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 leave-in conditioning spray for curly hair formulated without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates for making detangling after bath time less stinky all around. Oh, how the brush will flow! Oh, how your little one's curls will shine!
Reviewers say this spray will leave wavy or curly hair (from 2a–4c hair) shiny, soft, and bouncy.
Promising review: "This is the BEST product EVER! I will never use another hair detangler ever again. We use this product daily in my house, my daughter, my son, and I. Both of us girls have long and thick curly hair and it allows us to brush through our hair with no problems! And my son mostly uses it to style his hair before gel, and because it smells so good! We tried a few products from Walmart, Ulta and Target, and nothing was good enough. This is now on my subscribe and save every month!" —Tamira McLelland
Get it from Amazon for $7.59.
2. A value pack of reusable 500+ puffy stickers because I'm pretty sure there's nothing more powerful than being a child with a seemingly limitless number of stickers. These *will* appear in every nook and cranny of your life, so thank goodness they're cute!
The stickers feature letters, numbers, vehicles, butterflies, deep-sea life, animals, fish, dinosaurs, and more.
Promising review: "Great stickers, great value, endless possibilities! These are wonderful! You’d think you have enough for the rest of your life but you don’t :) my 2- and 4-year-old love them so much we are using them almost everyday! They stick great and my 2-year-old can take them off himself and you can easily restick them and they’ll still be sticky enough. We use blue paper and use the ocean animals or green for jungle animals or embellish a picture. Recently we used them to make an ABC book, so you have endless possibilities with these!" —Noelle
Get a pack of 20 sheets from Amazon for $6.99.
3. A Whiskware pancake batter mixer whose blender ball allows you to simply add the wet and dry ingredients to the bottle, shake it up, and get pouring. And with the bottle's narrow tip, you can let your creative genius shine at the flattop — Mickey Mouse pancakes coming right up!
Promising review: "This is the best breakfast invention after the waffle maker. LOVE IT! As someone who makes pancakes or waffles three to four times a week (my kids are pretty spoiled, but breakfast is key to getting through the first part of the school day), this is the easiest and fastest way to get that done. I just add everything to the bottle, shake, and pour into the waffle maker or griddle. When I am done, just add some water, shake again, empty, and then place everything in the dishwasher." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $13.14.
4. A pack of sink extenders so those little hands don't have such a hard time reaching the water flow. Learning to wash hands properly is vital, and this will certainly help!
5. A clever sight word Bingo game to take the pain out of helping your kids practice sight words, and even going so far as to make it fun! I vote you get cute little Bingo visors to go with too.
The set comes with 36 playing cards, 264 playing chips, caller's mat and cards, and a storage box. This version is a fun twist on the classic, but instead of calling out numbers, the leader calls out words (there are 46 most-used words), players search their cards for a match and place a red chip on the match. Once a player has covered the spaces on their card needed to win, they call BINGO!
Promising review: "My 4-year-old granddaughter and I go to the library every weekend. Once she's chosen her books for the week, she loves to 'check out' the games in the children's section. This was one that she wanted to play over and over and over. After the third go-round, I noticed that she was beginning to recognize some of the words on her own. That sold me! The minute I got home I purchased the game so she could play it at home. Every time I go over to her house, we play at least one round of this game, and I can tell her reading skills are increasing. And when we go to the library, she STILL wants to check this game out and play it there! The words on these bingo cards are words that can't be illustrated well — words like "them," "her," "go," "if" - small, mostly conjunctive words, but essential to reading. This game makes it easy and fun to learn those words. I simply can't praise this game enough." —Molly Harrington
Get it from Amazon for $15.34.
6. A set of reusable food pouches for easily transporting soft foods like smoothies and applesauce in a mess-free and waste-free way. Wins all around!
These reusable pouches have an extra wide zipper opening at the bottom making them easy to fill.
Promising review: "These pouches are wonderful! I bought the large size and they work for all my kids ages 1–10 years. The little one gets his purees and the older ones use it in their lunch bags for anything from porridge to yogurts to smoothies. I love that they are reusable and are super easy to fill with a funnel. As for the cleaning, yes it can get all dried and caked on after several hours in a lunch bag but I just leave them to soak in hot water and soap and then clean with a brush. I leave them to dry semi open and there are usually no lingering smells but when needed, I will rinse in vinegar to get them perfectly fresh smelling. Great product!" —NT
Get a pack of six 5-ounce pouches from Amazon for $10.99 (available in three colors and three sizes).
