While we GeekDads and GeekMoms come from a variety of backgrounds with myriad interests and opinions, there’s one thing on which we all agree—the power of play. From high-tech to low-tech to no-tech, this year’s holiday toy guide collects all our favorite new playthings. We hope that this list helps you find just the thing you need for that special person on your gift list, whether they are young or simply young at heart.
Note that this post includes affiliate links. Making a purchase through these links may provide the listed contributor with a small commission.
LEGO DREAMZzz Sets and TV Show
By: LEGO
Price: Varies (from about $20 to over $100)
The LEGO folks have put out a new, free show, viewable on their website, called LEGO DREAMZzz. It’s built on the premise that there is a dream world out there that we experience when we sleep, and this dream world is in danger of becoming filled with nightmares! The show is free to watch, and it’s super cute, wholesome, family-friendly, and really emphasizes personal creativity. The show includes themes like good vs. evil, dreams vs. nightmares, friendship, bravery, adventure, and, of course, imagination—things every kid and adult can relate to. The show is full of weird, wonderful ideas and gorgeous art. It’s like the creators put all of their random ideas into one show, but it really works.
Accompanying the show are LEGO DREAMZzz sets at all price points from about $20 on up. Kids (or adults) can build the creatures, settings, and vehicles from the show, and recreate scenes or create their own. These sets are so fun, and many have multiple ways to build them. You’ll learn about how they fit into the story little by little by watching each episode. The LEGO website also has some DREAMZzz games and activities, including where kids can create their own videos to build on the action that happens in the show. –JB
Gabby’s Dollhouse SwimWays Floatin’ Figures
By: SpinMaster
Price: $19.99-$29.99
We always enjoy a good product to go along with our viewing choices, and this year one of our preferred play-and-watch shows has been Gabby’s Dollhouse. While we enjoyed a number of items this year, including the delightful Gabby Girls Purr-ific Pool Playset, it is the floating toys that have swum into my daughter’s heart and stayed there. Good for bath, pool, or the beach, Gabby and Mercat have come with us on many water-based excursions. The neat thing about this specific batch of water-based toys is that they are designed to stay the right way up when floating, which beats out anything I had in the ’80s! For fans of the show, or of imaginative bathtime play, these are a must. –Sarah Pinault
Freefall
By: ThinkFun
Price: $34.99
Freefall is one of the newest maze games from epic game maker ThinkFun. Building on the premise of Gravity Maze, Freefall combines marble runs and mazes in three dimensions. Freefall was conceived by Dan Kiltsner, who is best known for creating the line of “Bop It” toys that you either love or loathe! There is no board, the pieces that you build with comprise the whole game. One of the things we love about ThinkFun toys is that you can follow the rules, and play the game as made, or you can go six different ways and add your own spin to things. That’s a little harder to do with Freefall. The instructions definitely make it more satisfying, and there are 60 puzzles included, but this is a great addition to our supply of building games. It took a while for us to figure it out, but was fun while we were doing so. Great for anyone who likes logic games or tactile games. –Sarah Pinault
Sensory Bright Squish Scape Tablet
By: Fisher-Price
Price: $11.99
We are always on the lookout for new and different fidget toys or tactile experiences, and while the new sensory line of toys is designed for a younger age bracket than our family is currently in, we all found ourselves coming back to these toys repeatedly because they were just so satisfying. The Squish Scape Tablet presents an under-the-sea Where’s Waldo? kind of experience. It is a squishy scavenger hunt where you press and smush the fish through the goo maze, revealing hidden images in the ocean along the way. There are lots of warnings with this line of toys—you definitely don’t want one popping open on your couch—but they are sturdier than they have any right to be, and my munchlings have not managed to poke a hole through one yet, which is after a lot of poking. A highly satisfying experience for 3-year-olds… and 43-year-olds! –Sarah Pinault
Creative Beasts Realistic Dinosaurs
By: Creative Beasts
Price: Varies
Creative Beast Studio, led by experienced sculptor David Silva, specializes in creating highly articulated dinosaur action figure collectibles based on scientific research. Inspired by classic dinosaur action figures, their range includes popular creatures such as T-Rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptors. Their collection is perfect for dinosaur fans seeking authentic and customizable models, including figures with interchangeable parts and base land settings. Explore a forgotten world of prehistoric animals and create your own unique models with Creative Beast Studio’s captivating and scientifically accurate dinosaur figures. –GeekDad Dakster
Stranger Things Little People
By: Little People
Price: $29.99
Give the gift of the adorable… ahem… I mean… the terrifying upside-down world with the Stranger Things Little People sets. There are three sets to collect, and each one comes in a collectible display box. Collect all the characters including Eleven (complete with a waffle), Vecna, Demogorgon, and more. –GeekDad Dakster
GiBoard
By: Gibbon
Price: $199 ($159 with Amazon clickable coupon)
This year, give the gift of increased balance and flexibility with the Gibbon Giboard. This simple balance board consists of a sustainably sourced maple platform and a durable canvas slackline with just the right amount of tautness. Perfect for use indoors and out, the GiBoard is as fun and as challenging as you need it to be with a minimalist design and low profile that makes it easy to store when not in use. Whether for an adult interested in elevating their Pilates routine or a child that needs a little help improving their stability, the Gibbon GiBoard is a wonderful, affordable fitness toy that they’ll actually enjoy using. [Review materials provided by Gibbon] –Z.
