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 foldable indoor slide so freezing temps will not ruin your little one's day. This slide will come to the rescue if you need a fun activity when your kiddo is on the verge of crying out "I'm bored!" but the weather isn't ideal for a trip to the park.
Promising review: "I got this for my 2-year-old daughter's birthday and she LOVES it. She is a little nervous on the playground and she took to this right away. It folds down easily and sets up easily — the design is brilliant. It was actually so easy that I watched the 30 second set up video just to be sure I got it right lol. My 8-year-old son got on it too and it held up. We live in an apartment so this is something that she can climb on safely without taking up a ton of space. Love this product!!" —jenna
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in three designs).
2. Or a Montessori indoor play gym if you need your child to play inside but they have a lot of energy. The best part? Your kiddo won't freeze their bum sliding down one of those metal slides at the park — brrrr! ☃️
Goodevas Kids is a small biz based in NY that sells wooden children's play sets, climbing walls, and bookshelves.
Promising review: "This product is amazing! I did so much research regarding quality and cost before purchasing one and this was the best one! My baby absolutely loves this! It is very sturdy and strong. It came with everything you need and the website has the instruction videos which made it so easy to follow and put it together. Also, customer service is so quick to respond and very caring! I love that you can adjust the height and angle of the triangle ladder. You can also move around the 4 products and change it up so you can have different set up which i like!" —teni240
Get it from Goodevas Kids on Etsy for $99+ (originally $198+; available in seven variations and two colors).
3. A Gravity Maze game to challenge your little brainiac to use spatial reasoning, planning, and engineering to figure out how to get the ball through the maze and on its target. Sounds super technical, but it's learning that feels like fun. Plus, it'll give you some time to chill on the couch.
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 $22.99.
4. A Melissa & Doug activity book with a pair of safety scissors so your kiddo can develop fine motor skills and tap into their creativity. This book is filled with mazes, puzzles, and hands-on activities that will keep your child entertained for a while.
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 $5.49.
5. A sensory swing so your tiny acrobat will be able to swing and bounce up and down when they have a ton of energy but it's too cold to trek outside.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Rest Nets is a small biz based in Israel started by a mom who created these hammocks as a way to give parents "an extra pair of hands" for entertaining kids.
Promising review: "My 4.5-year daughter loves this swing! We have it installed in a French doorframe and has been very secure. She loves to swing while we are cooking or hanging out. I anticipate it will get so much love over the years. We love having it indoors during the winter since playgrounds aren't as practical. It was one of her favorite Christmas presents." —Chris Wiegand
Get it from Rest Nests on Etsy for $92.80 (originally $116; available in 11 colors).
6. Or a Wiwiurka wooden trapeze bar for your little gymnast, which can be used indoors or outdoors. They'll be able to climb, spin, and swing to their heart's content.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Note: Mounting hardware not included.
Wiwiurka is a Mexican woman-owned small business located in Tepoztlan, Mexico that creates sustainable children's toys using water-based paints and non-toxic materials that are inspired by Pikler, Montessori, and Waldorf’s educational standards.
Promising review: "My kid won’t get off this trapeze! He loves it and he is getting so much better at his 'tricks' every day. When we ordered it we hopped it would keep him busy but we never imagined how much time he would spend on it. It’s beautiful, high quality and so much fun. I wished I would have had one as a kid." —Montserrat K.
Get it from Wiwiurka for $55 (originally $75; available in three colors).
7. A flower-building activity set so your *budding* genius can tap into their imagination and build amazing flower displays. This STEM activity comes with hundreds of pieces for endless possibilities.
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).
8. A glow-in-the-dark fort building kit for your soon-to-be architect or engineer. Your little builder can create anything they can think of, like a castle or rocket. The best part is, when you shut the lights off, their creation will glow.
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 $37.86+ (available in four styles).
9. A Montessori climber set, because your kiddo will get so much use out of this multifunctional play set. They'll learn how to climb, grasp, and balance while getting all of their energy out. Then, (when they're exhausted) simply flip it over and add a cushioned pillow to turn it into a rocker.
Kidodido is a small business that sells wooden Montessori toys, children's furniture, and nursery decor.
Promising review: "This toy is an amazing purchase! My son is 13 months old and loves climbing. He immediately climbed to the top of the arch and beamed at his dad and I. The pillow is also super comfortable!" —Katherine Hines
Get it from Kidodido on Etsy for $80.01+ (originally $127+; available in various sizes and configurations).
