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As Cyber Monday 2021 winds down, we’ve stopped updating this post and can’t guarantee that all deals are still in stock. Check our Deals page for our latest finds.
You wanna know what’s fun? Things that are methodically, rigorously tested and proven to be fun. We played the stuffing out of these toys, games, and kids crafts to confirm with absolute certainty that they are all fully capable of brightening those long, dark days spent cooped up at home with super-fun quality time you’ll soon cherish as holiday traditions. You can also find all of the best offers on our Deals page and in our roundup of the best Cyber Monday deals.
REI Co-op Cycles REV 12 Kids' Balance Bike Deal price: $111; street price: $139 Read our review of the best balance bike.
This rare deal matches the lowest price for our runner-up pick, the REI Co-op Cycles REV 12 Kids Balance Bike. Now down to $111 in the spring green color, the REV 12 comes with air-inflated rubber tires that have good traction, making riding indoors or outdoors easy. The pedal-less bike is also a breeze to assemble. This item is about to be discontinued, so now is a great time to scoop up this deal for the little ones in your life.
Micro Mini Deluxe Scooter Deal price: $80 with clipped on-page coupon; street price: $90 Read our review of the best kids scooters.
Toddlers who aren’t quite big enough for our top scooter pick can satisfy their need for speed with the smaller Micro Mini Deluxe. Like its larger cousin, the Mini has height-adjustable handlebars and a wide three-wheel-based design to provide ample stability and a smooth ride for younger kids. If you have a child under 5, this is an excellent choice for a starter scooter. To qualify for free ground shipping, you need to subscribe to Micro Kickboard’s newsletter.
Hape Penguin Musical Wobbler (Target) Deal price: $10; street price: $14
Hape Penguin Musical Wobbler (Amazon) Deal price: $10; street price: $14
Read our review of the best first toys for kids with disabilities.
With a rounded design and a gentle, wind-chime-like melody, the Hape Penguin Musical Wobbler is sure to please babies without causing headaches for caretakers. The wooden base ensures that the toy stays in place, but even the slightest of taps can make this jingly penguin wobble playfully. Child-safe paint finish and sturdy wood construction make this a long-lasting toy your child can love for years to come. At $10, this is a new low.
Catan Board Game (Target with store pickup) Deal price: $22; street price: $43
Catan Board Game (Walmart with store pickup) Deal price: $22; street price: $43 Read our review of the best beginner board games for adults.
Nine out of 10 friends agree: Catan is the easiest way to test your relationships. (The tenth friend is no longer speaking to the rest of the group due to a sheep-related incident.) During each hour-long game, three or four players work together to build their own civilization by collecting and trading resources to create a large, interconnected network of towns, and the first person to reach 10 points wins. Our next-level strategy game pick from our guide to the best beginner board games for adults is down to just a buck shy of the lowest price we’ve seen at $22.
Catan 5-6 Player Board Game Extension (Amazon) Deal price: $16; street price: $23
Catan 5-6 Player Board Game Extension (Walmart with store pickup) Deal price: $16; street price: $23 Read our review of the best beginner board games for adults.
When a few extra people decide to show up for game night, don't panic, as the Catan 5-6 Player game extension has you covered. If you love our next-level strategy game pick, this extension allows for an added 2 players to join in on the fun. The extra players allows for extra fun and replayability, and is our favorite way to play this classic board game staple. Do note that you do need the base game in order to make use of this expansion.
Carcassonne Board Game Deal price: $19; street price: $27 Read our review of the best beginner board games for adults.
Carcassonne is an intro-level strategy in which players build cities by drawing and placing random tiles and workers each turn to create medieval fortifications including roads, cities, cloisters, and farms. We like this game and think it's perfect for those who like Catan but want an alternative with more simplified rules and a shorter run-time. This deal is just shy of the lowest price we've seen for Carcassonne, and discounts on this game are few and far between.
Book of the Month Subscription Box Deal price: $5 with the code BOXEDUP; street price: $16 Read our review of the book subscription boxes we love for adults and kids.
Consider this book subscription box if you’re an avid reader who’s always looking for new recommendations. Book of the Month will send a new literary delight to your doorstep every month. Right now, you can get your first book for $5 with the code BOXEDUP before the monthly fee reverts to $16. (Note, though, that this deal doesn’t apply to gift subscriptions.) Readers can choose one of five recently released hardcovers. The picks are always books released during that month, and they span a range of genres to keep things interesting.
Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box (Target with store pickup) Deal price: $24; street price: $28
Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box (Walmart with store pickup) Deal price: $24; street price: $28 Read our review of the best Lego sets for kids.
If you want a large variety of brick shapes and colors bearing the Lego brand, the Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box is a time-tested choice. We recommend it in our guide to the best Lego sets for kids as a more advanced option for those who demonstrate that they’re ready for creative and open play. This 484-piece set is down to $24 from a street price around $28. Even though that isn’t a big discount, it matches the previous low. Shipping is delayed, so choose store pickup to grab it immediately without the shipping fees.
Codenames Game Deal price: $8 (with store pickup); street price: $15 Read our review of the best beginner board games for adults.
Codenames will make an excellent addition to your next game night, especially if you like wordplay games. This spy-themed word-affiliation game divides groups into two teams, with one player per team taking on the role of spymaster. On their turn, the spymaster offers single-word clues in an attempt to help their team guess which cards correspond with their hints. Simple but fun, it’s the kind of game where you can really flex your friendship’s synchronicity or laugh as the night dissolves into delightful chaos. Just $8 with store pickup or a larger Target purchase—and available from Amazon, as well—this game is at an exceptional price.
Purl Soho Learn to Knit Kit Deal price: $63; street price: $74 Read our review of the best ways to start a new hobby while staying home.
If you’re interested in learning how to knit, our staff loves the Purl Soho Learn to Knit Kit, which comes in a multitude of colors. And Purl, which also has an excellent archive full of free patterns for knitting, sewing, crocheting, quilting, weaving, and simple crafts, is currently offering free domestic shipping. Its Knit Kit typically sells for $74 but is now on sale for a new low price of $63.
Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow Reusable Travel Activity Pad 6-Pack (Walmart) Deal price: $20; street price: $24
Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow Reusable Travel Activity Pad 6-Pack (Amazon) Deal price: $20; street price: $24 Read our review of the best gear to take to a drive-in movie theater.
Road-trip activities are key to keep backseat passengers happy and tranquil. The Melissa & Doug Reusable Travel Activity Pad is a coloring pad that uses water and a refillable water pen to make the pages change pigment, which means you can reuse it and not worry about the kids coloring in the interior panels of your car. This deal at $20 is within a few bucks of the best price we’ve seen.
TickTalk 4 Kids Smartwatch (Walmart) Deal price: $160; street price: $190
TickTalk 4 Kids Smartwatch (Target) Deal price: $160; street price: $190 Read our review of the best smartwatches and phones for kids.
If you don’t want to give your child a smartphone but do want them to have a way to communicate with you as they become more independent, a smartwatch can be a useful tool. The TickTalk 4, designed for kids, pairs with a parent’s smartphone so you can call, send texts, or track your child’s whereabouts. Kids can respond with phone or video calls, send preset texts, or use the dial pad to call a different number (though parents can disable that feature). And since it’s water resistant, it’s more likely to survive when your kid is out in the rain or accidentally gets it wet.
Ticket to Ride Board Game Deal price: $22 with store pickup; street price: $33 Read our review of the best beginner board games for adults.
Ticket to Ride is a train-themed game we recommend for new gamers in our guide to the best beginner board games for adults. Simple to learn, it challenges players to build the best train routes across North America. If you’re looking for a new game-night staple, consider this one. At just $22, Ticket to Ride is at the lowest price we’ve seen for it in recent years.
Small World Strategy Board Game Deal price: $40; street price: $48 Read our review of the best board games.
Imagine a game of Risk that’s set in Middle-Earth and doesn’t take as long to play as rewatching all of the Lord of the Rings films would. That’s pretty much the experience of Small World, an area-control game filled with elves, dwarves, and halflings, among others. Down to $40 shipped (shipping adds $6 to the $34 stated sale price), this is a decent discount from the typical price of just under $50, though Boardlandia does vaguely warn of shipping delays.
Star Wars: Outer Rim Board Game Deal price: $45; street price: $55 Read our review of the best board games.
Set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Outer Rim thrusts players into the original trilogy universe where they must navigate the galaxy as smugglers, scoundrels, or bounty hunters in search of "Fame." Overall, we enjoyed the hint of nostalgia from this sci-fi classic and found the game well-balanced and easy to learn. Though not exactly cooperative, we appreciate that it steers away from promoting cut-throat competition like other games.
Mysterium Board Game Deal price: $25; street price: $40 Read our review of the best board games.