Pokémon GO Plus +
By: Nintendo
Price: $54.99
The Pokémon Sleep app is a great way to gamify bedtime and encourage a restful night of healthy slumber, but for younger users who must relinquish their phones before bed (and even older gamers who prefer to use wireless charging cradles), sleeping with may be mobile device is a no-go. That’s where the Pokémon GO Plus + comes in. Simply place it by your pillow and the helpful Pikachu inside will track your rest rhythm with the press of a button. On top of that, the Pokémon GO Plus + can spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay! –Z.
Pizza Tower Peppino Plush
By: FanGamer
Price: $29.00
Retro puzzle platformer Pizza Tower has been all the rage in my house since its release in January of this year. Hardly a week goes by when someone isn’t helping embattled pizza chef Peppino Spaghetti attempt to save his struggling restaurant by racing up challenging levels in a labyrinthine tower, watching YouTube let’s-plays to learn new secrets and techniques, or simply talking about McPig’s perfectly madcap game design. Sadly, while bootleg merchandise abounds, official Pizza Tower goods are harder to come by. Thankfully, FanGamer has you covered. Alongside t-shirts and pins, they also offer an adorable Peppino Plush that lets you bring the game’s pizza-flipping protagonist home for the holidays. –Z.
Kirby Starrium Blind Box
By: Crunchyroll
Price: $12.99
From streaming membership gift cards to manga and apparel, I always do a bit of my Christmas shopping at the Crunchyroll store. This year, my go-to collectible is the recently re-released Kirby Starrium Blind Box series. Each stocking-stuffer-sized box contains a mini-diorama of Kirby and his pals on one of six celestial playgrounds: planet Pop Star, Green Star, Mechanical Star, Moon and Star, Drop Star, and the Galaxy Swirl. You won’t know which you get until you open it, but any will be a welcomed addition to your Kirby-lovers collection. [Review materials provided by Crunchroll] –Z.
Funko Pop! Marvel Holiday: She-Hulk
By: Funko
Price: $12.99
Jennifer Walters needed a blood transfusion after an accident, and the only matching donor was her cousin, Bruce Banner… aka The Incredible Hulk. Jennifer found she could become big and green too, and so became the superhero known as She-Hulk. But with this vinyl bobblehead from Funko, She-Hulk becomes one of Santa’s elves, complete with elf ears and a present from Santa’s workshop. You can enjoy her alone, or pair her with other holiday Funko Pop! figures. –PB
ROKR 3D Pinball Machine
By: Robotime
Price: $199.99
This wooden puzzle kit will take you several hours to build, but the end result is a beautiful working small-scale pinball machine. The kit includes everything you’ll need to put the pinball machine together, and the majority of the assembly is simply fitting the wooden pieces together. I’m still in the process of assembling mine, and it’s a fun but challenging build. Robotime also has many other wooden puzzle kits at varying levels of price and difficulty, if you’re looking for something different. –PB
Budsies
By: Budsies
Price: Varies
Budsies makes custom products, perfect for all ages. Send them your artwork and they will customize anything from socks to a stuffed animal to a perfect T. Check out their Petsies for the perfect replica of your furry friend. If you sign up for their newsletter, you can get 10% off your order this holiday season. I had a custom stuffed animal made this year with some artwork by my friend Dave Liew, and the process was smooth as silk and the plushie came out perfect for my family. –GeekDad Dakster
Click through to read all of “GeekDad/GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Toys” at GeekDad.If you value content from GeekDad, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!
