From Old-School to Cutting-Edge: Gadgets & Gifts for Tech-y Kids

Re-imagine play time, without relying too much on a screen. These toys will help you do it!

By Kipp Jarecke-Cheng November 13, 2014

Your kids fingers swipe faster than you can say, abracadabra. Put the magic back into technology this holiday season for even the most digitally-savvy mini-techie. From nifty gaming systems to robotics to electronic kits, your kids will flip for these gifts. Flip through the gallery to make those tiny smiles 100 watts bigger.

DIY LEGO Drone Kit

While amateur drone kits likely will make it onto many junior pilots’ holiday wish lists, these mini-aircraft systems can be prohibitively expensive, many costing more than $700. The good news is that there’s a growing fleet of DIY drone kits that are considerably less expensive and simple to construct, even for kids as young as eight years old (with the help of a grownup). The FlyBrix LEGO Drone Kit makes building a drone easy, thanks to its use of standard-issue LEGO pieces. Putting together the Arduino-compatible electronics parts and piloting the LEGO drone—using either an optional RC controller or free iOS or Android app—can be a bit tricky, but once you get the hang of it, there’s nothing like seeing a LEGO drone take flight. Best of all, these drones are rebuildable and crash-friendly, so there’s no need to fear if your drone has an aborted flight.

Available at FlyBrix, starting at $169.