An excellent deal if you're looking to add another option to your game night, Mysterium is an expansive and continuous co-op adventure game from our guide to the best board games. Part Clue and part Dixit, players are psychics who must work together to solve a murder case based on ambiguous, beautifully illustrated “vision” cards that are open to interpretation. The fun of the game comes when Mysterium requires you to find the subtle connections between cards and to consider how each person is most likely to read them.
Space Cowboys Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Deal price: $41; street price: $48 Read our review of the best board games.
Featured in our gift guide for the best board games, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective transports you onto the streets of London where you'll be... solving murders! At $41, Consulting Detective is an irresistible puzzle for mystery fans of all stripes—and one that will challenge even the most perceptive and experienced players. There are tons of potential sources, clues, and leads that you can review, following the threads of the case in a satisfyingly organic way to reach your own conclusions.
7 Wonders Board Game Deal price: $30; street price: $45 Read our review of the best beginner board games for adults.
Nobody has an entire evening to create a civilization, so 7 Wonders is an excellent option for those looking for a board game that won't leave everyone bored by the end of the night. This civilization-building card-drafting game is playable with up to seven people, and it challenges players to build up a glorious civilization over the course of 18 turns (roughly 30 minutes games). While the rules are easy to grasp and the rounds are quick, there is plenty of strategy and depth to allow plenty of replayability.
Green Toys Watering Can Toy Deal price: $7; street price: $17 Read our review of the best gifts for 5-year-olds.
If your young child likes to get their hands dirty in the garden, the watering can set from Green Toys is great for encouraging them to develop their green thumb. Wirecutter recommends many of Green Toys’ products for kids because they are made from durable but slightly flexible plastic, and can survive years of indoor and outdoor use. Whether you live in a rural setting or an urban jungle with limited green space, this set is perfect for your budding horticulturalist. The set comes with a watering can, hand rake, and small shovel, and is back down to the best price we've seen.
Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Party Kit (Walmart with store pickup) Deal price: $12; street price: $20
Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Party Kit (Amazon) Deal price: $12; street price: $20 Read our review of the best gifts for 6-year-olds.
The Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Party Kit is a fun and crafty gift idea for younger kids. The little plastic bin comes with squeeze bottles in 14 vibrant colors, gloves, rubber bands, and some step-by-step directions. Although we've seen slightly better deals in the past, this is still a solid drop on a tie-dye kit that is guaranteed to entertain.
Melissa & Doug Double-Sided Tabletop Easel Deal price: $20; street price: $26 Read our review of the best gifts for 3-year-olds.
This sturdy wooden easel gives toddlers dozens of creative options for when they’re seated at the table or on the floor. On one side there’s a chalkboard; flip the whole thing over and you’ll find a magnetic dry-erase board on the opposite side. The set includes a 50-foot roll of paper for painting and drawing, five sticks of colored chalk, a dry-erase marker and felt eraser, and 36 letter and number magnets that can be stored in the wooden base tray. This easel is a variant of one we have previously posted, this time in a Walmart-specific colorway.
Magna-Qubix Magnetic Building Toy (29-piece) (Amazon) Deal price: $17; street price: $28
Magna-Qubix Magnetic Building Toy (29-piece) (Target with store pickup) Deal price: $17; street price: $28 Read our review of the best gifts for 4-year-olds.
This set of three-dimensional pyramids, prisms, and cubes is perfect for any kid who enjoys building and magnets. Our young tester particularly liked Magna-Qubix for adding more details to his structures, and liked using the unique shapes for other fun creations like dinosaurs and robots. One of our magnificent magnet gift picks for toddlers, the Magna-Qubix (29-piece) is available for $17 from a street price around $28.
ThinkFun Invasion of the Cow Snatchers Deal price: $24; street price: $30 Read our review of the best gifts for 7-year-olds.
This solo puzzle game from one of our gift guides for kids made Purdue University’s 2019 list of the best engineering toys for kids. In it, the player is a UFO attempting to beam up grazing cows in increasingly difficult puzzle sets. If you're looking for an entertaining game that will also get your kid's gears turning, ThinkFun Invasion of the Cow Snatchers is an excellent option. Normally selling for around $30, this modest drop to $24 is just a dollar more than the previous lowest price we've seen.
Teytoy Zoo Series Soft Alphabet Cards Deal price: $16; street price: $25 Read our review of the best gifts for 1-year-olds.
