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 touchless forehead thermometer with a built-in sensor that'll make taking your tyke's temperature a breeze. Perfect for any parents that err on the side of caution and find themselves checking their kiddo's temp anytime they look a bit flushed (ahem, me).
Promising review: "This is a great thermometer — accurate, looks great, a must-have! If you have kids, forget about sticking a thermometer in their ears. I have four kids now, and a thermometer is a must-have. Hold this thing close to the forehead, push the button in, and you get a reading in about one second. This thing looks good, feels good, and is accurate. We’ve used multiple thermometers in the past. The head scanner that you run across the forehead...no good. In-ear thermometers...accurate, but expect a battle. Rectal thermometers...very accurate, but expect a war. This is the easiest one out of all of them. We find it especially useful when we need the quick 'I don’t feel that great' check...i.e., man cold. Overall, highly recommend!."—BearDownChi1
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
2. A leave-in conditioning spray for curly hair free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates you can count on to revive your mini-me's precious curls after an eventful night of rolling around like a wild thing. (How do they get such intense bed head?!?)
Reviewers say this spray will leave wavy or curly hair (from 2a–4c hair) shiny, soft, and bouncy. SoCozy is a small business!
Promising review: "This leave in conditioner spray has worked so well with my daughter's hair. It smells amazing after her showers! Definitely a must have." —Diana Beger
Promising review: "This stuff is fantastic for curly girls! I spray it in my daughter's dry hair in the morning, run my fingers through her ringlets (never ever comb or brush curly hair dry), then clip the top back. It smells amazing, and the price on Amazon is better than other national retailers I've found it at. The price is worth it. Minimizes frizz and keeps curls soft and natural looking. My daughter has soft/fine thick hair." —Carolyn Smith
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (also available in a two pack).
3. A grape cutter because who on earth wants to spend their precious time cutting grapes??? This lil' gadget will ensure your kiddo's favorite fruit is the perfect size without costing you an entire afternoon.
Promising review: "Must have if you have toddlers. Wish I knew of this sooner. Has made it so much easier to cut grapes for my toddler. Now can do it one-handed when my LO won’t let me set him down to cut the fruit. I have also used it to cut blueberries and blackberries." —Crystal Albertin
Promising review: "If your toddler loves grapes, this is a MUST-HAVE! So much easier than cutting into 4ths with a knife." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $11.95.
4. A whale bath toy that lights up and sprays water like a magical fountain and will turn your kiddo's nightly bath into a disco partaaaay 🪩.
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 $13.99 (available in two colors).
5. Some reusable pouch tops that'll fit any one you've purchased from the store — yes, even that VERY specific brand that's the only one your kiddo will seemingly CONSIDER eating. It has a no spill control valve you'll thank your lucky heavens for when your little one is eating in the car.
ChooMee is a small business based in Northern California, owned by a mom, that specializes in innovative products that solve everyday feeding challenges.
Promising review: "MUST HAVE FOR TODDLERS. My son is a little over 1-year-old and I wish I got these sooner! He gets moments of extreme excitement where is squeeze's the crap out of his pouches and it gets EVERYWHERE. Since having these I have had zero messes! I ended up buying four more because I wanted to keep one in every possible place I'd need one. It seems pretty darn secure if you do it following the directions. It fits Plum Organics, Earth's Best, and Happy Baby pouches for sure." —Amazon Customer
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.99 (available in five color combos).
6. A set of satisfying tempera paint sticks you'll love as much as your toddler because they're *so* easy to paint with and they dry super fast. A win for everyone!
The Pencil Grip is a small business!
Promising review: "Best invention almost ever (there’s still sliced bread). I mean how can you go wrong with paint in a stick?!! I mean certainly a toddler can go wrong with it. A toddler can go wrong somehow with a spaghetti noodle!!! But seriously, I saw these paint sticks at one of our local art galleries and it was an immediate MUST HAVE!!! Vibrant colors and they fit in little hands SO well!!! My kiddo loves them and so does her Momma!!" —RNinMD70
Get a pack of 24 pens from Amazon for $19+ (also available in larger quantities).
7. A jar of internet-beloved The Pink Stuff, which is an all-purpose cleaning paste that'll help you tackle all of your kid-made messes but make it *~pretty in pink~* at the same time.
