Looking for the best deals before your next trip to the store with the big red bullseye on it? We’ve identified some of the best products that you can find on sale at Target as well as some of the worst that you will want to avoid. These picks are based on the average discounts as well as the potential for additional coupons.

Target’s Five Best:

1. Toys

5 Best / 5 Worst Products to Find on Sale at Target

There’s no doubt that the new Marvel Avengers: Endgame Iron Man MK50 Robot by UBTECH ($250) looks cool. But how does it measure up once you get it out of the box? To use other Marvel films as a scale, is it more of a Thor: The Dark World, or a Thor: Ragnorak? My 7 year old and I decided to find out!

Unboxing

The packaging is really nice. Super sleek; definitely looks like it was designed to impress adults more than grab the attention of little kids. That said, you can see frickin’ Iron Man peeking out, so my kid was certainly still very excited to tear into this.

Build Quality

The first thing I noticed about the Iron Man MK50 is how heavy it is. I didn’t actually weigh it, but it’s gotta be close to five pounds. The body isn’t metal, but the paint job makes it look very metal…y (is that a word?). It doesn’t feel cheap, which is good considering it’s really not cheap!

Set-Up and Play

In order to use this robot, you need to download UBTECH’s free app. I did that, then began to read the instruction manual that came in the box. Before I even got past the first page, my son had Iron Man powered up and doing stuff. Kids these days, right?

I basically let him have at it from there. From what I observed, you can manually control the robot (using the iPad like a remote control), program it to follow sequences (via simple drag and drop type coding), or play AR (augmented reality) games with it.

The AR games were for sure the biggest hit. My son was shooting down drones and fighting bad guys in our kitchen for hours–the most fun he’s ever had destroying our house (and because it was all virtual, I didn’t even have to yell at him to clean up after himself!).

The box says Iron Man MK50 is made for ages 14+, but I personally don’t think a teenager would have as much fun with this as my 7 year old did. He’s a pretty advanced little gamer for his age, but the games didn’t look super challenging. I would say 6-10 years old is a more accurate recommended age range. My son has had a few of his buddies over to play since getting it, and they all had a blast with it. You might even say they loved it 3000!

My 3 year old was also quite enamored!

Conclusion

The Iron Man MK50 Robot is a well-made, easy to use tech toy. But it’s price tag, much like Tony Stark’s ego, is perhaps a bit inflated. It’s hard to think of any toy worth over $200, especially when you consider you could almost buy a Nintendo Switch or other gaming console for the same price.

As a collector’s item, it would definitely look awesome displayed on your desk or nerd shelf, but again, probably not for $250. The price is already dropping ($231 on Amazon, $200 directly from UBTECH and $187 at Target via their 25% off one toy coupon), and will probably continue to go down as we get closer to the holidays.

Overall, not quite a Ragnorak; certainly better than a Dark World. Somewhere between Ant-Man and the second Guardians of the Galaxy seems about right.

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UBTECH Iron Man MK50 Review: I Almost Love It 3000

Shopping for boxes of LEGOs or specific LEGO sets this year? We’ve looked through all the Black Friday ads and broken down where you can get the cheapest sets of LEGOs (price per brick), the best overall percentage discount on LEGO sets, the second best option and a tip for exclusive LEGO sets.

Cheapest Price per Brick LEGO set: $30 (1500 brick set)

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to get a LEGO collection started, you really can’t do better than Walmart’s annual Black Friday sale on bulk LEGO sets. At this price point (50% off), that brings the price per brick down to exactly 2 cents each! (which beats the Black Friday 2019 price per brick).

This particular LEGO Classic set comes with 1500 bricks and also comes with a variety of eyes, wheels, doors, windows and hinges for creative builds. Also, if you are buying for a child between 1.5 and 3 years old, Walmart has a 175-piece LEGO Duplo set on sale for the same price.

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Best Overall Discount on LEGOs: 40% at Target

Target is the leader in LEGO discounts this year, offering a 40% off sale on specific building sets, some of which include LEGO City and Harry Potter sets. Be sure to check for additional discounts in Target Circle and get an additional 5% off your purchase price using RedCard

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Best Add-on Bonus on LEGO Purchases: Kohl’s

In addition to getting 30% off select LEGO sets at Kohl’s this year, you will also be able to earn Kohl’s cash on your purchase. For instance, this LEGO City set would get you an additional $15 back in Kohl’s Cash, which can be spent on a future purchase.

Check Prices on Kohl’s

Best Place to Find Exclusive LEGO sets?

Every year, LEGO.com debuts exclusive LEGO sets. This year, LEGO is debuting a 2352-pc ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters fame. The set is targeted at ages 18 and up and comes with 1300 VIP points if you are part of LEGO’s VIP program.

Beyond that, LEGO will have their own 30% off sale for VIP members of their site as well as earning double rewards points for purchases. It’s free to sign up for LEGO VIP and does offer early access to exclusive sets, if that’s your thing.

Check Prices on LEGO.com

Here’s the cheapest LEGOs and LEGO sets on Black Friday 2020

2020 hasn’t been, uh, very good. You know it’s not great when a year inspires an extensive range of “dumpster fire” products (including hundreds of Christmas tree ornaments) to commemorate it!

It’s really not surprising that there are a lot nostalgic toys coming out right now. Here are some of the best that will not only bring out your inner child, but will let you pretend, even if for a moment, that you’ve gone back in time.

Best ’80s Throwback Toy

Transfomers on their own are already pretty nostalgic, but the new Transformers Vintage G1 Autobot Blaster takes it a step further by adding the ultimate retro symbol into the mix: the boombox.