7. A TikTok-famous grape cutter to make them less of a choking hazard for your small fry without committing to seemingly endless chopping and slicing.
Promising review: "Such a TIME-SAVER! Omg I’m OBSESSED with this product! Let’s me cut grapes and olives for my toddler EFFORTLESSLY. Amazing product. DEFINITELY worth the purchase, especially for me since my daughter loves to eat grapes daily and most time more than once a day. This has made it so easy my husband and I almost cried." —Makeda
Get it from Amazon for $11.95.
8. A Melissa & Doug activity book with a pair of safe scissors to safely let their crafty side thrive. It's never too early to start a healthy love of making ironic collages, in my opinion.
Promising review: "Hours of cutting fun. My daughter LOVES this book. I purchased it to help with her fine motor skills and she has been cutting out all of the shapes ever since. I love that the activities in the book start of simple and get progressively more difficult as you go on towards the end. Also, though the scissors will cut the paper in the book, they are not sharp enough to cut your child, their clothing, your curtains, etc. That's a bonus over other preschoolers' scissors." —KT
Promising review: "This book is fantastic! My son looks forward to practicing his cutting skills EVERYDAY! The pictures are very colorful. He enjoys putting the puzzles together. We love learning to cut!" —Kristi
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
9. A Melissa & Doug magnetic calendar for teaching your growing offspring about the days of the week, months, holidays, and weather in a fun and interactive way. It doesn't get into the more existential aspects of time, but hey — that's what being a teenager is for.
Promising review: "My 3-year-old son loves updating this calendar each morning. It's a great daily activity and helps with planning what activities are on the schedule for that day. It also helps him learn the days of the week and what day of the month it is." —familyof3
Get it from Amazon for $18.99.
10. A cult-favorite stain remover that's strong enough to take on the big three: grass, oil, and blood. Over 21,000 5-star raters vouch for it, and with a name like "Grandma's Secret" how could it not be effective?
Promising review: "This is the best stain remover I have ever used! I wish I would have found it years ago! My daughter is 6, and I can't think of how many stains this product hasn't gotten out for us, even old set-in stains that I thought were hopeless. A friend turned me on to this stuff, and now I will never go without it! A must-have for anyone with kids." —Lauren Ruffin
Get a pack of three from Amazon for $14.19 (available in three sizes and various multi-packs).
11. A clever faucet splash catcher — it's great that your youngins are learning to wash their hands, but it will be even greater when they don't create a massive puddle around the sink every time they give it a go.
Hustle Sew Shop is a small biz based in Saint Helens, Oregon that specializes in quality handmade goods with personalized options.
Promising review: "This product is awesome! I have four kids who take care of the dishes after dinner each night and to say they are messy would be an understatement! This little water catcher has solved the puddle that used to surround my faucet at the end of each night. Thank you!!" —cadencewilliams2
Get it from Hustle Sew Shop on Etsy for $13.50+ (available in six colors and four sizes).
12. A detangling brush to make the whole process even more effortless. Now, there's no use crying over a few tangles, thank goodness.
Reviewers swear this brush works on all hair types: straight, wavy, or curly (from 3a–4c hair).
Promising review: "Finally...a brush my kids will actually use! We have two girls, both of whom are under 10 and have long hair. The crying and screaming we've always gotten during hair-brushing time has been out of control. I saw a recommendation of this brush somewhere online so I took a chance (less than $20 for a chance of no more tears? I'm in). Flash forward to a few weeks later...we've gotten a second brush, because my youngest wanted her own. They both now spend ages brushing their hair, enjoying how soft it feels and how easy the brush goes through tangles. The little one actually asked me to brush her hair last night...just because she likes how it feels. I am beyond thrilled. If you have a kid who struggles to let you brush her hair or get out tangles, GET THIS BRUSH! You will not be sorry." —L. Clark
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in 10 colors).
13. A sleek touchless forehead thermometer that allows you to take their temp even as they nap. An essential when you have a sick kiddo and don't want to wake them as they get some much-needed rest.
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 a variety of 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 $22.99+ (available in two colors).
14. A bestselling Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy to keep your baby entertained for hours with classical songs and flashing lights. No better company than composers like Mozart, Vivaldi, Chopin, and Rossini.
Promising review: "Best $ spent! This product is a lifesaver. We take this with us on car rides, to restaurants, shopping, or just in the house. Nothing distracts my son and entertains him like this toy. The combination of music and lights is perfect — not too overwhelming. I would have easily paid double considering how often we use it and how it takes him from crying to calm instantly. I like the two different volumes so you can still hear the music if you are in a louder environment. My only complaint is the songs are too short, you constantly are pushing the button for the next song." —Einat
Get it from Amazon for $9.88.
