Best Buy Has Great Gifts for Kids

When we think Best Buy, we often think of toys for the big boys but you'd be amazed at all the great stuff you'll find for even the littlest one on you holiday gift list this season.  

Of course they have lots of great electronics, as you might suspect, even for the young tech lover.  Some that we love in our house are the InnoTab 2 from VTech and the LeapPad 2 from LeapFrog. Both of these are great for little hands who want to play with a tablet but aren't quite ready to handle the more expensive technology just yet.  We own both of these kid friendly tablets and have blogged about both, but I think its a matter of personal preference on which I'd go with.  Check my post on them (Innotab 2 and LeapPad 2) or click on the product titles below for product details from BestBuy.com to learn more about which would be right for you.

Vtech - Innotab 2S Interactive Learning Tablet

Make learning a fun, interactive experience for your child with this Vtech Innotab 2S 80-156800 tablet that features a 5" color touch screen for simple navigation and wireless connectivity for downloading hundreds of apps

 

LeapFrog - LeapPad2 Explorer

Help your child have fun while developing his or her skills in reading, art and more with this LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer 32610 tablet that features a 5" touch screen for simple control. Front and rear cameras let you capture clear photos and videos.

If you're giving electronics of any kind, tablet, MP3 player etc, you'll want to be sure to grab some headphones or earbuds to go with it.  Personal electronics are great to keep the kids busy, especially when you need them to settle down and be quiet for a bit but that point is sort of lost if the noise is just now coming from another source.  Grab a pair of comfy ear buds like these from Skull Candy and you'll be able to enjoy the quiet! There are tons of types of earbuds and headphones available and I'm sure style and fit preferance vary a lot but I LOVE Skull Candy ear buds and clearly my kids do too because I can never find mine.  If you're buying headphones be sure to use the coupon at the bottom of this post to get an additional 10% until 12/29/12.

Skullcandy - Ink'd 2 Earbud Headphones

Enjoy your music with these Skullcandy Ink'd 2 S2IKDY-101 earbud headphones that feature Supreme Sound technology for rich, high-quality audio. The in-line microphone and controls offer easy operation of volume and other features. 

For me, buying for my kids is never hard.  It's actually the stopping shopping that I have a problem with, seriously you should see the stack of boxes in my bedroom thanks to my online shopping this year.  But it can be harder to buy for kids you don't know as well.  You can count on video games like Skylanders Giants, Just Dance 4 or Halo 4 being big hits but it's so hard to know if they already have them or even what game system they have or use.  You can always go with a gift card, trust me older kids will never turn their noses up at the chance to pick out their own gifts.  But if you're the type that links to have wrapped gift to give, I found a few fun gifts at BestBuy.com that would be fun to give to any kid.  I especially love these for grab bag type gifts because they are gender neutral and can be given to anyone.

Laser Laces - Shoelaces

 Give your shoes, boots or skates a stylish look with these Laser Laces fiber-optic shoelaces that feature on, flash and double-flash glow settings for a colorful light display. Two battery packs ensure long-lasting use.

Wild Creations - Extreme Drinking Straws

You can also check out some deals going on now at Best Buy:

Buy any 3 tablet accessories and save (up to $75, save $10; up to $100 save $15; up to $150, save $30). No coupon is necessary for this offer.

10% off of  Headphones, Speakers and Health & Fitness Products through 12/29 with the coupon below.

You have even fewer excuses to shop early with BestBuy.com: 

• Best Buy is offering Free Shipping on all products on BestBuy.com through 12/27. Now through 1/2/13
• Shipping deadline for holiday arrivals in time for Christmas is 12/19.
•  Best Buy can accommodate orders purchased on BestBuy.com through store pick-up until 3PM on Christmas Eve- perfect for last-minute shoppers!
• Best Buy will price match products of both our in-store and online competitors throughout the season. The standard price match policy is valid on any gift purchased between 11/4-12/24 and runs through 1/24.  Online Price Match must be done at time of purchase. Check out bestbuy.com for more information.

