We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and itspublishingpartners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
If your child has the attention span of a squirrel on soda pop, these products are here for you.
1. A Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas water tableso well-reviewed you just might feel FOMO until it ships! Honestly, ~water~ you doing without this in your home?! It's an instant hit!
Promising review: "Pretty cool. My son loves water and I was getting tired of mopping the restroom after every bath or when he turned the knobs on himself. This helps get that energy out and keep the water outside. Pretty easy to assemble. Just make sure the water plug gets pulled through all the way (spent 10 mins and two YouTube videos trying to figure this out). He has so much fun and only wants to stop playing when he gets sleepy. Works for me! —christine hernandez
Get it from Amazon for $46.44+(available in three styles).
2. A SunPrint paper kit sure to spark the interest of artistic souls and clever kiddos. Gather leaves, flowers, and the like on your next nature walk and set them up on this kit while it sits in the sun. Then watch your natural craft come to life!
3. A bubble machinethat'll be loved by your kids so much they will *burst* into smiles every time you turn it on.
Promising review: "This is so much easier than giving your kids bubbles only to have them spill all over their clothes and the ground. It is truly a 'set it and forget it' item that provides hours of entertainment, even for a little ones! Such a great investment." —Allison A.
Get it from Amazon for $29.97.
4. A mud kitchengreat for parents who would do just about anything to get their kids to play outside more often...even let them get messy as can be.
Noble Wooden Toys / Etsy
This small business is owned by Jenna Noble and located inPrince Edward, Canada.
Promising review: "I’m very impressed with the mud kitchen! It is hard to find high quality wood furniture, and I am very happy with my purchase! I feel like the sturdiness and quality of wood will last for years to come." —Brittany Rollins
Get it from Noble Wooden Toys on Etsy for $363.04+ (available in two finishes, with or without faucet).
5. A machine-washable coloring tablecloth sure to put your easily bored babe in the right ~frame~ of mind when you expect everyone in the family to sit together at the dinner table.
The Coloring Table / Etsy
This small business is owned by Kelly and Kristin and located in San Antonio, Texas.
Promising review: "The kiddos love it and even the adults started coloring. Fun, fun, fun. So far it's a very nice product!" —jatandra
Get it from The Coloring Table on Etsy for $29.99+ (available in three sizes).
6. A set of 24 wood building blocks with see-through rainbow acrylic panels — create fun structures and shapes against your window and watch as the sun projects the block colors all around the room! This is the sort of toy that'll bring simple, everyday magic into your playtime routine.
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Fun educational toy! My 2-year-old daughter has been obsessed with shapes and colors. She loves looking through them, then naming the color and shape. She also loves building with them. They are so beautiful which is a huge plus for me. Oh and I’m pregnant and very sensitive to smells, and did not notice a chemical smell on our set." —Amanda S.
Promising review: "Perfect gift for my 2-year-old daughter. She loves building castles for her princesses and asks to play with the blocks all the time. Very smooth edges, durable and safe." —Amazon Customer
Get a set from Amazon for $29.96.
7. A Melissa & Doug reusable puffy sticker activity book — this is gonna be such a hit with your kid you might become jealous of a sticker sheet. Kids love stickers. Stickers with a storyline? Even better.
Amazon
The set includes three reusable puffy sticker activity books with dress-up, princess, and mermaid themes. Each book comes with 65+ reusable puffy stickers.
Promising review: "These are perfect sticker books for younger kids and toddlers because of the puffy stickers. The stickers aren’t very sticky, but that’s why I like them. My 2-year-old can play and play with them and I don’t have to worry about them damaging my coffee table! Also, they make great gifts and are wonderful to bring on planes or to restaurants to keep kids busy!" —RaeK
Promising review: "I know all kids are different but these kept my toddler busy and interested like almost nothing else I bought during this shelter-in! She has had for weeks and continues to go back and reuse quietly for up to 30 minutes by herself! We've tried some other similar products, but these stickers are so easy for her to peel off and they stick over and over again. Very very happy with this pretty simple product!" —Stephanie McCullen
Get a set from Amazon for $18+ (available in four styles).
8. A super durablewooden pretend play magnetic cutting set for pint-sized chefs who could spend all day working on their fine motor skills. Chop 'til you drop!
This set comes includes 26 items of food including fruits, vegetables, fish, burger, bread, ice cream, steak and more! It also comes with a cutting board, two knives and a storage bucket.
Parents, please supervise as some of the smaller pieces might be a choking hazard.
Promising review: "I've seen a lot of wooden food cutting sets over the years, but this one is the best by far. First of all, the pieces connect by magnet rather than velcro. The Velcro sets tend to stop sticking once they've been used for a while. This one has well-made and sturdy pieces with some unique pieces like dragon fruit and spring onion. My personal favorite is the grapes, which can be pulled off the vine in groups of two (too big to choke on) and stuck back together. It also comes with a cutting board, two knives, and a little vegetable peeler. My 3-year-old loves this set and has been playing with it over and over. Well worth the money." —Michael Bower
Get a set from Amazon for $33.99.
