It’s expected to be a record year for the toy industry and you’ll want to choose carefully when buying gifts because many of the top toys are going to take a big bite out of your pocketbook. Mastermind Toys, one of Canada’s biggest toy retailers, with stores in Coquitlam, Langley and Abbotsford, has come out with its annual top toys and the 25 holiday hits are a mix of old and new.

Two of the top picks: Twisty Brain Puzzles, a takeoff on the Rubik’s Cube and a car racing track that’s reminiscent of Hot Wheels from days gone by. The Tracer Racer uses a UV light to leave glowing tracing streaks that look like tire tracks behind it. It retails for $120 dollars. And Brain Puzzles, which incorporate gears and various shapes designed to get your child thinking, cost $30 dollars each and are recommended for ages six and up. 

Also on the list, an old classic for babies 12 months and up. The Spin Again Spinning Stacker is $37 dollars and is very similar to a baby toy likely used by parents and grandparents alike. This one has a lot more movement as the rings twist down the stacker in a bright array of colour.

And remember the Etch a Sketch? Now there’s the Boogie Board Play N Trace. It costs $45 dollars and is recommended for kids three and up. No more shaking, just push a button to erase the screen.

The toys may seem familiar but they’re embedded with technology and designed to activate young curious minds. 

“The ones that are enriching, engaging. That’s really our core mandate at Mastermind,” toy tester Ryan Carr told CTV News.

Star Wars is also a hot toy theme for the season. The Air Hogs Star Wars RC Millennium Falcon Quad Copter looks menacing especially indoors but it’s made of soft durable foam. It works like a drone, comes with a remote control, costs $140 dollars and is recommended for kids ten and up.

You may also recognize The Death Star Perplexus. It’s a new age twist on the old maneuvering the steel ball through the maze. This one requires great skill to roll the ball through a three-dimensional maze. It costs $50 dollars.

An electronic cat is also a top Mastermind pick. Zoomer Kitty chases a ball, wags its tail and purrs. It retails for $130 dollars and is for ages five plus.

The NPD Group, a retail research firm, said sales of youth electronics grew 13 percent in the last year, as did games and puzzles. However, arts and crafts sales declined by 16 percent. It seems kids like tech and want to be entertained.