Looking for a way to keep your toddler entertained while out at a restaurant or sitting in the pediatrician's waiting room? Gone are the hard, bulky alphabet blocks of your childhood—an adorable ABCs toy we like in our gift guide for 1-year-olds, the Teytoy Zoo Series Soft Alphabet Cards are down to $20. These soft, machine-washable cloth cards stimulate your child's mind and instill important skills like letter and animal recognition, imagination, communication, and motor-skill development. Plus, the (equally soft and machine-washable) cloth carrying bag features a soft handle and snaps, so both you and your toddler can easily carry this fun and educational toy anywhere.
Uptown Farmer Terrarium Nightlight Deal price: $19 (with clipped on-page coupon); street price: $25 Read our review of the best gifts for 6-year-olds.
Featured in our gift guide for 6-year-olds, the Uptown Farmer Nightlight Terrarium is our do-it-yourself terrarium pick for kids, offering an exciting terrarium building kit that includes a nightlight. The kit’s instructions are simple enough for many 6-year-olds to follow independently, with some oversight: You layer the soil, rocks, sand, and seeds, and then you spray the surface with water. Now available for $19, this fun terrarium kit would be great for children interested in nature. Just don't forget to clip the on-page coupon.
Pinhole Press ABC Board Book Deal price: $36(with code CYBER21); street price: $50 Read our review of the best gifts for 1-year-olds.
The Pinhole Press ABC Board Book is brought to you by the letter C—for CYBER21, that is. You can use this code to snag our favorite personalized board book from our guide to the best gifts for 1-year-olds for just $38. Boasting thick, glossy pages that can withstand plenty of roughhousing (and, inevitably, drool), this is an excellent time to save on a customizable and educational keepsake your little one will love.
Skoolzy Peg Board Set Deal price: $13 (with clipped on-page coupon); street price: $16 Read our review of the best gifts for 2-year-olds.
A playful pegs set from our guide to the best gifts for 2-year olds, the Skoolzy Peg Board Set is back on sale for to $13 from $16 when you clip the on-page coupon. This peg board set offers toddlers just the right level of challenge and open-ended play. They can fit the pegs into holes on the included foam mat, but can also stack them one atop another to see how high they can go, or even string them together on a shoelace. Even though this isn't a massive price drop, this discount takes the Skoolzy Peg Board Set within a dollar of the lowest price we've seen for it.
Ergobaby 360 Cool Air Mesh Baby Carrier Deal price: $88; street price: $98 Read our review of the best baby carriers.
Though the street price has steadily dropped in recent months, this is a nice price for our runner-up baby carrier pick. The Ergobaby 360 Cool Air Mesh excels in hauling around larger youngsters, but unfortunately the backpack-style straps don't fit petite adults particularly well. While an included padded insert is needed to allow carrying of infants under 12 pounds, the Ergobaby does allow for front carried babies to face forward—a rare feature on other baby carriers. The cushy padding makes carrying around heavier youngsters more comfortable, but this does mean that this option is a bit bulkier than the competition.
Primary Signature Organic Family Pajamas Deal price: $8; street price: $18 Read our review of the best kids pajamas.
Whether you don't want to spend too much on PJs your little one will inevitably grow out of in a few months or your kiddo doesn't like the feeling of certain fabrics or tags on their jammies, consider this soft, sensory-friendly option from our kids pajamas guide. Available in a wide array of patterns and colors, Primary's durable pajamas are sold as separates, so you can mix and match. Right now, they're offering a discount of 50% off holiday pajamas for the entire family (even your pet!) and you can score an additional 20% off and free shipping with code HONEY20.
4moms mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing Deal price: $191; street price: $210 Read our review of the best baby swings.
Typically priced around $210, this is a decent discount even though it's not the lowest price we've ever seen. The 4moms mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing is the upgrade pick in our guide to the best baby swings. It has a wide variety of motions, the speediest setup, and the leanest design of our all our picks. The added convenience this swing offers certainly comes at a cost, but this discount helps mitigate that somewhat.
Eufy SpaceView Baby Monitor Deal price: $130; street price: $160 Read our review of the best baby monitors.
For the parent who wishes they could have eyes everywhere at once but hasn't mastered the power of omniscience (yet), consider our top baby monitor pick. The Eufy Spaceview offers everything we want and more from a reliable monitor: an adjustable camera, easy-to-use controls, solid range, fewer security concerns, and great video and audio quality. We've seen better discounts in the past, but we still think this drop to $130 with the clipped on-page coupon is worth your while if you don't mind that this single-cam kit doesn't offer remote check-ins via Wi-Fi.
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