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. Silly Poopy's Hide and Seek because your nibbling is currently in their potty humor phase. Let them delight in finding a rainbow-colored fake poop that gives seekers clues to its whereabouts. In desperate need of some alone time? Reviewers swear by this thing for keeping their children entertained!
Promising review: "My 6- and 3-year-old are OBSESSED. They play for an hour at least! Played with it daily since we got it. When it's my turn to hide, I make it tricky enough that I can actually be productive until it's my turn again." —Cara Lentz
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
2. A miniature baking set for the tiny chef with a big love for whipping up delicious treats in the kitchen. It even comes with a 48-page recipe book that shares the science involved.
The set comes with a storage tin, rolling pin, wee knife, pizza/dough cutter, mixing spoon, three wee spoons, mixing bowl, pizza/pie pan, pie server, sheet pan, silicone cake and cupcake molds, two silicone finger mitts, and a 48-page recipe book.
Promising review: "My 9-year-old daughter LOVES this — OK, more like is obsessed with this! Everything holds up and is durable. The recipes are so simple to follow. She takes over the kitchen and does everything by herself. Cook things in the toaster oven. She makes us delicious cinnamon rolls, apple pies, pizzas…everything! Everything is written and geared to have a child be able to do it. We have told all her friends, and they all have this, too! The kids on the street all come to our house just so they can tiny bake! Every kid needs one of these!" —Summer
Get it from Amazon for $28.099.
3. A pack of Crayola Globbles to keep kiddos busy sticking, squishing, squeezing, stacking, and slinging without worry about sticky residue on ceilings and walls.
Promising review: "A huge hit with my children. We bought them for one child with autism, and he's obsessed with them. Christmas morning has been pure joy for him playing with these, and all of us joined in on the fun. They are not exploding on us, nor are they 'peeling' our ceiling paint or plaster off. Overall, I would absolutely buy these again and recommend them to anyone else. Especially anyone who has a special needs child or child with sensory issues." —SamSurgany
Get a set of six from Amazon for $10.69 (also available in a pack of 16).
4. A National Geographic geode kit that'll make for a ~smashing~ gift. Now hand me those goggles, please!
It comes with 10 geodes of varying sizes, as well as goggles and a display stand.
Promising review: "My 9-year-old niece gets these every year for Christmas. It is a new gift every time! She loves to put on safety glasses and swing that hammer! The geodes are always beautiful. She also loves the element of surprise! This is a wonderful gift that will engage even kids who are not into the sciences. Every year she takes pieces in to share with her class. She also loves to give pieces away as little gifts or mementos. Nat Geo never disappoints!" —Kristin D.
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
5. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a fast-paced card-slapping game so they can destroy their family and friends on the next game night.
Promising review: "This game is a hit! My 5-year-old is obsessed, and my teenage sisters were fighting over who got to bring it to camp, so I had to buy two copies! It's such a fun party game, it is guaranteed to bring the laughs." —Jennifer Simms
Get it from Amazon for $9.84.
6. A bag of freeze-dried Sour Skittles if you're gift-hunting for a candy fiend. Plus, you can impress them with your knowledge of what's trending on TikTok.
Space Age Snacks is a small business that specializes in small-batch freeze-dried candy.
Promising review: "We bought the freeze-dried Skittles and love them! I have two kids, 8 and 10, who would snack on the whole bag in one setting if they could. My husband and I enjoy them too. They are deliciously crunchy and flavorful, and we will definitely buy these again and look forward to trying other varieties. These are a hit!" —Tats76
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (and check out the rest of their freeze-dried candy for more options).
7. A working mini Dyson vacuum because — believe it or not — reviewers swear by this pint-sized picker-upper. It's great for kiddos who are obsessed with copying their parents, and it even has a little suction power so they can help clean *some* of the messes they make.
You'll need four C batteries.
Promising review: "Easily my 15-month-old grandson's favorite toy. He's learned how to press the buttons to turn the motors on and off and really enjoys pushing this around, just like the big people do with their vacuum :) It's well-made, durable, and survives frequent drops. No small or sharp parts. It really does vacuum; there is a small dirt container to empty lol...but it's not really that powerful. It's a great toy, though. Your kids/grandkids will get a lot of enjoyment out of it." —Chuck over in Wisconsin
Get it from Amazon for $27.99.
8. A laser tag set for what will be undoubtedly be some competitive fun for the whole family!
You'll get four guns, four vests (front and back), and one charging station.
