Top 25 Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season – Smart Toys Everyone Will Love

We might like to play the same game during the holidays… Guess which toy the kids will play with the most after everything has been ripped open and the house is a disaster. That’s the criteria we used in selecting this year’s Top 25 Holiday Gift Ideas from SteveSpanglerScience.com. If you’re looking for a toy or gift that makes the person receiving it say, “This is so cool!”, you can’t go wrong with anything on the list… and don’t be surprised if the kids don’t put these down long after the wrapping paper is gone.

 

Geyser Tube Geyser Tube
The only thing better than a white Christmas is a wet Christmas! The Geyser Tube™ is a load and launch tube for the now famous Diet Coke geyser powered by MENTOS®… and the perfect holiday gift.

Six Test Tubes in a Rack Six Test Tubes
In a Rack

With six great science experiments each packed in a large plastic test tube, this is the perfect gift for your young scientist. Each test tube is a stand alone experiment with easy to understand instructions and simple science explanations.

 

Blizzard in a Bucket Blizzard in a Bucket
Don’t just have a white Christmas, make your own holiday blizzard! Just add water to a scoop of Instant Snow powder to create an eruption of snow. This Insta-Snow kit is perfect for your young scientists this holiday season.

 

Yuck Kit Yuck Kit
Ready for Christmas, but still feel a longing for ooey, gooey Halloween Science? No problem! The Yuck Kit is the perfect gift for any scientist that can’t get enough gross science.

 

Flying Film Canisters Activity Kit Flying Film Canisters
Activity Kit

Why buy noise makers for the holidays when you can get the same big bang out of this amazing science experiment? Now you can launch your own film canister rockets with the kind of enthusiasm that says, “Happy Holidays!”

 

Air Burst Rockets Air Burst Rockets
The Air-Burst Rockets are creating quite the buzz around the Spangler Science Office… we just can’t believe our eyes every time we launch one of these rockets higher than the roof on our building. We think these might be one of the best holiday gifts ever… put one under the Christmas tree and your kids will thank us, we promise.

 

Fun Fly Stick Fun Fly Stick
All the relatives will be thrilled to listen to your speech on portable Van de Graff generators… No? Well, bring the family over for Christmas, pull that tinsel off the tree and get ready for the applause… you don’t even have to tell them it’s science. Oh, and if you don’t want to tear apart the Christmas decorations, the Fun Fly Stick comes with five tinsel shapes that are ready to fly.

 

Six “Just Add Water”
Test Tubes in a Rack

With our new Just Add Water Test Tube set you’ll get our four newest test tube experiments – Orbs, Water Spikes, Jelly Marbles, Water Gel and Water Cubes, plus we’ll throw in our classic favorite – Insta-Snow! It’s a perfect instant science lab for the holidays.

 

Boom Splat Kablooey Boom Splat Kablooey
Kids love science experiments, especially ones that involve blowing stuff up. Our friends at Klutz Labs filled this book with the answers to the “hows” and “whys” of explosions. To make it even better, everything in this book is absolutely safe and fun — from our Geyser Tube™ to the Klutz-custom Depth Charge… it comes with everything you need to make ordinary ingredients from your holiday parties go boom, splat and KABLOOEY.

 

Pearl Swirl Ball Pearl Swirl Ball
What do you get when you combine a super-sturdy bouncing ball with our Pearl Swirl rheoscopic fluid? We’re not completely sure either, but we do know that it will keep your holiday party guests entertained for hours and makes a perfect holiday present.

 

Fuel Cell Car Fuel Cell Car
We love the sleek design and hydrogen power of this car of the future… and we’re sure that you will love keeping the kiddos occupied for hours while you cook that Christmas ham. Not only will kids be excited about the car, with onboard hydrogen fuel source, they can even build this car themselves to learn more about the functionality of the hydrogen fuel cells.

 

Power House Energy Kit Power House Energy Kit
The Power House kit is an interactive way for kids to learn about regenerative energy sources, all while following the story line of being trapped on a deserted island. Your only chance for survival is learning to harness the power of alternative energy. Kids will be swept up by this engaging science lesson.

 

Telescope Telescope
We can’t think of too many things that would look cooler under the Christmas tree than this, fully-functional, telescope. It’s perfect for watching the wintery skies for Santa too, so break it out a little early and keep an eye out for the sleigh and reindeer.

