With three locations in Vancouver and one in downtown Victoria, Kaboodles Toy Store has been the Neighbourhood Toy Store since 1980. From traditional classics to the downright zany, each toy, game, and puzzle is carefully selected based on quality, play value, and “fun-quotient.” Awesome personal service and their whimsical atmosphere make Kaboodles a fun and welcoming place for kids and adults alike!
With help from our friends at Kaboodles, we’ve curated this selection of top ten gift ideas for kids, all available in-store at any of Kaboodles’ locations. We’ve also got a gift card to pass along to one of you for your holiday shopping!
1. Settlers of Catan
Our top pick is Settlers of Catan, a board game that lets you trade and build settlements, cities, and roads in the mythical world of Catan. Start by creating the map of Catan with harbours, hills, forests, mountains, fields, pastures, and desert. The random mix of terrains creates a different board for every game. Players roll dice to determine that round’s resources and then trade with other players to get what they need to build up their cities.
The family that plays together, stays together! Every family needs a collection of board games for game night, and we’re really enjoying the latest addition to our collection. The rules are straight forward enough for kids to learn while offering enough strategy to keep things interesting for the adults. Even though the box recommends ages 10 and up, 7-year-old Tee hasn’t had too much trouble getting up to speed.
Settlers of Catan offers a great mixture of luck and strategy, and that element of luck gives newbies a fair chance to win even against experienced players. With multiple ways to earn victory points and a board that changes every time, the game itself can be played hundreds of different ways giving it great replay value. There are also multiple expansion packs you can buy to add on to the original game, as well as 5-6 Player Extensions that let more people play. (Ages 10+)
2. Mini Pom Pom Pets: Make Your Own Fuzzy Friends
With this kit, crafty kids can create tiny, totally adorable Mini Pom-Pom Pets on the prongs of an everyday dinner fork. With step-by-step full-colour instructions, even a yarn newbie will wind up a pom-pom professional. The box/book combo includes everything your child needs to make 21 cute little animals, except the fork. For that you’ll need to raid the cutlery drawer!
This would make a fun craft kit for any kid, and I know mine will be over the moon at being able to make their own fuzzy menagerie of animals! (Ages 8+)
3. KidzLabs Crystal Mining Kit
Encourage kids to explore their interest in science and geology. This educational kit lets budding rock hounds excavate and collect their very own crystals. Each box comes with a plaster “rock” containing eight crystals, a digging tool, brush, magnifying glass, display case, carrying pouch, and fact sheet. (Ages 5+)
4. Toysmith Nature Kaleidoscope Kit
Spark your child’s imagination with this DIY kaleidoscope kit containing everything your child needs to create their own 8.5-inch kaleidoscope, along with two nature drawings they can colour and use for wrappers. The kit comes with dried flowers, polished gemstones, and glass marbles to put in the object box, but unlike a regular kaleidoscope, kids can take this one apart and refill it with new objects whenever they like so it’s always different! (Ages 7+)
But wait! We’ve got more ideas from Kaboodles to round out our top 10 list!
5. Gund Super Pusheenicorn
Beautiful and super soft white Pusheenicorn with light up silver horn, lavender moon applique, and multicolored plush mane goes above and beyond your everyday stuffed toy. Touch the shimmering moon to begin a magical sound and light show. (Ages 12 months+)
6. Little Red Piano
This playful 18-key piano produces grand sound to accompany its grand appearance. A perfect first step towards developing musical interests and skills for the littlest of pianists. (Ages 3+)
7. Calico Critters Country Tree School
It’s a schoolhouse and a treehouse in one! Calico Critters love going to school, where they can learn new things and play with their friends EVERYDAY! Over 40 school furniture pieces and accessories including tree trunk tower, walkway, telescope, globe, desks, chairs, books and more! Each set connects with others. (Ages 3+)
8. Playmobil Royal Residence
The perfect fairy tale castle with elegant staircase and towering rooms, the Playmobil Royal Residence includes three Playmobil figures, a throne for the King and Queen, cradle for the royal baby, and LOTS of accessories. (Ages 4+)
9. Schylling Magic Rabbit Jumbo Box of Magic Tricks Set
Transport yourself back to the golden days of magic! The perfect starting point for the budding magician, this kit include all the traditional props and detailed instructions to create magic shows that will dazzle friends and family. (Ages 6+)
10. Pathfinders Hydrapult Arm
A great gift for lovers of robotics, levers, simple machines, engineering, and invention. Kids can use hydraulics to throw projectiles in three different ways! It’s the perfect contraption to take care of those angry birds. (Ages 8+)
Kaboodles Toy Drive
For the 4th year in a row, Kaboodles is supporting the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau with a toy drive! When you purchase a toy for the Kaboodles Toy Drive, you’ll get 10% off.
Gift It!
Visit any of Kaboodles’ four locations in Point Grey Village, Granville Island, Cambie & 18th Ave., or downtown Victoria to shop for any of these top gift ideas and to browse the rest of Kaboodles’ vast selection of toys and games. Connect on Facebook and Instagram.
Win a $100 Kaboodles Gift Card
Kaboodles is giving one of my readers a $100 gift card to spend in any of their stores. Please note, you must be able to visit one of their four BC locations to use the card. Enter to win in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of BC, 18+. All the winner’s entries will be verified. Prize delivery is not guaranteed by Christmas, so please plan accordingly.
Click here to check out my other open giveaways and be sure to follow me on Facebook!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
If I won the gift card, I would choose the tea set. My granddaughter is about the right age for tea parties.
I’ll choose the Flip Zoo Blocks and also the Geo Puzzle.
So many great choices! If I win the gift card I’d pick the ‘Little Labs Botany Experimental Greenhouse’ and the ‘Science in Action Crystal Growing Kit’ for my little girl and my nephew … just LOVE science & nature education while having fun! 🙂
He would love to play with the alex water flutes!
If I were to win I would love to get dr eureka for my son or baby monkey for my daughter. Thank you for the giveaway!
Another toy I like from Kaboodles that I might pick if I won would be the 14 in 1 Educational Solar Robot.
I would get some glow in the dark stars. I think the kids would love it.
I’d definitely buy some snap circuits and probably some lego!
Another toy i like from their site is brio little builder
I would choose Snap Circuits from Kaboodle Toy Store.
I’d pick some Pusheen things for my 8-year-old (love the ornaments!) and a Ticket To Ride expansion for the whole family!
I’d get the 14 in 1 Educational Solar Robot because my son loves to build things and loves robots!
I would also like to get some play food baskets.
The LEGO APOLLO SATURN V spacecraft.
Full sentence:
We would use this gift card to buy puzzles for the whole family to do
I will pick up a Playmobil set for my daughter if I win a gift card to Kaboodles Toy Store.
I don’t think they are listed on the website but I’ve seen them on their Instagram feed. They got new Totoro’s in every size. I would have to pick one up for my friend. She got all googly eyed when she saw them and it made her miss living in Japan.
I would choose Calico Critters for my daughter.
I will pick up some oversized plush animals!!
I will get some science toys like robot or spy kits.
I would like to have Disney princess dolls.
I would love to pick up a doctor’s kit from the Pretend Play category – my youngest has recently asked for one.
I love your Lottie dolls and the doll stroller.
My nephew would love the stomp rocket.
Some squishies for my cousins.
I think that the babt monkeys are cute
I would love to use the giftcard on some games for the family, such as rush Hour.
I would get my daughter one of those awesome ant farms, she would love it!
Some great games here, I think my grandkids would really like Settlers of Catan. My congratulations too, to whoever was lucky enough to win this prize.