Promising review: "This set was perfect for my grandkids ages 7, 11, 14, and 17. Even we adults played. They had so much fun. We set up obstacles to hide behind, such as: patio furniture, foldable table, ice chest, etc. Very easy to set up and play. Was definitely worth it." —Debbie L.
Get it from Amazon for $199.99.
9. An educational and fun Gravity Maze logic game to challenge their critical thinking skills through 60 levels that increase in difficulty. They'll have so much fun testing they won't even realize they're learning at the same time!
Promising review: "My 10-year-old son is obsessed with this game. He loves figuring out each maze. It makes him use problem-solving skills and logic. This is a great toy for an only child whose parents can't entertain the child every minute. He chooses this over video games! Now that is saying something." —Amy P.
Get it from Amazon for $27.68.
10. A Tamagotchi Pix that'll keep them busy as they raise a Tamagotchi pet, find new virtual friends, go on play dates, earn Gotchi points, and even take pictures — a brand-new feature.
Promising review: "It works like a charm to me. I like how they change the games in the arcade every day. The explore function allows me to find new, meetable characters by pointing the camera to different backgrounds. Cooking and customizing furniture are also new unique features for the Pix. QR code communication is a really good way to connect during this pandemic situation. I really hope there will be a new version of Pix in the future" —Fairuz Takumi
Get it from Amazon for $38.93+ (available in six colors).
11. A whale bath toy so even the must reluctant bather will be excited for bath time. It lights up and sprinkles water from its spout — what's not to love?
Promising review: "We got this for our 5-month-old since he loves to try and hold/catch running water. He LOVES this! In the tub, it gets him sooo excited. We have even taken it outside in his small, shallow splash pad, and it still works. He loves catching the water and picking it up. And in the tub likes to try to sneak a sip haha. He is now almost 8 months old and is still obsessed. There are sensors on the bottom that, when it hits the water, will turn it on and when it needs to be charged. The water does not go very high, or it will just shut off. A definite bathtub fave for sure!" —Jo Edith
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in six styles).
12. A splash-proof kids smartwatch if your kiddo is obsessed with your smartwatch but you're not about to drop $200 on a watch they're bound to break. This kid-friendly smartwatch can take videos, pictures, and selfies they can customize with built-in funny filters. There are even built-in games, like Monster Detector, which allows the child to experience AR and "catch" monsters in the real world.
Promising reviews: "I got this watch for my 8-year-old for her birthday and she loves it! She takes pictures, videos, and plays the games." —YaYa
"Super cute and easy to work for my 5-year-old. He loves that he can match Mom now! It has games already installed and can take pictures, exercise, and lots more. Entertainment for HOURS!! And you can even change the watch face like an Apple Watch! So cool!" —Brittany
Get it from Amazon for $30.94+ (originally $59.99; available in five colors)
13. A TikTok-famous 1,000-piece puzzle from The Magic Puzzle Company because there's more to it than meets the eye! Not only is the illustration so beautiful that they'll probably glue and frame their puzzle when it's completed, but it also features 50 Easter eggs throughout *and* a magical twist that reveals itself once the puzzle is finished.
Promising review: "I bought this for my teen daughters and they loved it! Excellent quality pieces with a fun twist. They loved it so much I bought them a second one by this company. Highly recommend!" —L. STEVENS
Get it from Amazon for $22.97.
14. A pack of tangle-free parachute toys for both entertaining (and maybe tiring out) some rambunctious kids. They'll have a blast seeing their colorful parachuter flutter to the ground and maybe they'll actually exhaust themselves running up and down the stairs to drop 'em. (One can hope!)
15. A lightweight LCD writing tablet to give a mini Matisse an outlet for their creativity...that isn't a white wall. This portable and reusable canvas is mess-free — great for road trips, entertaining your little one at a restaurant, etc.
Promising review: "I purchased this gift for my just turned 2-year-old daughter, and she is obsessed — and so am I! It is mess free, nontoxic, endless coloring fun! She will scribble to her hearts desire, and with one push of a button, she has a clean slate. This clearing function also has a locking feature to prevent erasing, but she hasn’t used it yet! Highly recommend!" —Helen
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in four colors).
16. Or a nostalgic scratch paper art set that'll remind *you* of when you were a kid. It has 50 scratch papers, styluses, and stencils for plenty of screen-free fun.
