The Best Holiday Toys and Gifts for School-Aged Kids

We're having a moment with fairies, and we're not just talking Tinker Bell. If the little ones are having a ball reading fairy books and making fairy houses, this fairy door is the perfect gift. It gives the opportunity to invite the fairy magic into a bedroom or playroom and to still believe in magic all year long. $24, theirishfairydoorcompany.com

Kids can make 35 different types of squishy pencil erasers out of eraser clay—just bake them in the oven. Comes with eight colours of clay and the designs to work off of. $29, mastermindtoys.com

Torch is the pet dragon every kid longs for. He's loyal, breathes real coloured mist, eats marshmallow treats, and plays games whenever you want to. He's also fairly feisty and lives in an enchanted forest, as dragons do. $110, toysrus.ca

We are big Harry Potter fans (HUGE) and it was always hard waiting until the kids were old enough to listen to the story without needing pictures to help them understand. Now the books are available with beautiful illustrations to bring the world to life, so we can share the story with the younger kids. Start with the first book and continue building the series with an installment each special occasion for a magical gift. $30, chapters.indigo.ca

Everyone's new favourite droid BB-8 rolls around and makes all his sounds and expressions at the touch of a button. $80,walmart.ca

Remember the game Simon? Where you had to memorize a pattern of lights on different coloured squares and repeat it? It's back, with a cool hoop version where you just have to hover your hand over the correct location to register the pattern. It's still super fun and addictive, and excellent for recognizing patterns and memory work. Plus, it gets the adrenaline flowing and is a fun game to pass from person to person in a group. $20, sears.com

Ok, so the whole family liked the movie (JT and Anna Kendrick—what's not to like?) and now the kiddos can have fun re-enacting scenes with the Coronation Pod playset, featuring main characters Poppy and Branch. Make them sing, dance and most of all—play with their awesome hair! $40, thebay.com

Hatchimals are magical creatures you hatch from an egg…and they're one of the biggest toys of the year. As your kiddo plays with the speckled egg, something moves and chirps inside…and eventually hatches! It's a process that is frankly fascinating to watch. It's sold out in a lot of stores, but more shipments are coming in early December! $90,hatchimals.com

There's a reason that My Little Pony is as popular now as it was when we were kids—it's still so much fun to play with. This story collection takes place at Pinkie Pie's Sweet Shoppe and the décor is too cute for words. Plus, cupcake accessories…'nuff said. $26, amazon.ca

The animated series Yo-Kai is all the rage and this watch will help them act out every story line. Complete with sounds and animation of the yo-kai and two medals (extras sold separately), they'll have a ball summoning characters and entering a whole new creative land. $40, toysrus.ca

For the ultimate Star Wars fan, this set, which comes with a Star Wars battling micro quad, controller, and Death Star turret, is perfect for rereating iconic scenes. $99, available at canadiantire.ca.

What is especially cool about this assortment is that it has an abundance of all the cool special pieces that we previously never had enough of. We're talking awesome styles of doors and windows for amazing architecture, wheels for cars and other fantastical vehicles, and eyes for mystical creatures. A great offering to go beyond set building and into pure creativity. $60, mastermindtoys.com

Move over Superman, the next generation is here to save the day. SuperGirl is the hero du jour for feisty, strong kids this year. (Wonder Woman and Batgirl are available, too.) $20,toysrus.ca

20 of the latest Shopkins from Season 5, plus 4 petkins backpacks and a collector's guide, all in one mega pack…for $20. Who's looking cool? (You are.) $20,toysrus.ca

For the car obsessed, only the best garage will do. There's over 50 spots to park in this four-level garage. There's a rotating platform and carwash too, natch. $99,walmart.ca