Inspired by the original 1985 release, the G1 Autobot goes from boombox to robot mode in 4 steps and just looks super cool (or should I say rad?). They’ve even recreated the original packaging, making it extra fun for gifting. It’s a Walmart exclusive–expect it to sell out before it drops too much in price.

Also worth mentioning (but unfortunately not releasing until January), is the awesome looking Transformers Collaborative: Back to the Future 35th Anniversary Mash-Up Gigawatt ($30; preorders only). It converts from robot to time machine mode in 17 steps–just don’t accidentally go back to 2020!

MSRP: $30 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Nostalgic LEGO Set

Again, LEGOS on their own already take it back to a time when toys didn’t need batteries or WiFi or other fancy tech. But the new LEGO Ideas 123 Sesame Street also brings all the feels with a recreation of the street so many of us “grew up” on. The best part is the collection of minifigures you get with this set: Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird and an Oscar the Grouch (that pops out of his trash can!).

This is a LEGO Shop Exclusive, meaning you’re not gonna see deals on it at Amazon or other stores. At $120, it’s not cheap, but my guess is it’ll hold onto its value as a collectible set.

• MSRP: $120 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Throwback Toy Update

Before there was Animal Crossings, there was the Tamagotchi. If you grew up in the ’90s, chances are you had one of these “virtual pet” keychains hanging from your backpack at some point.

The Tamagotchi On is an updated version for a new generation of kids. They’ve kept the concept and design quite similar, but the technology has come a long way. Not only are the graphics better, you can now connect to friends’ devices (have your pets go on “playdates”), plus access games and additional content on their free app.

Reviews have been very good so far–on Amazon it averages 4.6/5 stars with almost 2,800 reviews.

• MSRP: $60 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $37

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Best Old School Arcade Game

The gaming scene is interesting right now. On one side of the spectrum we have the release of the Playstation 5 and more advanced consumer-friendly VR sets, and on the other, we have a surge in popularity of old school arcade games/systems. Clearly people want the tech advances of the former yet crave the simplicity and nostalgia of the latter.

Of the brands that are out there, Arcade1up is definitely the best when it comes to officially licensed retro arcade game machines. Because I can’t pick them all, I’m going with the Pac-Man 40th Anniversary Countercade as the best gift option. Takes up less space than a full size cabinet and it comes with not one but four really good games: Pac-Man, Pac & Pal, Galaga and Dig Dug.

There’s no release date or price yet, but also keep an eye out for the Atari Mini PONG Jr. portable gaming system to come out later this year or early 2021–looks pretty sweet.

• MSRP: $150 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $100

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Best Mighty Morphin’ Build-a-Figure Toy

Big nerds Power Rangers fans everywhere were super excited when Hasbro announced a new Megazord for 2020. You can’t actually buy a figure on its own–there are three separate sets that go together to build it: the Triceratops Dinozord / Sabertooth Tiger Dinozord 2-Pack ($15), the Mastodon Dinozord / Pterodactyl Dinozord 2-Pack ($15) and the Tyrannosaurus REX Dinozord ($15).

Could make for a fun Christmas morning if each set is wrapped and opened separately!

• MSRP: $45 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Vintage Star Wars Toy

Pretty much all of the 2020 Star Wars “Vintage Collection” Toys look awesome. I’m picking the Empire Strikes Back Carbon-Freezing Chamber Playset because a) I just have a weird obsession with anything having to do with Han Solo in Carbonite, and b) because it’s a great display setup for any of the other 3.75″ action figures in this series.

MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $37

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Best Classic Toy

Before I was even working on this list, I was looking through Amazon’s 2020 Toy Gift Guide and was surprised to see Lite Brite pop up. I clicked on it thinking they must have added some smartphone app component or something, but nope! It’s just a less clunky LED update to the classic light-up pegboard that first became popular in 1967.

Not a lot of bells and whistles here, but that’s exactly what makes it great.

MSRP: $20 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $11

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Best Nostalgic Doll Toy

Polly Pocket, the tiny doll that lived inside what looked like a makeup compact, has endured a lot of drama since her original release in 1989. There was a redesign in 1998, a widespread safety recall in 2006, a complete (mostly failed) relaunch in 2010, and finally another try in 2018. By 2020 it seems they have finally done right by this poor girl!

The current sets are getting fantastic reviews. The Polly Pocket Unicorn Party Large Compact Playset has everything a little girl (or boy) could possibly want: confetti, surprises to unwrap, and well unicorns. Looks like they’ve crammed a lot of fun into a such a small package.

• MSRP: $25 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: NA

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Best Bonus Nostalgic LEGO Set

It felt wrong to end this list without including the LEGO 1989 Batwing. I mean, it’s a Batwing, and it’s from the best Batman movie there is (arguably the best superhero movie there is) so it’s cool no matter what. But what makes this 2,363-piece set really amazing is that it can be mounted on the wall after it’s built. A challenging build that ends in a sweet piece of art for the wall! You can even find lighting kits for it on Etsy.

Ok, I think I’ve thoroughly convinced myself Santa needs to bring this one for my kids me this year!

• MSRP: $200 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Take Us Back! Best Nostalgic Toys of 2020

It’s hard to find a toy these days that doesn’t have some kind of tech or “smart” feature. While some of these features are unnecessary (or just downright silly), some are really quite cool. Here are some of the best toys of 2019 that use technology to really enhance the play and learning experience.

