Awesome Kids

This toy combines a fidget spinner with a light show. The RingSlingr FX wraps securely around your index finger and produces lighting effects with its eight color-changing LEDs. It takes advantage of a persistence of vision illusion to display animated patterns as it gets up to speed. It comes in three versions with different patterns and is best viewed in the dark.

These retro-futuristic play sets make a great gift for kids and science fiction fans of all ages. The MARGE (Mars Agency for Research + Geographical Exploration) collection includes three fun sets: Dark Depths, Rogue Echoes, and Sector 9. Individual toys are also available, like the adorable Rover 56 and the utilitarian HAB Transporter.

The 1970s gave the world some of its first electronic toys. Among them was the Panasonic Do-Re-Mi, a relatively rare gizmo that combined a small record player with a simple analog synthesizer. David Hilowitz got his hands on an as-is unit and spent some time restoring it. After getting it working, he took it for a spin and sampled its sounds for future use.

“You must give me boobie!” YouTuber Big Merla makes parodies of popular songs using children’s toys. Her funny musical rants are often told from the perspective of her demanding toddler. Her latest masterpiece is a cover of Disturbed’s mega hit Down with the Sickness. That whack-a-mole drum has a surprising range.

A group of talented kids celebrated their friend’s birthday with a kick-ass performance of the Nine Inch Nails track Wish. The music video serves as a fundraiser for the O’Keefe Music Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps offer free music lessons and music camps to young musicians. Crank up the volume to 11 for this one. (Thanks, Myriam!)

Kids who grew up in the 1980s had some very different experiences than 21st-century kids. This video from Rhetty for History looks back at what youngsters did for fun, how dangerous playgrounds and cars used to be, and the primitive state of technology compared to things we take for granted today.

As teenagers, we all felt peer pressure at one time or another. Anthony Sneed’s lighthearted short film SWIPE explores the consequences of giving in. After a boy’s friends push him to shoplift from a convenience store, he gets taught a valuable life lesson.

Here’s a fun family project if you live somewhere the temperature stays below freezing for days on end. The ABC Allred Family shows us how easy it is to build your own backyard igloo from blocks of ice and a dash of food coloring for extra flair. You can make the ice bricks in aluminum foil trays and then cement them together with a mixture of snow and cold water.

Can’t get your kids to comb their hair? This might help. Fred’s Bonehead comb and brush combo folds up to look like a dinosaur’s skull. Open its jaws and let it chomp down on hair to remove tangles, so your kiddo doesn’t look like an unkempt caveman anymore. Made from durable but flexible ABS plastic.

Timothée Chalamet stars as a young Willy Wonka in this origin story of Roald Dahl’s enigmatic and inventive chocolatier. With Paddington’s writer/director Paul King at the helm of this star-studded spectacle, it’ll be the family-friendly film to see this holiday season. In theaters 12.15.23.

The LEGO How We Create deck was created by builders, designers, and other LEGO team members to help inspire creative thought. It includes 78 cards featuring images of LEGO bricks, quotes, and building prompts. The deck is divided into five categories – Motivation, Inspiration, Memories & Mentors, Challenges & Obstacles, and LEGO Core Values.

We’d be happy to carry our lunch to the office in this unique lunchbox, which keeps foods neatly arranged into five serving compartments. A metal clip securely holds its lid closed, and its stainless steel construction resists odors and is non-toxic. Kids and adults can make it their own with one of PlanetBox’s colorful carry bags and magnet kits.

For many, the 1960 and 1970s are considered the golden age of Saturday morning television. The era gave us weird, wild, and memorable shows like H.R. Pufnstuf, Scooby Doo, and the original Spider-Man cartoon. Johnnyboy792 shared this time capsule of TV shows and commercials that’ll bring back fond memories to Gen-Xers and younger Boomers.

Looking for something fun to do with the kids when it’s below-freezing outside? Inland Iglu helps you build a backyard winter fort. Just set up the frame, connect a garden hose, and its mesh will catch mist from the water and freeze into a sturdy ice shell. They also make smaller versions in rocket, castle, and pirate ship shapes.

Bored at home during the 2020 lockdowns Michel + Nico, decided to make a movie with their sons Sacha + Robinson. The result is this wonderful short about kids dreaming up their own action-adventure flick. The title pays tribute to The Goonies and Lethal Weapon director Richard Donner. A must-watch for film buffs.

The brainchild of Discommon’s Neil Ferriar, Blok is a cool analog watch that Ferriar calls the first “proper Swiss watch for kids.” We call it a gateway to Rolex collecting thanks to its timeless design, ETA quartz movement, anti-shock mechanism, 33 mm plant-based case, 100 M water resistance, 10-year battery, and unique rotating bezel.