9. Or a set of three nylon kitchen knives— with these, your sous chef is able to prep right beside you (without hurting any of their adorable digits) if they insist on "helping" with dinner.
Amazon
Promising review: "My 2-year-old was desperate to join me in the kitchen, and I wanted to be sure she was safe. These knives come in three sizes. They are not sharp to the touch but easily cut through most fruits and vegetables! For denser foods like carrots, she needed a bit of assistance, but she was quickly chopping all of the asparagus for dinner!!! We just got these, so I can't speak to durability, but for the price, these seem like a great value for my little chef!" —Nicholas and Zarya Fogelson
Get it from Amazon for $14.91.
10. An indoor-friendly scavenger hunt gamesure to save the day when said day is cold, rainy, dreary, and dull. Rather than coming up with specific objects, this game gives your kids a chance to be extra creative by finding things that are "scratchy," "warm," "fuzzy," and more!
Amazon
Promising review: "These are a lifesaver for us during the quarantine. My 7-year-old is enjoying challenges that I time, having to find five things to match five cards in five minutes. There are also two games with instructions that are fun. My kiddos are being so creative finding things. My son found a compact mirror and breathed on it to steam it up for 'steamy.' Hooray for igniting thinking skills. Grandma gets involved finding silly things that make the kids crack up. I love the bag they come in and that it’s a compact card game that can be played anywhere." —Jami Lilo
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
11. And a smaller set to get bored toddlers on a mission to discover all the *treasures* around the house. You're gonna be pleasantly surprised by how long it takes your kid to find these objects. That's some prime nap time just for you.
Amazon
Promising review: "A must-have. My 2-year-old son is obsessed. Always asks to play 'find you' game LOL. Then we play it and every option on the game he actually thinks really hard then says 'come on mommy' and runs me through the house to find the object. Highly recommended from a mom of four." —Britney bansley
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
12. A rainbow-colored saucer swing for adding a fun ~spin~ on the furniture in your playroom.
13. A pack of no-spill paint cups with lids that'll keep any leftover paint from drying out. These'll let your pint-sized Picasso have a ton of fun, without making a major mess.
The set includes10 cups and 10 color coordinated paintbrushes.
Promising review: "These are the perfect size for a toddler (2-years-old) the cups are not too big or too small. We fill the cups up with about a half inch of paint. When we finish painting we put the kids on and put them away, the paint hasn’t dried out on us yet and they’ve sat unused for a week at a time with a quarter inch of paint in them. My son gets so excited when he see us pulling these out. I would buy these again. We haven’t had any spills with these but I think if you were to fill them up (a few inches) with more paint that you could have a spill. The matching color lids and brushes are great for helping kids learn to match."—Krys
Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $19.99.
14. A set of five plastic pipescan keep your kiddo entertained in the bath long enough that you can actually get them clean. Washing your child without a tantrum will no longer be just a ~pipe~ dream!
Amazon
Promising review: "Our 18-month-old adores these. His older sisters (five and seven) have also been enjoying them in the tub. They work great and stick really well. The only negative is that we have temper tantrums now because baby boy wants to take a bath all the time. We can't get him out of the tub now!" —JKinSD
Get them from Amazon for $15.99+(available in two colors).
15. A classic wooden doctor's kit for your at-home pediatrician.
Amazon
Doctor's kits are a classic role-play toy that help children better understand their own childhood checkups. Roll play encourages imaginative thinking, social skills, questioning, and reasoning. This beautiful kit includes a stethoscope, medical bottle, ointment gel, syringe, reflex hammer, thermometer scan, thermometer, tongue depressor, and prescription with a doctor's carrying case. Each item is made using renewable sources and non-toxic paint.
Promising review: "My 3- and 7-year-old play with this for hours. It keeps them entertained and it’s super cute. Durable too." —Brittany
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
16. A Montessori human body puzzlewith some surprisingly accurate placement. If your toddler has spent endless hours attending to your every illness with their doctor's kit, this anatomy puzzle just might be the best next step!
Eco Baby Puzzle / Etsy
Eco Baby Puzzle is owned by Riley Larcher and based out ofSan Diego, California.
Promising review: "Incredible craftsmanship – each piece is delicate and fits perfectly and what amazed me is that it’s pretty accurate in terms of anatomy and spatial location! Very impressed and my daughter loved it. I especially liked the ability to pick skin and hair color. Lovely product! Thank you for making something so beautiful and surely an heirloom piece!" —Sue S.
Get it from Eco Baby Puzzle on Etsy for $39.32+ (available in six styles with varying accessories).
