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. A Magna-Tiles set because studies have shown it'll hold any kid's attention wayyyy longer than most toys. JK, but seriously, any parent who has bought this cool building set will attest that it's worth.every.penny.
The set comes with translucent magnetic pieces to build 3D creations all day. Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "Seriously the best gift we have ever gotten our son. He has these at his preschool and, since Christmas, at home too and he never tires of them. In fact he plays with these almost every day and his creativity astounds me. He learns so much about how to put things together and his imagination runs wild. He would play with these for hours if he could!!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $49.99 for a 32-piece set or $113.86 for a 100-piece set.
2. A Crayola light board so budding artists can see their imagination come to life just like an immersive Van Gogh exhibit.
The set includes an LED light board with removable tracing panel and and six gel markers. Just draw your masterpiece directly on to the light board — the removable back panel makes tracing images a snap. Then turn it on to light up your designs and showcase them in the dark. The board is reusable so you can wipe away old drawings and start all over again.
Promising review: "This light board is awesome!! My 6-year-old loves to draw and absolutely loves this board. The markers nestle into the back of the board for storage which makes this mom happy, board cleans easily with a damp paper towel or wipe. This is a great car activity for traveling. Love the added feature of the removable blackboard for tracing — so fun! Will make a great gift for any art lover!" —Danielle Campbell
Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in three colors).
3. A magnetic shape-shifting puzzle cube because it'll keep any child 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: "I was hesitant about spending $25 for this toy and even more concerned when it showed up and I saw the size, but this got the award for favorite Christmas gift. Both my 9-year-old and 12-year-old play with it constantly!" —Blair001
Get it from Amazon for $25 (available in 18 designs).
4. 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: "This is a really neat toy that has provided literally hours and hours of enjoyment for my 4-year-old nephew (and me!). The pieces fit well together, it is very sturdy and stands up well even on carpet. There are an infinite number of ways to build these runs, and this toy never gets boring. Highly recommended." —Becca
Get it from Amazon for $50.99 (available in three styles).
5. A classic Melissa & Doug ice cream station to *serve* up many delicious opportunities for pretend play for your little one, who will never tire of making ice cream cones and mixing and matching flavors and toppings.
The wooden ice cream counter comes with eight ice cream scoops, six toppings, two cones, cup, scooper, tongs, wooden spoon, reusable menu card, and six pretend dollar bills.
Promising review: "Fun toy set for a creative toddler. My newly-turned-3 year old daughter instantly fell in love with this set! She loves seeing how high she can stack the ice cream cones and pretending to serve Mom & Dad her creations. She's been obsessed with climbing things around the house and we *desperately* needed a distraction to get her to stop, and this is working so far — she plays with this thing for HOURS!" —West Family
Get it from Amazon for $24.39.
6. And a Melissa & Doug interactive wooden dashboard if your tiny car-lover is constantly trying to to tinker with the real thing. It comes loaded with realistic features like a steering wheel, ignition key, beeping horn, hazard lights, gps and more to keep them vrooming and zooming for hours.
Promising review: "This thing is awesome! My kids were playing with my husband’s old gaming steering wheel and it ended up breaking apart a week ago. They were pretty upset because they love pretending to drive so I looked to find another one. There were cheaper options than this one but they were just the plain steering wheel, no buttons or gear shift so I decided to give this one a try. My boys loved it so much that I had to sit with them for hours having them take turns playing so they wouldn’t fight over it. I didn’t realize there was a little window that shows the car on the road but my 3-year-old LOVES it! He likes to set the timer on the gas gage and when it goes off he lets me know he’s pulling into the gas station (there’s a little gas station in the window part). Anyway, we loved it so much we bought another one the same afternoon so both boys can drive together." —Brittany
Get it from Amazon for $46.18.
7. A pack of dinosaur bath bombs that'll make bath time fun by filling their tub with color as the egg fizzes away to reveal a hidden dino buddy inside. The best part? These come in a cute carrying case to store all their dino toys for screen-free play after bath time is over.
Promising review: "My 4-year-old is obsessed with all things dinosaur, so I was sure that this would be a hit in our household. Everything from the packaging to the actual product was a pleasant, sensory experience. Normally I have a hard time getting my kid to wash up in the evening because he knows bedtime is around the corner; however, he wouldn’t stop begging to hop in the tub with his new dinosaur eggs! The fact that each bath bomb is made with essential oils makes me feel good about soaking my little one, and the smell is quite delightful. My kid loved how fun it was when the water changed color, but I loved how it didn’t stain my bathroom. It takes a minute to dissolve because the bath bombs are quite large, but the funnest little dinosaur toy emerges once it fizzles out completely. Highly recommend! 10/10, will be purchasing again, as the price point is more than reasonable for 12 of these bad boys!" —Jesseca L.
Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $35.95.
8. A bestselling Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes musical toy with catchy, classical melodies (by Mozart, Vivaldi, and other masters) and twinkling lights that any parent will tell you is their secret weapon to immediately calm down a fussy baby.
