With Christmas just around the corner, there is no better time to get a head start on your holiday shopping and get the gifts that will set the mood for the season. That’s why we here at CGM Recommends have compiled a handy list of items to prepare for the year’s busiest season. We know how hard it is to get everything ready for family, the season, or to get in the spirit, so we want to make it as easy as possible to enjoy the holidays in style.
After the Fall school semester starts, it always feels like a few days go by, and it’s already Winter. While time may be moving forward at a breakneck pace, we here at CGMagazine compile lists for the Fall-weary to help with the transition from Fall into Winter and, more importantly, from the regular season into the most festive time of year, the Christmas Season.
This Christmas Holiday Season, 2023, we have the backs of our readers with lists before the end of November to provide the cost-conscious with options that can help consumers get through the busiest time of the year. This time, CGM Recommends Ideas to Kick Off the Season, where we do the research on certain holiday items to prepare for the season so you don’t have to.
LEGO Advent Calendars
This year, LEGO has unveiled not one, not two, but five advent calendars to prepare households for the incoming Christmas season rush. Featuring some of their most iconic franchise mash-ups with Harry Potter, Star Wars, LEGO City, Marvel’s Avengers and Friends, these are the perfect items to prepare for the Holiday Season, especially for families that have big LEGO fans on their roster.
Advent calendars are a perfect way to prepare for the Holiday Season on the less pricey side of things and offer a solid way to give a small gift each day leading up to December 25th to show a special person in your life appreciation before the Holidays. Right now, consumers can snag these at a steep discount from Amazon, starting at $25.11 for the Friends set.
- 24 gifts for young Super Heroes – Behind each door of the 2023 LEGO Marvel Avengers Advent Calendar (76267) is a gift to kick-start a new adventure
- Marvel movie treats – Gifts include 7 Super Hero Minifigures of Okoye, Doctor Strange, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wong, Iron Man and Black Widow minifigures, plus mini builds and accessories
Twinkly Festoon Smart Lights
Everyone loves Christmas lights, and Twinkly Festoon offers smart lighting to prepare for decorating tasks prior to the Holidays. If consumers want a higher-grade lighting experience for the holidays (and after), Twinkly Festoon offers an adjustable string light to fit any user’s needs. With a simple setup and Bluetooth functionality, these string lights offer adaptability that any household can use. All the user needs to do is grab the Twinkly app from any device’s app store, and the lights will do the rest after you adjust the settings to fit the mood.
Consumers can grab their Twinkly Festoon smart lights from Amazon for $199.99.
- The ultimate outdoor string lights for patio with smart, addressable LED lights. Explore unlimited ways to transform your space with light and color with our string lights for outside and indoor use.
- Enjoy setup of our outdoor patio lights in seconds via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, manage your patio string lights w/ the free Twinkly app (iOS/Android) with multiple smart features.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol Game
What better way is there to pass the time leading up to the Christmas Holidays than with a board game the whole family can enjoy? Introducing Funko’s Disney Mickey’s Christmas Carol Game, where up to four players can work together to assemble scenes from the iconic Disney Holiday special, but beware, there is a timer and once Scrooge wakes up, it will be a rough Holiday. Fans can grab this board game directly from the Funko website for $13.49 USD, to get families in the Holiday spirit.
- Mickey’s Christmas Carol Game
- Don’t wake up Ebenzer Scrouge or you lose the game
The Grinch: Christmas Adventures
When it comes to spending time with family, sometimes playing a classic rather than watching it will get families chock full of nostalgia in preparation for the Holidays. In The Grinch: Christmas Adventure, the main player can control the villain himself, the Grinch, and player two can control his trusty do- I mean, reindeer, Max without fear of losing lives. This makes gaming with the younger generation a blast and this adventure embodies the holiday spirit like nothing else, a good and festive Holiday cooperative adventure, to bridge the gap between parents and the youngest of their children for the Holiday Season.
Fans can steal a copy from Amazon for $24.99 USD on all consoles.
- HAVE AWFULLY GOOD FUN – Sneak and steal presents as the Grinch and his dog Max.
- UNLOCK GRINCHY GADGETS – Solve puzzles to gain abilities! Throw snowballs, disguise as Santa, use a Candy Cane Lasso or a Jumping Jetpack, and more!
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Snowstorm Scramble Game
The second Holiday-themed board game on the list brings more nostalgia with the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Snowstorm Scramble Board Game. This cozy 20-minute-long game can provide either a cooperative experience or a race against the clock (and each other) to escape Bumble, the Abominable Snow Monster. Fan-favourite characters such as Hermey, Yukon Cornelius, and of course, Rudolph himself make appearances, and up to five players can get in on the action.
Fans can dive into this classic Holiday adventure in a new board game format for only $9.00 straight from Funko themselves.
- The Perfect Stocking Stuffer Family Game!
- Relive the beloved holiday classic as you help your favorite characters race through the snowstorm!
