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1. A 24-pack of felt animal masks to help kids imitate some of their favorite four-legged creatures from the "king of the jungle" to the neighborhood "trash panda." Also great for birthday parties!
2. A 52-piece tea party set that can go really fancy or really casual, depending on the intended affair. Class it up with some fine pastries, or get down with a slice of pizza (all of which are included). But no matter the party, always remember: pinkies out!
3. A Melissa & Doug Blue's Clues wooden mailbox because if there's one thing that all kids love, it's getting snail mail, even the pretend kind. (You might have to explain that there are no actual snails involved, though).
For ages 4+.
Includes wooden postcards and stamps, envelopes, and invitations to mail, double-sided puzzle, 10-piece wooden memory game, gift box, shipping pouch, and a reusable activity magazine to personalize with three sheets of reusable stickers.
Promising review: "This toy does not disappoint! Everything is very sturdy. The mailbox may be a bit hard for toddlers to open, but it does keep everything stored safely inside, which is worth it. We got this for my 2-year-old for his birthday (he’s obsessed with Blue’s Clues), and he loves it. His 4-year-old (almost 5) sister has really enjoyed playing with it, too!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $13.16.
4. An easy-to-set-up and easy-to-clean indoor pop-up kids' playhouse tent for camping/glamping adventures. Comes with a bag for storage (yay) and travel (for sleepovers, double yay).
5. And you know what would go great with that tent? An 18-piece Fisher-Price "S'more Fun" campfire playset that trades all the danger of wood chopping, roaring fires, and grizzly bear attacks for kid-friendly wood accents and soft fabric. Plus, no marshmallow and chocolate stains!
For ages 3+.
Promising review: "My daughter is almost 4 and has recently gotten into building tents and forts out of pillows. We used my phone to 'make a fire,' but I wanted to get her something cute she could play with instead of my phone. This fits the bill and is affordable. It’s cool that you can cut the firewood with the felt ax. The marshmallows are double-sided; one side is uncooked and the other is cooked. It’s also nice that the mat for the fire can double as a picnic pad, too. The material seems very durable as well. The box that this comes in is cute and doubles for storage as well." —Christie
Get it from Amazon for $22.24.
6. A personalized superhero cape to get your kids into cosplay while encouraging them to create their own characters and stories. Plus, who doesn't look great in a cape?
7. A Little Tikes Magic Workshop tabletop playset so would-be wizards, witches, and/or warlocks can practice the not-so-dark-arts without summoning any actual demons into your home.
For ages 3+ and requires 4 AA batteries.
What sorcery is this? Cauldrons, wands, spell books, dragon eggs, and an enchanted frog with a tiny little crown! This playset has it all for the enchanting little sorcerer/ess in your life. It's like the home-schooling version of Hogwarts! I couldn't even get this out of the packaging before pressing all the buttons. The main gimmick is choosing potions from the spell book and pouring different potions (just water) onto the frog, who will react in various ways (based on the page of the book). There's more, but I kind of don't want to give away all the fun. This set has cast its spell on me (and I've never read a single Harry Potter book, and I think I've seen maybe three and a half of the movies. Team Dr. Strange here).
Promising review: "Grown witches need this even if your kids are grown too or no kids at all! This toy is everything your inner child wanted when they were a kid, so buy this now. So amazing. Will look neat next to your altar. Yessssssss, witches exist. We are among you." —Coppermouse
Get it from Target for $79.99.
8. A make-your-own monster hand puppets kit for not only creating colorful creatures (arts & crafts) but for storytelling and maybe even putting on a little show (theater).
9. A solar-powered Pretend and Play calculator cash register which makes a "cha-ching" noise every time it opens and will introduce concepts of math and finance to your kids as well as soon-to-be-outdated-in-their-lifetime concepts of cash and coins.
10. A Play-Doh Kitchen Creations ice cream truck playset complete with a soft-serve machine, scooping station, and everything else a kid would need to create cool and colorful imaginary desserts. This cash register also cha-chings! And yes, of course, it plays an ice cream truck jingle, too!
11. A Melissa & Doug wooden pirate chest pretend playset so would-be buccaneers can actually hide some of their most prized (albeit tiny) possessions in a hidden compartment! Yo, ho, ho! Avast! And other assorted pirate lingo!
