It’s the end of the year and, if there are in young people in your life, it’s time to try and remember what kind of toys they like. Because fads come and go and minds change so fast, we’ve put together a list of cool stuff that is almost sure to light up a face when it’s unwrapped.

But we’re not leaving you out either. A lot of the items we’ve listed below are either fun to help the kids with, or to simply keep for yourself. If you’ve ever had to use the “it’s for my non-existent kids” lie in a store, this part of the year is the perfect time to do so.

LEGO Dimensions

LEGO Dimensions could be on this list as well as our one for videogames. This is a “toys-to-life” game like Disney Infinity and Skylanders before it. The difference here is that the toys are regular LEGO minifigures and pieces that sit on NFC tags. These tags work with a toy pad that is linked to your console by way of a USB cable. You can add new characters and vehicles, solve puzzles and unlock new levels by putting the tags onto the toy pad.

To play the game you’ll need the R1 500 Starter Pack (for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, a R1 300 version exists for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) which gets you around 15 hours of playtime with three characters and one vehicle. Granted, those three characters are Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle, and the vehicle is the batmobile, you will need to pay more to get expansion packs and new content. These range from R250 Fun packs with one new character and one new vehicle, up to the R600 Story Packs which could be counted as new games altogether.

Price: R250 – R1 500

From: Animeworx

Radio Controlled BB-8 (Hasbro Version)*

This is a strange pick for two reasons: the end of this year is more focused on Rogue One instead of The Force Awakens, and a much better version of this toy exists in a product from Sphero. Well let us explain. BB-8 is the cutest robot ever, so we will bring it up as often as we can. Secondly, Sphero’s version is about R1 000 more than this version and many people think that this it is the only option for a BB-8 that behaves a lot like the one in the movie. While it doesn’t match the quality of the more expensive version, it is much bigger and doesn’t require a phone (and a downloaded app) to work. While we do admit that this is still an expansive gift for kids or to yourself, there is no denying the sheer cool factor of this droid’s design.

*Map to Luke Skywalker sold separately.

Price: R1 777

From: Raru

Desktop Bat Signal

Remember the lasers that are sold at flea markets that came with interchangeable heads? There was usually a regular dot, a simely face and, if you were lucky, a crudely made bat. Now you can have a proper Bat Signal on your desk thanks to this toy. We’ve had a look at one of these before and even under the harsh lights of a trade floor the Bat Signal shun true, we can only imagine that it looks even better at night.

This version of the signal looks to be the Val Kilmer / Batman Forever logo and, thanks to the yello and black parts of the logo in front of the light, your projection will have colour. There’s no official way to change the logo or its colour, but we’ve seen it done with 3D printing in the past.

Price: R500

From: The Gadget Shop

Nerf Gun

There are few things as fun as running around the house, doing combat rolls, speaking to imaginary comrades, and then shooting random objects with a shiny new Nerf gun. We’d feel wrong not including it in a buyer’s guide for end of the year toys, so we looked for a model that struck the right balance of size, price, and magazinee. After all, what fun is shooting stuff if you have to lazily walk across the room and pick up your dart every time.

To that end we chose the “Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster” – a rather large, revolver-style gun that hold six darts. If you want more a 12-pack of official darts will run you R70 more. Our favourite part of this one is the fact that the barrel that holds the six darts can be swung out like a real revolver. Maybe we’ve been playing too much Overwatch as McCree…

Price: R300

From: Takealot

Hexbug Battle Spider

While the Hexbug you’re familiar with is nothing more than a weighted motor and a battery enclosed in a bright shell, this is something much more. This is something much better. The “Battle Spider” is an RC robot that you can control with an included robot. It not only walks around, but it can fight other Battle Spiders thanks to infrared “weapons”. Sensors in the spider pick up when it has taken damage and comes with lights and sounds to accompany the damage.

The only real drawback is the fact that you’ll need to buy two of them to get the real experience. This, however, may be a godsend for parents who have kids that routinely fight over who gets “the best” toy, as they’ll be getting the exact same thing. Just keep in mind that online purchases will usually provide a random colour out of the two available options, so email them and ask for a specific one.

Price: R480

From: Loot

LEGO Mindstorms

We started with LEGO so let’s end with LEGO and probably the best toy we can imagine. Mindstorms is more of a platform than a toy unto itself. In the box you’ll find motors, sensors and other robotic parts that link up to a central “brain” that you can load up with programmes. You can then attach these pieces to any existing LEGO you may have. If you need more motors, sensors or battery packs, you can buy additional Power Functions boxes that will bolster your supply.

Because of this the Mindstorms box listed here is much like the Starter Pack of LEGO Dimensions. It gives you enough to do almost anything, but when you reach the edges of your imagination there is a way to expand. Yes, it’s exorbitantly expensive, but we really can’t think of anything better, or anything that comes close.

Price: R5 290

From: Creativeplay