We love our local Mastermind Toys store! I stop by all throughout the year when we’re shopping for birthdays, and now with the holidays rapidly approaching, of course I’m doing some shopping there. What I love the most about Mastermind Toys is how amazing the friendly staff are at helping me come up with the perfect gift idea for any child. 8-year-old girl who couldn’t care less about dolls? Check. Active two-year-old nephew who loves anything with wheels? Check. Or what about a girl in my daughter’s class who I think is turning five, but I have no clue what she likes? Check!
In that spirit, Mastermind Toys has just released their Holiday Gift Guide to help parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles, and pretty much anyone find the perfect gift. You can browse the guide by type of toy or by age group. We had so much fun looking at all the toys!
I’ve had my eye on this award-winning Snap Circuits Arcade Kit for a while, and it’s my pick from their Holiday Gift Guide to share with you. I’m all about the science, and I love that Snap Circuits teaches kids STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts, specifically electricity and circuits, through fun learning activities. It’s so satisfying to build a circuit correctly and watch everything work!
This kit comes with a plastic base reminiscent of a circuit board and 36 building pieces (snap wires, LEDs, jumper wires, switches, transistors) that snap in to build different electronic circuits. This kit includes an internal microcontroller pre-programmed with some interactive games, a programmable word fan, a tri-color light orb, an alarm, a speaker, and a dual LED display. It takes 3 AA batteries (not included).
The set comes with instructions to build 203 projects and 21 games. No, the games aren’t going to rival MarioKart, but the fact that your kid built it herself counts for a lot! The diagrams are easy to follow, and the booklet briefly introduces and explains each new concept as they come up. Everything snaps together (no need for stripping wires or soldering) so it’s safe and easy to use and reuse the parts for all the projects.
This disco ball is an example of a fairly simple project. The three LEDs light up and the “disco ball” spins, projecting spinning lights onto the ceiling.
Whereas this Arcade project uses almost every piece in the set. Build it correctly, and the LEDs light up, the speaker plays music, the disco ball spins, and the word fan displays its message.
In the top view, you can see it says Arcade.
The box recommends ages 8 and up, but I think my almost 6-year-old will love it. With a little help from mom or dad, she’ll do just fine.
Tie on Some Goodness
One of the things that I appreciate most about Mastermind Toys is how they give back. Every holiday season, they partner with a children’s charity. This year, Mastermind Toys has partnered with Me to We for the Tie on Some Goodness initiative. When you check out, consider buying a Me to We Rafiki bracelet and/or adding a $2.00 donation to your purchase. Together with Mastermind Toys and Free the Children, your gift to a kid you know and love will double as a gift of education to kids in your community and around the world!
Connect
Canadian owned and operated, Mastermind Toys is Canada’s largest specialty toy and children’s book retailer. They’ve been operating for over 30 years in the Greater Toronto area and have recently expanded to 45 stores across Canada and growing.
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Gift It
Elanco’s Snap Circuits Arcade Kit retails for $79.99. Find the perfect holiday gift at a Mastermind Toys near you or go shopping online anytime day or night. Mastermind Toys offers free gift wrapping in store and free shipping in Canada with the purchase of $60 or more!
Win a $100 Gift Card!
Mastermind Toys is generously giving a $100 gift card to one lucky winner to do some holiday shopping! The gift card may be used towards shipping costs too. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, 18+. All entries will be verified.
While you’re here, check out my other open giveaways on my Giveaway Page!
Disclosure: I received sample items for review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
The VTech Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train looks like a great gift for my grandson!!
The Canadian Pastimes section is great — with lots of unique ideas. We’d go for something like the Hockey Now! The Biggest Stars of the NHL Reference Book 8th Edition, or the Stiga Snow Kick STX Snow Scooter. Fun! Fun! Fun! for the long winter ahead.
I would most likely give the Our Generation doll 🙂
I would love to get Zoomer Kitty. He looks like one of my real cats.
I would most like to give the Plan Toys Wooden Doll House
My niece would love LEGO® Friends Pop Star Tour Bus!