Promising review: "A must-have for toddler moms! My 3-year-old recently decided to channel his inner Van Gogh on our stairwell wall, and red crayon was EVERYWHERE. I tried every possible cleaning solution, and nothing was getting it off. I heard about the Pink Stuff on TikTok and decided it was worth a shot. This stuff is a miracle worker! With a sponge and some elbow grease, I was able to remove all the crayon within 10 minutes. There’s absolutely no trace of the crayon left, and it didn’t ruin my paint!" —Casey Blaine
"If you have toddlers, this is a MUST! This stuff is amazing. It gets out crayon, ink, permanent marker, literally whatever way your toddler decides to unknowingly destroy your home — this stuff cleans it up. Will be giving this to all expectant parents as a gift from now on. Forget that cute onesie. They need this. 10/10" —Diana
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
8. Sink extenders so you won't need to muster up Herculean strength every time your surprisingly dense toddler wants to wash their sticky little paws.
Promising review: "Must-have for toddlers and small children! LOVE this! My 1- and 3-year-old love washing their hands now and my back gets a nice break. Adding the faucet extenders and a stepstool to our bed time/morning routine has been a godsend. Great bargain for the price." —TeaBea21
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $11.49.
9. A pack of bright laminated flash cards to help your little brainiac learn their ABCs, 123s, shapes, and colors. You'll be surprised just how quickly they absorb new info!
Promising review: "My 2-year-old recognizes all her number and alphabets so she needed something to challenge her. These cards are it. Shapes, colors, number, counting animals — there is so much to learn, and so many games you can make up. A must-have for any toddler." —IG: Pink_confession
Get a pack of 58 cards from Amazon for $12.99 (also available for babies).
10. A LeapFrog 100 Words Book that'll interact with your eager-to-learn little one and teach them all kinds of useful words in both English and Spanish!
Find out why this parent calls it "one of our favorite toys for our son" on TikTok.
Promising review: "This may be my favorite LeapFrog toy yet!! So much to teach children, two languages, and it has actually kept my 1-year-old's attention for more than 60 seconds!!! It’s a must-have toy in my opinion!" —Megan Hennegan
"Our 18-month-old toddler loves it! Clear words makes it easy for babies to repeat. A must-have toy 👍" —Zaida
Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in seven styles and in two packaging options).
11. A set of plastic knives for any exhausted parent who would appreciate even the smallest bit of help prepping dinner — it'll also keep your kiddos entertained so you can get the rest of the meal ready.
Note: Children still need supervision while using them, of course.
Tovla is a small business that makes kid cooking products.
Promising review: "My daughter LOVES helping me cut and prep dinner with these! My LO (2.5 years) feels so helpful in the kitchen and I enjoy spending time together. A must have!" —Kacie
"Highly recommend these for safety, sturdiness, quality, and life skill reasons. These have been amazing for practicing cutting for my daughter. She’s been using them almost two years now since she was 2 years old. A must purchase if you’re looking to introduce a practical life skill especially to a young child!!" —Ciandra
Get a set of three from Amazon for $9.95.
12. A magnetic chore chart to help encourage good behavior by letting your kiddo earn star magnets for every "task" they accomplish — give them a "reward" to cash in on after they earn enough stars!
The chart comes with 63 chore magnets including potty training, brushing teeth etc. Also includes a dry erase marker along with some blank activity magnets so you can create unique and specific tasks that are not included. The Learn & Climb store is a small business.
Recommended for ages 3+.
Promising review: "A must-have for toddlers. This is a game changer. I’ve been looking for simple ways to encourage some behaviors and discourage others, and this is a good, simple, visual way to get a toddler or young child to improve. I love that it comes with different color stars for multiple kids in the household and that there’s color coordinated dry erase stickers to identify the child and how many stars to get 'x' reward. My 3-year-old gets excited when he gets to have a star. I’m excited that we are getting to have a more well behaved little human." —Danielle
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
13. A pack of brilliant light switch extenders that'll let tykes turn them on all on their own! Don't be surprised if you catch them humming Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent" soon.
These install in minutes on standard light switches.
Promising review: "Must-have for toddlers! Perfect solution! As my toddler's independence soars, so do frustrations. This light switch extender pack was a great buy. He can now turn on the lights in his room and bathroom. Installation was easy and works as expected." —AW
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $12.99.
14. An activity pad to show little ones how to correctly use scissors — a skill we *all* could likely work on, TBH. It comes with safety scissors (obviously) and a book filled with mazes, puzzles, animal art, sequencing activities, and more!