10. A wooden puzzle that is like real life Tetris, minus the screen time. This puzzle can be played over and over for some fun away from their tablet — while giving you some time to take a breather.
Reviewer's say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 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.
11. A Disney Princess necklace activity set to help your little one stay out of your jewelry box and create their very own one-of-a-kind necklaces.
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 $8.99+ (also available in 13 other styles).
12. A shape-shifting puzzle cube, that will keep your child captivated while they manipulate it into over 70 different shapes. It's like origami, but with magnets.
For ages 8 and up.
You can also collect all 12 puzzle box designs to connect multiple magnetic cubes to build even larger structures and sculptures.
Promising review: "I was hesitant about spending $25 for this toy and even more concerned when it showed up and I saw the size, but this got the award for favorite Christmas gift. Both my 9-year-old and 12-year-old play with it constantly!" —Blair001
Get it from Amazon for $25+ (available in 22 designs and a two- or four-pack).
13. A pack of popping tube sensory toys, because they're wayyy less messy (and not as painful to step on) compared to a ton of tiny Lego bricks. Your child will be able to use them to build shapes, letters, numbers, or anything they can imagine. And, they're simple to pop into place and pull apart.
For ages 3+ and up.
Promising review: "These are fun for kids of all ages. My grandbabies love them because they can hold them in their baby hands. They are brightly colored and flexible. Unlikely to hurt anything. Older kids like them for the noise they make when they are stretched or closing. They create long chains (they attach to each other) and wild twisty things. All in all, a good toy for this grandma to have in her house." —Katy
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $8.97.
14. A marble run set set so your little one can create their own maze that marbles can roll through. This will keep them interested for a long time and help them *build* their problem-solving skills.
Promising reviews: "My 5- and 3-year-olds (and me) have spent hours building towers and watching marbles clatter down these chutes, steps, gears and spirals, HOURS! And they’re not bored yet! It’s also educational learning the physics of slopes by experience. Plus, it comes with enough marbles so that losing a few doesn’t matter." —Joyce Parker
"This is a really neat toy that has provided literally hours and hours of enjoyment for my 4-year-old nephew (and me!). The pieces fit well together, it is very sturdy and stands up well even on carpet. There are an infinite number of ways to build these runs, and this toy never gets boring. Highly recommended." —Becca
Get it from Amazon for $33.74+ (available in three different quantities).
15. A color-your-own-castle playhouse because it's the perfect indoor activity that will make your child's imagination run wild yet doesn't require a lot of effort on your part. Just whip out some crayons and markers and let the fun begin.
16. A "Make a Fox Friend" kit for your little fashionista that will help them learn to sew. This kit comes with everything needed to make a stuffed fox and adorable outfits and accessories.
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!" —VictoriaBB
Get it from Amazon for $16.19+ (also available in three other animals).
17. A Melissa & Doug ice cream station so your kiddo can run their own ice cream shop (minus the sugar rush) and dive into pretend play. Your child will love taking your order and scooping ice cream into cups and cones.
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 $34.97.
18. An interactive The Floor is Lava game that will get your kids off of the couch and off of their tablets. This is also the perfect snow day activity.
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 $14.99.
19. A Frozen 2 Elsa styling head so your little stylist can go wild and experiment on a doll, instead of you. And they can create endless hairdos fit for a queen.
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
20. A foam pogo jumper that'll help your never-tired toddler to burn off some energy while you sit back. This is a safer alternative to a traditional pogo stick that your kiddo will love bouncing around on.
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 $12.99+ (available in 17 colors).
21. A pack of Mega Bloks perfect for your toddler who isn't quite ready for Legos but loves to stack and knock things down.
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 $14.99.
22. A large castle tent with fab lights and drapes fit for your little princess. This will definitely become your child's perfect cozy hideaway.
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 $29.56+ (available in three styles and a version with a play mat).
23. A Magna-Tiles set that parents are raving about (including myself) because kids and adults can't stop playing with them. Whatever your child creates will look like a work of art with these tiles.
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.
24. A wireless karaoke mic so you can say yes to an impromptu concert without having to whip out a heavy karaoke machine and a bunch of wires. Your little singer will be belting out tunes while you catch up on some work.
