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.
I visit Mastermind Toys’s Gift Guide and the item i’d most like to give as a holiday gift is the LEGO® Minecraft The Nether Fortress.
My boys would love the Zoomer Chomplingz!
My boys would love Zoomer Chomplingz!
I think my hubby and two kids would love the Air Hogs Millennium Falcon R/C Quad Copter. Ideally to only be used OUTSIDE the house lol
Love love love the Plan Toys Wooden Doll House!
Star Wars Lego Millenium Falcon
I love the Tubby Table Bath Table
I’d love to give my daughter or my niece theMole Bop Playmat, I think they would really love playing this together.
My whole family would absolutely love the Lego Star Wars Millenium Falcon!
I visited Mastermind Toys’s Gift Guide. I would like to gift the Showtime Table Top Puppet Theatre to my daughter.
I’d like to give the LeapFrog Leap Pad in platinum pink to my daughter for Christmas.
I would love to win some of the Our Generation furniture for my 2 girls.
My oldest daughter really wants Zoomer Kitty. I’d like to give my kids the My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope.
The kids (and BIG boys) would love the “LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon” because they like anything “Star Wars.”
I’d give the B. Wonders Above Play Mat to my youngest daughter who’s 19 days old.
lego
I would love to give the Meccano Tech Meccanoid G15KS Personal Robot Building Set to my grandson for Christmas, he would love that.
please delete my comment, did not see this was Canada only