Best High End Robot Toy

On the not so cheap end of the robot toy spectrum is the new UBTECH Marvel Avengers: Endgame Iron Man Mk50 Robot. There are way too many features to list here; just check out this video. You can code him, play AR games with him, and even upload your own face to appear under his helmet. And he just looks really cool sitting on your desk (I mean in your kids’ room…).

My 7 year old just got this and loves it–the AR games are especially fun!

MSRP: $250 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $187

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Best Budget Robot Toy

There are a ton of educational robot toys designed to teach kids STEM skills, but if you’ve got a younger kid that just wants a robot to play with, the Really Rad Robots Turbo Bot looks like a fun (er, rad) one. It rolls around, responds to voice commands, records and plays back conversations, tell jokes, and even has a “gross mode.” 5 year old boys should be thrilled! Best of all, it’s pretty cheap (we’ve already seen it as low as $31).

MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $31

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Best Coding Toy

For the past several years, Kano comes out with a new coding kit tied to some popular movie franchise. Last year it was Harry Potter and this year it’s, you guessed it, Star Wars! The Kano Star Wars The Force Coding Kit comes with a a build-it-yourself Bluetooth motion sensor that allows you to wield virtual lightsabers and complete Jedi challenges via a free app. My son got the Harry Potter version for Christmas last year and has had a lot of fun with it.

For more advanced coders in training, Kano’s Computer Kit Touch ($170) allows kids to build and code a working tablet, and it’s getting excellent reviews.

MSRP: $80 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $60

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Best Invention Toy

Building off the success of their popular Star Wars Droid Inventor’s Kit (2017) and the Marvel Avengers Hero Inventor Kit (2018), littleBits has released yet another STEM invention set: the littleBits Space Rover Inventor Kit. If you’ve got a space lover or aspiring astronaut, this looks pretty awesome. Kids can build, customize, and drive an app-controlled “planetary space rover”, and complete NASA-inspired astronaut training and interplanetary missions with it.

Reviews are great, with one writing, “Could be the best Little Bits set yet!” and another hilariously saying, “Not sure how the cat feels about the Rover traversing the living room carpet in search of alien lifeforms but I think she’ll get used to it.”

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Tech Twist on a Classic Family Game

Everything is going “paperless” these days, and you can now add Pictionary to the list! Pictionary Air replaces pen and paper with a Pictionary Air Pen and your TV. Using their free app, the person illustrating draws in the air and magically appears, along with their drawing, on the screen of your smart TV. Check out this CNET video review. Looks fun!

MSRP: $20 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Drone

Ok so maybe this doesn’t qualify as a true drone, but the POWERUP 3.0 Original Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplane Conversion Kit turns paper airplanes into, essentially, drones, so I’m counting it. Attach the Bluetooth module to almost any paper airplane and control it with your phone. The fact that you can make an endless variety of planes to play around with makes this set much more likely to keep kids’ interested.

Note that the 4.0 version is currently in the funding stage on Kickstarter and will ship in the spring of 2020.

MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $37

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Best Gaming Tech Toy

This really falls under gaming more than toys, but that line is getting harder and harder to define! The new Ring Fit Adventure Game for Nintendo Switch takes what they tried to accomplish with the old Wii Fit balance board games and really takes it to a new level (pun intended). In this virtual adventure game, you must run, squat, lunge and press your way through levels and defeat an “evil bodybuilding dragon.” Most kids aren’t going to be interested in a “fitness” game, but this one looks fun enough that they’ll want to play it for the adventure part.

I beg of you, check out the official trailer Nintendo put out. It’s a great overview of the game, sure, but the presenters are… something else. If you need a good laugh, scroll down to comments, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

MSRP: $80 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Shooting Tech Toy

Hey! Here’s a blaster set that encourages kids to shoot at targets that are not their siblings! The new ProjeX Image Projecting Arcade Game comes with two laser gun style blasters and projects moving targets on any light-colored wall. There are 5 built-in games included with 3 different skill levels, though reviews do note that this is probably better for younger kids and not advanced gamers (who might find it boring).

If your kids really just want to shoot at their siblings, any of the Laser X laser tag sets are awesome. The Laser X Two Player Double Morph Laser Tag Gaming Set is their new one for this year, and we’ve already seen it as low as $26.

MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $26

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Best Design/Architecture Tech Toy

A lot of the educational tech toys out there teach coding/programming skills, but the the SmartLab Archi-Tech Electronic Smart House Set is geared more for young architects. This modular building system allows kids to configure their house however they like, then complete circuitry projects to add features like a working garage door, flickering fireplace, elevator, and more.

If you have a kid (like mine) that wants to play LEGOs and Minecraft all day, this looks like a great toy to help them develop those natural building skills and put a real-world spin on it all.

MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Old School Tech Toy

When my 7 year old asked to buy an old Sony digital camcorder at Goodwill a couple summers ago, I said yes mostly because it was only $6.99, and didn’t expect him to do much with it. But it’s been one of his most played with “toys” ever! Yes, there are cameras made specifically for kids (the Vtech Kiddiezoom is probably the most popular), but compact digital video cameras have gotten so inexpensive, you might as well get your kid something that can capture quality videos/images.

The Sony Handycam HDRCX240/L 1080p Digital Video Camera is currently around $130 refurbished from Amazon, but there are tons of similar non-brand name cameras for as low as $50 now, too.

Not only do kids love playing around with a video camera, you’ll be surprised how entertaining and fun the footage they end up with is! Having the world documented from their point of view will be well worth the price of the camera.