15. A canvas growth chart shaped like a giant ruler?! Now that's just fun. Definitely do the classic "pencil mark on the doorframe," but your small one will adore being measured against this too.
Promising review: "Great and portable. My daughter loves being measured and makes me check her height almost daily. I love that we can bring it with us when we move." —Sarah Tran
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in three colors).
16. An ingenious sandwich cutter and sealer for making — AHHHHH! — your own Uncrustables without so much of a price tag. This is one of those items that, yes, is "for your kid," but is also a little bit for you if you're being honest.
Promising review: "Absolutely love this! Wish I’d had it long ago. I make 'Uncrustables' everyday and the kids don’t know they don’t come from the store! Definitely would buy again." —dorothy924
Get it from Amazon for $7.93 (available in nine styles and colors).
17. A set of washable dab-and-dot markers so they can paint to their heart's content without having to mess with brushes, messy paint tubes, and a whole lot of cleanup.
The set comes with eight paint markers and a downloadable 101 Easy Dot Marker Activities PDF.
Promising review: "We really like these dot markers! My 3-and 6-year-olds have used them a lot. I have to get them started for my 3-year-old, but once I get the the ink to the tip she is able to use them easily on her own. I really like that they are less messy than dot markers we have used in the past. They are great for crafts and fine motor skill activities. I would definitely recommend this product and would purchase again 🙂." —Amazon Customer
Get a set from Amazon for $16.99+ (also available in a two-pack).
18. A pack of silicone dino ice pop molds because just when you thought popsicles couldn't get any better, they come in the form of a triceratops. Fill them with yogurt, juice, or smoothies for a fun and healthy snack to have on-hand.
Promising review: "I bought these a couple of weeks ago and my family has been using them almost everyday since then. We LOVE the cute dinosaur shapes, and they come out perfectly almost every time! The T-Rex does require a bit more care to take out but we have managed to get it out without breaking almost every single time. One of my favorite purchases of the year!" —Sehgal
Get a pack of four from Amazon for $14.33 (available in four designs).
19. A pack of brightly colored stacking cups that are SUCH an old school toy, you have to applaud it. Who needs an iPad when you have eight rainbow cups on a loop?
Bonus: These have holes in the bottom for water play and come with a cute star ring to keep them together so they don't get lost during travel.
Promising review: "MVP in our toy collection!! Of all our toys, these stacking cups are the ones our 10-month-old reaches for first EVERY time. She is obsessed and has been since she was 4-months-old! At first, the rims of the cups were easy for her to practice her grasp, but as time has gone on she has used them to bang together and, finally, to stack. They are easy to clean (I believe they are intended to be a bath toy, although we don't use them that way) and easy to throw in a diaper bag for on-the-go play. If we could only have one toy for her, this would be the one!" —Carmen Lewis
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $12.33.
20. An Itzy Ritzy adjustable stroller organizer so you can keep all of your essentials right at your fingertips during your daily neighborhood walks with the kiddo.
Itzy Ritzy is a small biz owned by parents of three babes that specializes in creating safe, stylish parenting gear.
Promising review: "Love love love!! Use this every single day!! It has been so helpful, not to mention how gorgeous it is! We get so many compliments on it and matches her diaper bag! Would definitely recommend this to any of my moms!!" —shae Cox
Get it from Amazon for $20.86+ (available in eight styles).
21. A hollow penguin teether that, unlike a regular pacifier, will actually stay on their hand instead of being accidentally dropped to the ground five times a minute.
Promising review: "Thinking about this product??? FREAKING BUY IT! My baby started teething early and this is one of the only things she’s able to hold and get to her mouth. She is obsessed and I am so happy she can can soothe herself! BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT! It’s amazing, easy to clean, and great quality!!!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in eight colors).
22. A set of plastic knives so they can hang out with you in the kitchen and do some actual chopping on fruits and veggies. Do you remember the soaring sensation of being a kid and being given a little job to do? No better feeling.
Note: Children still need supervision while using them, of course.
Promising review: "AWESOME for kids! My 8-year-old and 4-year-old have been using these knives almost daily since we got them. They are cutting through all sorts of vegetables (even tomatoes, although if you are going to a fancy cut or what them to look nice, I would use a sharp blade; it worked fine for dicing) and meats, and are easy to clean. I would recommend these to any parent who is getting their kids into helping cook. We ran the knifes across our skin as we talked about knife safety and while it did scratch a bit; it did not cut us. I am so happy I came across this product." —Karen Fett
Get a set of three from Amazon for $9.95 (available in two colors).