My grandson is really into Minecraft and Lego so I think he would like the LEGO® Minecraft The Nether Fortress or the LEGO® Minecraft The Desert Outpost. I think he would also like the Meccan Tech Meccanoid G15KS Personal Robot Building Set.
I would like to get my grandson the Jump Smart Trampoline.
I would love to get the Enchanted Forest game for my daughter, and also maybe a new Plush Craft kit – she has the cupcake and loves it! 🙂
Would love to give the LEGO® Friends Heartlake Shopping Mall to my niece! Mastermind has great toys!
I would like the LEGO® Minecraft The Nether Fortress for my grandson.
I would like to give the Our Generation Doll.
we would have a blast with the Fashion Angels Darn Yarn Pet Sweater Kit
I’d most like the Lego Minecraft. It’s really cool and I know the kids would love it.
I would love to get Zoomer Kitty. My niece would go nuts for that toy
I’d love to give my daughter the Lori 6″ Ballet Doll Cyarra, so cute!
I’d love to give the LEGO® Star Wars Millennium Falcon™ to my son who is an avid Star Wars and Lego fan.
I’d like the Plan Toys Wooden Doll house for my kids.
I would love to give my son the LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon
I think my nieces would really enjoy the Magna-Tiles Clear Colours pack. They have a lot of toys, but I’m pretty sure they don’t have this. And building things is good for the imagination.
My son really wants that legendary yoda its quite pricey so I would love to be able to get him that for Christmas ❄?❄
My niece would love the Plan Toys Wooden Doll House.
The Laser Maze Game looks very cool. I think both my son and daughter would like this.
My son is eager to get the Lego Star Wars Millenium Falcon!
My son would absolutely love the Playmobil NHL arena!
We are buying gifts for two less fortunate children in the Ottawa area as part of the angel tree initiative. If I won, this would enable us to buy gifts for a third child. I like to encourage creativity with gifts like the Spirograph Super Design Set.
I would love to pick up the VTech Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train for one of my grandsons! I really like that it is an interactive letter-learning locomotive!
I love the Spirograph super design set!! My artistic girl would have lots of fun with it like I did as a kid 🙂
I/d love to gift the Spirograph Super Design Set
I’d most like to give Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Book as a holiday gift.
I would love to give the LEGO Friends Heartlake Grand Hotel as a gift – that would be a real stunner on Christmas morning.
We get my kids a lego set this year and they’d lvoe anything from the Friends collection -> http://www.mastermindtoys.com/Lego-Friends.aspx?utm_source=2015_giftguide&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=See-More-LEGO-Friends
Besos, Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
I’d like to give the Hape Happy Grand Piano – Black to our Maci-Belle!
My daughter has picked several things from their gift book that she wants including the plasma ball and light up speakers.
I would love to have the Hape Happy Grand Piano to give to my granddaughter! I think it’s so important to encourage children in regards to music!
I’d love to gift Zoomer Kitty to my niece.
I’d love to give the Laser Twilight Laser Star Projector to my son
My daughter would have so much fun with the Hape Happy Grand Piano ! I actually sent it off to grandma so looks like she will be getting an awesome Christmas present 🙂
It’s rather pricey – but wow is the Meccano Tech Meccanoid G15KS Personal Robot Building Set EVER COOL!!!!!!
I also love the Magna-Tiles Clear Colours pack 🙂
I would love to gift the Zoomer Kitty
Would love to give the LEGO® Friends Heartlake Shopping Mall to my little girl!
My son would love the Meccano Tech Meccanoid G15KS Personal Robot for Christmas!
I would love to give my grandson the Lego Minecraft The Nether Fortress! Thank you!
Right now I’m really trying to get my hands on Paw Patroller. They’re always great for Lego too
We love the LEGO® Minecraft The Nether Fortress. We would probably get that.
My son had fallen in love with Hansa Lying Snow Tiger Cub when we visited our newly opened Mastermind store. I loved it too, but couldn’t justify the price… Winning could help 🙂
I would like the Playmobile NHL arena for my grandson! Thank you for the great contest!
I would love the playmobil nhl hockey set for my son
Minecraft the Nether fortress lego set