Some of our favorite brain-boosting games for kids of all ages

By testing children Physical and mental limits, these games help children learn where the limits of their knowledge lie, and how to transcend them. Take a look at some of our favorite ways to color outside the lines.

Orbita MIDI color sequence

Photography: Antosh Sergio

This turntable sequencer is like a game of musical roulette for budding improvisers. Place the colored magnets anywhere on the four concentric gray rings, each of which controls a MIDI loop. Then connect the sequencer to your smartphone or computer, connect your favorite music software, and start creating. All four rings operate simultaneously, with each magnet representing a different tone or sound. You can adjust the volume and mute individual loops as well. Refreshingly mechanical, Orbita makes visualizing music production easy for kids. $458, playtronica.com

LEGO Smart Play System Pokemon sets

Photography: Antosh Sergio

By combining a new smart brick, programmable NFC tags and minifigures, kids of all ages can now design and interact with Lego creations like never before. The 2×4 rechargeable smart brick is equipped with a synthesizer, speaker, accelerometer, gyroscope, light and sound sensors, and LEDs. GPS can sense the direction between multiple smart bricks. Big bonus: Lego’s intelligent play system is fully functional without attention-sucking screens.

Lego’s first Pokémon collaboration nearly crashed the website, so the Danes must have had IT on standby when 12 new smart playsets appeared online. There are two complete sets: the 400-piece Pikachu Training House and the 751-piece Charizard-Jolteon Battle, which includes rechargeable smart cubes and NFC tags that can trigger lights, sounds, motion and sensors.

Have you already got some clever play? The other 10 compatible sets, including Mewtwo’s Lab Break, Cubone, and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown, contain the Markers but not the Smart Bricks. $70 and up, lego.com

Rainbow Staplestine Collection

Courtesy of Stapelstein

An interactive adventure toy done in style, the Rainbow Set features six stacking chairs, a balance board, plus a range of nesting pieces that can be combined to create whatever their imagination requires. Stepping stones, a wobbly track, a color sorter, a toddler throne, a snack tray, a spinner, a fort barricade or a floor upgrade to lava. The lightweight, toxin-free, 100 percent recyclable EPP pieces are waterproof, wipe clean, and strong enough for adults (max. 396 pounds), so don’t forget to include novelty. $299, stablestein.com

Kids Lane Electronic Dance Mat

Courtesy of Kidzlan

We cannot promise that he will turn out to be a son. to Fred Astaire overnight, but this value-packed dance mat will get your kids moving and (hopefully) off the ground. Suitable for ages 6-12, it features a built-in speaker, Bluetooth, AUX so you can plug in your favorite songs and four built-in games with five difficulty levels, including a brilliant ‘Simon Says’ mode that gets them thinking as well as dancing. And before you ask, yes, the volume is adjustable, and the batteries are removable. $19, Walmart.com

Takwai Swikar

Courtesy of Takway.AI

Well, it’s a re-imagined Tamagotchi, but instead of making a few beeps and pressing buttons to keep it alive, Sweekar has loaded it with generative AI and given it long-term memory, sophisticated dialogue, and a “personality.” We’re sure it’ll be fine, and negligence won’t lead to a lawsuit when the robots finally take over, but for now we suggest being careful and making sure kids take care of it carefully through the egg, baby, teen and adult stages. The 89g pocket pet also mimics body warmth and breathing, which is not scary at all. $149, takway.ai

Lowe’s robot

Courtesy of Concrete Future

LOOI turns your smartphone into a fun little tank-like desktop robot, using the screen as its face and the camera, microphone and processor as its brain. Install it on your phone (minimum iOS 17+, or Android 12+), open the app, and powered by ChatGPT, it can chat, remember preferences, interact with touch and gestures, play animated games, avoid desk edges, and draw funny faces. It also doubles as a 10W wireless charger and an adjustable phone holder, making it marginally more useful than your last assistant – although it can’t yet make coffee. $239, looirobot.com

Crocs Super Mario Core Classic Clog

Courtesy of Crocs

As with the Supreme x Louis Vuitton collaboration, which is much more fun, the Crocs Mushroom Kingdom takeover is a joyful celebration of PEVA footwear. Available in adult and children’s sizes, the Core Classic Clog features a detailed graphic print with classic in-game elements like coins, Super Stars and Green Shells, while the sole is wrapped in dimensional details resembling green piping and grassy terrain. Naturally, each pair comes with Super Mushroom external spikes, a “?” Block badge on the back strap, and eight magical Jibbitz pieces featuring Mario and Luigi. $70, Crocs.com

