If James Bond is anything to go by, spies get to use the coolest gadgets in the world while hunting down bad guys.
If your kids have taken a liking to spycraft, having the right gear is an important part of their newfound hobby.
Here are the best spy toys we found. We’ve included a wide selection to suit all kinds of spies and different ages. They include gadgets for everything spies need to do such as surveillance, getting into disguises and communication with their spy-partners.
1. Melissa & Doug Spy Role Play Costume Set, Black
What’s a spy without an all-black ensemble for blending into the crowd and hiding their face?
This getup includes a black spy jacket and a black hat. There is also a pair of dark sunglasses to complete the look.
Of course they are not normal sunglasses. They are mirrored to provide a discreet rear view without having to turn around. They are perfect for a spy trying to evade the bad guys.
Other handy additions to the kit include a decoder lens, a secret coded message card and a spy guide.
What we like about it – It’s a great beginner set for first-time spies with everything they need to get started.
2. Spy Gear Night Goggles
A proper spy needs to see in the dark. Proper night vision is a must-have. This pair of night goggles is great for night-time role playing.
To see in the dark there are two LED lights fitted on either side of the glasses. The lights are quite bright in the dark and provide plenty of light to see around. They are powered by 3 triple A batteries.
The blue-tinted goggles enhance vision in the dark and create a realistic night vision illusion.
A folding scope with 2X magnification is included.
What we like about it – We love the bright LED lights, the cool design and the magnifying scope. The goggles last long too.
3. Playmobil 4879 Spying Camera Set
This spy camera set by Playmobil is the perfect addition to a spy kid’s gear. It includes a small camera and a separate monitor which receives images wirelessly from the camera.
The camera also has a USB ports if you want to upload the pictures to a computer. The images have a surprisingly decent quality for a toy camera.
The camera has a bracket that you can mount onto a toy car if you want a moving spy camera.
What we like about it – A part of spying is having a good discreet camera to keep an eye on the bad guys without them knowing.
4. Binatone Latitude 100 Black/Yellow Twin Pack Walkie Talkie
These are not toy walkie talkies so you know they’ve been well designed to last long and work over a fairly long range. In wide open areas the range can be as big as 3km but shrinks to around 500m in an urban area.
The range is limiting for adults but perfect for spy kids. They are also compactly design to fit small hands and the bright yellow colour will delight your kids.
With the volume button, spy kids can increase or lower the volume depending on the situation.
They also come with a belt clip as well as a low-battery indicator.
What we like about it – For spies that work as a team constant communication is essential. These walkie talkies are perfect for that.
5. Rear View Spy Glasses
For a spy discretion is everything. You can’t have people noticing how often you keep turning around trying to look out for danger.
These cool rear view spy glasses allow you to see behind without having to turn your head. The outer edges are mirrored so they reflect whatever is behind you.
The best part is that no one will be the wiser. They look completely normal from the outside.
What we like about it – The frames are highly flexible which ensures they don’t break. You can comfortably buy a pair for a 3 year old and it’ll still last long.
How we chose the best spy toys
We were looking for creative toys that provide lots of fun while being actually useful for spy kids. All our picks are fun toys but also very practical in different situations.
We also wanted spy toys that last long. They are for kids after all and kids are naturally rough. So we looked for spy toys that are well made and designed to withstand plenty of abuse from their users.
Another factor we considered was the price. We looked for good quality toys that wouldn’t set parents back much pocket-wise.
Things to consider when choosing spy toys
Here are some of the things to keep in mind when buying spy toys for your kids.
1. Practicality
Don’t just look for fun spy toys when shopping. Make sure they are practical too. This will make role playing much more fun for the kids.
If you are buying night glasses for example make sure the lights are strong enough to actually see in the dark. If it is a scope make sure that it actually magnifies. Same goes for other spy toys like walkie talkies and cameras.
The older your kid is the more practical the toy should be. For a 9yr old spy kid for instance, you need a good quality spy camera with good resolution.
2. Durability
As with any other toy, durability is an important consideration. This is especially so with spy toys. You don’t want to keep buying the same things again and again because they keep breaking.
Buy from established well-known brands. They products are likely to be better in quality and thus last longer.
It’s better to spend more on good quality toys that your kids will enjoy for longer rather than cheap trinkets that will go straight to the trash after just a few days of use.
3. Cost
As much as you need to get practical and long-lasting spy toys, don’t feel pressured to buy anything too expensive.
Even with a good quality toy there is still a high chance of kids breaking it. Don’t risk buying an expensive toy that could be damaged.
Also don’t go overboard with the practicality. Don’t get a real spy camera with HD video quality or walkie talkies with a 10km range.
Simple basic spy toys are good enough for most spy kids.
