EZ Gift Picks: Top 10 Ideas For The Kids In Your Life

This image is no longer available

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—although trying to figure out what the kids in your life actually want isn’t always easy. Here, the top toys of 2016.

1. Shopkins
It’s Season 6 for Shopkins, those squishy little lumps of rubber that are improbably costly for what they are—literally, little lumps of rubber—but are nevertheless beloved by girls aged 4- to 8 years old. New this season are Tall Mall, Shopkins Dolls and a Shopkins Kin’struckins Deluxe Shopville building.
Available at Toys ‘R Us

2. LEGO Star Wars Imperial Assault Hovertank
What with the mid-December release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, anything from this popular sic-fi franchise is welcome under the tree. The latest LEGO Star Wars set contains 385 pieces, letting kids recreate one of their favourite scenes from the movie. The hovertank, an urban patrol vehicle, has a two-minifigures in the cockpit and a rotating turret gun with spring-loaded shooters. Set includes minifigures of Chirrut Îmwe, complete with fabric cloak, and two Imperial Hovertank pilots.
Available at Mastermind Toys

 

3. Mega Bloks American Girl
Two popular toy brands, Mega Bloks and American Girl, joined forces to offer a variety of construction sets, including a stable. Other sets range from small plastic Mega Bloks American Girl doll figures ($3.95 each) to buildable homes (starting at $99.99).
Available on Amazon 

4. Selfie Mic
Kids can do their best Katy Perry impression and star in their own videos with a Selfie Mic, which combines a microphone, earpiece and extendable selfie stick that holds a smartphone. Kids can record their own voices or lip synch to a selection of more than three million songs.
Available at Toys ‘R Us

5. Marvel Universe Hulk Smash Truck
This remote control Hulk truck performs flips, spins, wheelies and, of course, smashes things. It also “speaks Hulk” with 10 phrases and sounds.
Available on Amazon

6. The latest Disney Princesses
Moana and Elena of Avalor are the two latest addictions to the Disney Princess line, gracing toy shelves everywhere—along with their accessories, sidekicks and amulets. Sure, Moana isn’t technically a princess, but as her costar Maui points out in the movie, she does wear a dress and has a loyal sidekick, so that makes her a princess. Not to mention she’s brave, compassionate, generous—and she topped the box office for three weeks running.
Available at the Disney Store or Indigo

7. Jellycat Bashful Tulip Pink Bunny
Who wouldn’t love a cuddly plush animal, especially one as endearing as the Jellycat? Although a Jellycat Dog sounds like an oxymoron, it’s also impossibly cute—as are all of the Jellycat’s kin, including a Jellycat Unicorn, a Jellcat Lion (now that makes sense), and other assorted Jellycat Bunnies.
Available at Mastermind Toys

8. Nerf Alien Menace Ravager Blaster
Hasbro’s latest features an 8-dart barrel that rotates as it unleashes each dark for more pump-action—but it’s Nerf, so nobody gets hurt.For ages 8 and up.
Available at Toys ‘R Us

9. Playmobil Space Rocket with Launch Site
Count down to lift-off aboard this space set from Playmobil and count up to $63.97 for this toy which contains many moving parts, dozens of accessories, functioning lights and sounds and two space technicians who may come in handy.
Available at Toys ‘R Us

10. Meccasaur by Meccano Tech
Kids can bring home their very own robot dinosaur friend! You build it, program it, and interact with it however you wish. This programmable robotic dinosaur is three feet long and made from both metal and space age plastic. It’s essentially a walking T-Rex that roars, responds to petting, guards and attacks, answers yes or no, and features real stomping actions.
Available at Indigo