{"id":17143,"date":"2016-10-30T16:35:11","date_gmt":"2016-10-30T23:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bensbargains.net\/thecheckout\/?p=17143"},"modified":"2016-11-02T12:48:16","modified_gmt":"2016-11-02T19:48:16","slug":"holiday-shopping-gift-guide-toys-kid-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/guides\/holiday-shopping-gift-guide-toys-kid-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Gift Guide 2016: Toys for the Kid in All of Us"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/2016-guide.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25857\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/2016-guide.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"2016-guide\" width=\"620\" height=\"190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/2016-guide.jpg 620w, https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/2016-guide-300x92.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nWhile Star Wars really dominated the toy &#8216;verse last holiday season, this year we&#8217;re seeing a lot of the classics back in the spotlight: Batman and Superman (thanks to this summers&#8217; Batman v Superman movie), Trolls (thanks to the upcoming Justin Timberlake-starring kids&#8217; film of the same name), Transformers, Teenage Ninja Turtles, etc.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to all the nostalgic character toys, there are plenty of other options this year that are fun for kids and their parents alike. Here are a few of the best:<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">LEGO Dimensions Starter Set + Year 2 Releases<\/h3>\n<p>LEGO&#8217;s toy\/video game hybrid, Dimensions, came out just before the holidays last year, and has become a huge hit among kids and grownups alike. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gottabemobile.com\/2016\/09\/27\/lego-dimensions-year-2-release-what-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\">Year 2 Story, Team, Level, and Fun Packs are being released this season<\/a> and are full of awesome nostalgia: The Goonies, Sonic The Hedgehog, Gremlins, Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.<\/p>\n<p>The 2016 Starter Set (same as the 2015 set, plus a new Supergirl figure) retails for $90, but you should be able to get it for under $50 this holiday season. The new Year 2 expansion packs range from $12 to $40.<\/p>\n<p><em>MSRP: $90 | Lowest Price on Ben&#8217;s: $50<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/et.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16726\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/et.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"lego metalbeard\" width=\"601\" height=\"254\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"grey-box\"><div class=\"grey-box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pros<\/strong>: Quirky and creative. They&#8217;ve now had a year to work out the kinks and build on the most successful aspects.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons<\/strong>: Probably best for older kids, and they may not get a lot of the older pop culture references <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"button green\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/search\/lego%2520dimensions\/?sr=1\" >Search Ben&#8217;s for LEGO Dimensions<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Anki Cozmo Robot<\/h3>\n<p>CNET described Cozmo as, &#8220;the soul of a Disney movie in a $180 robot toy.&#8221; It&#8217;s tiny, adorable, and looks a whole lot like Wall-E. It has an object-recognizing camera (&#8220;computer vision&#8221;), and comes with three cubes covered in readable codes; Cozmo can find, stack, topple and play with the cubes.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s not a programmable robot toy (such as the Meccano Mecanoids), but rather designed to be an &#8220;AI companion.&#8221; The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2016\/10\/14\/13276752\/anki-cozmo-review-ai-robot-toy\" target=\"_blank\">early reviews<\/a> make it sound like a ton of fun for both adults and kids.<\/p>\n<p>Retails for $180, and no one has it for less than that right now.<\/p>\n<p><em>MSRP : $180 | Lowest Price on Ben&#8217;s: N\/A<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/anki_cozmo.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-17149\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/anki_cozmo.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"zoomer\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" \/><\/a><div class=\"grey-box\"><div class=\"grey-box-content\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pros<\/strong>: It has a ton of impressive tech features. Made by a company that has proved themselves with the highly successful Anki Overdrive toys. And it&#8217;s really, really cute.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons<\/strong>: Kids might not know what to do with it after the initial awe wears off. Not programmable, and reliant on your phone. <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<span class=\"button green\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/search\/anki%2520cozmo\/?sr=1\" >Search Ben&#8217;s for Anki Cozmo Deals<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">3Doodler Start Kid-Safe 3D Printing Pen Essentials Set<\/h3>\n<p>This Kickstarter-backed 3D printing pen is designed with kids in mind: it&#8217;s super easy to use, has no hot parts or messy resins, and uses Eco-Plastic that\u2019s made from food grade materials. But let&#8217;s be honest, you know you want to &#8220;draw in the air&#8221; with this thing too!<\/p>\n<p><em>MSRP : $50 | Lowest Price on Ben&#8217;s: $36<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/doodler.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16722\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/doodler.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Makey Makey\" width=\"1200\" height=\"783\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"grey-box\"><div class=\"grey-box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pros:<\/strong>\u00a0Inspires creativity. Easy to use straight out of the box. Affordable price point.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons:<\/strong>\u00a0You&#8217;ll have to buy refills if you want to keep using it. Older kids (12+) might prefer a more adult 3D printer pen that has more customizable options.<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"button green\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/search\/3doodler%2520start\/?sr=1\" >Search Ben&#8217;s for 3Doodler Start Deals<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Hot Wheels A.I. Intelligent Race System Starter Kit<\/h3>\n<p>The Hot Wheels A.I. Intelligent Race System is basically Hot Wheels&#8217; answer to the popular (and way more expensive) Anki OVERDRIVE set. The starter set comes with two smart cars, two controllers and 16+ feet of track that can be configured in over 40 different ways. Lots of family fun for Christmas morning and beyond!