12. A 75-piece Black+Decker kids' workbench to make tool time as fun (and safe) as possible. Young construction enthusiasts can even build their own tool caddy with the included parts.
13. A "Role Play Fingerprint Kit" so junior gumshoes can learn "how to detect and collect fingerprints" and finally solve the mystery of who ate the last cookie from the jar. J'accuse, papa!
14. A set of colorful, handmade mini-butterfly wings for some fun flying fantasy play. Also comes with a storage bag and confetti (so watch out for that last one).
15. A 24-piece Melissa & Doug pet vet playset so children can develop some serious empathy skills while taking care of a plush dog and cat with a toy stethoscope, thermometer, syringe, ear scope, tweezers, clamp, cast, bandages, and, of course, the cone of shame.
16. Or a Little Tikes Rescue Tales "Scrub 'n Groom" bathtub playset that really works! Kids can practice giving the plush Chocolate Lab an actual bath (with water) and a working shower head. Best of all? No wet dog smell!
17. A KidKraft Ultimate Spaceship wooden playset standing over four feet tall so intrepid little space explorers can really get into that cosmic roleplaying. Lots of lights, buttons, and sounds, but the best of them is the galaxy map projector shines onto the ceiling. "To infinity..."
For ages 3+ and requires three AAA batteries.
Promising review: "Assembly was fairly simple. Absolute favorite for my 3-year-old who has a fascination with all things spaceships (Buzz Lightyear)- themed play. Super cool light show to set the scene and encourages imitation play." —Kieren
Get it from Target for $329.99.
18. An Educational Insights plush vegetable garden for kids who show an interest in developing a green thumb (and parents who'd prefer them not to track anymore dirt into the house).
19. A 10-piece set of community helper dress-up vests that will allow kids to live out multiple future career fantasies at a time. Gardner by day, astronaut by night? Sure, why not?
20. A battery-powered, ride-on Kid Trax "Real Rigs" recycling truck with moving windshield eyes and front bumper mouth for teaching about being a sanitation engineer and, well, trucks (yeah!). Plays over 100 phrases and sound effects, which could very well qualify as trash-talking.
21. An adjustable Ninja Warrior obstacle course that might be the most exciting (and affordable) alternative to a backyard jungle gym or swing set. Kids will climb, swing, flip, and balance the day away while creating their own unique training course for whatever action-oriented scenario they've concocted.
22. A solid-wood Melissa & Doug deluxe magic set boasting ten classic tricks for the slightest of hands to learn the fine art of prestidigitation. The trickiest (hah) part will be coming up with that magician name!
23. A super-soft, giant 4-foot-tall Vermont Teddy Bear that'll grow with your kids (even though it stays the same size) from snuggle buddy to tea party guest to eventual recipient of all manner of suplexes and body slams.
24. A D&D "Dragons of Stormwreck" Isle starter set to introduce future members of the Hellfire Club to the classic fantasy roleplaying adventure game. Ideal for newbies on their first quest but also fun for parental Dungeon Masters, too. Alexa, play "In the Garage" by Weezer!
For ages 12+.
Includes a 48-page adventure booklet, 32-page rulebook for playing characters of levels 1–3, 5 ready-to-play characters (each with a character sheet), and 6 polyhedral game dice.
Promising review: "We have been playing D&D for years, and we love playing new adventures. I found this starter kit and ordered immediately. After reading through and getting it set up to start, it will be very fun. One of our group always wants to talk to every new group or creature we come across. It's always fun and interesting how some adventures is more talking and some are more fighting, and you never know what you are going to get...sorry no spoilers." —knightslady
Get it from Amazon for $19.82.
25. A wireless, Bluetooth Karaoke microphone with controllable LED lights to get this (kids' birthday) party started right. Just connect to a phone, tablet, or computer and pump up the jams. Oh, it can also be used as a portable Bluetooth speaker, mp3 player, and recorder! Kidz Bop? Never heard of it, but here's some Dad Rock tunes!
26. And finally, a Crayola Inspiration Art Case packed with 64 crayons, 20 colored pencils, 40 washable markers, and 15 large pieces of paper for kiddos to bring their most imaginative creations from their minds and into the world.
Parents: Remember, pretend play is important, but always keep an eye on those imaginary friends!
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.