42 Toys That'll Actually Keep Your Kids Busy For A Bit

Buzz Feed

02-07-2025

A Melissa and Doug wooden ice creamery set for tykes who love playing pretend almost as much as they enjoy messily devouring a chocolate ice cream cone. Fans of smaller "scoop and serve ice cream counter" will absolutely squeal with excitement over this bigger (and dare I say, better) version
A fashion show–themed play tent complete with bulb lights so the little divas in your life can strut their stuff and show off their fave outfits. America's Next Top Model could never!!!
A fan-favorite Step2 water table to pop onto your back patio or front porch, fill with water, and send your little ones out to have the time of their lives playing with spinners, a waterfall, and buckets galore.
A splash pad you'll thank your lucky stars for when it's hotter than the sun itself outside and your kids are looking for a way to have fun and cool down.
A beginner's drawing book designed to help kids learn how to draw flowers, plants, and botanicals — they'll have the best time learning a new skill and practicing by asking anyone they meet, "What's your favorite flower?" then learning to illustrate it on the spot.
Plus, double-sided layering markers that they can use to create all kinds of whimsical artwork. You're going to need to invest in some more magnets to hang all of these beauties on the fridge.
A 5-pound bucket of Crayola Air Dry Clay that'll let your tyke moonlight as a pottery-making artiste for a bit — for less than 15 bucks, you'll get a whooooole lot of summer entertainment. I hope you have room on your shelves to display all of their work!
A mosaic photo frame kit for your tween who has been getting the redecoration bug — you know, when you start to itch to change the entire look of your bedroom (for most of us, that just meant moving our twin bed to the other side of the room while dripping sweat). Anyways, this cute craft will let them be creative and add some new decor to their space.
A beginner's crochet kit complete with everything they'll need to craft their own plush pal to join them on their summer adventures. They can follow along with the step-by-step video tutorial instead of asking you for help every .5 seconds — sounds fantastic, TBH.
A light-up flying orb that'll make them feel like tiny David Blaine. It's basically a fidget spinner for tech fiends — it has built-in lighting, a boomerang effect, and can be thrown at a variety of angles and speeds!
A tiny bakeshop party kit complete with miniature tools, a faux oven (that you actually "bake" the creation in via microwave), six cake mixes, sprinkles, and frosting packets to encourage your wanna-be baker to create the cutest little desserts — no stove or electric mixer required!
A Magna-Tiles set that'll surely be a big hit with any budding architect. They can use it to build all kinds of cool 3D structures, then knock 'em down and start again the next day.
A classic bin of 790 Lego bricks your little genius can dive into and create anything that comes to mind. A horse? Sure! Car? Why not! A full recreation of Love Island's Casa Amor? Now *that* would be something.
Or some sensory "Jelly Blox" that'll keep the younger tykes in your home busy long enough for you to put together an iced coffee and get the summer day started. The kit comes with 20 different blocks they'll love squishing, stacking, and playing with daily.
Scavenger hunt cards for the days when it is simply too hot to take your tykes outdoors — it'll send them on a "secret mission" to find "treasure" around the house. (And keep them out of your hair!)
A Melissa and Doug On the Go Water Wow! Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pad you'll want to tell all of your parenting friends about. Fill the water pen, set it up on an outdoor surface, and let your kiddo go to town coloring (and making a wet mess, if they so choose). When the pages dry, they can do it all over again!
A 5-in-1 indoor climbing set kids will scream with delight over when they see it for the first time — it comes with a triangle ladder, a ramp, and arch climb, a rocker, and a slide for them to explore. (This is a must-have for rainy days!)
Silly Poopy's Hide and Seek — which is pretty much exactly what you'd think it is. It's a rainbow, light-up poop-shaped toy littles can take turns hiding throughout the house. It'll shout out clues and play a song when it's finally found!
A Toniebox Audio Player Starter Set, which is essentially a tiny stereo that toddlers can control all on their own, just by swapping out which character magnetically sits on top of it. Each individual figure tells different stories and sings different songs — it's a great way to keep kids entertained without a screen.
Waterproof playing cards so your kids can get a fierce game of Go Fish going without worrying if their already-wet-from-the-pool hair drips onto the cards.
