It’s that time of year again – the holidays are upon us, and for parents, that means toy shopping galore, and usually, that means buying your kid the latest Barbie doll, LEGO set, or baby doll. Something a thousand parents have bought before and a thousand more will buy in the future.
But this year, if you’re looking for something a little more meaningful or unique, something that’ll keep your child entertained and might just teach them something new at the same time, then look no further than this list of 10 unique toys you can give your kids just in time for the holiday season.
10. Harmonique the Color-Changing Mermaid Doll
Harmoique may, on the surface, appear to be a normal, everyday mermaid doll with her shimmery pink hair and glossy eyes, but she’s got a hidden secret: when her tail gets wet, it changes color!
As a part of the new Mermaze Mermaidz collection by MGA, Harmonique is one of eight color-changing mermaid dolls, and each one comes with a uniquely sculpted, shimmering tail that changes colors when it comes in contact with water (warm or cold, depending on the doll). Harmonique’s tail is a metallic purple-pink when dry, but as soon as she gets wet, her tail and fin turn a stunning shade of chrome. This unique toy with a colorful quick-change act is sure to amaze and delight your kids, and it brings a sense of individuality to each and every doll in the collection.
9. KiwiCo Jumping Robot Building Kit
If you’re looking for a gift that’ll keep your kid busy and teach them a valuable skill at the same time, then look no further than the KiwiCo Jumping Robot building kit! Made by KiwiCo, a company that specializes in education-based subscription boxes for kids, the Jumping Robot building kit allows kids aged 9 and up to construct and wire their very own robot friend with step-by-step instructions while also teaching them about basic robotics and the physics of jumping.
The KiwiCo Jumping Robot Building Kit comes with quality-made, pre-manufactured parts for your kids to assemble, along with kid-friendly screws and hand tools to assemble the robot with.
8. Melissa and Doug Time for Glasses Playset
Buying doctor playsets for your kids isn’t anything new, and it’s admittedly really adorable to watch your kids play doctor with all of their teddy bears, dolls, or even family members. But eventually, parents probably get fed up with buying the same doctor’s kit over and over, and it’s important that your child knows about the different kinds of doctors out there, which is where the Blues Clues & You! Time for Glasses Playset really shines.
Made by classic toy company Melissa & Doug, the Time for Glasses playset uses characters from the kid’s cartoon Blues Clues and lets kids step into the shoes of an eye doctor as they fit themselves for glasses, try out different eye tests, and try on glasses in wacky colors and shapes. Besides giving kids a fun experience, this unique toy also teaches them about how eye doctors work, and for kids with real glasses, it makes the whole process that much more fun.
7. Creativity for Kids Build & Grow Treehouse
Part arts-and-crafts project, part grow-your-own-garden, the Build & Grow Treehouse allows kids to express their artistic creativity and grow their own plants as they paint and assemble a miniature treehouse playset, decorate the entire interior and place cute animal-shaped dolls, and then actually grow the “tree” itself using chia seeds placed throughout the model. From base to leaves, the treehouse gives kids complete freedom to express themselves with slot-based construction pieces, the freedom to paint their treehouse in whatever colors they want, and then wraps it all up with a lesson in gardening in a fun, creative, and unique way kids and parents are sure to appreciate.
6. Kidamento Kids Digital Camera
One of the greatest gifts you can give a child is the ability to experience the world for themselves, and with the Kidamento Kids’ Digital Camera, kids now have the ability to document the world through their own eyes with this unique toy!
Kidamento’s kid-friendly digital cameras allow kids to capture the world, whether by photo with the Model C options or by video with the Model V. It also includes instant-print and touchscreen options with the Model P and K options, and all of Kidamento’s cameras come with a drop-proof, stain-proof silicone case in a variety of adorable animals like sloths, kittens, pandas, or foxes.
5. Miniland Baby Doll with Hearing Aid
As far as toys go, baby dolls are certainly nothing new – they’re probably the oldest toys in the book, actually. But what is new is the rise in inclusive baby dolls – dolls that allow kids to see themselves in the doll, whether by matching its skin tone or disability.
Made by the educational outreach program Miniland, the Baby Doll with Hearing Aids is the latest addition to a collection that includes dolls with down syndrome, dolls with cochlear implants, and dolls with infant glasses. The dolls also come in a variety of ethnicities – including Asian, Latino, Aboriginal, Caucasian, and African – that lets any sort of kid see themselves in a baby doll toy, elevating the normally mundane play experience to a unique experience that allows a kid to learn to accept themselves.
4. Giga Pets CompuKitty and StarCat
A throwback to the original GigaPets of the 1990s, the new Giga Pets: CompuKitty and StarCat gives kids a tiny digital cat to take care of in a Tomogachi-like handheld device. Given the choice between the new, laidback magical StarCat or the original fussy CompuKitty from the 90s, users are able to play with their cat of choice, feed it, take it to the vet, teach it tricks, and more! Meanwhile, your kid learns what it means to look after a pet, potentially making this unique toy great training for a real-life furry friend.
The device, clad in an all-new glossy glitter shell, also allows kids to play 4 minigames with CompuKitty and StarCat, and if players take good care of their digital pet, they’re even rewarded with a secret in-game evolution, a la Pokemon.
3. Abacus Virtual Reality Dinosaur Set
With the rise in VR technology in recent years, it only makes sense that the market would expand to kids eventually – and that day is here with the all-new Virtual Reality Dinosaur Set by Abacus Brands.
Giving kids the opportunity to get up close and personal with gigantic, 3D dinosaurs from within the comfort and safety of their own home, the Virtual Reality Dinosaur Set comes with an interactive book filled with 80 pages of information on dinosaurs, a kid-friendly VR headset that connects with an app on your smartphone, and even a chunk of paster that allows paleontologists-in-training to dig up their very own dinosaur bones! Not only does this set allow kids to learn about dinosaurs in exciting new ways with the use of new technology, but it also teaches kids about how VR technology works and teaches them about dinosaur anatomy at the same time.
2. Latchkits Yarnimals
For the craftier kids out there, there’s often no better present than an activity, something to make with their own two hands, while parents enjoy something that’s keeping their kid busy over the holiday vacation. Yarnimals by Latchkits is a perfect example of just such a gift – why buy your kid a stuffed animal when you could let them make their own colorful, cuddly 3D friend?
Teaching latch hook techniques in a kid-friendly manner, Latchkits Yarnimals lets kids make their own stuffed animals from scratch, and the collection includes three varieties of soft, fuzzy friends, letting kids and parents choose between the penguin, koala, or panda bear. Each kit provides kids with a plastic foundation and all of the yarn necessary to construct the animal, including extras like eyes and a heart-shaped pattern to either practice on or add to your unique, one-of-a-kind creation.
1. Count & Clean Dust Bunnies
It’s a pretty well-known fact that not a lot of kids like to clean – in fact, not a lot of people like to clean. But, parents, what if you could make cleaning a fun, colorful, and cute game for your kid and completely change the way they look at this boring chore?
Count & Clean Dust Bunnies by Learning Resources is a unique toy lets you do just that by giving kids a broom, dustpan, 20 brightly-colored dust bunnies, 5 number cards in matching colors, and a color-coded die. Cleverly disguising a household chore as a fun game, the Count & Clean Dust Bunnies allow parents to teach their kids color matching, counting, sorting, gross motor skills, and above all of that, responsibility by making cleaning up after themselves a favorable activity.
