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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.
Finally put an end to boredom.
BuzzFeed Staff
BuzzFeed Staff
Promising review: "My daughter opened this on Christmas day and worked on it for hours. She could do most things by herself, or with a quick demonstration. She especially loves that she can change the fox's clothes and potentially make more herself, patterned from the ones included. Perfect gift for any fox-loving kid!" —VBB
Get it from Amazon for $18.99 (also available in three other animals).
The wooden ice cream counter comes with eight ice cream scoops, six toppings, two cones, cup, scooper, tongs, wooden spoon, reusable menu card, and six pretend dollar bills.
Promising review: "My newly turned 3-year-old daughter instantly fell in love with this set! She loves seeing how high she can stack the ice cream cones and pretending to serve Mom & Dad her creations. She's been obsessed with climbing things around the house and we *desperately* needed a distraction to get her to stop, and this is working so far — she plays with this thing for HOURS!" —West Family
Get it from Amazon for $54.99.
Promising review: "Got this for my niece who was 4 and she could play this for hours. She put her blanket over it, made flags, turned it into a wand, and bunch of other versatile ways to play. It’s a great buy if you want to keep the kid busy for hours. It’s a bit challenging at times to get it dissembled but it was super fun for her. Easy to store back in the bag or box." —S Cheung
Get it from Amazon for $59.97+ (available in two styles and a a version that does not glow).
Reviewer's say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3–12.
Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised with how popular this was! I just bought it as a side gift for a child just because it was cheap and it was a puzzle-type toy. However, this kept both kids and adults immensely entertained for hours. It was challenging for everyone but a fun challenge. I’m purchasing another so we can race each other to finish at the next gathering." —Mrs. Dinkleberg
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
Promising review: "Awesome, easy to use and learn drone that entertains me and my 2-year-old for hours. Very steady, fast, and with two long-lasting batteries with two chargers. I bump it into walls. Sometimes drops from 10-plus feet without issues. It goes pretty high outside without issues but I think it's intended as an indoor drone. Very sturdy. Bottom has soft plastic rubber pieces for soft landings and bumpers around blades help protect it. Love it!" —Laura Pena
Get it from Amazon for $31.99+ (available in two styles).
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: "Getting my daughter to do sight words has been a nightmare lately, she pretends she has no idea what anything is and refuses to sit down and try. But, with this game, she wants to play for hours!!! I give her two cards and we all play together as a family, she thinks it is the best game and it really is helping her learn her sight words!! Finally something that gets her excited about learning!!" —Rebecca
Get it from Amazon for $16.01.
Promising review: "My daughter loves dinosaurs. She’s more fond of raptors but this guy… this guy is a hit. She has named him Squishy and she will play with him for hours. He can get a bit loud and slightly annoying but most kids toys are. The interactive nature of this toy is just fantastic and helps keep her engaged. It’s a well built toy in a bright color that adds to the playfulness he inspires. His accessories are minimal — a bone and headphones — which is a plus because it’s less for my kid to eventually lose. An extra bonus is that even without the accessories, he offers endless fun. Make sure to stock up on batteries." —Len
Get it from Amazon for $26.49 (also available in a dog version).
Promising review: "Our son is absolutely obsessed with our Dyson (the real one). Which is why we purchased this toy Dyson vacuum for his birthday. He's 2-years-old and he is really enjoying having his own 'working' vacuum cleaner!!! He seriously plays with it for hours during the day. Turning it on and off and pushing it through the house just like we use our real vacuum. I would buy this again! It was his favorite gift!." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three colors).
The Peculiar Pets set includes: one dragon, one narwhal, one yeti, one unicorn, one sparkly scrub tub, one scrub brush, nine washable markers, one standing play mat, and an instruction sheet.
Promising review: "My daughter LOVES coloring, stickers, drawing, etc. so when I saw this prior to her fourth birthday, I thought she would enjoy it. It was a HUGE hit and it will regularly keep her occupied for an hour or so at a time coloring, cleaning, and coloring again (with only minor help when asked for more help cleaning and drying). Even my 6-year-old son who doesn't usually color or draw will join her periodically and seems to enjoy it. The markers are short and skinny, great for small hands." —a.b.
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in two styles).
The game comes with 60 challenges that range from beginner to expert so it will hold their interest as they work their way up to the trickier ones.
