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 its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. Pixicade mobile game maker because it'll turn screen time into a creative STEM activity by letting kids turn their own drawings and concepts into playable video games (build up to 1,600 video games). They can sketch the game on paper, snap a pic of it, and then play an animated version on their phone or tablet.
This game comes with washable markers, instruction and quick start guides, and three activity books that cover 50 game design concepts, 30 instructional activities, and over 100 example games. You also need to download the Pixicade app available for iOS and android. The app only requires a camera and an internet connection. (iOS 8.0 and up, android 6.0 and up).
Promising review: "Man I love this thing, but my 8-year-old and 6-year-old sons love it even more. We’re those parents who are a little fanatic about 'screen time' with our kids. Let me tell you something, MOST of the time is spent with the kids building their game. The markers, paper, and most importantly their imaginations of drawing new games are 90% of the fun because they know that their drawing will eventually ~come to life~ on the iPad. It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. The different colors are used to create different things that the game automatically recognizes on paper — e.g., use 'red' to draw hazards; use 'green' to make your character that can move, etc. My boys draw anything and, like magic, the screen brings it to life and the remaining 10% blows their little minds (and the parents minds, too). Not really sure how it works, but we have a giant notebook full of different drawings and games, two boys who can’t stop using it, and two parents who are totally OK with this kind of 'screentime.'" —Lil
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
2. A National Geographic geodes kit that'll blow any junior geologist's mind and give them an excuse to smash rocks with a hammer.
This science kit includes 10 natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, three display stands, and one learning guide.
Promising review: "My daughter is 10 and this kept her busy for HOURS! She had so much fun and was excited every time she got a glimpse of what might be inside. A couple of them were pretty cool, while the rest were just white. She didn't care, she loves them all. She was so proud to gift them to her grandparents." —Michelle
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in four sizes).
3. Or a National Geographic crystal growing kit perfect for junior scientists who also happen to like ~blingy things~. Bonus: Kids will love admiring their stunning crystal collection with the included light board.
The kit comes with materials to grow crystals in eight colors, four silicone growing chambers, and a light display for five crystals. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Promising review: "Bought for a 8-year-old's birthday gift. Such a hit!! The excitement of making the crystal, watching them grow and the final product makes it a perfect gift. Taking out the seed crystal requires a sharp tool, like a pointy small paring knife and patience. Be careful! This is going to be a go-to gift for me in the future!" —JosieJo
Get it from Amazon for $24.59+ (available in two sizes).
4. A wooden puzzle equivalent to playing Tetris but in tactile form that'll ~exercise their brain~ without any screentime.
Reviewer's say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 12.
Promising review: "I got this for my 5-year-old for Christmas and she really enjoys trying to figure it out. Colors are vibrant, wood isn't too thick or too thin, and it's a nice size as well. She was thrilled when she finally figured out a combination to complete the puzzle. Great gift for a kid especially given all the screen time kids have now. Gets their brains working!" —lr
Promising review: "I was looking for stuff that will keep my kids entertained without electronics and this is one of the things I got them. From my 5-year-old to my 10-year-old, they’ve all sat down and played around with it. It’ll be a great road trip game as well. Small. Compact. Has a bag to carry the game." —MGS
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
5. And a wooden geoboard that comes with 35 pattern cards to challenge your child's dexterity and imagination while attempting to create shapes using rubber bands. Aaaand as they become more accomplished, they can even recreate the designs on the cards.
Promising review: "This item was exactly what I needed for some of the younger children because handling the rubber bands helps develop their fine motor muscles. It also encourages imagination and creativity and counting. They make designs and love it. For older ages there are cards with designs for them to try and duplicate. Young children can also make shapes and letters thus developing math and literacy skills. This is a sturdy, well-made geoboard." —Kathleen Loden Barbuti
Promising review: "Bought the geoboard for my 4-year-old grandson who enjoyed making his own pictures and designs. As a retired math teacher, I can tell you that geoboards are great hands on learning tools for children of any age. My seventh-grade students loved when our lessons involved 'playing' with geoboards!" —anne porter
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
6. A sight word Bingo game; if you've ever asked yourself, "How do I take the frustration out of learning sight words and make it FUN?" then this game is for you.
The set comes with 36 playing cards, 264 playing chips, caller's mat and cards, and a storage box. This version is a fun twist on the classic, but instead of calling out numbers, the leader calls out words (there are 46 most-used words), players search their cards for a match and place a red chip on the match. Once a player has covered the spaces on their card needed to win, they call BINGO!
Promising review: "Getting my daughter to do sight words has been a nightmare lately, she pretends she has no idea what anything is and refuses to sit down and try. But, with this game, she wants to play for hours!!! I give her two cards and we all play together as a family, she thinks it is the best game and it really is helping her learn her sight words!! Finally something that gets her excited about learning!!" —Rebecca
Get it from Amazon for $9.02.