Promising review: "Must-have for toddlers. My 3-year-old loves doing these cutouts, and I enjoy them as well. The pictures are vibrant and pleasing. The puzzles are fun. The scissors are wonderful for small hands." —Holly
"Must-have for your toddler needing to learn scissor skills! And they actually cut, so long as you are holding the scissors straight (which teaches your child proper form). Will have to eventually move on to a bladed scissor, but these are perfect for learning." —L. Anderson
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
15. Melissa & Doug My First Daily Magnetic Activities Calendar to teach little ones about the day, month, year, season, and more! It comes with 80 magnets you can easily store on the hinged dry erase board when they're not in use.
Promising review: "Almost 3-year-old loves it. After getting this he’s now asking me 'today’s Tuesday mom?' And 'it’s winter now?' He likes the holiday magnets and trying to figure out where to put the arrow for the temperature each day. It is sort of heavy, so I would recommend using a nail to hang it or command strips around the rope so you don’t damage your wall. I used a velcro heavy weight command strip and it has held up for a few months now. We tried attaching command strips to the back of the wood and it wasn’t holding to that material. This is a must have for toddlers." —Steph
Get it from Amazon for $18.99.
16. A wooden puzzle that'll help jumpstart your tyke's brain and encourage them to problem solve without having their eyes glued to a screen.
Reviewer's say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 12.
Promising review: "Excellent for learning! Must-have! Such a wonderful toy/puzzle! Similar in some way to tangrams. Great for stimulating thinking and problem solving. My 3-year-old's teacher was blown away by her working the puzzle so easily." —tigerhax
Get it from Amazon for $8.49.
17. Spillproof Munchkin snack catchers so your tyke can grab a lil' treat whenever the mood strikes without making a crumbly mess all over your rug.
Promising review: "These are a must-have for a small toddler and their snacks. The top is soft and flexible so I don’t have to worry about my little guy scratching his little hands when he’s digging around in the cup. Very easy to clean and they’re priced well. Buy them now!" —Wooty
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $5.95 (available in two color combos and in four-packs).
18. A detangling brush that'll glide through knots like fish through water — no more throw down fights while trying to style your kiddo's hair.
Reviewers swear this brush works on all hair types: straight, wavy, or curly (from 3a–4c hair).
Promising review: "Brushing hair was a nightmare for my toddler. She is so happy with this item, She brushes her hair by herself now. This is a must-have brush, especially for mixed kids or Afro hair." —pelin ercan
Promising review: "Best detangling brush I've ever used! My daughter has really curly hair and puts up a fight every time I have to brush it! This brush has made bath time a much more enjoyable experience for both of us! 😅 If you have thick, curly hair this brush is a must-have!" —Tiffany Marie
Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in six colors).
19. GeoSafari kid binoculars they'll love using to get *up close and personal* with nature without actually getting all that close — a must-have for littles who are curious but a bit skittish about bugs and whatnot.
Promising review: "MUST HAVE. Baby K is only a year and a half and she was so excited to look out the windows and see the birds, up close! I wasn't sure they would work for her little face, but once she focused in, it was all over, hahaha!" —Brenda Richmond
"My 3.5-year-old loves these! Perfect for toddlers wanting to explore. He uses them for bird watching, plane watching, checking out bugs, just about anything! Great for learning!" —JillS
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
20. An Oogiebear tool that's confusingly kinda cute even though its purpose is *a bit* gross — to remove earwax and boogers safely from your little one.
Oogiebear is a small business that sells baby hygiene products.
Promising review: "Must have for toddler mamas! This is the best $12 piece of plastic/silicone I have ever bought! Great for my 2-year-old and he doesn’t even mind when I use it! Great for those nasty boogers!" —Megan G.
Get it from Amazon for $12.95+ (also available with an LED light).
21. A bath toy organizer reviewers swear actually sticks to their walls — as a parent, I can tell you there is nothing worse than hearing the toys you just put away tumble loudly into the tub. Good suction is a must.
Promising review: "This has been a game-changer for the whole bath toy tub time mess problem. The toys hang on the bath wall and dry in the mesh bag. It's great and holds a lot of toys! And it doesn't take up any space in the bathroom. Definitely a must-have for any toddler!" —Katie V.
Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in two sizes and pre-stocked with toys or by itself).
22. A pack of corner guards that'll make all of the sharp corners of your home a lot less daunting — when your toddler starts, well, toddling you won't have to follow behind them with each step they take.
Promising review: "Must-have for small children. When my toddler was running one day and smoked the corner of the island I knew I had to do something. These were perfect. They stuck on the corners great and most importantly will prevent the need for stitches if your child doesn't make a wide enough turn." —Tev
Get a pack of 18 from Amazon for $9.98+ (also available in a 24-pack).
23. A pack of soothing stick-on gel pads, a must have for cold and flu season — they're designed to fit kids' foreheads and provide cooling relief for up to eight hours.