Or a waterproof version of the beloved Taco, Cat, Goat Cheese, Pizza game — it's a card game you can play with your family for guaranteed giggles and a way to catch your breath from traipsing around in the ocean.
A too-cute set of silicone beach toys in, dare I say, rather aesthetically pleasing colors you'll be proud to hand off to your kids for a day of fun in the sun.
A massive 160-piece pack of sidewalk chalk they'll be *so* excited over they might just forget to pester you about extra screen time — encourage them to create all kinds of art at the playground or leave funny pictures for passersby.
A hook-and-ring game that'll take up minimal space — if you don't have a huge area to work with you'll still be able to set up some fun for your kids.
A sea shell art and crafts kit featuring glow-in-the-dark paint for the tiny Picasso in your home that would love nothing more than to create their own beachy masterpiece.
A rainbow kite you and your family can break out and live your best Mary Poppins life (as long as there's enough of a breeze). Alexa, play "Let's Go Fly a Kite."
A splurge-worthy balance bike that'll have your restless mini-me boppin' out the front door and speeding down the block the minute you say, "OK, FINE!" It'll teach your kiddo to learn how to ride pedal-free (so impressive).
An incredibly useful sandbox with a lid that opens up to double as benches for kiddos to sit on while they play. The lid will ensure you can keep it up and running throughout the fall without leaves and other outdoor debris sneaking in.
Or a smaller (but equally fun) Step2 sandbox that won't take up as much space in your backyard but will have more than enough room for your minis to play in all afternoon. It comes with a lid to keep the sand dry when not in use (and prevent little critters from hanging out in it overnight).
A geode-breaking activity from National Geographic that'll give you and your kids an excuse to pick up a hammer and smash rocks in half. The best part? The cracked-open rocks will reveal stunning crystal centers you can learn about together.
A construction-themed folding play set complete with kinetic sand, a dump truck, a working crane, a wrecking ball, and bucket attachments to keep kiddos entertained for houuuuurs — it even includes a carrying kit to contain the mess to one space (ideally).
A giant bubble kit, so enchanting, even the most angsty of kids won't be able to resist giving them a go. It even comes with two packets of biodegradable bubble solution and a tips and tricks booklet to help you make the best (and biggest!) bubbles ever.
And a bubble machine that'll have your toddler scoffing at the old handheld bubble wands they're used to seeing — this one will take playtime to the next level without filling the house with extra noise.
A Step2 Up & Down Roller Coaster your little one will want to ride again and again (and agaaaaaain! Toddlers, man). The ramp and car also fit into the base for easy storage.
A 2-in-1 checkers and tic-tac-toe game with checkers on one side and tic-tac-toe on the other, a must-have for any family who would rather exercise their brain muscles.
A ring toss set to help all the neighborhood kiddos work on their hand-eye coordinator and encourage some ~friendly~ competition.
Flickin' Chicken — a game that will have your family cackling from the first time you play. Players are encouraged to make up their own rules so you'll have a different experience every time. Boredom? I don't know her.
Spikeball, an easy-to-transport game that is kinda like volleyball and will have your kids asking you to bring it to every outdoor adventure.
A miniature golf set you can use to create a course right in your backyard — no need to spend a bunch of money taking the entire family out for mini golf. You and your kids can get crafty and set up all kinds of challenging obstacles to make it different each time you play.
An incredible Step2 canopy play patio complete with a faux grill, a sand table, a water table, and a snack station — it'll make your tyke feel like they're vacationing at an all-inclusive resort whenever they step inside. (Not that they even know what that means, but you do!)
Or a kids' BBQ set that'll match the one you cook burgers and hot dogs on regularly during the summer — now they can play alongside you instead of asking, "Is dinner ready yet? Is it ready yet?" It has realistic sounds, lights, and lets out steam like an actual grill!
And a bounce house/double waterslide combo, your kids will take one look at and wonder if their wildest dreams have actually come true. They can jump until their little legs get tired, soak each other with water guns, shoot baskets, coast down dual water slides, then take a rest in the pool area.