7. A marble run set for providing endless possibilities to build creative structures — all while developing their problem-solving skills. They'll be ~ah-mazed~ at the results when the marbles roll through the mazes they create.
Promising review: "My 5- and 3-year-olds (and me) have spent hours building towers and watching marbles clatter down these chutes, steps, gears, and spirals, HOURS! And they’re not bored yet! It’s also educational learning the physics of slopes by experience. Plus, it comes with enough marbles that losing a few doesn’t matter." —Joyce Parker
Promising review: "As a teacher of 25 years, I can say that marble runs are by far one of the best toys for kids of all ages! This is a fantastic one! Kids don't even realize the math, science and problem skills they are using when building their runs. They can play with it alone or with a group of friends, building countless creative marble runs! My 3-year-old niece loves playing with the marble run, and I used it in classrooms with K–fifth-grade students. Great for home or for indoor recess at school!." —Lorraine Marie
Get it from Amazon for $45.99+ (available in three set options).
8. And a Gravity Maze game to challenge kids to use spatial reasoning to solve the puzzles and figure out how to construct pathways to get the marble to drop to the final cube.
The game comes with 60 challenges that range from beginner to expert so it will hold their interest as they work their way up to the trickier ones.
Promising review: "What a great combination of construction, puzzles, and games! My 5-year-old and 8-year-old niece were able to challenge themselves to some of the levels (the 8-year-old was was more capable of solving them on her own). The adults also found themselves fixated on playing the different levels as well! It was challenging and fun! We love marble runs and games so this was a perfect fit. This is one of the few games that everyone asks to play and it's perfect when we have guests of kiddos over and keeps everyone busy and engaged for hours!" —Crystal Brown
Get it from Amazon for $28.99.
9. A "Speak & Spell" electronic game, exactly like the '80s toy you probably owned as a wee one that's still as effective as ever for teaching kids how to spell and pronounce over 200 words using a speech synthesizer.
Includes three AA batteries
Promising review: "I bought this item for my daughter who has played with my 1980s Speak & Spell so much that it has begun to malfunction. My Speak & Spell is still one of the most memorable toys from my childhood. I played and played with that thing. It is what ultimately taught me how to spell the word 'language' 'lang-u-age' and taught me to challenge my mind with brain games. Now I pick up my daughter's for a round or two just to reminisce. We love it." —Holly McKellop
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
10. A LeapFrog 2-in-1 laptop for teaching them their ABCs and 123s while they pretend to WFH just like their parents. *Sorry, can't talk. I'm busy right now.*
Promising review: "One of my 2-year-old son's favorite Christmas gifts. He loves having his own touchscreen 'laptop' and it’s helping him to really learn his letters and numbers. There are different modes to play and he knows how to turn it on and do it all himself. It keeps him occupied for a while. He is two. A lot of his 3-year-old friends also have this toy and I’ve heard nothing but good things." —AKD and NRD
Promising review: "I have a 2-year-old and this laptop is like a Rosetta stone program for her. She's learning new numbers and words by repeating to press the buttons constantly which she loves a lot. This has definitely helped with her vocabulary and I highly recommend it." —Holly Erevera Santos
Get it from Amazon for $14.39 (also available in pink).
11. A Snap Circuits kit to give young engineers a hands-on intro to how electrical circuits work while they figure out how to assemble over 100 ~working~ circuit projects with 30+ electronic parts that snap together easily on the included plastic grid. (No tools needed!)
The kit comes with over 32 electrical components including snap wires, slide switches, an alarm circuit, a music integrated circuit, and a speaker. (Each piece is numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy.) Plus, a plastic grid and a project manual with 101 different electronic projects.
Recommended for ages 8+. Adult supervision advised.
Promising review: "I bought this for my 9-year-old son last Christmas. It was a bigger hit then I had anticipated. He plays with this for hours on end experimenting with all of the different set ups that are in the book. He has learned so much from this! I am a Montessori teacher and this item has all the great learning properties we look for in the materials we use in our classrooms. It is self correcting which allow your child to experiment with it on their own learning so much without adult direction. I even suggested that his teacher buy one for his classroom. I am planning on buying one of the larger sets this year! I would definitely recommend this product!" —Teacher
Get a set from Amazon for $19.59.
12. An animal bath bomb–making kit that comes with a reusable mold, colors, and ingredients needed to make adorable fizzy bath bombs. A fun STEM activity that'll not only teach them chemical reactions but will also make bath time less of a struggle.
