For parents who are making their list and checking it twice, I may have found the holy grail of kids’ toys that will deliver ageless fun for both parent and child this holiday season. How do I know? It’s an update on a beloved classic—and one that was invented by a dad. Most importantly, my kid (age 7) was mesmerized by it.
What is this top-notch toy, you ask? It happens to be a new arrival from Magna-Tiles, and it’s currently on sale as part of Walmart's Cyber Monday Deals (was $40, now $28), which is in full swing from now through December 1 at midnight ET. (Psst: the best deals at Walmart don't just include kids’ toys, there are savings across all categories, including tech, fashion and more.)
Back to this Magna-Tiles set: I first tested it with my son by my side at a holiday toy fair, held in early fall in New York. I was there to conduct a bit of market research, but brought along my 7-year-old sidekick, who loves Pokémon and soccer, but still reaches for his bin of Magna-Tiles frequently to build tall towers, dinosaur habitats, the sky’s the limit.
But that’s what makes this new arrival—called Magna-Tiles Rail Racers Set—so cool. It’s the same magnetic set of tiles your kids know and love, but it’s leveled up to unlock a whole new form of play: It has track rails. That means that kids have the ability to build racetracks, ramps, bridges and more to enhance the way they play with the set. (A ball also comes included, but your kid can use everything from matchbox cars to your own marbles to experiment as you plot races down the track.)
