THAT 2019 Holiday Buying Guide
Top Picks From THAT Crew
Regardless of age, fun and geeky gadgets and tools entertain us, make life easier and help us grow. They are fun to give, receive and can always make a great gift for the hard to buy for person we all have on our list. But with so much out there, where to start? With the exploding world of technology, there are countless choices out there. THAT Crew has you covered!
We went through all the items on our wish lists, stuff we love, have heard about and put together THAT 2019 Holiday Buying Guide. To help you find the perfect gift we’ve broken down our list into categories, which member of THAT Crew loves it and why.
All Ages
Raspberry Pi raspberrypi.org (Mike) It can be used for things such as weather station software, controlling a robot, gaming, digital art, music or tons of other things. The possibilities are pretty much endless!
Oculus Quest oculus.com/quest/ (Greg) VR without the computer needed - VR used to mean plugging into a very powerful computer, but with the Oculus Quest, no more! This is a fully standalone head-mounted display (HMD) that will let you immerse yourself into countless games.
Lego Voltron lego.com/en-us/product/voltron-21311 (Aaron and Greg) Voltron is a total throwback to the 1980s but its popularity has made a resurgence. For kids and adults who are kids, this is a great project. It’s not cheap and it’s hard to find, but worth it for the hardcore Voltron geek.
Giiker Smart Supercube Puzzle Game store.moma.org/kids/games-puzzles/giiker-smart-supercube-puzzle-game/8204-145541.html (Keith) Bluetooth enabled game cube… think Rubik’s Cube++!
Click and Grow Smart Garden clickandgrow.com/collections/products (Clark) Mix a little Vitamin D into your office while growing fresh herbs and veggies without ever thinking about watering or lighting, that’s right, it does it all for you!
Picture This Clothing picturethisclothing.com (THAT Crew) We were thrilled to have Jaimee Newberry as one of our keynoters for 2019 and love all she is doing at Picture This Clothing! Kids clothing, adults, toys, beanies… amazing stuff!
Geeklings
Picasso Tiles www.picassotiles.com (Aaron) The possibilities are endless with Picasso Tiles. Kids love them because they’re colorful, magical to connect together, and available in a ton of shapes and sizes. Adults like them because you can visualize so many ideas, one piece at a time. Keep your mind occupied without having to rely on your fidget spinner.
Lego Boost lego.com/en-us/product/boost-creative-toolbox-17101 (Erin) I like this because it combines Lego building with block style programming.
Hack Laptop (learn to code by hacking) hack-computer.com/products/hack-laptop (Greg) The laptop that teaches kids to code. Voted Best First Laptop by Parents in 2019. Targeted for kids 10+.
Snap Circuits elenco.com/brand/snap-circuits (Erin) I like this because it introduces electrical circuits to young ages with easy to follow pictures.
Turing Tumble turingtumble.com (Brett) Build marble-powered computers
mBot makeblock.com/steam-kits/mbot (Greg) mBot is a STEAM education robot for beginners (kids) - Robot Kits for Kids! The mBot is an educational robot for kids starting out on their technical journey. They’ll get great hands-on experience and exposure to block-based programming.
Sphero Botssphero.com/products (Erin) These programmable bots are so cool! You have sensors, you code them, there are activities and can drive on any floor surface. A lot of fun for everyone in my family.
Scratch Coding Cards amazon.com/Scratch-Coding-Cards-Creative-Activities/dp/1593277741 (Brett) Scratch is a great way to learn to code. These cards build on that by giving 75 project ideas to build using Scratch. A great way to get inspired.
Kano Computer Kit amazon.com/Kano-Computer-Kit-Anyone-Make/dp/B073VTCS66 (Brandon) Great way to build your own computer then dive into coding, creating music and animations.
Breadboardeaux Book Bundle store.carrotpantsstudios.com/products/breadboardeaux-book-bundle (Brett) Great way to get kids excited about engineering while teaching them all about electronics!
Books - Quick list of my top favorites (Sara)
Geeks
Aftershokz Aeropex Bone-Conduction Headphones aftershokz.com/products/aeropex (Aaron) Awesome bluetooth headphones that let you still hear sounds around you. Running with music is safer, listening to music in the office less disruptive, and video calls more convenient.
GL iNet Router gl-inet.com/products (Clark) Super convenient for anyone who travels to get them on the interwebs wherever they are.
Felt Cord Organizing Case amazon.com/ProCase-Portable-Electronics-Accessories-Organizer/dp/B078RGG1B2/ref=sr_1_4 (Sara) I’m not so into the utilitarian look/feel of a lot of cord organizers, I ordered this since it was more my style and I love it! And there is a line of similar items from pencil cases to laptop sleeves… yes I have slowly accumulated a collection, it’s all great!
Presentation Clicker logitech.com/en-us/product/r500-laser-presentation-remote (Erin) I like this because this clicker works with a wide range of operating systems.
Wemo Smart Plug https://www.belkin.com/us/p/p-f7c063/ (Clark) Whatever you got to plug in, plug it into this and then control it from your phone. Yeah, I have them everywhere and they are just as cool as you’d think. Everyone can use one.
Batman Family Diorama https://www.sideshow.com/collectibles/dc-comics-batman-family-q-master-quantum-mechanix-904408 (Keith) You have a Batman fan in your life, this is the gift.
Books - Quick list of my top favorites (Sara)
- How Women Rise
- Great Leaders Have No Rules
- The Happiness Advantage: How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life
Giving Back
In the season of giving it’s not just gift giving to friends and family, but many organizations that work hard year round to bring change in our community, region, and industry that could use our time and attention. Sometimes the best gift is not an item you can purchase but to donate resources to these organizations. Here are a couple ideas to help you find the organizations:
- Contact your local school system and/or library. Ask if they have needs for resources, books, tech equipment or even volunteers.
- Investigate your local community for organizations teaching others to code. Many need equipment, resources and even volunteer time that you could help with.
THAT Crew member, Sara added, “One of my most favorite holiday times was spending an afternoon with my friends at a local surplus food distribution center. They need volunteers to sort through food to ship to local charities. We locked up our phones, put on our hair nets, and spent 3 hours sorting produce together. Having that time together to talk and laugh was the best present!”
THAT Gift On Everyone’s List
You know what we’re talking about… THAT Gear! Our shop is open with many of your favorite items on sale! Plenty of time to get trees shipped for the holidays.