Well, now that I’ve already gone and mentioned the holidays, why not another idea? Right now Amazon has this Light and Sound Tuner Vehicle Kit—basically a music-playing, remote-control car you build yourself—for $27 shipped. While their original price of $100 may be a bit inflated, the cheapest I’m seeing it anywhere else is around $65, so it’s still a pretty awesome deal.

Reviews are mixed, so consider the frustration level of your intended recipient before buying. As someone with a kid who loves nothing better than building it himself, though, I’m thinking I may chance it. (If nothing else, it’ll give him a ton of extra parts to use with his existing Erector collection.)