Gift giving sure can feel complicated and overwhelming during the holidays, especially when buying for children. Not because there is a shortage of options, but because most toys on the market feel like something you’ll end up adding to the donation pile in three months. When looking for gifts for my kids, and other children in my life, there are 3 criteria they need to meet: I want them to be affordable, useful and fun. It’s the icing on the cake, or rather, the ribbon on the box, when it also incorporates learning in some way. Enter the Annual APEGA Holiday Gift Guide!
Every item in this gift guide has been carefully reviewed and selected by the experts at the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). Move over playthings that quickly get discarded and enter unique, captivating and educational STEM toys that will have my kids coming back for more, time and again. The guide features toys from trusted brands like Snap Circuits, Learning Resources, Thames & Kosmos, National Geographic and more! It is also sorted by age group, with a variety of price ranges represented for your shopping convenience.
Discover Family Fun Edmonton’s top toy picks in each age category below, plus keep reading to learn how your child can enter to win one of the great toys in the guide!
For the younger kids, there’s plenty of ideas geared toward hands on learning. Give your kids the freedom to experiment and they’ll discover just how much fun simple science can be! Help them gain the foundational science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills that will set them up for future success in our fast-paced world.
Hape Monster Math Scale $44.99
Learn about basic math, weights, measurement and balance with this funny little monster scale and assortment of monster shaped weights!
Thames & Kosmos Kids First Boat Engineer Kit $59.99
Have fun building your own model boat, then put it to the test by floating it in the water.
Beaker Creatures Bubbling Volcano Reactor $41.35
This explosive science playset lets kids trigger bubbling volcanic reactions again and again, while the included classification card and mini-poster provide fun science facts.
Magna-Tiles Sesame Street Cookie Monster’s Shapes $47.99
Discover shapes, geometry and more with the Sesame Street crew! Cookie Monster’s Shapes set is filled with quality magnetic building tiles featuring your child’s favourite characters.
Bee-Bot Programmable Floor Robot – See & Say Version $134.95
Give kids a fun introduction to robotics with the colourful, easy-to-operate friendly little Bee-Bot. It is the perfect tool to teach sequencing, estimation and problem-solving while having plain old fun!
It’s clear the team at APEGA “get” the toys that excite and intrigue kids! There’s something for every child – whether they lean more to creativity, outdoor exploration, or interactive technology.
E-Blox Build Your Own Bubble Making Machine $34.99
Kids can use 3D circuits and a geared motor to build their own bubble-generating machine!
Smithsonian Rock and Gem Dig $29.99
Excavate your gemstones and minerals! Budding geologists will unearth several treasures while learning how to identify them and discovering how these natural wonders were formed.
T3 Solar Robot Building Kit $33.99
This awesome 3 in 1 kit allows kids to build their choice of a dinosaur, insect, or drilling machine solar robot toy! It is a fun way to develop hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and logical thinking.
Discovery #MINDBLOWN Crystal Growing Kit $19.99
The Discovery #MINDBLOWN Crystal Growing Kit includes everything needed to learn about and grow your own geological formations. Inside you will find seed rocks and chambers to grow 3 different types of crystal formations!
Electricity and Magnetic Combination Kit $39.99
Young scientists can discover basic electronic and magnetic concepts with this fun and colorful assorted kit.
As kids grow older, they get harder to impress and gift giving gets even tricker. Luckily APEGA provided ideas for them too! The 11+ age group will love the electronics, microscope, chemistry kits and more advanced coding robots offered in the guide.
Snap Circuits 3D Illumination $126.93
You can make more than 150 projects with this exciting electronics kit! Discover the science of light with the included three-colour light tunnel, projector with six cool images, mirrors, and reflecting circuits.
ThinkFun Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game $44.99
Have fun building spatial reasoning and planning skills with this combination logic game and marble run STEM toy.
4M Green Science Weather Station Mini Observatory Kit $29.95
Learn all about weather science with this multi-functional weather station! Using a recycled soda bottle, you will have everything you need to create a terrarium and study the greenhouse effect on your own plants.
The DiscoverE Hydraulic Maze is a fun way to discover the world of moving machines and equipment! Using mechanical engineering, kids will learn more about hydraulics and how they can be used in daily life.
Create movements with the power of hydraulics! Kids can use the Cyborg Hand to replicate their own hand movements and try different grip techniques to hold a variety of items, such as a bottle, balls, or tiny screws.
Win a Toy! APEGA is even running a contest – you can find Gus, an adorable dinosaur that has been hidden in four spots throughout the guide. Readers who spot him can head online and enter to win one of the amazing toys featured in the catalogue! Make your way to www.apega.ca/giftguide to fill out the entry form before Dec. 1, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. MST. Contest rules and conditions apply.
With gifts starting at just $16.99, the APEGA Holiday Gift Guide is ideal for gifting smarter on a budget. This holiday season, choose toys that will educate, empower and excite – and plant a seed for a smarter New Year!
2022 APEGA Holiday Gift Guide:
Website: www.APEGA.ca/GiftGuide