17. A pair of GeoSafari Jr. binocularsyour observant, baby birdwatcher is sure to adore.
Amazon
Promising review: "These are absolutely the best for preschool-aged children. There is no need for adjustment. You just look into the binoculars and see a clear image. My son used these this past summer for getting a closer look at the hummingbirds at our feeder. We also took these with us on nature walks. He really enjoyed using them, and after a full summer's use, they are still in great shape. Anything that makes a child curious about nature and the environment gets an A+ in my book."—Rachael P.
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
18. A mix and match game that'll let your tiny tots create their own wacky critters! Hopefully designing an aligazebra from the top down helps them sit still a second.
Amazon
The set includes 20 pieces.
Promising review: "The box is a lot heavier than I expected but the quality is so nice so I understand why. I loooooove it. It's perfect for my 2-year-old son" —Nadia Felder
Get it from Amazon for $14.08+(available in three styles).
19. Awhale bath toyfor kids who need some extra entertainment when taking a bath. This wacky whale lights up and starts spouting water the minute it gets placed in the bath. Which is, ahem, ~whaley~ cute.
See why this parent says this toy is a hit with their 7-month-old on TikTok.
Promising review: "My grandson LOVES this! He has so much fun! Loves the colors and how it squirts the water. Really cute for a 1-or 2-year-old. Heck I think it's fun and cute! Definitely a must-have for bath time!" —Faye
Get it from Amazon for $15.98+(available in four styles).
20. A LeapFrog animal book that's frequently on the Amazon bestsellers chart. The interactive book teaches kids fun facts about all kinds of critters, and it'll even sing songs in both English and Spanish.
Amazon
Promising review: "This talking book is hands down the best thing I bought my daughter. She was a bit delayed in speech and since buying this book she’s been spitting out new words left and right. It responds well to touch and the pages are very durable which is great in the hands of a toddler!" —ApL
Get it from Amazon for $18.57 (available in five styles).
21. A box of kinetic sandfor kids who live in the city and long for a beach vacation. Go ahead, squish this sand between your toes!
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Made from 98% sand and 2% Polymers, this sand is gluten-free, non-toxic, and safe for children three years of age and older. Playing with sand can boost your child's sensory exploration and creative thinking skills. Playing with kinetic sand will do the same, with far less mess.
Promising Review: "I love this sand. It’s so fun to play with, even kind of therapeutic. It shapes well, holds its shape, but is also flowey like water. It reminds me of the properties that water and cornstarch have when mixed. It’s super easy to clean up too." —Christina
Get it from Amazon for $14.94.
22. A pastel rainbow stackerwith an open-ended design that'll give a child limitless options while playing make believe — from infancy until well into their formative years.
23. A tin tea set, because tea time is a favorite pastime with little kids. Get them an heirloom style set and they're gonna enjoy many a precious tea party with their fluffy stuffies.
Amazon
Each set includes 15 pieces. You'll get a teapot, four plates, four cups, four saucers, a serving tray, and a carrying case.
Promising review: "We gave this tea set to our 3 1/2-year-old granddaughter for Christmas and she loved it. The set is made of metal and is durable. The case is very cute. She is into the fairies!" —Beverly Ozane
Get it from Amazon for $33.33+ (available in five styles).
24. A pack of Crayola Globbles (sans sticky residue) that'll cling to the wall and slowly drop down...tricking your kids into being patient after they've thrown these as high up as their little arms can manage.
Promising review: "Amazing toys! My 1- and 2-year-old LOVE them! They scream 'sticky balls!' and run around throwing them on the fridge, windows, cabinets, walls, etc. Easy to wash and air-dry, and don't lose their stickiness! My new go-to gift! Love them!" —Rachel
Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.52(also available as a 16-pack).
25. A pack of parachute toys— these may become your new favorite thing if your kids are full of energy. Have them drop these, run down the stairs, and retrieve them, and then run back up all those stairs to do it again. Over and over. Or, at least until nap time.
Promising review: "Durable and NO tangling! Leagues ahead of dollar store parachute men.Used for a game at a birthday party where 7-year-olds threw them off a balcony and tried to land in a corresponding colored circle for a prize. They LOVED it. Very satisfied." —Sarah
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.99+(available in two styles).
26. And finally, anindoor ball pityour tots and their friends (or, in my case, felines) are sure to have a ~ball~ with every single day. Dreamy.
Mallory Mower / BuzzFeed
Obviously this precious ball pit is intended for actual HUMAN children, but my millennial pet parent heart couldn't help but get this for my house! I hide my cats' favorite treats in the bottom and they will dig around for ages trying to find them all. It's not designed to withstand pet nails, but it's held up really well. I can't rave about it enough!
Minnidip is a small business started by Emily Vaca that makes designer inflatables for adults and kids (and cats!) alike. The products are trendsetting and oh so fun! Be sure to check out all the ball pit colors available!
Get it from Minnidip for $199.
When these toys entertain your kids so well you worry they may never annoy you again:
Disney
Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.