MSRP: $199 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best iPad Add-On/Kids’ Tablet Alternative

If you don’t want to get your child their own “kids’ tablet”, the Osmo Genius Starter Kit will turn your existing iPad into a hands-on learning device. This highly rated set includes five games that teach math, spelling, visual thinking, problem solving, and creative drawing skills through a unique mix of on-screen tech and physical pieces.

Perhaps the best part is that this kit is designed to grow with your child, adjusting to their skill level through the age of 5 all the way up to 12.

Once you have the Starter Kit, there are tons of additional games you can purchase, like the pretty cool looking Osmo Detective Agency: A Search & Find Mystery Game ($40).

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $59

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2019 Holiday Gift Guide: Tech Toys Worth Buying

It seems each year toys get more expensive, but the quality doesn’t always follow. Thanks in part to YouTube, the “unboxing” experience is almost more important than what’s actually in the box these days, often leading to a few minutes of excitement…and then a lot of junk taking up space in the play room.

So where have all the good toys gone? Here are a few of the best toys of 2019 that should actually get played with long after the initial thrill of opening them is over.

Best Toy Robot

The toy robot market has become quite oversaturated over the last few years. More and more options available, but they all seem to kind of do the same stuff. The fact that the Artie 3000 Drawing Robot combines coding/STEM skills with art sets it apart from the all the other robots fighting to win your money and a place in your kids’ toy box.

Younger kids can tell Artie what to draw using simple “drag and drop” coding, while older kids can code it using more advanced methods like Blockly, Snap!, Python and JavaScript. What I really like is that Artie’s drawings are not just “virtual”, displayed on a phone or tablet screen–it actually draws on paper with markers. Cool to see a toy that not only aims to help kids develop the analytical part of their brains, but the creative part too.

MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Imaginext Toy

I always like to include a Fisher-Price Imaginext toy on this list because they are really just one of the most consistently high quality brands out there. They keep kids interested, they don’t break, and they’re not obnoxiously loud. My youngest child’s favorite toy is the Imaginext Batcave my oldest child got for Christmas…6 years ago.

This year’s Fisher-Price Imaginext Disney Pixar Toy Story 4 Buzz Lightyear Robot is sure to be another hit! It’s big, it shoots stuff, it launches spaceships–what more could any preschooler need? The price point is pretty reasonable too–we’ve already seen it as low as $30.

• MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $30

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Best Building Toy

Clearly the best building toy is always going to be a LEGO set, the question is which LEGO set! There are a ton of new Star Wars sets this season, both from the upcoming Rise of Skywalker movie and the soon to be streaming Disney+ show, The Mandalorian. Of the SW sets, my pick is the new LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon. It’s still big (1,351 pieces) but at $160 it’s slightly more affordable than the $800 Ultimate Collector’s Falcon from a couple years ago.

As far as non-Star Wars sets, the new LEGO Creator Expert James Bond Aston Martin DB5 ($150) is pretty awesome, and pretty much all the 2019 LEGO Ideas sets are cool (The LEGO Ideas Friends Central Perk especially would make a great gift, but it’s currently backordered!)

Another option to think about is a LEGO “rental” subscription like NetBricks ($24 to $39/month). A good option for kids (or adults) who enjoy the building process more than playing with or displaying the completed sets.

• MSRP: $160 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Frozen II Toy

Frozen fever is backkkk, with the highly anticipated Frozen II hitting theaters right before Thanksgiving (11/22). I’m sure Disney wasn’t thinking about selling toys at all when they chose this release date, but it just so happens that there’s going to be a lot of Frozen requests on wish lists this holiday season.

My pick for the best Frozen II toy is the Disney Frozen II Gigantic 3-Ft Olaf Plush (Target exclusive). He’s gotta be close to “life size” right?! Also he doesn’t have any annoying music or sounds. Just a big cuddly snowman who loves warm hugs. Target will have him for $25 on Black Friday (but it will probably sell out fast!).

• MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Toy for Young Wizards

The Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak is kind of a novelty item, but young HP fans are all going to go nuts for it. Wear the cloak, take a picture using the included app, and witness the illusion of invisibility! Reviews are surprisingly good, with most people saying it’s a lot of fun for kids and adults alike.

• MSRP: $59 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Ride-On Toy

If there is one thing on this list I wish I would have had as a kid (or, um like right now), it would for sure be the Step2 Hot Wheels Extreme Thrill Coaster. This thing is massive–it comes with 14 feet of track, so you’ll definitely need a big chunk of space! My kids have a smaller, less “extreme” version (the Step2 Disney Pixar Cars 3 Up & Down Roller Coaster) and absolutely love it.

It’s not cheap, but we have already seen it as low as $202 on Ben’s, and it’s a gift that can/should be given to multiple children.

Reviews are almost all awesome, with one dad writing, “By far, the most exciting thing for a kid, or two, or three…or the whole da*n neighborhood! Warning: Your kids will never want to stop riding this thing once it’s built!”

MSRP: $270 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $202

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Best Hot Wheels Set

The Hot Wheels Colossal Crash Track Set is advertised as “The biggest motorized set Hot Wheels has ever made!” And at 5 feet wide, it’s “wow factor” is pretty high. If you have the space for it, it really looks fun. I also like that you can connect it with other Hot Wheels track sets (and take up even more space! Yay!). At $99 it’s not cheap, but I’d guess we might see it drop as low as $60 around Black Friday.

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Non-Electronic STEM Toy

When you think of marble runs, maybe you also think of words like “old school”, but this is not your parents’ marble run. The Ravensburger Gravitrax Starter Set is a cool twist on the classic toy that teaches STEM concepts like gravity, magnetism, and kinetics. Not only is it getting great reviews, it was a 2019 Toy of The Year Finalist (also, it looks really fun for grownups to play around with too!).