<\/p>\n<p><em>MSRP : $100 | Lowest Price on Ben&#8217;s: $70<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/hot-wheels.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16722\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/hot-wheels.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Anki DRIVE\" width=\"1200\" height=\"783\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"grey-box\"><div class=\"grey-box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pros:<\/strong>\u00a0A lot of bang for your buck. The fact that the track can be set up so many different ways means kids are less likely to get bored with it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons:<\/strong>\u00a0The track takes up a lot of room. Extra cars are really expensive ($50 each).<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"button green\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/search\/hot%2520wheels%2520intelligent\/?sr=1\" >Search Ben&#8217;s for Hot Wheels A.I. Intelligent Race System Deals<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Nerf N-Strike Mega Mega Mastodon<\/h3>\n<p>Christmas wouldn&#8217;t be Christmas without an epic Nerf battle, right? Nerf&#8217;s first motorized Mega Blaster isn&#8217;t messing around&#8211;it&#8217;s close to 3 feet long, with a 24-dart rotating drum, and can fire darts 100 feet away. Might as well buy two, &#8217;cause you&#8217;re going to want to shoot this thing.<\/p>\n<p><em>MSRP : $80 | Lowest Price on Ben&#8217;s: $56<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nerf1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16722\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nerf1.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"nerf\" width=\"1200\" height=\"783\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"grey-box\"><div class=\"grey-box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pros:<\/strong> It&#8217;s huge! Holds a ton of darts at once.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons:<\/strong> Really, it&#8217;s huge! All those darts are bound to get lost!<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"button green\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/search\/nerf%2520mastodon\/?sr=1\" >Search Ben&#8217;s for Nerf N-Strike Mega Mastodon Deals<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Magformers 62-Piece Starter Set<\/h3>\n<p>Magformers is the most recognizable brand name, but Magna-Tiles, PlayMags, PicassoTiles and Magnetic Stick N Stack sets are all highly-reviewed (and all very similar). My young son got these for Christmas a couple years ago and they are super fun (and a little addicting!). Simple enough for a young toddler to enjoy, but will keep an older child or adult interested for hours, too. They&#8217;re expensive, but totally worth the money.<\/p>\n<p><em>MSRP: $99 | Lowest Price on Ben&#8217;s: N\/A (we&#8217;ve seen lots of other Magformers sets on sale, as low as $20)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-17144\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.net\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/magformer2.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"magformer2\" width=\"1220\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/magformer2.jpg 1220w, https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/magformer2-300x127.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/magformer2-1024x436.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1220px) 100vw, 1220px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"grey-box\"><div class=\"grey-box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pros<\/strong>: No batteries, no buttons, no obnoxious sounds. They encourage kids to use their imaginations and are great for both boys and girls.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons<\/strong>: They&#8217;re really quite expensive and since they aren&#8217;t tied to any characters, kids might not be that excited (at first) when they find them under the tree. <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"button green\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.net\/search\/magformers\/?sr=1\" >Search Ben&#8217;s for Magformers Deals<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Crayola Imaginables Custom Plush<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imaginables.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Crayola Imaginables<\/a> will take any drawing your kid has done and turn it into a real stuffed animal. The process is really simple, and takes about 4 weeks for the team of designers to create your custom plush and get it out to you (so do it soon if you want one before Christmas!). A fun gift for your child, and a really cool way for parents to hang onto and display their kids&#8217; art.<\/p>\n<p><em>MSRP: $129 (but currently on sale for $99) | Lowest Price on Ben&#8217;s: N\/A<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/crayola1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16722\" src=\"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/crayola1.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"nerf\" width=\"1200\" height=\"783\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"grey-box\"><div class=\"grey-box-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pros<\/strong>: Totally one-of-a-kind. Shows your kid that you appreciate and love their creativity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cons<\/strong>: Older kids might think it&#8217;s lame to get a stuffed animal. Expensive.<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"button green\"><a href=\"#\" >Search Ben&#8217;s for Crayola Imaginables Deals<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While Star Wars really dominated the toy &#8216;verse last holiday season, this year we&#8217;re seeing a lot of the classics back in the spotlight: Batman and Superman (thanks to this summers&#8217; Batman v Superman movie), Trolls (thanks to the upcoming Justin Timberlake-starring kids&#8217; film of the same name), Transformers, Teenage Ninja Turtles, etc. In addition [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":26028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[109,875,393,102,317],"class_list":["post-17143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-buyers-guide","tag-holiday-shopping","tag-kids","tag-splendiferous","tag-toys"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17143"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26080,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17143\/revisions\/26080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bensbargains.com\/thecheckout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}