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1. A Melissa & Doug activity book with a pair of safety scissors that's full of puzzles, mazes, and lots of other hands-on activities that'll capture their attention and inspire some creativity at the same time. In fact, if you need something to keep your kid busy while you cook dinner, set them up at the dining table with this and you won't hear a peep out of them until mealtime!
Amazon, www.amazon.com
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.
2. A pack of Crayola Globbles for the littles with *lots* of extra energy to burn off. Let them embrace their chaotic side and hurl these sticky blobs on the wall or the ceiling. They'll be absolutely delighted to see them stick, and you'll be delighted that they don't leave behind any sticky residue!
Watch this mom explain why Globbles are her "new favorite thing ever" on TikTok.
Promising review: "My 15-year-old asked for these after seeing them on TikTok. I got them as a stocking stuffer thinking they’d be tossed aside. Unbelievably he and his 17-year-old brother have spent time laying in the floor, tossing them up to the ceiling, and waiting for them to fall so they can catch them. I never expected them to get this much use. Bonus is they’re off their phones and in the family room with us." —Amazon Customer
Get a set of six from Amazon for $10.69.
3. A color-your-own-castle playhouse in case a rainy Sunday traps your children inside. Instead of being tempted to say "I'm bored" for the 100th time, they'll have so much fun coloring in their little palace exactly as they want to.
4. A Silly Poopy's Hide & Seek game — you hide this fake rainbow-colored poo in the house and it'll say "yoo-hoo" and give other funny clues about where it's hiding. Any kid who delights in potty humor will get a kick out of this one.
5. The Adventure Challenge: Family Edition, which is a book featuring a huge array of adventures you and your family can go on together. All you have to do is scratch off a box to reveal the surprise activity the book is prompting you to do. Once you're done with your adventure, you'll write a blurb and add in a photo to commemorate your time.
6. A Fat Brain door pong game that's essentially like playing ping-pong without having to use a table. Just attach this to a doorway or an arch in your house, adjust the height, and let your kids start battling it out.
7. A machine-washable coloring tablecloth to keep your kids busy while you're making Sunday dinner. Hopefully the days of them asking "Is dinner ready yet?!" a million times are now over!
8. A Dyson toy vacuum if your kid loves watching you clean and wants to help out with the chores. It is battery operated and actually has enough suction to pick up small items like paper, which will make them feel like they have a real vacuum in their tiny hands!
9. A DIY puffy sticker kit so your kid can add some custom flair to their notebooks or water bottles. Regular stickers are great, but puffy stickers they can make themselves? Next-level cool.
10. A Melissa & Doug loom if your kiddo is more of an old soul and is already expressing interest in making their own blankets, scarves, or purses. Just set this up at the kitchen table and they'll be weaving away all weekend long.
11. A light-up disc so your kids can still play outside (with parent supervision of course!) even when the sun starts setting at 4:30 p.m. again. Daylight saving time is no match for LED!
12. A book of 642 tiny things to draw if you have a budding artist in your household and want something that will help them tap into their creative side. Depending on how fast your kid doodles, this book could keep them busy for a very long time.
13. A mini projector so they can feel like they're at the movie theater without leaving the house. You can even use this outside for an under-the-stars viewing experience.
14. A Slammo game set perfect for kids who need to burn off some extra energy on the weekends. Set this game up in the backyard, let them slam the green ball into the net until they get tired out, and you can enjoy the peace and quiet you have in your empty house.
15. A classic Melissa & Doug ice cream station for any kid with a sweet tooth who also has a big imagination. They'll love stacking the cones high with pretend ice cream and "selling" the cones to their family members.
16. A glow-in-the-dark fort-building kit to keep your little architect busy. They'll have so much fun coming up with new designs for castles or igloos or rockets — the possibilities are endless!
17. A Disney princess necklace activity set so your little diva can try their hands at designing their very own jewelry. Don't forget about setting up a fashion show afterward so they can show off their creations!
18. A set of rainbow popping toys for teeny hands that always need to be doing something. This is basically like infinitely reusable bubble wrap — yes, it's totally acceptable if you, the grown-up, want to buy one too.
19. A TikTok-famous pick 'n' peel stone — it's a super-effective way to redirect kids who struggle with nervous habits like nail biting or skin picking. Now they can pick and poke the paint off the textured side of the rock and peel the paint off the smooth side.
20. An affordable drone your kids have probably already been begging you to buy for months. You're about to be their favorite person in the world when this arrives at your doorstep!
21. A kids' selfie camera for any budding influencers who are constantly asking for your phone to take pictures. Now they'll be able to snap away at anything and everything and you won't find your phone covered in jelly fingerprints after they use it.
22. A sensory swing that's not only super fun to play in, but is also a great way to help kids develop better balance and motor skills. It also has a special spring at the top that'll let your little one bounce up and down...how fun!
23. Or this rainbow-colored saucer swing you can hang indoors or outdoors — this is almost guaranteed to become their favorite little hangout whether they're lying on it to read or spinning their little hearts out.
24. A 12-pack of sustainable all-natural pure beeswax crayons that are so indestructible, they literally offer a money-back guarantee if they (somehow) happen to break. No more snapping through a pack of crayons in 10 minutes flat!
25. A snack spinner to turn snack time into a fun game. If you're having trouble getting them to sit still long enough to eat some Goldfish, place this in front of them and they'll be instantly entranced by the spinning snack compartments.
26. A round rainbow puzzle if you have a puzzle-obsessed kid and they're looking for a unique, challenging puzzle to put together. Nothing beats the quiet contemplation of working on a puzzle...except maybe the sweet feeling of satisfaction your kid will have when they finally complete it!
27. A set of handcrafted, nontoxic constellation blocks so they can learn all about the stars and constellations while they play and build towers. Once the sun goes down, they'll love rattling off everything they learned and pointing at their favorite constellations when you head outside.
28. A Cup Noodles Yahtzee to add a cheeky twist to a classic game. This one's perfect for family game night on Saturdays!
29. A two-sided, A-frame art easel so your kiddo can partake in whatever artistic medium they please. This has a chalkboard, magnetic dry-erase board, and a paper feeder if they prefer painting. We think this will be something they use for years and years to come!
30. A three-wheeled micro scooter that'll give your toddler more stability as they ride than the two-wheeled scooters do. Perfect for the weekends when the sun is shining and you want to get out and enjoy it!
31. A wooden, handmade animal building block and puzzle set for a super-cute 2-in-1 toy that also promotes skills like logical thinking and problem-solving. They'll have a blast as they try to make their animal tower reach as tall as possible.
32. A 24-piece Melissa & Doug pet vet playset if you've noticed your toddler has a serious soft spot for animals and you want to encourage that empathy by letting them pretend to care for furry creatures. This set includes vet essentials like a toy stethoscope, a scope, tweezers, and a cone of shame, naturally.
33. A 10-pack of Play-Doh because a classic is a classic for a reason! Watching your kid build structures with all the different colors will bring back some serious memories for you — plus: It'll entertain them long enough that you could maybe check some things off your to-do list!
34. A three-string Loog Mini acoustic guitar — it comes with flashcards of chord diagrams and access to the Loog guitar app so they can actually start learning how to play at a young age. Look at that little rock star in the making!!
35. This simple magnetic maze game that not only will help with fine motor skills, but it will also make your kid focus hard on moving the ball along. Which means finally you get some peace and quiet!
Live footage of you finally relaxing because your kid is (for once) busy playing with their new fancy gadgets, games, and activities:
