Top 10 Christmas Gadgets for Kids 2015

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  Christmas songs began playing before Thanksgiving…like almost a week early.  Black Friday sales started Weds., before Thanksgiving.  Are you starting to feel rushed?

To make it easier to come up with some gifts for your kids, we have compiled this year’s 2015 Top 10 Christmas Gadgets for Kids.  We have items here from $20 to over $100.  

Now, onto the list!

NoiseHush BT500 Stereo Headphones

It’s Ugg weather!  Why not put on Uggs for your ears?  These great 100% wool NoiseHush BT500 Bluetooth Headphones are sure to provide a crisp, high-quality sound while warming up your child’s ears.  Perfect for walking around in the winter, cheering on the high school football team,  or frolicking in the snow, these fun warm headphones are sure to be a hit.

Worried your child/teen won’t be able to hear you?  These NoiseHush BT500 headphones include a hands-free calling microphone with Bluetooth technology to connect to their phone.  Just call them up, they’ll hear you!  😉

These fun NoiseHush BT500 furry headphones from Hypercell are available in both tan and black colors for $47.99 with free shipping through Amazon.

Scrabble Twist

Does your family love Scrabble?  Sometimes taking out the board game and all the pieces can take more time than you have.  The new Scrabble Twist gives a modern “twist” on a favorite game giving it an on-the-go convenience like never before.  Each member of the family can have their own twist and be challenge to break down 5 randomly generated letters into as many words as possible before the time counts down to zero.

Users simply tap on the letters to spell their words and the words are automatically validated and scored.  A great game for the car or when the kids have some downtime.  The digital version of Scrabble makes it convenient to play anytime and encourages building words with limited time.  Game modes include SOLO play, PARTY Game (where one twist is passed around a circle), and TURBO Game (where one player finds as many words as possible, then the Twist is given to the next player for a try to beat it.)

Scrabble Twist is available from Walmart.com for $14.82.

Kano Screen Kit

Last year we recommended the Kano Computer kit, where kids can easily put together pieces to create their own computer, complete with projects and games.  This year, Kano is coming out with their Kano Screen kit, which allows kids to build their own screen to attach to their Kano computer, or any other device that is HDMI capable.

Kids follow storybook-like instructions to wire, plug, and hack a HD 10.1 inch 1280 x 800 LCD screen.  A great kit for teaching kids the working of a HD screen we often take for granted.  The Kano Screen Kit is already put into modules, so it is not overly complicated to put together. 

The Kano Screen Kit can be purchased directly from the Kano website for $129.99. 

My Friend Cayla

My Friend Cayla is the most technically advanced interactive doll we’ve seen.  Standing at 18 inches tall, Cayla can play interactive games on her app, tell stories, spell words, talk about millions of things…and even do math problems.  But what’s most amazing about Cayla is that she can hold an interactive conversation with you. You can ask her a question like “Where is London, England” and she’ll describe it to you in thorough detail.  Might be a little too much info., but it’s fun.

You can ask her about her friends, her favorite color, what 356 multiplied by 15 is, who her mom is, how old she is, whether she has a nickname, etc.  If she doesn’t know the answer, she will tell you that she needs to ask the teacher.

In the app, you can review Cayla’s photo albums and she’ll describe each picture, have Cayla read you a story, and even play games like Tic Tac Toe and Memory Match.  She is very complimentary as you take your turn. 

My Friend Cayla is compatible with most clothing and accessories for 18 inch dolls and comes with her own mirror and hairbrush as well.  She is available through Walmart for $59.93 plus free shipping.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite Kids Tablet

Samsung recently came out with their Samsung Kids tablet which gives younger kids a worry-free environment to learn and play games.  Incorporating popular educational kids content from Fingerprint, a leading children’s education and entertainment company, the Samsung  Galaxy Tab 3 Lite tablet offers a fun learning tablet with familiar characters from PBS and Dreamworks.

Content includes books and games, featuring STEM and Core Curriculum content.  Kids can be read or have the book read to them.  With Parental Controls, parents can limit access to games or activities with regards to how long they have to play on them each day.  Parents can also review a weekly report showing what type of content they accessed, for how long, and which apps they played.

There is no way for the child to leave the Samsung Kids environment unless the parent allows access.  The good thing about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite Kids Tablet, that is different from most kids tablets we evaluate, is that is is a full functioning tablet.  So parents can use the tablet, download apps, read emails, whatever they want, and with the press of a button, all of this is locked up when the Samsung Kids safe desktop displays.

This tablet can also grow with your child so that s/he can use it as a full functioning tablet once they have outgrown the Samsung Kids environment.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite Kids Tablet sells for $95.94 at Walmart plus free shipping.  The Samsung Kids environment, featuring Fingerprint, comes free the first 3 months, then costs $4.99/mo.

GameVice – Game Controller for iPhone 6

Does your child want a Nintendo DS this year?  GameVice offers another option which attaches to your iPhone 6 to create a video game controller around the iPhone 6.  In fact, they recently came out with GameVice for iPad mini and iPad Air (I & II) as well.  