17. An extra-extra long plushie so stinkin' adorable and absolutely ridiculous you may order one for yourself. Whether you're shopping for someone who's 8 or 18, you can't go wrong with this cutie!
18. A set of magnetic building tiles if you want a gift that's both educational and will keep your kid entertained. Ding ding ding — we have a winner! The magnets make it so easy to build with and the bright colors are just so fun! This isn't a gift that they'll forget within a few days or play with the box more than the actual toy.
Promising review: "A friend bought these for my son when he was 2 and he played with them more than anything else for a couple of years solid. We loved them. Perfect thing to take a few to a restaurant or family gathering to help keep the kids entertained. As he's gotten older, we found tons of ideas online for things to build, too. I just bought a set for a friend's daughter's birthday." —rae malm
Get a 60-piece set from Amazon for $25.99.
19. An absolutely adorable "Make a Fox Friend" kit because it's two gifts in one! They'll learn sewing basics and *and* create a fox friend complete with mix-and-match clothing and accessories.
Craft-tastic is a woman-owned small business based in Michigan. All their products are focused on teaching kids new skills and limiting screen time.
Each kit comes with six garments, eight accessories, a kid-friendly plastic needle, thread, a fox, and easy-to-follow instructions. For ages 5+.
Promising review: "This craft was a hit! The fox was very easy to put together, and it turned out so cute! You have to make the tutu by tying a bunch of knots, but other than that, all of the clothes are ready to go and do not require sewing! The fox came with a little fabric bag to conveniently store it for travel. The materials in the craft are good quality and hopefully will last a while. My daughter loved this little cute fox!" —Olivia O.
Get it from Amazon for $22.79 (also available in mouse, bunny, and koala versions).
20. A mini Waving Inflatable Tube Guy for gifting them their favorite roadside attraction. (Me too, buddy!) This lil' guy wiggles and shakes just like the ones at the car dealership.
Promising review: "My youngest loves seeing these guys everywhere we go. When we drive around and she sees one outside, she yells, 'Look, it's a (color) guy!' So we got her this little one. She is just obsessed with how she has one of her own! It is so cool. Made of awesome material. The fan is strong, and it waves around just like the larger ones you can put in your yard." —Joe H
Get it from Amazon for $8.58.
21. A colorful wooden puzzle to bring Tetris to life and keep their little brains and fingers busy sans screen. They can build shapes (like trees, flowers, and robots), or they can try fitting every piece on the board.
Reviewers say this is a great toy for a wide range of ages — from 3 to 12.
Promising review: "My kids are getting older, and I needed some unique little items to keep them busy on a long trip. This seemed attractive, lightweight, and fine for teens and younger. As it turned out, the three of us had fun challenging each other with it. We played with it in front of Grandma, and then she wanted one to keep her mind sharp! There are different challenges you can do (like timing yourself to finish it) and I love the artsiness of the wood. At $10, definitely a good buy and nice little gift." —C-Reader
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
22. A pair of glowing lightsaber chopsticks that'll bring that spicy tuna roll from their plate to their mouth with all the skill of a Jedi. Buy this, you must! "My favorite gift, this is!" they'll say.
My colleague Emma Lord bought these and loves them. In her own words:
"I bought these for myself, and I love them to pieces. TBH, I use them as decor every bit as much as I use them to eat. Sometimes I just keep them in my work area to light them up during the day to feel fancy. They toggle back and forth between a bunch of different colors, like red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor, so you can either make them match *or* have a red and blue one together and bring ~balance~ to the Force."
Promising review: "I bought these for my son, who likes to eat his ramen with chopsticks. He absolutely loves them. They are well-made, and the different lights are amazing. I also love that each chopstick has its own button so you can choose the colors for each, and it doesn't have to be the same color" —Jackie H.
Get them from Amazon for $11.97.
23. An interactive scissor skills activity pad so they can practice their cutting skills while feeling like they're playing a game.
Promising review: "My son is obsessed with this activity scissor kit! The scissors are perfect for a toddler or even younger! They're not dangerous at all, which gives this mom one less thing to worry about! Many pages to cut, and each page is also an activity to play with over and over again! Love this item!" —Kristina Wells
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
24. A value pack of 500+ puffy stickers if you're looking for a little somethin' somethin' to round out their gift. These are great for adding to a card.
The stickers feature letters, numbers, vehicles, butterflies, deep-sea life, animals, fish, dinosaurs, and more.