 

Insta-Snow Jar Insta-Snow Jar
What better gift for the holidays than your own batch of shimmering snow? Whether you live in the frozen North or the tropical South, kids will love making their own “fake” snow, and you won’t believe the feeling when you make snow right in the palm of your hands!

 

Robotic Arm Robotic Arm
Need a helping hand for the holiday season? We’ve got just the thing… the Robotic Arm is a great way to introduce children to the world of robotics and to help you clean the house, wrap the presents… well, maybe not, but the kids are sure to love it.

 

Snap Circuit Rover Snap Circuit Rover
If you are looking for a “Smart Toy” for the holidays that your kids are sure to love, you’ve found the right toy with the Snap Circuit Rover. Kids will love building their own electronic rover and then cruising it around the house.

 

Chem C3000 Chem C3000
Chemistry Kit

You’re looking at the ultimate chemistry set! CHEM C3000 has a similar hands-on approach to teaching chemistry as our other CHEM sets, but also teaches more advanced topics such as chemical equations, atomic structures and the periodic table. And, let’s face it… a chemistry set is the classic holiday gift.

 

Wind Power Kit Wind Power Kit
This is the most comprehensive wind power kit that we’ve ever seen! If you are looking for smart toys and green toys for the holiday season, the Wind Power Kit is a perfect choice with tons of activities that teach about the power of the wind.

 

Orbs Jar Orbs Jar
Orbs are the perfect polymer for livening up your holiday decorations or playing with on a snowy day. Just add water and these Colorful Growing Orbs will become brightly colored, squishy spheres that look like holiday confetti!

 

Solar Physics Solar Physics Workshop
This premier solar power workshop delves deeply into the principals of alternative energy resources. Developed with Greenpeace® in Germany, this is the ultimate “Smart Toy” for the holidays.

 

Solar Hopping Frog Solar Hopping Frog
It may not be easy being green, but it is easy to spot a holiday gift favorite, especially a gift that teaches about solar energy and renewable resources. Kids will love finding the Happy Hopping Frog in their holiday stash and watching him hop around outside on Christmas Day.

 

Galileo Thermometer and Barometer Galileo Thermometer
And Barometer

This unique thermometer and barometer combination is perfect for the weather enthusiast or someone who just loves science. Fully functional and totally elegant, this thermometer barometer combination is a wonderful gift for the holidays.

 

Magna-Tiles Set - Clear Magna-Tiles Set – Clear
This award-winning play system develops patterning skills, shape recognition and motor skills, not to mention great spatial problem-solving skills. Magna-Tiles are the perfect gift for anyone looking for “Smart Toys” this holiday season.

 

Jelly Marbles Jar Jelly Marbles Jar
We think that Jelly Marbles make some of the best holiday decorations we’ve ever seen. Plus, we all put them on our Christmas lists, so they must be a great gift idea too! Just add water to the tiny spheres and in a few hours you’ll have a pile of roly poly, slippery, shiny spheres.

 

Water Cubes Jar Water Cubes Jar
Once you “grow” these water-filled cubes, you won’t be able to put them down! Kids will love pretending they are real ice cubes on a snowy day or decorating the holiday table with these amazing polymers.
16 replies
  1. Rocky Brown
    Rocky Brown says:

    As a full-time Naturalist, I’m constantly looking for good ideas for small, inexpensive gifts that also convey my message for the school groups that visit my Nature Center for winter programs. I was directed here by a former teacher, who assured me that I could find what I was looking for, and, alas, I have.

    Reply
  2. Chris Mladenovski@Personalised Wine
    Chris Mladenovski@Personalised Wine says:

    I bought Generously sized chalk board and dry erase boards are perfect for projects large and small. Easel folds ups easily for convenient storage and features a colorful paint tray with cup holders. Has an easy loading paper roll holder and an extra large tray for holding erasers, chalk and clips. Paper cutting edge at top of easel means clean paper cuts for your artist’s work! 4 large clips included.

    Reply
  3. John Jeracevich
    John Jeracevich says:

    Many elderly parents and grandparents don’t keep in touch through email, Facebook, Twitter, or their children’s blogs because they don’t know how. So, a book or class about computers and the internet – such as Internet for Seniors in Easy Steps – For the Over 50’s – would not only connect them and you, it would keep their brains young, improve their memories, and help them stay in touch with technology.

    Reply

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  1. […] this well designed and well written list of the Top 25 Gift Ideas features gifts that are both fun and educational. Why didn’t they have all of this stuff when I was in elementary […]

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