BTW, this can connect to your child's iPad or tablet so they can sing along to their fave songs on Spotify or YouTube!
Promising review: "My 8-year-old daughter loved this birthday gift. The only problem is that my 6-year-old and 12-year-old daughters love it too, so now I have to purchase two more." —Carl Fowler
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in 13 colors).
25. A fold-away pirate ship, because your child will play with it for hours. It includes a slide, a ladder, a pretend telescope, a steering wheel, and a secret play space underneath. The best part? When folded, it's so compact, it can be stored almost anywhere.
Promising review: "This is so worth it! I looked at the large, bulky plastic play sets for months and they are so expensive and huge! This collapsible play set is the real winner. Both my 1-and-a-half and almost 6-year-old enjoy playing with this! I am impressed with the sturdiness, it doesn’t not shake around while they are climbing on it and holds both my daughters perfectly. It’s a great size for small yards or your living room. We move it between those two places. Definitely recommend. —Amanda
Get it from Amazon for $179.99 (also available in a castle).
26. A roller coaster for kids when you can't make a trip to a theme park but your little thrill-seeker is bored. This can be used indoors or outdoors, so it's great for rain or shine (or snow). And, reviewers say it's easy to assemble and to store.
Promising review: "So if you're like me, you've come to the reviews to talk you into or out of buying this. Well no further scrolling is needed. Buy it. Just do it. It's worth every penny I spent on it. My son LOVES it. It's easy to put together and to take apart when you want to move it. Its built really well and shipped faster than expected. It's hours of fun indoors and out." —Mariah Manley
Get it from Amazon for $139.99+ (available in two style).
27. A toy doctor kit so you can turn your living room into a doctor's office when you're working from your couch and need an easy way to entertain your kiddo. Just sit back and pretend to be the patient while your little one gives you a check-up. And, you can also add a few stuffed animals to the game so ~the doc~ will have other patients to take care of when they're done examining you.
For ages 3 and up.
This kit includes over 25 pieces, stickers, and a case. And, some parts light up and make realistic sounds.
Promising review: "My son adores this toy set. It has a lot of different doctor tools in there so he can be whatever doctor he chooses! They're easy to clean and very sturdy. Pardon me, the dentist is ready for me!" —Cortini
Get it from Amazon for $19.74.
28. Otrio, a twist on the classic tic-tac-toe that will become your family's new favorite game to play together. Family game night just got an upgrade.
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 $19.03+ (available in a plastic or wooden version).
29. A pretend food play set, because your little chef-in-training will be able to ~whip~ up any meal they can imagine. This set includes 122 pieces (!!) so the possibilities are endless for hours of fun. Your kiddo will be busy ~cooking~ for all of their stuffed animals and dolls while you check some tasks off of your list.
For ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "My grandson absolutely loves it and uses it with his play kitchen. He even serves us the fake food on plates. Keeps him busy." —GINA RODRIGUES
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (also available in a set of 150).
30. An amigurumi crochet kit so your child will be too occupied learning how to create an adorable dino to even notice how long they've been inside during a snowstorm. This set comes with step-by-step instructions and everything they'll need to learn a new hobby and create their own crochet masterpiece.
The Woobles is an Asian-owned small business whose mission is to make crocheting easy and accessible.
This kit might be best for older kids. New to crocheting? Don't worry, kits can be chosen by difficulty level and there are a lot of kits for beginners. And you can get help virtually or over email if you get stuck.
Promising review: "I am a true beginner and found this pattern very easy to follow. I really love the video explanations. Can’t wait to make more!" —K.S.
Get it from The Woobles for $25+ (available with or without a hook and in more animals here).
31. A set of Crayola Scribble Scrubbie pets because they're reusable, so your kid can create colorful pets over and over for endless fun.
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 $27.99.
32. A splurge-worthy felt activity book with so many things for your little one to do, they'll never say, "I'm bored!" This book has activities to encourage pretend play and teach your little one how to dress themselves.
Kinder Krama is a small business that sells handmade quiet books for children.
Promising review: "This book is incredible. The quality is amazing and it shipped quickly. Everything came exactly as I requested and the detail work on the pages is pure perfection. I can’t wait to give it to my niece, I know she is going to love it!" —toomey125
Get it from Kinder Krama on Etsy for $92+ (available various colors/styles and book lengths).
Your child with their new karaoke mic:
