With all the gadgets and hi-tech toys being offered to kids, we sometimes forget that you can have fun without the bells and whistles. We found a few great battery-free toy options to add to this years shopping list.
| Battery-Free Toys: Tilt Game |
If you’re a fan of ThinkFun’s Rush Hour game (we are) then now’s the time to kick it up a notch with Tilt. Based on Rush Hour’s similar logic of nagivating a maze to exit, Tilt now involves you moving the game board around to move your pieces. But be careful not to move the wrong pieces. (age 8+) $27.99 Cdn
| Battery-Free Toys: Straws and Connectors |
Tall towers. Long tunnels. Secret forts. Forget blocks. Straws and Connectors from Roylco gives kids the freedom to create and recreate a variety of structures for imaginative play. The connectors are easy for little hands to put together and make a great activity for siblings of various ages to use together. For inspiration there’s a idea guide and for cleaning up there’s a handy storage bag. (age 5+) $39.99 Cdn
| Battery-Free Toys: School Bus |
Things that ‘go’ are always popular with boys and girls and this bright yellow school bus from Green Toys will be no exception. Over carpets, down driveways, through sandboxes, this truck is powered by kids. I love that it’s made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers and contains no BPA, PVC or phthalates. Even the packaging is made from recycled material. (age 1+) $34.95
| Battery-Free Toys: Color Me Play Castle |
You buy your kids an expensive gift and they end up spending more time playing with the cardboard box it was shipped in. Discovery Kids’ Color Me Play Castle offers a fun fantasy version of the traditional cardboard box. The castle is made from recycled materials and sets up in 10-minutes. Kids will love colouring and painting and customizing the outside of their castle and then their imagination takes over as they enter a world of knights, princesses and dragons. (age 4+) $29.99 Cdn
| Battery-Free Toys: Perplexus Rookie |
We were introduced to the original Perplexus puzzle, with its 3 marble-rolling, ball-twisting puzzles all contained within one clear sphere. Now there’s Perplexus Rookie aimed at the slightly younger family member. The same concentrated turning and twisting is still required by the track isn’t as complex and there’s only one puzzle in the sphere. Don’t be surprised if your kids sit quietly for an hour trying to finish this game/puzzle, that’s if they can get it from you first. (age 4+) $22.95 Cdn
| Battery-Free Toys: Snug Bugs |
I love the colour and shape of these squishable, connectable bugs. Pop them together to make a long string of crazy bug friends. These chewable bugs are about 3in big and are lead, BPS and phthalate-free. (age 10 mnths to 3 yrs) $24.99
| Battery-Free Toys: LEGO Ideas Book |
How many buckets of LEGO do you have in your house? Kids get sets, build the models and then take them apart. Instead of just buying another set for the kids to build, try DK Canada’s LEGO Ideas Book. This book is full of photographic illustrations using actual LEGO pieces to inspire your little construction crew. There are also some fun tips and tricks, like how to layer the Lego to make walls look like old brick buildings. Bring out your child’s creative side with a little inspiration. $19.59 Cdn
| Battery-Free Toys: Play-Doh Cake Making |
Kids love to pretend and play-doh is a great tool to tap into their imagination. The Cake Making Station from Hasbro is ideal for your mini-Cake Boss. They can create cupcakes and tiered cakes of various colours. Kids press, squeeze, turn and crank to make cake patterns and designs on their cakes. Don’t forget the little decorations to add the finishing touch. (age 5+) $15.54
| Battery-Free Toys: Discovery Spaceship |
This multi-tiered rocket from Hape will keep kids busy exploring outer space, or at least pretending to. The open access spaceship gives kids easy access to all parts of the ship, also making it a great toy for shared play. This eco-friendly toy is made with maple wood, plywood, formaldehyde-free glue and nontoxic, water based paints. It’s also packaged in recycled paper printed with soy ink, making it a great choice for your child and the environment! (age 4+) $129.95
| Battery-Free Toys: Wall Tracks |
Like LEGO, your child probably have buckets of Hot Wheels cars and tracks. But the tracks can take-up a lot of floor space you may not have. In comes Wall Tracks. Like traditional tracks, Wall Tracks have turns and dips and flips to get your child’s cars racing. The difference is that these tracks run on the wall, leaving your floor space clear. And the 3M Command strips means no issues with damaging your walls. (age 4+) $24.99 Cdn