• MSRP: $60 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $37

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Best Doll

Move over, Barbie! Mattel’s new Creatable World Deluxe Character Kit Customizable Dolls might come in a box, but they are designed to keep kids from feeling, well, boxed in. Each one comes with a doll, a wig, clothing and accessories that can be mixed and matched to create 100+ characters/looks. Reviews have been great so far, with many praising the fact that body shapes and clothing are far more realistic than other dolls on the shelves.

• MSRP: $30 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $17

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Best Interactive Toy Pet

Oh yes, this is now a whole category of toy. The How To Train Your Dragon Hatching Toothless is the Hatchimals/How to Train Your Dragon mashup the world has been waiting for. After you “hatch” him, you get to teach Toothless how to fly and Plasma blast, and he’ll also play a number of interactive games with you. So far the reviews are good (4.8/5 stars on Amazon so far). Expect this to be a hard one to find as we get closer to Christmas.

• MSRP: $60 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $37

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Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Toys That Live Up to the Hype

We’ve reached the point where everything under the sun must be “smart” or have Bluetooth or connect with an app. Sometimes these features seem pointless, sometimes they are just straight laughable (smart egg carton, really?). But other times the tech components are actually pretty cool. Here are some of the best toys of 2018 that use technology to really enhance the play and learning experience.

Best Coding Toy

Kano is known for making some of best STEM toys available today, the most popular being their Kano Computer Kit ($250). So when my 6 year old started asking about some “real Harry Potter wand” he wanted, and I found out it was made by this brand, I got really excited! The Kano Harry Potter Wand Coding Kit is basically a wand that kids can program to respond to their movements, and make stuff happen on a tablet or computer screen.

There’s a lot of Harry Potter stuff out right now (it was the 20th anniversary this year!), but this toy looks like it really got it right. So far it has almost perfect reviews on Amazon (4.8/5 stars); “Magical meets educational!” says one.

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $75

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Best Invention Toy

Building off the success of their popular Star Wars Droid Inventor’s Kit from last season, littlebits has released the new littleBits Marvel Avengers Hero Inventor Kit, and it looks pretty cool.  Kids can build and customize an interactive electronic super hero gauntlet, then use the free app to “train” with it.

If you’re more Star Wars than superheroes, the Droid Inventor’s Kit mentioned above has dropped in price (currently $70 at Amazon) and continues to get great reviews.

• MSRP: $150 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $105

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Best Budget Robot Toy

There are about a million robot toys to choose from right now, and the quality seems to be all over the place. The Boxer Interactive A.I. Robot makes the list because he (she?) is priced right, isn’t overly complicated, and is getting super solid reviews. There’s no programming component on this one, but Boxer boasts “personality and emotions”, and comes with 10 activity cards that allow you to play games like bot bowling, paddle bot or go kart. There’s also a free app that unlocks additional games.

For younger kids who aren’t quite ready to build or code their own bot, this one looks like it’s a lot of fun to play with right out of the box.

MSRP: $80 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $54

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Best High End Robot Toy

On the not so cheap end of the robot toy spectrum is the new Anki Vector Voice-Controlled Robot, which raised an astonishing $1.8 million on Kickstarter last year. Billed as “a robot sidekick for your home,” it’s part smart home device, part adorable tiny bot. It can answer questions, take photos, set timers, give you a weather report, and navigates and self-charges independently.

While reviews are saying Vector hasn’t quite brought The Jetsons to life, yet, it looks like a lot of fun for adults and kids alike.

MSRP: $250 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $175

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Best Smart Speaker for Kids

You may be reading this thinking, “wait, what? Why does a kid need a smart speaker?” And I kind of thought the same thing until I read more about the new Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition. The kids’ edition basically does all the same things as the regular Amazon Echo Dot, but the special thing worth mentioning here is that it comes with a year of Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited service. FreeTime gives your kids access to tons of apps and games, kid-friendly radio stations, Alexa Skills lessons, customizable alarms, plus over 1000 Audible books for kids.

There’s also a parent dashboard that allows you to set daily time limits, see what content your kids have accessed, and even use the speaker as a two-way intercom when you don’t feel like shouting up the stairs when it’s time for dinner.

They retail for $70, but you can currently get $30 off if you buy two, making it $110 for a pair.

MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

Best Old School Tech Toy

When my 6 year old asked to buy an old Sony digital camcorder at Goodwill last summer, I said yes mostly because it was only $6.99, and didn’t expect him to do much with it. But it’s been one of his most played with “toys” ever! Yes, there are cameras made specifically for kids (the Vtech Kiddiezoom is probably the most popular), but compact digital video cameras have gotten so inexpensive, you might as well get your kid something that can capture quality videos/images.

The Sony Handycam HDRCX240/L 1080p Digital Video Camera is currently around $120 refurbished from Amazon, but you should be able to find even cheaper models on eBay, or if you don’t mind used, Craigslist.

Not only do kids love playing around with a video camera, you’ll be surprised how entertaining and fun the footage they end up with is! Having the world documented from their point of view will be well worth the price of the camera.

MSRP: $199 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Best Hybrid Building/Tech Toy

With their LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Building and Coding Kit, LEGO is branching out from their popular Mindstorms robotics line, and has made a tech/building combo toy that is more accessible, and much less expensive. While Mindstorms has a focus on the coding and programming side of robots, LEGO Boost looks like it’s mostly about the building. It also costs almost $200 less!