Promising review: "I LOVE this thing! I bought it before my daughter was born because of high reviews. It's a reasonably priced toy and my daughter has been using it since birth. Whenever she's having a meltdown I break it out of the diaper bag and she's all better. :) I actually memorized the songs and order and they're pretty catchy. Not annoying and overbearing like other toys. I don't know what I would do without it!." —uhhdorkable
Promising review: "The best baby distractor EVER! Every person with a child must have this toy! I had about five tucked in various places in case one got lost. My son loved them from basically birth and sometimes it would distract him for hours of non-crying! (heaven for a new mother) Of course in the beginning you have to keep pushing the button for them but compared to swinging him in his car seat that was easy! Then we he got older he would spend entire car ides just playing with this one toy. I give it to everyone I know who has a baby." —NH-Mommy
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
9. An LCD writing tablet for encouraging future Einsteins to practice their numbers and letters. Added bonus: They might even consider trading their iPad for this cool gadget.
Promising review: "This tablet has entertained my 4-year-old grandson for hours at a time. He loves that he can erase at will and that the drawings are multicolored. I highly recommend this item for 18 months old and up. I bought a pink one for our 18-month-old granddaughter, and she too is just enthralled with it and the 'power' she has to erase, create, erase, create! They loved them so much, that we bought another set of two different colors so that they would have them at home as well as at 'Grammy's.'" —Kindle Customer Red Heart
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in four colors).
10. A Smart Lab human body toy featuring 21 removable body parts (complete with squishy organs) perfect for kiddos fascinated by human anatomy.
Promising review: "Great learning toy. I got this for my kids (7, 9, and 11) while we are studying the human body for science and they are obsessed with this! They want to play with it all the time and can sit there for hours. They have learned so much just by playing with this toy and reading the book it came with." —Jacqueline
Get it from Amazon for $24.29.
11. A DIY puffy sticker kit easy enough for crafty kiddos (ages 6+) to tackle on their own with minimal supervision.
Promising review: "This is a great craft for my 7-year-old to do on her own! It's quick, easy to use and gives her hours of fun. So much that I ordered another one. I love how this craft kit is something she can do with no help. Yes the stickers are cheap to an adult but to a 7-year-old who colors and makes it on her own, its magic." —Coop
Get it from Amazon for $18.78.
12. A National Geographic geodes kit to blow any junior geologist's mind and give them an excuse to smash rocks with a hammer.
This science kit includes four natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, one display stand, 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 $19.99 (available in three sizes).
13. A Dyson Ball toy vacuum with realistic sounds and pretty decent–working suction that'll make little helpers want to clean the house nonstop. But hey, who's complaining?
Promising review: "Our son is absolutely obsessed with our Dyson (the real one). Which is why we purchased this toy Dyson vacuum for his birthday. He's 2-years-old and he is really enjoying having his on 'working' vacuum cleaner!!! He seriously plays with it for hours during the day. Turning it on and off and pushing it through the house just like we use our real vacuum. I would buy this again! It was his favorite gift!." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three colors).
14. A wooden puzzle equivalent to playing Tetris but in tactile form that'll ~exercise their brain~ without any screen time.
Reviewer's say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 12.
Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised with how popular this was! I just bought it as a side gift for a child just because it was cheap and it was a puzzle-type toy. However, this kept both kids and adults immensely entertained for hours. It was challenging for everyone but a fun challenge. I’m purchasing another so we can race each other to finish at the next gathering." —Mrs. Dinkleberg
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
15. A flower-building activity set — a STEM-based toy (literally and figuratively) to make the imagination of horticultural enthusiasts blossom while creating bouquets and gardens.
Promising review: "I bought this flower garden as a gift for my 3-year-old daughter. She absolutely loves it! She has always enjoyed blocks and this is something different that has kept her engaged for hours! We highly recommend this product to others!!" —Ashley Petersen
Get it from Amazon for $19.98 (available in two sizes).
16. 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: "Can I give this 6 stars? My 6-year-old son didn't ask me ONCE today for his tablet, video game or to play on my phone. He ignored a new movie on TV (one he had been BEGGING to see) because he was playing with this toy. He spent a couple hours working with his dad, a couple experimenting by himself and another few HOURS working through the projects with his aunt. I LOVE THIS TOY!" —SnappinMom
Get a set from Amazon for $28.99.
17. 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+ (available in four styles).
18. A Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! 150-Piece Building Set if you're looking for building toys that aren’t Legos (but will keep them busy for hours!)
Promising review: "I bought this for my son when he was 3. Two years later, I’ve come back to write my unbiased review so you have one to trust. At the time, I bought these on a whim and had no idea what I would unlock. For more than two full years now, these gears have been played with DAILY. Every. Single. Day. They have held up to crashed airplanes, tidal waves hitting sea creatures, and have been catapulted into castles. Very rarely have they been played with as shown on the product pictures, as my son uses them to build different things every day. Dusty Crophopper (plane), Lightning McQueen (race car), and so much more. Our only regret is sometimes we don’t have enough pieces to build an entire fleet. These creations have an entire shelf for display in his bedroom to feature what he builds each day. This toy is durable, open ended, grows with the child, fits a variety of abilities and ages, and is only limited by imagination. I could not recommend this toy more!" —Traveler
Get it from Amazon for $54.99.