23. A pack of toilet seat covers to make going potty in public restrooms less of a germy affair. If there's one thing a toddler wants, it's to touch everything, so having a sanitary cover at your disposal is for the best.
Promising review: "If you're a germaphobe like myself, this is a must have in your diaper bag. The thought of placing my son or daughter on a public toilet with only a seat liner is disturbing especially since they're both little and still hold onto the toilet seat for support when peeing/pooping. These cover the toilet completely and even cover the lower part of the toilet where dangling legs and pants/skirts touch. My only complaint about these is that they are not flushable. It's difficult trying to gather the liner up (they are rather large) without touching the toilet or the possibly wet liner (because it partially fell in the water) and then scrunching it up to fit into a sanitary napkin bin. Other than that, these are great. Also, I don't use the adhesive strips at all since I have two little ones who usually need to go right away so we don't have the time to remove the adhesive backing. I usually just place the liner on the toilet and then carefully plop my kid on top and all's well." —Ting
Get a pack of 24 covers from Amazon for $8.49 (also available in bigger packs and in an XL size).
24. Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers created by a preschool teacher especially for children just starting out on their reading journey. The sets begin with three letter words and increase in difficulty slowly but surely so they're always learning something new. I must also mention that I personally remember learning to read with these books, and I'm a great reader if I do say so myself! Mat is a legend.
The set comes with 12 books.
Promising review: "As a former teacher turned parent, I’m impressed! I saw these books on a BuzzFeed list of products parents swear by, so I bought them to help him practice. Wow, I am blown away — his reading has completely taken off! These are old school — they were written back in the '70s — but there’s a reason they’re still around. As a former 3rd grade teacher whose favorite subject to teach was always reading, I’m really impressed and am so glad I bought these. They’re short enough to hold his attention, consistent and easy enough to keep up his confidence (from my experience, nothing kills a child’s interest and progress than lack of confidence — something I always found happened when kids were trying to read books way above their skill level). Love that these are progressive and build on each other. They’re simple but so effective. Definitely one of the best purchases I’ve made for my kid." —Allison M.
Get a set from Amazon for $12.01.
25. A pack of spill-proof Munchkin snack catchers whose unique lids let little hands in while preventing massive food spillage. Could the backseat of your car one day be Cheerio free? OK, maybe not Cheerio free, but less of a Cheerio graveyard, certainly.
Promising review: "What a lifesaver! I mean really! My daughter loves her snacks, she also loves to make a mess, give them to the dog, or fill her car seat up with them. Then cry when she has nothing to eat. My wife picked one up at Target and man...we used it so much, we couldn't clean it fast enough. SOOOO we bought a few more." —jeffgrantMEDIA
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $5.99 (available in two color combos and also in a pack of four).
26. A box of Avarelle hydrocolloid patches to help your teen get through any tough skincare phases they're facing. These will suck the gunk out of whiteheads overnight. Unfortunately, they don't also get rid of math homework.
Promising review: "This is really a must-have in your medicine cabinet. We have two teenage daughters at home, and they both use it anytime they have a pimple. It is discreet and blends in nicely to your skin. It comes in three sizes to choose from, and it is made with tree tea oil, which I have found to be great in acne care." —Vanessa
Get 40 patches from Amazon for $7.64.
27. A TikTok-famous Tushbaby hip carrier so you can keep your snuggly baby or toddler nice and close without having to carry 100% of their weight every hour of every day. Your arms are getting super strong, but let's give 'em a break.
Tushbaby is a small biz run by three California mamas and specializes in products that bringing a little more ease to everyday parenting life.
Promising review: "I saw this on Shark Tank as I was sitting with a glass of wine in my hand and had just taken an Advil to relieve the kink in my back from caring my 25 lb. little one around — I bought it immediately! It’s been great! Easy to use once you adjust it a few times for fit and comfort. Certainly much better on the back than the Mommy hip shelf. I use it daily as we go on walks, when she gets tired and wants to be be carried I can just sit her right on and go. Plus it’s got handy storage pockets for the phone and snacks and doggie poops bags of our four-legged family member is with us. Highly recommended for those who have a toddler who wants to walk but not at the endurance level yet to make it the whole way!" —wildcatsarahj
Get it from Amazon for $80+ (available in four colors and two sizes).
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.