With LEGO Boost, kids (7 to 12) can build multiple robots, and use the “LEGO Move Hub” and an app to make them come to life. The kit is compatible with regular old LEGO pieces, so there’s the option to really get creative and make the robots their own.

Now in it’s second holiday season, you might be able to find it for under $100 by the time Christmas rolls around.

• MSRP: $160 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $103

Check Price on Amazon

Best Gaming Tech Toy

Nintendo is having a good couple of years! The Switch has really taken off, and one of the cooler concepts to come out in the wave of new game releases is their Nintendo Labo crafting/gaming hybrid. Kids can make physical projects, then “bring them to life” on the screen. The popular Nintendo Labo Variety Kit has everything needed to create two RC cars, a fishing rod, a house, a  motorbike, and a piano. You can even use the motorbike in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!

• MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $45

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Best iPad Add-On/Kids’ Tablet Alternative

If you don’t want to get your child their own “kids’ tablet”, the Osmo Genius Starter Kit will turn your existing iPad into a hands-on learning device. This highly rated set includes five games that teach math, spelling, visual thinking, problem solving, and creative drawing skills through a unique mix of on-screen tech and physical pieces.

Perhaps the best part is that this kit is designed to grow with your child, adjusting to their skill level through the age of 5 all the way up to 12.

Once you have the Starter Kit, there are tons of additional games you can purchase, like the newly released Osmo Super Studio Incredibles 2 Drawing Game ($20).

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $70

Check Price on Amazon

Best STEM Board Game

I don’t know if this one really qualifies as a “tech toy”, but I’m including it anyway because I think it looks really interesting. Circuit Maze Board Game has budding electrical engineers (8 years old and up) arranging tokens to create real circuits and win challenges. Looks a lot like the popular Snap Circuits toys, but in game form. Reviews are mostly positive, and the price is very affordable compared to a lot of STEM toys out there.

• MSRP: $30 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Tech Toys Worth Buying

Toys have become kind of ridiculous. It seems every holiday season they have to top the previous year by being bigger, noisier, flashier, and with that, more expensive. And while traditional toy commercials are becoming a thing of the past as more people switch to streaming only TV, YouTube is bigger than ever, with an insane amount of child “influencers” telling your kids this toy is the best one ever.

So which toys live up to the hype? Here are some of the best toys of 2018, that should actually get played with long after the initial thrill of opening them is over.

Best Toy Robot

Unicorns are all the rage right now. There’s unicorn stuffed animals, and unicorn dolls, and a really weird unicorn that poops slime that my daughter has unsuccessfully begged for at the store. But the coolest unicorn toy I’ve seen this season is the UBTECH JIMU Unicornbot. Not only can kids code this mythical robot, they get to build it. It has 440 pieces that snap together like LEGOs, with no tools required. Did I mention it has a programmable LED color-changing horn? Because it does, and it looks awesome.

MSRP: $120 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $90

Check Price on Amazon

Best Dinosaur Toy

Along with unicorns, dinosaurs are enjoying massive popularity right now (thanks in part to the new Jurassic World movies). If you’ve got a little dino lover, there is no question they will want the Fisher-Price Imaginext Jurassic World Jurassic Rex. This thing is massive; way bigger in person than it looks in the pictures. We walked by a display at Target the other day and my two year old just about lost his mind. But besides being big, this toy makes the list because Imaginext has yet to disappoint in our house. They make stuff that actually gets played with, and that is hard to destroy. Early reviews are great, with one writing, “I honestly did not expect toy this large but I was thrilled and so were the kids. Their father was just as eager to play with it!”

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best Building Toy

Obviously the best building toy is always going to be a LEGO set, the question is which LEGO set! There are a lot of new Harry Potter sets this year, including the awesome LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express ($80). There are also some pretty cool LEGO Ideas sets out this season, like the LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book ($70; the first-ever buildable pop-up book), and LEGO Ideas Voltron ($180). There’s also the giant new LEGO Star Wars Betrayal at Cloud City, stocking stuffer-priced at $350.

The LEGO BrickHeadz Go Brick Me Set ($30) allows you to build custom BrickHeadz that look like people you know, and could be pretty funny gifts for friends and coworkers.

Another option to think about is a LEGO “rental” subscription like NetBricks ($24 to $39/month). I’m thinking about getting one of these for my 6 year old Master Builder (who enjoys the building process more than anything else), because we are running out of room to store all the sets he completes!

• MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Best Learning Toy for Preschoolers

It’s hard to find toys for preschoolers without buttons, sounds, screens etc. The Little Tikes Stem Jr. Wonder Lab is packed with fun and educational features without that other stuff. It has a place for kids to conduct STEM “experiments” using common household items, a circuit center, a ball maze, and more. For how big it is, and how many pieces it comes with, it’s also pretty affordable–we’ve already seen it drop below $75 on Ben’s.

• MSRP: $98 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: 73

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Best Ride-On Toy

If there is one thing on this list I wish I would have had as a kid (or, um like right now), it would for sure be the Step2 Hot Wheels Extreme Thrill Coaster. This thing is massive–it comes with 14 feet of track, so you’ll definitely need a big chunk of space! My kids have a smaller, less “extreme” version (the Step2 Disney Pixar Cars 3 Up & Down Roller Coaster) and absolutely love it.

It’s not cheap, but we have already seen it as low as $202 on Ben’s, and it’s a gift that can/should be given to multiple children.

Reviews are almost all awesome, with one dad writing, “By far, the most exciting thing for a kid, or two, or three…or the whole da*n neighborhood! Warning: Your kids will never want to stop riding this thing once it’s built!”