Promising review: "What a great combination of construction, puzzles, and games! My 5-year-old and 8-year-old niece were able to challenge themselves to some of the levels (the 8-year-old was was more capable of solving them on her own). The adults also found themselves fixated on playing the different levels as well! It was challenging and fun! We love marble runs and games so this was a perfect fit. This is one of the few games that everyone asks to play and it's perfect when we have guests of kiddos over and keeps everyone busy and engaged for hours!" —Crystal Brown
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in three other versions).
Promising review: "This tablet has entertained my 4-year-old grandson for hours at a time. He loves that he can erase at will and that the drawings are multicolored. I highly recommend this item for 18 months old and up. I bought a pink one for our 18-month-old granddaughter, and she too is just enthralled with it and the 'power' she has to erase, create, erase, create! They loved them so much, that we bought another set of two different colors so that they would have them at home as well as at 'Grammy's.'" —Kindle Customer Red Heart
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in four colors).
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.
Promising review: "I purchased this as one of my stepson's birthday presents this past fall. He just turned 8, and I was trying to get some more outside toys to play with. I thought that he'd enjoy it, but I had no clue how popular this freakin' toy would be. All of our kids, ages 2–8, LOVE this thing and so do all of the neighbor kids. It is played with every single time the kids are outside, sometimes for hours. I have never seen my kids play with ANYTHING for hours, but they sure do with this. Taking it out guarantees that every kid under the age of 12 will appear in our yard." —TheLeeFamily
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available with four or six rockets and with or without LED lights).
To win, players must get three circular pieces of their color in a row in either ascending or descending order; get the same-sized pieces in a row; or get three concentric pieces in the same space, but beware of other players attempting to block you!
Recommended for two to four players ages 8+.
Promising review: "Perfect game for all ages. My 8-year-old daughter, 12-year-old son, and 70-year-old mother enjoyed playing together for hours." —A. Rosen
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in a plastic or wooden version).
Promising reviews: "Bought for my 1-year old nephew who needed some learning toys. He enjoys it and the interactive nature of the book. Keeps him entertained and also durable so that’s a big plus as a lot of books they’ve given him become chewed or damaged. Highly recommend for an affordable but effective learning toy for young children." —Thomas M.
"Best learning toy ever! My 1-year-old granddaughter absolutely LOVES this toy!!! We have played with it for hours on end. Great product. Well built and sturdy. Luv, luv, luv it!" —Kimberly Conrad
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available seven themes).
The kit includes 190 pieces, a solar panel, and detailed instructions.
Promising review: "I purchased this as a gift for an 8-year-old boy. He loves to build, loves robotics, dinosaurs, and Godzilla. :) He LOVES this set! He sits for hours on end, which is an amazing accomplishment for any 8-year-old, playing with and building all the different robot toys. A friend's 8-year-old daughter loves them, the 48-year-old parent loves them, and the 75-year-old grandpa loves them. Fun for the whole family!" —MBC
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
Pass out all the cards to the players and keep all the stacks face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle, while saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order. If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone races against each other to slap their hand on the central pile of cards. Whoever is last must take the pile of cards and add them to their stack, and the person who runs out of cards first wins!
Promising review: "The title says it all! You must buy this game if you’re looking to get your kids off their butts, computers, phones, or TV! My children sat for hours, five to be exact, just playing this and laughing. It was a lot of fun for my husband and I to hear them not fighting and doing something together. Loads of fun!! We even loved playing with them!! 🥰🤘" —Melinda Haiden
Get it from Amazon for $7.97.
This set comes with a carrying case, five Disney Princess rubber charms, 150 beads, and four silicone necklaces.
Promising review: "My 3-year-old twins loved it, entertained for hours which is rare. Perfect for teaching coordination, color patterns, encourages creativity. The necklaces are a soft, stretchy material with a safe breakaway clasp but that also stays on well. I wore a necklace for hours around the house and didn't fall off. The beads are cute and a good variety of colors. Overall great project, loads of fun for toddlers." —Lyss
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (also available in 14 other styles).
Promising review: "I bought this flower garden as a gift for my 3-year-old daughter. She absolutely loves it! She has always enjoyed blocks and this is something different that has kept her engaged for hours! We highly recommend this product to others!!" —Ashley Petersen
Get it from Amazon for $11.98+ (available in two sizes).
Promising reviews: "I purchased this for my 8-year-old son and his eyes lit up since he loves dinosaurs. It can be constructed into three different builds and keep him busy for hours. He loves it and its low price point makes it a great option for an affordable Lego gift." —Anthony T.
