In my opinion, this is the kids tablet that gives you the most bang for your buck- by far.

You get a year of FreeTime Unlimited (a library of 10,000 vetted and kid-appropriate apps, ebooks and show) plus a protective case, a comprehensive 2-year warranty against accidents, and best-in-class parental controls.

We have been super impressed and happy with our decision to go with the Fire tablets for our kids.

3 Reasons to Chose the Amazon Fire Kids’ Edition:

1) State-of-the-Art Parental Controls

By far, my favorite feature of the Fire- and the ultimate reason that I feel it is superior to other tablets for kids – is the state-of-the art parental control features. The flexibility of these features is unparalleled in my mind and I so, so appreciate that I can set the different profiles for each of my kids and forget them so that the tablet can be the bad guy in terms of telling the kids that they can’t do something or that it’s time to shut it off.

Along with setting which hours during the day the Fire will turn on for each child (e.g. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm each day), I can also set specific time limits for each kind of activity- i.e. 20 minutes on apps, 30 minutes reading books, and 0 minutes for TV/movies each day. I can also set up educational goals, such as reading for 40 minutes each day, that have to be achieved before other things like apps can be accessed.

2) Amazon FreeTime Unlimited

The second thing that really sold me on the Fire is Amazon FreeTime Unlimited . As a parent who is already a little apprehensive about tablet time for my young kids, I am extremely picky about what apps they’re engaging with while they’re using them.

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is an all-in-one subscription for kids that offers unlimited access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games and, for the most part, I’ve been really impressed with them. It’s a very easy way to get my kids new content that I feel I can trust.

Plus, there’s a kid-safe camera app that allows them to take pictures and edit them by adding stickers, drawings, and more. Parents can view photos and videos taken by their children in a separate photo gallery, and have the option to auto-save to Amazon Cloud Drive. Finally, while in the FreeTime app, kids are unable to access the internet, social media, or email and are also unable to make purchases on their own.

3) – Open Platform

The third and final thing that the Fire has going for it is that it’s a true tablet and, thus, an open-system. That means that unlike other kids’ tablet, I have full control over the apps that are loaded onto my kids tablets. If there’s a FreeTime Unlimited app that I don’t want them to have, I can easily delete it. Conversely, if there’s an app that I do want them to be able to use, like Minecraft or an awesome new educational app I saw on pinterest, I can download it to the device without a problem.

 

#16 – Laser Maze Logic Game $28.95 On sale $18.60 (8 – 15 years)

or Laser Maze Logic Game Jr. $29.99 (6 – 15 years)

This one uses a real life laser. Players will build sequential reasoning and planning skills while working on reflecting and splitting the laser beam using mirrors and targets on a puzzle grid to reach their goal.

Your kids (and your husband) will think it’s pretty rad. There’s also a great version for younger kids, Laser Maze Logic Game Jr., which we have and love.

 

#17 – Boogie Board 8.5-Inch LCD Writing Tablet $29.99 $21.90 (4 – 12 years)

I had never heard of these awesome writing/drawing devices until a friend’s sister (who is also an elementary school teacher) told me about how crazy popular they are. Much like a magnadoodle for older, more tech-savy, kids, these ultra thin and light “tablets” are a great way to encourage sketching and writing at home or on the go. And the price absolutely can’t be beat.

Kids use the stainless steel stylus (or anything else) to write or draw. The board will retain an image indefinitely without power until it is erased with the touch of a button – and a friendly flash from the liquid crystal display. Comes in lots of bright colors so each kid can have their own, easily identifiable board.

#18 – Play-Doh Shape and Learn Letters and Language $21.99 

I swore up and down that I was done with my shopping this year but I totally just added this to my cart. It’s such a great way for my preschooler to practice letter recognition, my kindergartner to practice phonics, and my 2nd grader to practice spelling.

Plus, you get so much! All the letter stamps plus two great play mats including the make-you-own face mat. How could I resist?

 

*Post contains affiliate links

Still want more ideas? Don’t forget to check out all 15 of the MPMK Gift Guides, organized by your child’s age:

• The Best Toys for Babies

• The Very Best Toys for Two-Year-Olds

• Go-To Gifts for Preschoolers

• The Most Exciting Gifts You Can Give a Kindergartner

• Go-To Gifts for Elementary Aged Kids

 

For the hottest toys of the year see:

• Check Out the Hottest 20 New Toys of 2016!

• 50+ Toys for Kids (Ages 2 – 14) for $20 or Less!

 

Plus, the rest of our guides organized by interest:

• Best Toys for Fostering S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Skills

• Best Toys for Staying Active Inside and for Getting Outdoors

• Best Toys for Art & Craft Lovers

• Best Kid Games for Family Game Night, Playing with Siblings, or Playing Alone

• Best Learning Toys for Quiet Time & Independant Play

• Best Building & Construction Toys (Including Best LEGOs)

• Best Dramatic Play Toys

• Best Toys for Vehicle Lovers

• Best Toys for Doll & Princess Lovers

• Best Toys for Baby

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