MSRP: $270 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $202

Check Price on Amazon

Best Toy for Vehicle Loving Kids (and Their Parents!)

The Anki Overdrive: Fast & Furious Edition Starter Set makes the list the second year in a row. While Anki hasn’t released a whole new starter set, they’ve added a new line of of expansion cars, as well as Supertrucks that are three times as big, come with new games, and can be played in intense-sounding “rage mode.”

There have been a few other attempts at matching this app-controlled racing game (Scalextric, Hot Wheels A.I.), but Anki continues to be the most popular and get the best reviews all around.

MSRP: $170 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $100

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Best Toy for Christmas Morning Battles & Beyond

Every kid likes NERF guns, but not every parent wants to deal with all those annoying darts all over the house! Thankfully for us, there is NERF Laser Ops Pro Laser Tag Set. The basic starter 2-pack comes in at an affordable $45 MSRP (we’ve already seen it as low as $27 on Ben’s), and can be played right out of the box or with an optional smartphone app.

Last year’s laser tag pick, the Laser X 2-Player Laser Tag Game ($50) is still another solid option; my son has this one and it’s pretty basic but works great!

• MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $27

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Best Toy for Little Superheroes

What do you get for the superhero-obsessed kid who doesn’t need any more action figures? The Marvel Black Panther Vibranium Power FX Mask has a whole lot of cool factor for the price tag (has been as low as $11 on Ben’s). Black Panther was in not one but two hugely popular movies recently (the standalone Black Panther film and Avengers: Infinity War), so any kid should be excited to find this one under the tree. It has flip-down lens, light effects, and near-perfect reviews at Amazon, Target, etc.

Want a matching one? The adult-sized Marvel Legends Series Black Panther Electronic Helmet will run you a little more than $11, but looks pretty sweet.

• MSRP: $20 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $11

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Best Toy You’ll Drive Yourself Crazy Trying to Find

It gives me great pleasure to include a Muppets toy on this list. The Disney Junior Muppet Babies Wocka Wocka Feature Fozzie is one of the few toys to come out since the recent Muppet Babies reboot, and you can’t find it in stock anywhere right now. He sings songs, tells jokes, “wiggles” when he laughs, and looks all-around adorable. Be wary of third party sellers on Amazon and eBay who are selling it for way over MSRP.

• MSRP: $20 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Check Ben’s for the latest toy deals

Holiday Gift Guide 2018: Toys That Live Up to the Hype

The bond between us and our dogs and cats is much stronger than that of just mere pets… we prefer to think of them as servants or slaves. Minions, even. And the lesson we learned when we tried to create that race of supermen (don’t ask) was you gotta treat your minions properly.

Just like grown males ages 25 – 40, pets need toys, too. More so, even, since they can’t leave the house as easily as us. It’s important to keep your pets entertained to give them a fulfilling life, and ward off a possible mutiny.  That’s why we’ve compiled this list of Pet Toys – they look so fun, you’ll want to play with them yourself!

Whack-a-Mouse Cat Toy

Whack-a-Mole’s not that hard, it just involves a little agility and a lot of reflexes – which makes it perfect for cats, because either of those traits can fit into the phrase “… has the ________ of a cat.” Replace the mole with a mouse and replace the machine that operates it with a human sucker, and you have a fairground game that cats can play, too. You can’t say that for the Milk Can Ball Toss.

Check Amazon for the Whack-a-Mouse Cat Toy

Cowboy Dog Rider Costume

Sigh… If only we could ride our dog like that… We’ll have to live vicariously through the 8″ plastic cowboy, instead. The Cowboy Dog Rider Costume makes the comings and goings of your dog into a funny joke, and if it tries to shake the costume off, then it’s a free rodeo right in your living room!

Buy the Cowboy Dog Rider Costume Here

Cats Attack Scratching Post

It’s something  every cat owner knows, but none of them want to admit: if your cat were ten times bigger, it would eat you. Just be thankful it is the size that it is, and let it unleash its animalistic fury on other pint-sized objects.  This Cats Attack Scratching Post gives Fluffy its own cardboard downtown Tokyo to terrorize, so maybe it’ll show mercy on your couch.

Buy the Cats Attack Scratching Post Here

Zombie Foot Dog Toy

Dogs leave the darned things on our doorsteps, don’t they? If it’s not their latest hunting trophy, then it’s an undead severed appendage. Zombie lovers will have a lot of fun with this Zombie Foot Dog Toy, and dogs will too because really it’s not hard to entertain a dog.

Buy the Zombie Foot Dog Toy Here

To Scarborough Fair Hats for Cats

Your cat pee somewhere it shouldn’t have? We recommend punishing it by buying it an adorable hat. You’ll love these Hats for Cats from To Scarborough Fair, with a wide variety of styles and motifs. As for your cat… it doesn’t appreciate the subtleties of fashion.

Buy the To Scarborough Fair Hats for Cats Here

Duckbilled Dog Muzzle

A dog with a duckbill looks like a science experiment gone wrong (or right?), but if the platypus can make do, so can Fido. Soften the “BDSM” undertones of standard muzzles with this funny Duckbilled Dog Muzzle. Not only does it effectively prevent your canine from barking or biting, it also prevents him or her from being taken seriously!

Check Amazon for the Duckbilled Dog Muzzle

Shark Nano Pet Bed

Jaws may have scared a generation from swimming in the ocean, but it went right over our pets’ heads! Believe it or not, the best part about the Shark Nano Pet Bed isn’t the badass shark design – the nano technology material is antiseptic and lightweight, meaning this thing is clean, odorless, and easy to move!