Gibson x Log Les Paul

Courtesy of Logue

Loog has been making great guitars to learn to play for over 10 years, and their intuitive three-string pickups make it easy for anyone to learn the basics before moving on to a full fretboard. After a successful partnership with Fender, they have now teamed up with Gibson to produce a small electric guitar in either the classic SG style – putting the youth in Angus Young’s favorite axe of AC-DC – or with the famous Les Paul curves shown here. And before you ask, these are proper instruments, with a solid poplar body, Canadian neck, rosewood fingerboard, single coil and 19 frets suitable for 1.8mm fingerboards. $229, loogguitars.com

Wom Wow Balance Bike

Courtesy of WOM

The perfect purchase if your Bambino has mastered the art of sitting and standing independently, and you want more fun and chaotic adventure in your life. This self-balancing bike is designed for babies 9 months old (28 to 40 inches in height). It gives them the chance to become the next big name on Red Bull’s MotoGP roster before they realize that broccoli aren’t actually fun little trees. $199, Wom.com

Keybo headphones

Courtesy of Kibo

Turn kids’ headphones into a cool STEM project, with assembled parts they assemble before they listen. The Kibu wired cases are 3D printed from recycled and plant-based materials, use a standard 3.5mm jack, limit sound volume to 85dB, and have a second auxiliary port for connecting with friends. Every part can be customized, repaired, replaced and ultimately recycled, an attention to detail very rare in adults, let alone in kid’s technology. WIRED hopes more adult gear takes the same sustainable approach, with gear designed to be understandable and long-lasting. $73, Kibo Family

Marvin Miniblocks

Courtesy of Little Marvin

With 35 million copies sold for the Gameboy alone, Tetris proved that a set of simple shapes can become one of gaming’s most enduring obsessions. Marvin’s Miniblocks gives this idea a preschool-friendly, screen-free reboot with a wooden board, 42 chunky shapes and 10 pattern cards to build, match, rotate and create. It’s part puzzle, part building set, and made from eco-friendly wood with a non-toxic paint. There is one important detail missing though. $55, the-littlemarvin.com

Hoover Air Aqua

Courtesy of Hoover Air

This 34mph drone has 10 flight modes, a 4K 100fps action camera and a waterproof floating shell, also making it the first design capable of landing on water. It weighs less than 250 grams, which means you won’t need FAA registration to fly. The battery is enough for 23 minutes of flying, and there is 128GB of built-in storage. Plus, with Level 7 wind resistance, it’s happy to fly in wind gusts of up to 38 mph, making it the perfect companion for solo foiling, windsurfing and sailing shots. $1,299, hoverair.com

Modo balance track

Courtesy of MODU

Think of this as an oversized Meccano set, with 17 pieces including four FSC-certified birch balance beams (27.6 inches long), four chunky blocks (7.9 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches) made from recycled EPP foam, eight pegs and an idea booklet. Designed for ages 3-8, they are great for imaginative play, coordination, building and problem solving. It’s also surprisingly good value for a set of this scale. And when kids finally get bored of the balance, they can be repurposed into a shelving unit. $203, modutoy.com

Timex Time Machines 29mm Dinosaur Watch

Courtesy of Timex

It tells the story of any era, not just the Jurassic. Made especially for kids, this 29mm Timex dinosaur-themed watch features an easy-to-read dial, minute markers, and an adjustable rubber strap. The quartz movement means accuracy is guaranteed, while the front glass is actually made of polymer, so not only does it have good impact resistance, it can be easily polished to remove scratches should playtime get rowdy. One final blessing: All Timex kids watches come with a 100% worry-free replacement plan, so you don’t have to worry about lost or broken watches. $49, timex.com

UNO Canvas x MoMA Card Game

Courtesy of Mattel

This is the latest in a series of creative collaborations from Mattel Toys, bringing together the world’s best-selling card toy with a selection of the most celebrated artists from MoMa’s permanent collection. Featuring Sonia Delaunay, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Claude Monet, Lyubov Popova, and Vincent Van Gogh, this is a gorgeous limited edition update to the 52-year-old toy. And before you ask, it’s unfortunate that the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter still collects +4. $25, Mattel.com

Blipblox after dark

Courtesy of Blipblox

Are you frustrated that your kids don’t ask you enough about your love for The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, and why Talk Talk? The party is over He is the The seminal synth album of 1982? Maybe you can spark their imagination with this brilliantly comprehensive compound designed for all ages. It comes pre-loaded with 300 built-in ringtones and 100 drum sounds, meaning you (sorry, them) can get the modulation, pitch changing and swing right out of the box. The built-in speaker and AA battery power make it easy to use anywhere, but the MIDI input and quarter-inch output mean it can be plugged into the “proper” gear later. $219, blipblox.com

Dex camera

Courtesy of Dix

Take a photo and Dex will identify what’s in the frame, then teach him the word in one of 16 languages. It can turn pictures into flash cards and use spoken stories to make learning fun. $249, dex.camera