"Fantastic Lego set! Simple enough for kids to do with very little help but difficult enough to keep them busy for hours assembling it and playing with it afterward! I also love the fact that they can take it apart and choose to build another model as it comes with three instruction booklets." —SR
Get it from Amazon for $11.
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 48-page recipe book.
Promising review: "This keeps my daughter busy for HOURS! My daughter saw this online somewhere, and she asked for it as a birthday gift. I expected it to be cute, but not useful. As it turns out, I was completely wrong. She has regularly made mini chocolate chip cookies, and she'll be doing mini calzones tomorrow. It's adorable and the recipes totally work. She and her friends LOVE it." —Elura C. Kish
Get it from Amazon for $25.41.
Players spin a color wheel to determine which color tile they jump on next. The goal is to stay off of the lava (floor) and only land on tiles to get to safety.
Promising review: "This game keeps the kids busy. Also fun for adults too." —Denise Bell
Get it from Amazin for $16.97.
Maximum weight is 260 pounds.
Promising review: "Very, very sturdy and easy assembly. We had a reunion and this swing kept the kids busy for hours. I definitely will be buying another." —msbakwudhic
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in two sizes).
Promising review: "My 6-year-old son plays with this every day since we opened it up! He has brought it to the neighbors to show it to them and everyone thinks it's such a fun little toy with all the tricks it can do. I am quite impressed with how easily it glides from concrete to the grass, and over obstacles without getting stuck. Hours of fun! —Rebecca A
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in two colors).
PSA: Make sure helmets are worn during bump-offs.
Promising review: "Great for the kids. The kids have been playing with this for hours. One of them even asked if they could sleep in it. It’s great for winter indoor fun. I highly recommend this product." —RyanAndFaith
Get a set of two from Amazon for $21.98.
Promising review: "My 12-year-old and 6-year-old sit and play with it for hours at a time. It lights up. Not too big fits on a desk perfectly." —Kristina Chew
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in two sizes).
Promising review: " Keeps 3- to 6-year-olds busy and happy! So glad I bought them this! It helps them channel their energy and a year later, no accidents to date! They love it. You only need one because once one kid get’s tired, they are happy to pass it to the next kid." —Gail Joshua
Get it from Amazon for $14.85+ (available in 17 colors).
Promising review: "I have two girls, ages 8 and 4, and they absolutely love this toy. The toy came with beautiful clips and hairbrush. Girls have been playing with this for hours and making different hair styles, learning to braid hair and decorating the style with clips. There was also a hair straightener that had sponge on it that can be made wet and used for straightening hair. They love doing that. The best part was the character Elsa as my girls love Frozen. I will highly recommend it." —skale
This science kit includes 10 natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, three display stands, and one learning guide.
Promising review: "My daughter is 10 and this kept her busy for HOURS! She had so much fun and was excited every time she got a glimpse of what might be inside. A couple of them were pretty cool, while the rest were just white. She didn't care, she loves them all. She was so proud to gift them to her grandparents." —Michelle
Get it from Amazon for $16.79+ (available in four kit sizes).
The kit comes with the giant bubble wand, two pouches of bubble concentrate, and a booklet to help you become a skilled bubble creator!
Promising review: "Fantastic product!! My 8-year-old son played outside with them for two solid hours...unplugged...happy as can be! I definitely recommend and will buy again!." —Pxysis
Get it from Amazon for $15.19+ (available in six styles and a family pack).
The set includes 80 building blocks and a storage bag.
Promising review: "My 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter absolutely love these! They spend hours playing with these and as a family me and my husband and the kids build things together. The great things about them is that they are large so they aren't a choke hazard. My daughter will sometimes try to put these in her mouth so we are happy that we don't have to worry about that with these jumbo-sized blocks. The blocks are colorful and are made of good-quality plastic so you don't have to worry about small pieces or worry about them breaking and being harmful. These are highly recommended and very much worth every penny. Probably the best toy I have bought for my kids in a while." —Dee
Get a set of 80 from Amazon for $16.
Promising review: "I purchased this tent for my granddaughter who is 4. She really loves it and spends hours playing in it with her dolls and baby sister." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $39.95 (available in three styles and a version with a play mat).
The set comes with translucent magnetic pieces to build 3D creations. Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "Seriously the best gift we have ever gotten our son. He has these at his preschool and, since Christmas, at home too and he never tires of them. In fact he plays with these almost every day and his creativity astounds me. He learns so much about how to put things together and his imagination runs wild. He would play with these for hours if he could!!" —Amazon Customer
Get a 32-piece set from Amazon for $49.99.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.