 
I have been compensated for this post, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sifteo Cubes Interactive Game System Review

Sifteo Cubes are a very cool interactive, tactile game platform that make you the talk of the town.  We recently received a set of Sifteo Cubes (and one add on cube) to test out.  I first opened it after the boys had gone to bed.  It took a just a couple minutes to set up as you need to put batteries in the main unit and each of the cubes.  After that the hardest part will be deciding which game to play first.  Sifteo comes preloaded with 4 games and additional games are available for download.  I played, all by myself, for hours that first night.  You'll be addicted to tilting, turning and tapping in no time. I really liked Chroma Splash which is a shape matching game.  It feels similar to a lot of the match and destroy type games available online but with the ability to turn and tilt the cubes before matching them up together the possibilities and sometimes the challenge are far greater than anything else I've seen online.  I also had a lot of fun with Sandwich Kingdom which is a little more like your traditional video game but to create your path you have to manipulate the cubes to keep yourself going.  The kids also liked Sandwich Kingdom.  But Johnny loved Cube Buddies which was fun to watch him play.  It's sort of a puzzle/logic game but done with fun creatures you create by swapping their features back and forth between cubes...you'd have to see it to really understand.  And Code Cracker and Word Caravan are great educational games that are still fun. 

Sifteo Cubes are recommended for ages 7 and up which I think is fair because some of the games involve math and a lot of logic and reasoning.  But Bryan (not quite 5) enjoyed helping manipulate the cubes with my help and instruction.

The best part of Sifteo is that because you're constantly moving and the games feels like its constantly moving and changing, it keeps your attention much longer.  As I said, I played for several hours the first time without even realizing it.  The next day I tossed the cubes in the bag that is included and brought them with to help entertain the boys during Timmy's Robotics competition (an all day event).  Johnny spent literally all morning playing with them quietly on the floor.  And no fewer than 4 people stopped to ask what it was that he was playing with.  Each person checked it out, asked more questions and then made sure to get the full name so they could purchase it or look into it more.  It really is a cool system unlike anything anyone has seen!
 

Here's some great info on Sifteo Cubes but be sure to check them out online for more info:

• Sifteo Cubes website

• Sifteo on Facebook

• Sifteo on Twitter

How Sifteo Cubes Work

Sifteo Cubes respond to your moves. Neighbor Sifteo Cubes side-by-side or top-to-bottom and watch them interact for totally unique gameplay. You can also shake, tilt, flip and press cubes for endless combinations. Your cubes operate as a single game interface, and can be played single player or multiplayer, depending on the game. Expand your play possibilities by downloading more games (using the Sifteo Desktop Software) and adding additional cubes.

The ultra-compact Sifteo base runs the show. It stores your games, plays game music and sound effects, and wirelessly talks with the cubes. Purchase additional games using the Sifteo Desktop Software (you will need a Mac or PC with a USB 2.0 port) and they'll be synced automatically when you plug the Sifteo Base into your computer. Then toss your cubes and base into the included soft carrying case, and play on the go!
Big tech in a little package. Cutting-edge technology powers the capabilities of each sturdy 1.7-inch Sifteo Cube and the Sifteo Base.

• Modern, playful user interface
• Touch sensitive screen
• Proximity sensors to detect nearby cubes
• Precision 3-axis accelerometer responds
  to motion

 

What's Included:

• 3 Sifteo Cubes
• Sifteo Base with speaker and USB port, pre-loaded with 4 included titles
• 4 included game titles: Chroma Splash, Cube Buddies, Code Cracker, and Word Caravan
• Free download of Sandwich Kingdom, an adventure quest where players explore the four corners of a playful fantasy world (limited time only - a $10 value!)
• Micro USB cable
• 5 AAA Batteries
• Soft carrying case

pictured is Sifteo Cubes Game System and one add on cube

  Also available for Sifteo:

Sleuth and slide—ninja style!  

Turtle Power! The highly anticipated game Ninja Slide, brought to you by Sifteo in partnership with Nickelodeon, is now live! 

Play as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to outsmart the enemy mastermind and save the city. Can you think like a ninja?

My boys LOVED this!!

Thanks to Sifteo for the chance to check out this product which is now a family favorite!!