Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol
NI’s most compact portable keyboard is the perfect musicmaking tool. It’s delicately executed, with great looks and a bundle of software – and it’s sounds.com compatible, so you get a big library of samples to play with.
$179, native-instruments.com
1 clockworkPi GameShell
This build-it-yourself machine is a fully capable computer in a GameBoy-esque shell, ready-made for tinkering, coding, or just settling down to some fun retro games. It’s modular, too, meaning (in theory) you’ll be able to build in upgrades later on.
$159, clockworkpi.com
2 Oculus Quest
Tether-free room-scale VR for a bargain price, the Quest transports you away into a virtual world, with all the hardware you need to play built into the headset. The Quest sports a full Android operating system, capable of streaming what you see to a phone or Chromecast, and includes a pair of handheld controllers. If you do have the pixelpushing power, you could connect to a PC by USB.
From $649 (64GB), oculus.com
3 KitchenAid 4.8L Artisan Stand Mixer
For some, preparing a tasty meal or making some baked goods is an ideal way to play and have fun. If that’s you, KitchenAid’s stand mixer is the perfect partner thanks to its variety of attachments and huge stainless steel bowl, plus a 300W motor that can batter any batter.
$949, kitchenaid.com
4 DGT Centaur
Take your eyes away from screens and embroil your brain in the sport of kings (and queens and little jumping horses) with DGT’s auto-adjusting, sensorpacked chess computer. It might thrash you at first, but it’ll soon find your level and offer up a more competitive game. US$399, dgt.nl
5 Lego Mindstorms EV3
Build and program your own clicktogether robots with a coding language that’s simple enough for kids to learn yet powerful enough for adults to savour. The ultimate combination of tactile toy and brain-bending programming challenge, with motors and sensors galore.
$499, lego.com
6 DJI Mavic Mini
DJI’s 249g drone skirts under the weight limit for registration and line-of-sight operation, meaning you can enjoy stabilised flight, streamed straight to your phone, from some 4km away. Perfect for capturing creative 4K shots or just enjoying the thrill of drone flight.
$599, dji.com