Promising reviews: "My 1.5-year-old is obsessed with these. Not sticky enough to do any damage but can also be reused a few times" —Katie Merkatoris
"I love that they are removable. They don't leave marks on your window. You can even place them back on the plastic sheet and use them again. I have a busy box for my toddler, and these stickers are in there. She peels them off and puts them on the lid of the box and then peels them off again and puts them back. She creates scenes with them. She puts them on windows at home. I peel them off and put them back. They really are fantastic stickers." —Elizabeth A. Zapf
Get a pack of 20 sheets from Amazon for $5.99.
25. A Disney necklace activity set because they can make and remake necklaces as fast as they switch their answer to the question of who their favorite princess is.
Promising review: "My 4-year-old is so obsessed with this particular product that she has made me five or six different things already. She really loves what she's doing. Great product for the price. Especially if your child loves to be creative." —John Bartley
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
26. A set of washable and fast-drying (yep, they dry in just 90 seconds) tempera paint sticks for gifting a child hours of creative fun *and* gifting you mess-free entertainment.
27. A 3-in-1 Lego dino set to satisfy their love for building and tinkering *and* ferocious dinosaurs. This set transforms into a T. rex, a triceratops, and a pterodactyl.
Promising review: "I bought this for my grandson for his 8th birthday. He is big into Dinosaurs and Lego, so this was the perfect set. He loves it. I'm not sure if he's put it together yet, but anything Lego is a good value — better than videos and iPads because it gets the creative juices flowing in their brain! Would definitely buy again." —W Hart
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
28. A pound of cereal marshmallows that'll help them live their dream of eating a bowl that's 100% marshmallows. Who wants those dry cereal bits?
Promising reviews: "I bought these as gifts, and they were a hit with the kids!" —Crystal Jordan
"Bought as a white elephant gift. Everyone had a good laugh. My kid begged me not to take this to the party — they wanted to eat it themselves. This is a perfect gag gift." —a. lilet
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
29. A waterproof Kindle Kids so you can encourage voracious readers to, well, keep reading. What parent wouldn't love that? It comes with a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which gives them unlimited access to thousands of books and hundreds of audiobooks. And a 2-year guarantee that if it breaks, Amazon will replace it. Wow!
30. A wireless Bluetooth karaoke microphone if they love pretending their bedroom is the American Idol stage. Connect it to your phone, tablet, TV, or speaker; pull up the lyrics; and belt out that Taylor Swift.
It can also connect to their device via cable. Check out BuzzFeed's full write-up on this karaoke mic.
Promising review: "Oh my gosh, I love this! I got mine in the mail yesterday and ended up playing with it for about five hours last night, LOL. It connects via Bluetooth, so you can connect it to your phone — the music and your singing comes out of the microphone's speaker. It has a volume control for your voice and for the music and also an echo feature. You can put an SD card into the bottom of it and record yourself, or connect it with an audio out to record on one of those karaoke apps on your phone. Between this and being able to find just about any song on karaoke via YouTube, you could easily have your own karaoke parties at home!" —Ferretocious
Get it from Amazon for $30.99 (available in 15 colors).
31. A balance bike because your toddler needs a ride that will keep up with their movin' and groovin'.
Promising review: "I bought this for my son when he was 18 months old. He struggled with it a bit at first, but as he got a bit taller and more coordinated, it became his FAVORITE bike! He spends hours riding around the house, around the neighborhood, as well as our backyard. This bike is great for fine motor control and coordination and helps them balance. Kids can push themselves along with their feet. My son is now 23 months old and rides it multiple times a day. Great gift for 18 months and up!" —Ciara Mini
Get it from Amazon for $45.99+ (available in eight colors).
32. A 17-piece Melissa & Doug wooden fruit set for completing their play kitchen. This set not only helps children develop their fine motor skills "cutting" the fruit, but it also helps teach them the concept of part and whole.
Promising review: "My first and third grader really love these pieces of fruit. The pieces are nicely weighted and when you 'cut' them the insides are beautiful just like a real fruit would be. The kiwi and orange is particularly pretty, realistic." —robin vaughan parler
Get it from Amazon for $19.59.
33. An at-home scavenger hunt to save you when it's too rainy to make a trip to the park. This toddler-friendly stack of double-sided cards encourages children to find fun in common household objects.
Mollybee Kids is a family-run small business creating high-quality toys that promote learning, staying active, and most importantly, fun!
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.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.