Kiwi Co offers craft subscription boxes and one-off boxes with all the materials and instructions included to make it easy for parents to pull off enriching scienceand art projects with their children.
Promising review: "My 4-year-old and I did this project together and not only did we learn how bath bombs were made, but we also practiced primary colors, secondary colors, and how to make both! Besides my mouth turning blue from an explosion of dye (totally our fault) it was absolutely the best craft to do, plus, my daughter who is convinced she is a dinosaur who does not need baths wants to bathe with her homemade bath bombs." —Lynzie
Get it from Kiwi Co for $14.95 (originally $19.95).
13. A pack of Numberblocks MathLink Cubes for helping kids visualize how numbers really work while they build their own fave characters from Numberblocks by connecting them with classic MathLink Cubes.
Each set includes 100 MathLink Numberblocks Cubes, 59 faceplates, 54 stickers, 11 Numberlings, 11 character cards, 15 double-sided write 'n' wipe activity cards, 1 stand for zero, and 1 activity guide.
Promising review: "My almost 3-year-old LOVES IT. It’s the closest toy I’ve seen to the actual Numberblocks and it includes their faces, their number over their head, and images from the show. It’s actually perfect for teaching numbers and as a toy! I would def recommend and even buy again!" —Matt & Ava
Promising review: "My 4-year-old's favorite show is Numberblocks, I was so thrilled to find these for play. Numberblocks has taught him so much and now he can do math problems on his own without the show. Highly recommend! Would be a great Christmas gift." —Kayla Williamson
Get a set from Amazon for $16.99.
14. A Melissa & Doug magnetic calendar because it'll teach your preschooler the days of the week, months and the weather in a hands-on, interactive way. They'll jump out of bed eagerly to update it every morning.
Promising review: "My 3-year-old son loves updating this calendar each morning. It's a great daily activity and helps with planning what activities are on the schedule for that day. It also helps him learn the days of the week and what day of the month it is." —familyof3
Get it from Amazon for $15.97.
15. A 360-degree-rotating 3-in-1 LED globe, constellation map, and night-light to make it possible to explore the world and stargaze from the bedroom.
Promising review: "My 12-year-old and 6-year-old sit and play with it for hours at a time. It lights up. Not too big fits on a desk perfectly." —Kristina Chew
Get it from Amazon for $47.
16. Or an interactive globe that connects to your tablet or smartphone to take little explorers on virtual trips. Before you know it, they'll be spewing fun facts about this fascinating world we live in.
Promising review: "I read reviews religiously before purchasing products I’m not familiar with. I was a bit skeptical about such positive reviews but after receiving our Orboot, I’m convinced they’re authentic. The first thing I liked about the Orboot is the packing materials aren’t excessive (read: eco-friendly). My children just turned 4 and 6 and took to this immediately (even figuring out features on the app that were over my head). They were excited to 'travel' the globe and the included passport and stamp were a nice touch. Best: While on a recent trip to DC, we saw a helicopter overhead and my 6-year-old excitedly told us they were invented in Russia. I love having a toy that engages them, is educational, and gives me less screentime guilt! I’m excited to see the new features on the horizon." —Paul F
Get it from Amazon for $46.73.
17. A magnetic shape-shifting puzzle cube because it'll keep kids (and adults) mesmerized with its psychedelic patterns and challenge them to manipulate it into over 70 shapes. It takes origami to a whole other level.
You can also collect all 12 puzzle box designs to connect multiple magnetic cubes to build even larger structures and sculptures.
Promising review: "A gift for our twin granddaughters' 10th birthday, and mama says they have played with them for hours. Discovering shape upon shape and connecting them in endless patterns. An extremely creative and educational toy. I prefer gifts and activities that stimulate a child's mind and these cubes hit the mark." —K
Get it from Amazon for $25 (available in 20 designs).
18. A talking microscope for a peek inside nature. It comes with slides that you place under the microscope, then the microscope tells you facts about critters, plants, and more!
The microscope talks in three languages in addition to English — you can choose between two options: Mandarin/Japanese/Korean or Spanish/French/German.
Promising review: "This is by far one of the coolest products I’ve ever seen! My 4-year-old loves this talking microscope! Every day while her baby sister naps I spend some quality one-on-one time with her and this was the perfect product for our special time together! She didn’t want to stop looking at all the different slides and I love how each slide has three images and the fact mode shares fun facts about the slide chosen! I love that she was learning new facts while looking at it up closely! She has been having so much fun using it and asks me daily to use her new microscope! This is such a great learning tool in a fun, different way for a 4-year-old and it is a big win in my book, especially because it can be used for many, many years! It also includes a quiz mode that we haven’t used yet but it’s nice that it has different modes for older kids. Highly recommend for all preschoolers and older kids!" —JC Mommy
Get it from Amazon for $33.99 (available in a variety of languages).