Winter Wonderland Spectacular at Illuminarium in Toronto
For a different way to prepare for the Holidays, there’s an exciting Christmas Winter Wonderland Spectacular at the Illuminarium in Toronto for the fall-weary to melt into before, during, or even right after the Holiday Season. There are numerous activities for event-goers to participate in, from a free hot chocolate stand (included with the price of admission), to a complete 360-degree immersive show, fans of the cold season can recharge their Holiday batteries with this festive event.
CEO of Illuminarium Experiences, Aaron Greenberg says “From sugar plums to reindeers, ornaments to winter forests and so much more. Christmas fans will celebrate timeless traditions and create new ones with their families at the Winter Wonderland Spectacular,” regarding the exciting event. Those interested in this event can flock to the Illuminarium website for ticketing and more information.
The Winter Wonderland Spectacular runs between November 24, all the way past New Year’s Day on January 7, and takes place in Toronto’s most loved holiday market. Ticketing also starts at $35, and fans who get the combo ticket can save $20 now.
Two Point Campus – Brainy Bundle
As the 2023 school year wears on the homework-fatigued may want a break, by returning to school without the work part in Two Point Studios’ latest cozy title Two Point Campus. As you wait for Christmas to bring all the latest gifts, Two Point Studios is offering this solid world builder for newcomers, complete with all of its expansions in one tidy bundle so players can stay indoors yet experience school life over the cold weather shift, and over the upcoming Holiday breaks.
CGMagazine’s review of Two Point Campus by Dayna Eileen says, “Two Point Campus is a funny, quirky, complex simulation game that gives players plenty to do in the long run.” Fans can snag Two Point Campus, and all of its expansions in this Brainy Bundle for $49.99 from the Xbox store, the Nintendo Switch eShop, or the PlayStation store.
Minecraft Creeper Snow Sled
To prep for fun activities during inclement weather, Minecraft fans will be delighted to know Playview Brands has an inflatable Minecraft Creeper Snow Sled, to keep children out of the snow when hitting the slopes of a local park after a Winter storm hits. While Zoom and other tech may have eliminated true ‘Snow Days,’ that doesn’t mean an inflatable sled isn’t top tech when snow hits the ground outside.
Fans of Minecraft and Snow Days can prep for Winter fun with the Minecraft Creeper Snow Sled for $34.99.
BRIO World Advent Calendar
Advent calendars are the perfect way to prepare for the holiday season, and BRIO World has come up with a fan-centric offering that works with all 2023 train sets—introducing the BRIO World 2023 Advent Calendar, where an exciting surprise hides behind each of the 24 doors leading up to the big holiday. This surprise can fill a BRIO World fan’s train set with holiday-themed items for the season and add winter-themed items to any BRIO train set for a year-round celebration.
Fans can grab one of these BRIO Advents to prep for the Holiday Season on Amazon for $67.13 USD.
- Count down the days before Christmas with the 36001 Advent Calendar 2022 – a BRIO World play set full of Christmas toys and fun.
- Day by day, each of the 24 doors feature a Christmas-themed toy that is compatible with the BRIO World railway system – including a Santa Claus play character and gingerbread Christmas Train.
PDP Nemesis Media Remote for Xbox Series X|S
To prepare for the cold weather and lovely hot chocolate-laden movie nights while the elements remain outside, Xbox Series X|S owners can easily snag the PDP Nemesis Media Remote to make any night a movie night. This remote features solar and USB Type-C charging, so batteries are not an extra expense, and the slim profile of the remote can also be used as a stocking stuffer for those that use their Xbox Series console for more than just gaming.
Those interested can grab one of these handy remotes from Amazon for $24.99.
- Features ECO solar power/charging so you never need to by batteries again. Enjoy the ease of charging your remote by indoor light, outdoor light, or USB-C.
- Made from 50% recycled plastics to reduce environmental waste
Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar
The final item on our CGM Recommends list is the Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar. Sure to be a hit with Pokémon TCG fans and families looking for a treat every day until December 25th, this Advent Calendar contains a total of 25 fan goodies. The calendar includes eight Pokémon TCG foil cards with a holiday stamp (similar to the Halloween stamp found on Trick-or-Trade packages), five Pokémon TCG Booster Packs, and seven Pokémon TCG 3-Card Fun Packs.
Fans can grab one of these and build excitement in any household leading up to the Holidays for $48.99 USD from Amazon.
- The Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar includes 25 surprises to discover.
- This comes with 8 foil Pokémon TCG cards with a festive stamp, 5 Pokémon TCG booster packs, and 7 Pokémon TCG 3-card fun packs.
- Ring In the Holidays – with Pokémon!
- From fan favourites like Pikachu and Lapras to season-celebrating Pokémon like Delibird, you’ll find a holiday parade of Pokémon fun, booster packs, and other surprises in this holiday calendar – with a new item to uncover every day!
That just about wraps up the CGM Recommends selections of Ideas to Kick Off the Season. Fans can follow any of the links provided above to find more information regarding any of the items mentioned above, or, if nothing here scratches the gift-giving itch, readers can also head over to our 2022 recommendations lists or stay tuned for more ideas leading up to the busiest season of the year.