Now, your child can play popular iTunes games like Minecraft, Snowboard Party 2, NBA 2K16, Skylanders SuperChargers, Disney Infinity: Toy Box 3.0, LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, MARVEL: Contest of Champions, and more.  Not all apps in the iTune Store are available for use with GameVice, but more games are being added all the time.

The GameVice controller can be charged (it has a 800 mAh battery) so it can provide pass-through power to the iPhone 6 to enhance battery power.  For the gamer in your family, GameVice gives him/her video game console controller access to the latest and greatest games available through the iTunes Store.

GameVice for the iPhone 6 is available through the iTunes Store for $99.95 plus free shipping.

Hasbro Family Fun Pack Video Game

Looking for some fun video games the whole family can play?  Hasbro wrapped up a bundle of favorite games in their Family Fun Pack including Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, and Risk and put them together into one video game!  Get four great video games for the price of one.

All four games include customizable rules to cater to your family play as well as environments that become more stunning as you progress in the game.  Up to four players can play at a time…and up to 6 players in the Monopoly Plus game.

I’ve been wanting to teach my kids RISK, but the thought of setting up all those little pieces and leaving the board out for over a week (the game takes awhile to play), had me second doubting it.  But now, the RISK pieces will stay in the game…not on the floor, and it will be easier to teach my kids the game.  Monopoly and Scrabble are always family favorites, but your kids may not have played Trivial Pursuit yet.  The Monopoly Family Fun Pack makes it easy to host a family fun night…without leaving your family room.

Available for both Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, Hasbro’s Family Fun Pack is available through Walmart.com for $37.22.

Skylanders SuperChargers

Skylanders has announced their newest version, Skylanders SuperChargers, which utilizes a new larger portal to accommodate land and sea vehicles, complete with cool modifications and upgradeable weapons.  Portal masters can pair a SuperCharger Skylander with it’s special vehicle to unlock special powers in both the Skylander and the vehicle.  All Skylander characters and vehicles are created to be used for physical and online play.

Portal Masters can take on new adventures traveling Skylander’s roads, racing down roaring rapids, and even perform aerial tricks as they battle and defeat Skylander enemies.  Skylanders SuperChargers includes vehicle and on-foot adventures, combined with puzzles, mini games, and activities in this fun action-packed series.

Skylanders SuperChargers is available for nearly half-price right now at Amazon.

LEGO Dimensions

LEGO introduced yet another portal product in the video game industry.  But determined to be more innovative, yet true to the LEGO brand, LEGO created a new game called LEGO Dimensions that is, well, fascinating.  Dimensions boasts up to 7 characters that can be included in the game as well as LEGO vehicles that can be remade, as directed by the in-game instructions, into new super vehicles.  Clever.

But, what makes Dimensions fascinating is that it incorporates brands and characters from many various Warner Bros. properties and collides the worlds together.  Unlike Disney’s restricted world access for characters who don’t belong (ie an Incredibles character in a Monsters Inc. game), Warner Bros pulls out all the stops, allowing you to play with Batman, Marty from Back-to-the-Future, and even Scooby Doo together in one world!  But the fun doesn’t stop there, take your characters through different dimensions and you may end up on the Yellow Brick World on the road to Oz…with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion!

Dimensions is a fun, unexpected twist for the usual portal games and sure to bring lots of family entertainment.  Show/Movie titles include Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, The Simpsons, the LEGO Movie, and more.  LEGO Dimensions for all platforms is discounted at Amazon right now for $79 plus free shipping.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars

Get ready, Disney Infinity is releasing their newest  version of the popular Infinity series.  Disney Infinity 3.0 featuring Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic, one of thee Star Wars Play Sets to be released later this year.  Set in the latter years of Clone Wars, players will travel to four different locations while exploring the worlds of Tatooine, Coruscant, Geonosis, and Naboo.  Characters available to save the Republic inlcude Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Ahsoka Tano.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars will give your kids plenty of reasons to sharpen their light saber skills as they battle Battledroids, Darth Maul, and more.  Two additional sets will be available this Holiday Season including Star Wars: Rise Against the Empire and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  Star Wars themed items and backdrops will be included as a part of the newly enhanced Toy Box.

In addition to the Star Wars themed Starter Play Sets, Disney will be introducing a Pixar Inside Out Play Set as well, featuring Riley’s emotions, Joy, Fear, Anger, disgust, and Sadness.

Disney Infinity 3.0 is available for all console platforms and is available through Amazon for $66.98.  

There are definitely a lot of great family video games introduced this year.  I have enjoyed playing Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and LEGO Dimensions with my kids.  It’s something we look forward to.  Take the time to play these games with your kids.  They will impress you with how quickly they can adapt to games and figure out challenges.

Looking  for more ideas?  Check out our Top 10 Christmas Gadgets for Kids 2014 from last year.  Many of these gifts are still great to give this year.  How about Mom?  See our Top 10 Christmas Gadgets for Mom 2015!

If you have any suggestions for other games or gadgets for Christmas this year, let us know, we want to hear about them!

*  We have been given product samples to facilitate our Gadget Gift List.  All opinions are our own.