19. And for older kids, a microscope STEM kit that comes with a starter metal microscope and everything else a beginner scientist needs to examine bugs, leaves, and the fascinating world of nature around them.
The kit comes with sample slides, cover slips, tweezers, scalpel, specimen vials, adjustable lenses, collecting lamps, and a sturdy storage case.
Promising review: "My 9-year-old niece was asking for a microscope for her birthday and I decided to buy it and I am so happy that I did. This kit has everything that your young scientist needs! I mean it has everything, there are blank slides and labels, tweezers and 'scapulas,' small vials, and so much more. It even includes shrimp eggs to hatch. How cool is that?!? My niece was so excited about this present that at her birthday party she had all the kids taking turns looking at slides of onionskins and dragonfly wings and leaves. This is a great starter microscope for a little scientist and it is educational fun for the whole family. This makes a great way to get kids and adults off the electronics and learning about the world around them." —craftysarah
Promising review: "Gift for 10-year son. He loves science! This is a GREAT microscope, especially for the pricing. Love that it comes with a carrying case and everything fits really well into it. Thanks is his first experience with a microscope and definitely needs adult supervision in the beginning." —Patricia VanAmberg
Get it from Amazon for $34.99 (available in two colors).
20. A Stomp Rocket launcher to teach the kids basic physics (without them suspecting it!). They'll have such a *blast* as they jump on the launchpad, count down to liftoff, and watch the rockets soar up to 200 feet high.
Promising review: "I ordered this for my grandson so he and his little brother could both stomp on it and fly the rockets. He was excited and so was my younger grandson. This has to be one of the most awesome toys. There are lots of things you can do with it to learn about the science behind rockets. Buy one — you'll have so much fun!" —Mimi
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (also available in an LED option and a six-piece set).
21. A solar-powered DIY robot kit so young STEM enthusiasts can get the *gears* in their head turning as they build 12 different types of moving robots.
The kit includes 190 pieces, a solar panel, and detailed instructions.
Promising review: "I purchased this as a gift for an 8-year-old boy. He loves to build, loves robotics, dinosaurs, and Godzilla. :) He LOVES this set! He sits for hours on end, which is an amazing accomplishment for any 8-year-old, playing with and building all the different robot toys. And, this isn't just for little boys. A friends 8-year-old daughter loves them, the 48-year-old parent loves them, and the 75-year-old grandpa loves them. Fun for the whole family!" —MBC
Get it from Amazon for $32.99.
22. A Learning Resources Botley The Coding Robot 2.0 activity set for introducing kids to coding (no screen involved!). They'll love programming Botley to move up to 150 steps *and* turning it into a train, police car, ghost, and more.
Recommended for ages 5+.
Promising review: "My kids (ages 4, 7, 9, and 11) have all been having fun playing with this robot. It’s easy to set up and I love how even preschool-aged kids can use it (no reading necessary). All you do to program the robot is press the directional arrows to control the robot’s movements. The set also comes with flags, obstacles, and fun tiles to make courses. Great STEM toy and intro to coding concepts. My older kids were able to do more complex functions like if/then statements and there is a short manual that explains everything and gives example challenges. Highly recommend!" —Andrea
Get it from Amazon for $73.99.
23. An LCD writing tablet that'll encourage little Einsteins to practice their numbers and letters. They might even consider trading their iPad for this cool gadget.
Promising review: "My 2-year-old and 5-year-old love this product! They are fighting for it, got to buy another one. Perfect for practicing writing and drawing, and I don’t need to worry my kids ruin my wall and sofa anymore, no more color pencils and crayons! I have it in my bag, so whenever we are in restaurant, car or a waiting line, I took it out and let them draw. Ten-inch screen is big enough for the kids; it is almost like letter-size paper. The colorful writing is attractive for kids, it has vivid colors. and it can be locked when kids are drawing, it has a screen lock button. The best thing is no more paper, we can save the trees.'" —Jennifer C
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in four colors).
24. And a personalized critter case to accompany you and your Curious George on backyard adventures so you can study fascinating critters up close — before returning them to their natural habitat.
USA Woodshop Co. is a small biz based in Barstow, California, that specializes in handcrafted wooden items and children's furniture.
Promising review: "I looked all over for a bug barn for my daughter, but I couldn’t find a nice wooden one with a sliding door like I had when I was a kid (25 years ago!). But then I spotted this on Etsy! It’s perfect, exactly what I was hoping for. It’s sturdy, the door slides shut and stays in place, and the screen is secured. My daughter absolutely loves it. I’m so glad I bought this!" —Stephanie Jacobson
Get it from USA Woodshop Co. on Etsy for $11.99.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.