Enough age and enough stress has the power to suck the joy out of anything. Many of us start to feel the ravages of time far too early, worrying about money, jobs, security, and relationships. It is its own kind of madness, but there are those that manage to escape. They are the truly youthful. They stay young internally even as their body degrades. They maintain a sense of wonder, of playfulness, and of fun that lacks from everyday life for most of us. That is why we celebrate the big kid. Peter Pan to our sober and serious world.
Our greatest challenge in finding the 20 best holiday gifts for the big kid was in cutting it down to the best of the best. Put any one of these items in an adult’s hand and they’re instantly going to find their lost child and be ready to play with the best of them.
Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction
Let your office warfare combatant or home tinkerer craft a few archaic items for launching, tossing, throwing, and shooting paper clips, spitballs, and all manner of household ordnance. Each book specializes in a different type of weapon for raining fiery death.
Nerf Firevision Sports Football
Nerf’s first toy was a foam ball. Now they’ve proven that they’re still the first name in padded sports with the Firevision. Wearing their specialized glasses, you’ll be able to see the ball glow, while it will look normal to everyone else, giving your team an edge as the sun fades from the field of play.
Tait Balsa Wood Turbo Flyer
Harkening back to the good old days, the Turbo Flyer from Tait is the upgraded, adult version of the cheap wooden planes of the past. These can do more tricks, stand up to more tough landings, and perform far better than you remember.
Cards Against Humanity
The bawdy game guaranteed to offend everyone is a staple in the home of any person who is looking to be a little sophisticated while still having a raucous time. It starts as a card game, but you’ll find yourself actually learning in between the laughter.
Beardski Ski Mask
Give your ski gear a makeover that’s sure to shock everyone on the slopes. While it does just look like a fake beard, with the silk lining and comfortable protection for your neck and chin, it’s a fully functional muffler with mountain man flair.
The Pocket Shot
It appears to be a garbage bag on a ring, but what the Pocket Shot holds is reckless play in a pocket-sized package. It’s a slingshot that doesn’t look menacing or dangerous, but is ready for action the minute you pull off the cap. Shoots projectiles up to 350 ft. per second.
Snowball Blaster Pro
Load it up with a fistful of snow and let the machine do the work. It will kick out three perfectly round, aerodynamically sound snowballs and fire them 80 feet with disastrous results. This is the nuclear solution when it comes to snow warfare.
Elastic Precision 1911 Rubber Band Gun
Forget about revolvers, this is a semi-automatic rubber band firearm made for the modern attacker. Made of maple and walnut it’s built to stand up to punishment in the field and still fire straight and true every time.
Bug-A-Salt 2.0 Flyswatter
Just because something is fun doesn’t mean it needs to be useless. Flying pests can be a literal plague during the summer months. By arming your big kid with the Bug-A-Salt and turning him loose, he’ll have your pests under control and be laughing sadistically while doing it.
Hot Wheels Car Maker
If you don’t have a 3-D printer capable of making your own How Wheels cars, then this is the next best thing. With just wax, molds, and this specialized press, your kid will be whipping out new cars to destroy on a daily basis.
Nerf Rival Zeus MXV-1200 Blaster
This isn’t just any foam cannon. This is a serious piece of mechanically-firing action that has to use high-impact rounds to ensure your munitions survive their rapid flight and ultimate destruction of any target that dares challenge for dominance. In fact, it’s capable of firing projectiles at 70 mph.
Blade Nano QX RTF Quadcopter
Your basic beginner quadcopter for those new to the drone game, the Nano is an inexpensive work of durable art. Intended to survive crash landings and more than a little rough trade, this is the drone you can learn on and then keep just to beat around for kicks.
Anki Overdrive Starter Kit
Fight, race, and compete with your friends using only your smartphone. With the Overdrive starter kit you can build numerous battlefields to test your skill on the track. Add expansions to create a Thunderdome over which your big kid can rule the neighborhood.
Pyro Mini Fireshooter
Using the cunning combination of flash paper and modern technology, the Mini Fireshooter allows anyone to hurl actual fireballs from their fingertips. No special training required and intended to be as safe as it can be, this is sure to light up your big kid’s face.
Sphero BB-8 Droid
The early breakout star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the new BB-8 droid. Now you can bring him home with this app-respondent model from the geniuses that brought Sphero, one of the most versatile and sophisticated adult toys ever made by human hands.
LEGO Tumbler
First seen in Batman Begins, the Tumbler has become the favorite batmobile among many for its tough, industrial looks and militaristic build. Now you can bring that equipment home to your personal batcave / Lego love dungeon.
Self Balancing Hoverboard
They may be attempting to ban these in cities across the country, but that’s only help propel the “hoverboard” hype. And after several refinements, the GalaxyBoard has become an engaging way to commute and a new street level trickster for any daredevil who doesn’t know how brittle bones can be.
Razor Crazy Cart XL
Able to go up to 17 mph, this is an adult-sized Crazy Cart made for drift racing around the neighborhood in the most tacitly unsafe way possible. Plenty reckless and fun as hell, there’s a surprising amount of control built in to reduce crashes and spins.
DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone
One of the simplest and most impressive drones on the market, the Phantom 3 allows the new user or the experienced pilot an easy interface that makes spying on neighbors, shooting full motion video, or handling aerial tricks a walk in the park.
Boosted Electric Skateboard
An amped up and pimped out 1,000 Watt electric longboard, the Single has an 8 mile radius for commuters or pleasure-riders alike. It’s light enough to be toted onto busses and subways, but sturdy enough to take hours of use on tough roads and broken asphalt.