19. A pack of parachute toys ingeniously designed not to tangle despite being tossed excitedly from the top of the stairs or a balcony over and over.
Promising review: "I bought these for my 4-year-old nephew and 2-year-old niece for when they come to visit. Right out of the box, they were excited and loved tossing them up in the air and watching them fall. I was amazed as to how long it kept their interest and the different ways they played with them. They dropped them off the stair landing, off the couch, in the yard and held them behind them to expand as they ran. My niece liked "Dancing" with them and twirling it around. Good colors and very well made. Hours of fun and the best $7 I ever spent on a toy!" — hiker0811
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.98+ (available in two colors).
20. A flying orb with flashing lights that'll float in the air or boomerang back to you leaving your kids wondering "what is this sorcery?"
Promising review: "This is incredible!! My grandkids spend hours outdoors, playing with this!! Best thing I could have ever bought to get them outdoors and out from under video games and YouTube. Also, good exercise. It is better outdoors than indoors. The battery life is not very long, but I bought 2 and they just switch them out. Fun! Fun! Fun!" —ladybug
Get it from Amazon for $43.97 (available in seven colors).
21. A Melissa & Doug activity book with a pair of safe scissors to channel their (*cough* destructive) energy into a creative activity that'll put their fine motor skills to the test.
Promising review: "Scissors skills are important both in and of themselves and because it strengthens the hand muscles to be used for learning to write. My 4-year-old LOVES this book. We received it this week and she has used it for a couple of hours each day. Many of the pages are cutting things out and putting them together (four-scoop ice cream cone, pizza with pepperonis, the components to build a house or a car, puzzles). We've used tape or glue to put the components together. This book is interesting enough to have caught the attention of my older children as well, although I make them let her do the cutting. :D Would make a great gift as it is so unique." —Mom of 7
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
22. A scratch paper art set that'll make you nostalgic for your childhood when nothing was more satisfying than drawing on the surface to reveal the rainbow colors underneath.
23. 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.
24. A Craft-tastic "Make a Fox Friend" kit that comes with everything budding crafters need to make an adorable fox stuffie along with glam accessories (while learning basic sewing skills!). They'll especially love changing their foxy friend's outfits over and over.
Promising review: "This is by far the best sewing craft project!!! The design is adorable, and it’s so clever. All the extra pieces that come with it are an absolute delight. My 7-year-old daughter LOVES it! She was able to do most everything herself, but the purse accessory (that was tricky)…but so cute :)" —J Fox
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (also available in mouse or bunny).
25. A set of Crayola Scribble Scrubbie pets because they can be reused over and over again (unlike one-and-done sets). This will keep budding artists busy coloring the cute pets, scrubbing them, and coloring all over again.
The Peculiar Pets set includes: one dragon, one narwhal, one yeti, one unicorn toy, one sparkly scrub tub, one scrub brush, nine washable markers, one standing play mat, and an instruction sheet.
Promising review: "My daughter LOVES coloring, stickers, drawing, etc. so when I saw this prior to her fourth birthday, I thought she would enjoy it. It was a HUGE hit and it will regularly keep her occupied for an hour or so at a time coloring, cleaning, and coloring again (with only minor help when asked for more help cleaning and drying). Even my 6-year-old son who doesn't usually color or draw will join her periodically and seems to enjoy it. The markers are short and skinny, great for small hands." —a.b.
Get it from Amazon for $28.19 (available in two styles).
26. A bestselling Little Tikes trampoline because your little monkey can stop jumping on the bed and bounce on this for HOURS instead.
Promising review: "I have a wild 3-year-old who has more energy in one day then I've had in my entire life. From sun up to sun down he is ON. Unfortunately, we don't have a yard and we can't always make it to the playground. We picked this up for him hoping that it would help him get some of that energy out on days that we're stuck inside. We've had it for 8 months and it has been a lifesaver! I was worried about it taking up too much space in the living room but it's not bad at all. It's wide enough for him to jump comfortably, but not big enough to be an eyesore or get in the way. When I catch him trying to climb on the couch or run around too wildly, I just give him a quick reminder to jump on his trampoline instead. It's a win for both of us since he has a safe place to let that energy out and I'm not scolding him because he's jumping on things he's not supposed to. He is about 40 lbs and 40 inches tall and he doesn't seem to be growing out of it anytime soon. It was easy to put together and has held up beautifully! It's never tipped over and we've never had any accidents with it. I am so thankful we picked this up for him because it helps keep all of us happy and sane." —Ana
Get it from Amazon for $44.25.
27. 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.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.