Thinky Toys Gift Guide

Christmas time is upon us, and with that, it’s the perfect time to get loved ones some thinky-themed presents and welcome them to the genre, and what better way to that than with toys!

We’ve put together this list of some picks for thinky toys that we believe would make great presents for friends and family this holiday season, so take a look and see if anything catches your eye. This is one of three thinky gift guides we’re publishing this holiday season: also look for our lists of tabletop games and thinky books!

Here we have a selection of toys that include several heavy hitters from ThinkFun. First, we have the ever-popular Rush Hour. This sliding puzzle involves moving various-length cars around a board to create a path for your little read car to reach the end, with various levels of difficulty that can make for a fun and challenging pastime.

Next, we have Smart Games’ Atlantis Escape, a small puzzle game that involves using stairway puzzle pieces to create a path from the high tower to the exit, with multiple levels of difficulty that can be fun for young kids up to puzzle-loving adults.

Lastly, we have another ThinkFun offering. Gravity Maze involves picking a challenge card that requires you to move a marble from one location to another using multiple towers, each with various shapes and ways to move the marbles down the towers to the goal.

This entry is not one, but multiple possible gifts, and all of them are fantastic! These Cluebox‘s are best described as mini escape rooms you can take on the go, with multiple puzzles to solve involving moving, shifting, and solving each conundrum with moving pieces and contraptions. There are multiple options to choose from of varying difficulties, so take your pick at which one to buy!

Ok, so we got another multi-choice entry, but once again it’s due to the the great options you have to choose from. These pocket-sized puzzles can be little challenges that will keep your loved ones busy during the holidays and include simple disassembling and reassembling puzzles with various difficulty options. They are simple, clean, and a fun extra stocking stuffer if you need some quick thinky fun. If you want some particulars, I quite like the News, Hourglass, and Cyclone.

The Puzzle-a-Day Calendar is a great way to get a little thinky into your day-to-day. This toy comes with several pieces that once filled into the puzzle, show a date and month, with every day of the year possible as an answer.

Whether you want to simply run through your year or challenge yourself with some special dates, its a great way option if you want a little challenge to start your day.

Rubik’s Edge is an entry-level toy from Rubik that is designed to help build confidence in solving these world-renowned puzzles. Unlike normal Rubik’s Cubes, this toy has fewer permutations and can be easier to solve, and comes with tips and instructions on solving some puzzles with the toy, further aiding your journey into Rubik’s products.

Lastly, we have the Starburst Puzzle. This crafty little brain teaser requires you to somehow extract the cluster inside the cage, using a mixture of patience, determination, and creative problem-solving to complete it. It may look impossible, but there is a way, and it makes for a simple yet enjoyable addition to a stocking.