Check Amazon for the Shark Nano Pet Bed

Bowser Beer for Dogs

Now you don’t have to drink alone! As you might have guessed, Bowser Beer for Dogs is beer for dogs – the special ingredients (including malt barley) is high in protein and great for shiny coats and joint health. It is non-alcoholic, though, but that’s for the best… you know how Fido gets after he’s had a few.

Check Amazon for the Bowser Beer for Dogs

Pet Toys Fido Would Buy If His Card Wasn’t Maxed Out

It seems like everything these days must be “smart” or have Bluetooth, or connect to an app. But when it comes to toys, often those tech components seem a bit silly and/or unnecessary.  That said, not all are duds. Here are a few of the best toys that are actually doing an excellent job using technology to really enhance the play and learning experience.

Best Hybrid Building/Tech Toy

With their new LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Building and Coding Kit, LEGO is branching out from their popular Mindstorms robotics line, and has made a tech/building combo toy that is more accessible, and much less expensive. While Mindstorms has a focus on the coding and programming side of robots, LEGO Boost looks like it’s mostly about the building. It also costs almost $200 less!

With LEGO Boost, kids (7 to 12) can build multiple robots, and use the “LEGO Move Hub” and an app to make them come to life. The kit is compatible with regular old LEGO pieces, so there’s the option to really get creative and make the robots their own.

• MSRP: $160 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

 Best Tech Toy You’ll Want to Play More Than Your Kid

Sure, some people are saying it’s overpriced, and that you’ll look like a dork playing it (is this really a surprise?), but I am still dying to try Lenovo’s new Star Wars: Jedi Challenges AR Set. This standalone augmented reality set works with iOS or Android devices and lets you battle it out in virtual Jedi duels. The set come with a lightsaber controller and a tracking beacon, and is being sold at Best Buy and directly from Lenovo (beware of Amazon listings; they are selling it for over MSRP).

Like I mentioned, early reviews are mixed, but Forbes is calling it “the $200 device that will define AR”. And, yeah, I just really want to play with it.

MSRP: $200 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price at Best Buy

Best Invention Toy

If you’re on the hunt for a Star Wars toy with a little less lightsaber fighting and a little more learning, the new littleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit looks like it may be the toy you are looking for. LittleBits has a reputation for making some of the best STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) toys out there, so of all the Star Wars collaborations out there (and there are so many), this one is really exciting to me.

The kit comes with everything kids need to build and customize their own R2 unit. Best of all, it’s all reconfigurable, so the toy is not “done” after they’ve completed the initial build.

In addition to being packed full of cool sounding features like Force Drive, which allows kids to control their creation with their hand, and a drawing mode where the droid draw secret maps and messages, the Droid Inventor Kit was recently chosen as a Platinum Award Winner by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio (actually kind of a big deal in the toy world!).

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

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Best STEM Doll

I am not of the opinion that every building or STEM toy needs a “girl version” (because there are plenty of girls who would be totally excited about LEGO Boost, or the Droid Kit!), but I also think it’s great that they are trying to include STEM components in toys that are traditionally marketed to girls.

The Dance Code Disney Princess Belle Doll is an Amazon Exclusive that allows kids to program dance routines for the doll to perform. Check out this demo video from HasCon 2017 to see her in action.

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

Best iPad Add-On/Kids’ Tablet Alternative

If you don’t want to get your child their own “kids’ tablet”, the Osmo Genius Starter Kit will turn your existing iPad into a hands-on learning device. This highly rated set includes five games that teach math, spelling, visual thinking, problem solving, and creative drawing skills through a unique mix of on-screen tech and physical pieces.

Perhaps the best part is that this kit is designed to grow with your child, adjusting to their skill level through the age of 5 all the way up to 12.

Once you have the Starter Kit, there are tons of additional games you can purchase, like the newly released Coding Jam Game.

MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $75

Check Price on Amazon

Best STEM Board Game

I don’t know if this one really qualifies as a “tech toy”, but I’m including it anyway because I think it looks really interesting. Circuit Maze Board Game has budding electrical engineers (8 years old and up) arranging tokens to create real circuits and win challenges. Looks a lot like the popular Snap Circuits toys, but in game form. Reviews are mostly positive, and the price is very affordable compared to a lot of STEM toys out there.

• MSRP: $30 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

Best Kids’ Drone

There are a ton of lower-end drones out there, with a huge range of prices. I went with the Drone Force Morph-Zilla for this list because a) it’s called the Drone Force Morph-Zilla, and b) it’s getting good reviews so far. It’s a 2-in-1 drone, meaning it can be controlled on the ground before it goes into flight mode.

On the even less expensive end of the spectrum, the brand Syma is a favorite cheapie among Drone enthusiasts (the Syma X11C model in particular is mentioned a lot as a good starting drone for kids).

• MSRP: $80 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $60

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Best Kid’s Camera

If you’re sick of your kid stealing your iPhone and saving 3988439 off-centered pictures of themselves, a digital camera of their own is a great gift idea. For toddlers and preschoolers, the VTech Kidizoom DUO Camera gets good reviews, and has both front end rear lenses so they can continue to perfect their selfies.

For kids a little older, the popular and well-reviewed Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera might be the way to go. There’s that special something about watching a photo actually develop that most kids these days haven’t gotten to experience! The film can be expensive, but Groupon frequently offers deals on it.

• MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

2017 Holiday Gift Guide: Tech Toys Worth Buying