The best holiday gifts for fun and games

All products featured on this page were selected by Toronto Life’s editors. However, when you purchase an item through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

See our full holiday gift guide.

Toronto sticker

It’s nice that, even in 2024, there’s one thing we can all agree on: while there are several correct ways to pronounce the city’s name, there’s definitely one wrong way. $6

Hanukkah card

A happy Hannukactus to all who celebrate. This adorably prickly card is from cute and quirky paper goods company I Must Draw. $7

Pencil set

Childless cat ladies are having a moment this year. Wish your favourites a meow-y Catsmas with this pack of seven on-point pencils. $11

BFF necklace

A best-friend necklace set for buds who happen to be cantankerous, fast-­healing, adamantium-coated Canadian superheroes. $13

Raccoon finger puppet

Ah, trash pandas—poets of refuse, scholars of scraps, raiders of the midnight hour, the city’s unofficial mascot. Chickadees, foxes and skunks also available. $15

Travel game

Keep the kids occupied on road trips with National Geographic’s scavenger hunt card set. It offers five educational games in one. $17

Green eye paint

Transition from a brat summer to a Grinchy holiday season with this super-saturated lime-green matte eye paint from vegan makeup brand About-Face. $21

Porter gift cards

Make gift-giving easy by purchasing a gift card online and delivering it directly to your gift recipient’s inbox—or schedule it to arrive at a later date. Porter gift cards can be used for any flight to any Porter destination and in any denomination from $25 up to $500, the perfect gift for any budget. $25 to $500

Dim sum game

This Toronto-designed card game adorably transforms dim sum etiquette into fun for the whole family (or two to five players). $26

Uterus stuffie

Everyone deserves a womb of their own. This plushie comes with an educational booklet about the “mother of all organs.” $29

Hijabi plushie

Canadian company Zuri and Dre makes plush toys for folks who feel under­represented, unnoticed or unappreciated, like the Yara Hijabi doll. $30

X-Men ’97 action figure

Because someone on your list was super into this flawlessly executed, critically beloved nostalgia-bait series from Marvel Studios. $37

Dog collar

Pet accessories brand The Rover Boutique sells handcrafted goods at more than 100 retailers. This gingham collar is equal parts adorable and durable. $37

Balance game

A night of family fun hangs in the balance with Suspend, a Melissa and Doug game in which squiggly rods teeter on top of one another. $43

Dick Wolf hat

This cap, embroidered with that iconic font, is an ideal stocking stuffer for anyone who’s inordinately excited about the next season of Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. $43

Hey Kids, Watch This!

For families who want to start a movie-night tradition, this genre-, decade- and country-­spanning new book from A24 is jam-packed with more than 100 film recommendations organized by age group. $52

Ninja Turtles van

Ninjas don’t fight with honour, they fight with…pizza? At least the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles do, with this fully functioning pie-launching van. $56

Plush capybara

The year is 2016, and two capybaras have escaped from High Park Zoo. An adorable media frenzy ensues. Relive the excitement with Clyde the Capybara. $56

Doodle duffle

Mini jet-setters can doodle away the hours with this duffle from actor Shay Mitchell’s luggage brand. Draw with washable marker, then throw it in the laundry. $58

Pasta cap

The science is in: eat pasta, run fasta. This pre-washed soft cotton canvas cap from Australian slow fashion brand Lenn Label doesn’t lie. $58

Clear backpack

Y2K nostalgia is on full display with this transparent backpack from Herschel. (Five Star binder, Discman and Tamagotchi not included.) $69

Lazy Susan

Susan can’t catch a break. Not only is she a little slothful, but now she can’t make up her mind—at least according to Adam J. Kurtz’s indecisive tray. $78

The Legend of Zelda

In Echoes of Wisdom, the latest instalment in the Zelda series, a malevolent force threatens Hyrule. Now, it’s up to the princess to save the kingdom. $80

Monster truck

Earn your nibling’s everlasting love with this two-foot-long remote-­controlled all-terrain truck by Hot Wheels. $85

Decorative plate

Finally, a dish that says what everyone’s thinking. Born in Paris and based in Lisbon, designer and ceramist Laetitia Rouget makes homeware and artwork that are as beautiful as they are cheeky. $90

Indie mag club

Print enthusiasts get quarterly deliveries of new titles hand-picked by in-the-know staff at Dundas West’s Issues. $100 every three months

Furby

Twenty-odd years after its creation, a new Furby is born—and the ear-­wiggling, always-­giggling, Furbish-­speaking toy is more colourful and unhinged than ever. $100

Shoe-cleaning hedgehog

This prickly pal is made of durable beechwood and Bassine fibre. From Redecker, crafter of household brushes for more than 80 years. $111

Auntie long-sleeve tee

Aunties make the world go round, at least according to Mriga Kapadiya and Amrit Kumar, the duo behind Indian streetwear brand NorBlack NorWhite. $113

Kids’ microscope

Encourage wee ones to explore everything with this cool tool that goes up to 200x magnification. BBC educational slides included. $120

Colour-block backpack

Spanish brand Bobo Choses knows how to speak to kids. This fuzzy pack has adjustable straps and loads of compartments. $132

Teensy record player

With a motor, amplifier and speaker packed into a 12-­centimetre officially licensed VW van replica, this may be the world’s smallest vinyl player. $150

Inflatable chair

This lounger by Curves, a furniture and home decor brand from Toronto multi­disciplinary artist Sean Brown, feels (and looks) like a cloud. $230

Link cushion

Send a message to the old ball and chain with this embroidered velvet pillow from Canadian artist and designer Annie Axtell. $265

Ski goggles

Because they can’t ski if they can’t see. The Sweet Protection Connor RIG Reflect Goggles have an extra-wide field of vision and enhanced contrast. $280

Bird feeder camera

What could be better for the birder on your list than an AI-powered, smart-camera-­equipped feeder that sends close-ups directly to their phone? $330

Long-lasting speaker

The OB-4 by Swedish electronics brand Teenage Engineering is an all-in-one speaker, radio, looper and sampler. Stellar sound guaranteed. $760

Cowboy boots

Brother Vellies, founded by Toronto’s Aurora James, makes the Western boots of your Cowboy-Carter-meets-­reproductive-justice dreams. $2,511

E-scooter

The Apollo Pro is what you’d get if a Tesla Cybertruck and a Mac had a baby. It has 12-inch wheels, a solid aluminum unibody and high-tech app features. $4,299

Electric van

Former hippies, rejoice. Volkswagen has reimagined its iconic bus for the electric age. The long-awaited ID.Buzz has a 377-kilometre range, a heat pump to reduce winter driving anxiety and extra-spacious seats. $80,631