Each pack contains four sheets.
Promising review: "A must-have in my house! I absolutely LOVE this product. I have a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, and it works wonders! For persistent fevers, I put one sheet on their forehead, then cut a second sheet in half (one placed on their back, another on the abdomen). If it's really bad, I'll cut it into fourths (both underarms, both inner thighs) to keep control of the main heat sources. My kids have no problem sleeping with them on. They stay solidly cool for about five hours and cooler than room temp for another two hours. They don't hurt at all when it's time to peel off — way easier than a bandaid! It's also great for boo-boos. Instead of expecting my 3-year-old to hold an ice pack on his face after knocking it on the coffee table, I just cut one of those strips to the appropriate size, stick it to the boo-boo, and we're good to go!" —Gracie's Choice
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $13.49.
24. A pack of toilet seat covers that'll bring you peace of mind knowing your toddler's tush never has to touch a grime-filled public toilet. You might want to use it yourself, TBH.
P.S. These are large enough to cover the *sides* of the toilet (unlike the the paper ones provided in the stalls).
Promising review: "Must-have! If you have a toddler these are a MUST! We travel and it gives us peace of mind knowing that no matter where we are, as long as we have these covers we can safely take her to the bathroom and everything is ok. Before we found these, I used to be super stressed when she would ask to use the bathroom and we were out and about but not anymore. They have cute colors and are big enough." —Dayanna Pita
Get a pack of 24 covers from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes and two pack sizes)
25. A whale-shaped bath spout cover, so your tyke can splish and splash without accidentally hitting their head on the ever-interesting-to-them spout. You're welcome.
Promising review: "My 1-year-old was always getting close to the faucet to play with the water and would end up crying all the time because he would end up bumping his head. But this saved him from that. Now he gets to enjoy the water without bumping his head, and if he does it won't hurt him since the whale is made of rubber. It's a plus that I can hang the spray tub lower and not have to stretch in my tippie toes every night. It's adjustable, so it fits pretty much all the faucets. This is a must-have if you have little ones." —Sam
Get it from Amazon for $9.29+ (available in two colors).
26. A pack of silicone dino ice pop molds you can fill with juice, yogurt, or smoothies to make healthier versions of store-bought ones. Your kids will definitely agree they're *~dino-myte~*.
Promising review: "Toddler snack must-have. I absolutely love these molds. The silicone is good quality because it peels off the pops easily and I use them quite often — they are pretty durable. Both my toddler and preschooler love them although the pop portion size is generous for my younger. The bone holders are hilarious and the yogurt we use looks exactly like a dino as expected after frozen. These work great and are really fun shapes so I highly recommend." —TXFan
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $14.19+ (available in four styles).
27. A scavenger hunt you can count on to keep your little ones busy during bad weather days — TBH, I'd have a blast tackling this myself as an adult!
Mollybee Kids is a small business!
Promising review: "A must-have. My 2-year-old son is obsessed. Always asks to play the '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.
28. A sandwich cutter and sealer that'll make it easier than ever to make Smuckers Uncrustables copycats at home — embrace your love of kid-friendly meals once and for all!
I (Heather) took the plunge and ordered this lil' kit and it was SO easy to use. My first attempt (pictured above) took literally two seconds to do. My bread was on the smaller side, but it still produced a perfect crust-less PB&J!
Promising review: "A must-have. As a mom of two, ages 2 and 5, who HATE crust this is a lifesaver! It saves so much money to buy these instead of Uncrustables." —Baleigh W
Get it from Amazon for $15.26.
29. A Tushbaby hip carrier you may have seen across your TikTok travels — parents love how much it saves their backs and that it has a ton of pockets for storage.
It's recommended for children between 8 and 45 pounds and can be used in four different holding positions — feeding/breastfeeding, side carrying, front facing, and face-to-face.
Tushbaby is a small business run by three California mamas and specializes in products that bring a little more ease to everyday parenting life.
Promising review: "A MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!!!! Moms and Dads this is the absolute best purchase I have EVER made. So worth the money. Do not cheap out and get an off brand. This is the one. I carried my 33 pound 16 month old on my hip for 3 hours in total while vacationing through a state park. 4 miles later, up stairs (were talking 200+ stairs) and dirt terrain I have no back or hip pain. And my son stayed on my hip, comfortable without any fuss. Even my husband who is 6’3” wore it and noticed the ease of putting it on and carrying our chunky monkey. Seriously, if you want to invest in something that will save your back, GET IT!" —Mom 2 Two
Get it from Amazon for $84.99.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.