Disclaimer: Some of the items in our gift guide were gifted to us for review purposes. Some items will have affiliated links and will result in some coin in our pocket if you choose to purchase from them. All thoughts, words, opinions, and fun times are our own.

It’s that time of year again friends. That time where parents are running around trying to get the latest and hottest toys for their children. While we all know that the past few years have been pretty strange, this year might be a little stranger. We have a new strain of the virus on the loose and we also have shipping issues that might make getting that hot toy a little harder than usual.

We do not think we have all of the answers for you but we want to share some toys that we have had fun with over the year and think they will make great gifts for the children in your lives. Some of these can be picked up at your local retailer or through an online store (we will provide links where applicable). So let’s take a look at some of the fun toys you can get for your children this year.

FOR THE STEM FANS

We all know that toys that make you think outside the box are becoming more desirable by parents because it limits screen time.

Luki Lab has some fantastic sets for all the children in your family. These sets build creativity and imagination in your child.

Gujo Adventure is a line of building sets that combine artistic panels with connectable plastic pieces that link together in various ways, giving kids the ability to customize each set based on their creativity. The line includes a variety of building sets starting at $20 up to $60 for the Mars Mission Rocket which stands nearly 30-inches tall! For ages 6 and up.

The Mars Hover Ship is a pretty big set and easy to assemble. My son had no issues putting it together and it was a great companion piece to the Mars Space Base we received last year.

Pinxies combines vibrant, colorful plastic pieces with artistic panels for a whole new play experience. From mermaids looking for mystical friends to unicorns taking their riders on magical adventures, Pinxies lets kids create an imaginative, exciting world of their own. Starting at $29.99 for ages 6 and up.

Pinxies is a new set for us and my daughter enjoyed building the set and playing with the vet center. While she did feel like she was too old to play with this, she still found building the care center a little challenging at times.

With the Pinxies Vet Care Center you can build, learn and problem-solve by creating new structures, crafting stories, and growing friendships. Set in enchanted lands with endless possibilities, Pinxies building sets deliver endless fun and out-of-this-world imaginative play.

Connect the plastic building links with the vibrant glossy paperboard panels for the ultimate building experience and customize your own enchanted Pinxies world with medical supplies, vet tools, stickers, and accessories galore!

FOR THE BUILDERS

Snap Ships has been in our household since we attended our first Holiday of Play last year. These ships not only look cool but are pretty awesome to build. The design of each ship and how you can connect them together gives you multiple hours of play. The newest set the Forge Claymore CR-76 Combat Transport is one of the biggest sets that has come out and it is pretty awesome.

Now YOU can Build to Battle! Snap Ships is a versatile building system for creating multiple crafts with action play, and all sets and pieces are interchangeable, so kids can build however they want. The Forge Claymore CR-76 Combat Transport has front bays for working on and deploying the Forge’s combat mechs. With rotating guns and engines, this ship is equipped and battle-ready! All Snap Ships sets are modular and designed to be combined to build whatever you can imagine!

If you favor the smaller sets the Tunnelweb and Javelin will be great to begin with. There are also smaller sets that can be combined to make bigger ships. These building sets are great because the possibilities of what you can build are endless.

FOR THE RETRO FANS

I remember when Tamagotchis first came out and I went everywhere trying to find one. I was never able to buy one but I think if I did it would not live for too long. The Tamagotchi swept the country by storm and now it is back again in full force. The ones out today are a bit more advanced than the ones we grew up with but the classic ones are still a lot of fun.

Some of the newer ones let you take pictures with them (Tamagotchi PIX) or digitally add food from real-life environments into their world. Technology has come a long way for these digital pets and we can only wait and see what the future will bring. There are over 25 different styles for the eggs and they just released an R2-D2 version that would be great for the Star Wars fan in your family.

Gundam figures have been around since I was a boy. Back then there were only sold in specialty shops and cost and arm and a leg to buy. Nowadays, Target has a section for Gundam figures and models and i am here for it. Some of the prices for some figures are still insane but you can still pick up these smaller figures at a good price.

Gundam Infinity Series is a 4.5 Gundam with over 14 points of articulation. RX-78-2 Gundam comes with extra accessories and “build-a-figure” parts to build a MS-06F Zaku Mobile Suit. Collect all of the figures to build the Zaku Mobile Suit to have a figure that is not available anywhere else.

I love the way these figures look. They remind me a lot of my childhood and the RX-78-2 figures reminds me of the final scene in Ready Player One. I will be picking up a few more of these to complete the collection.

FOR THE DOLL LOVER

For Keeps dolls are a great addition to the doll market that is in stores now. What makes these dolls stand out is the positive message that these dolls bring. We were lucky to receive the Bella doll and my daughter loved the look of her and the stickers that came with her. Whereas some dolls bring fun, shiny stickers with them, Bella has stickers that read “It’s ok to make mistakes”, “You are Unique”, and “I will help you”. These stickers are great because they have great messages that just might help someone out there. They are also a great conversation starter for kids.

For Keeps is not only a great fashion doll with fashion-forward hairstyles, outfits, accessories, and the like, it’s also the ORIGINAL positive message driver at retail delivering a unique, and sincere message of Inclusivity, Love, Acceptance, and Self-Empowerment. Standing 5.5” inches with 9 pts of articulation, interchangeable outfits, a secret positive message tee, an autographed photo, a 20 pack of affirmation stickers, and a cupcake-style stash box which you can share your positive messages with your friends in secret without being interrupted!

All of these toys we have showcased are available through online retailers and links are provided where available.

Which items are you excited about or interested in getting for your children this year? What would you recommend to other readers?

Please share your answers in the comments below.