Latest news with #DanielleCampbell
South China Morning Post
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Danielle Campbell, who plays Peyton in The Waterfront: she dated One Direction's Louis Tomlinson before meeting future fiancé Colin Woodell on The Originals set – but how was she discovered?
As Netflix's The Waterfront heats up screens around the world, Danielle Campbell is emerging as one of the breakout stars of the gripping new crime drama. She plays a resilient Southern woman, Peyton, deeply in love with her husband Cane, played by Jake Weary, with whom she shares an eight-year-old daughter. Danielle Campbell's character Peyton is deeply devoted to her husband Cane, played by Jake Weary, in the new Netflix crime drama The Waterfront. Photo: @thedaniellecampbell/Instagram Since premiering in June, The Waterfront has dominated Netflix's English-language charts, attracting 8.3 million views in its opening weekend and captivating audiences with its intense family drama and moody coastal setting. The series tells the story of the Buckley family, who are ready to wade into the deep end to maintain their fishing empire in the fictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina. Advertisement Campbell, 30, was first discovered at a hair salon in Chicago when she was 10 years old. Her first major role came in 2010, when she starred in the Disney teen musical drama TV film Starstruck. Danielle Campbell starred alongside Sterling Knight in the 2010 Disney TV movie Starstruck. Photo: @ Here's everything to know about Danielle Campbell. Her breakout roles Danielle Campbell (second from right) catching up with fellow alumni of The Originals in late 2022. Photo: @thedaniellecampbell/Instagram Campbell first came to prominence in 2013 in The CW's The Originals, a fantasy supernatural TV drama in which she played Davina Claire, a powerful teenage witch. Next, the actress was cast in Tell Me a Story, a psychological thriller TV anthology that premiered in 2018. The series' creator, Kevin Williamson, was already famous for the Scream franchise, The Vampire Diaries and Dawson's Creek, and would go on to create The Waterfront. Campbell plays Kayla Powell, a character based on Little Red Riding Hood, in season one of Tell Me, and Olivia Moon, based on the princess from Sleeping Beauty, in season two. Danielle Campbell plays strong female characters in Tell Me a Story. Photo: @thedaniellecampbell/Instagram These breakout roles earned Campbell widespread praise and a loyal fan base, with her Instagram now boasting 3.2 million followers. She's engaged to her partner of seven years Campbell and her fiancé, fellow actor Colin Woodell, first met as co-stars on The Originals. They began dating in early 2018.
Buzz Feed
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
If The Kids Are Super Quiet, They're Probably Playing With One Of These 41 Toys
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. Say goodbye to cries of "I'm booooored" and hello to some time to yourself. 1. A 100-piece set of Picasso Tiles — reviewers say they're not only comparable to kid-beloved Magnatiles (which are $80 more for the same size set) but also work with the Magnatiles you may already have, so you can expand a world of creative and educational play for much less. And of course, just like Magnatiles, they'll keep the kids busy for hoooours. Promising review:"I wish I had known about these sooner! PicassoTiles are *exactly* like Magna-tiles but way more affordable. We just received the 100-tile set today — an early birthday gift for our soon-to-be-four-year-old. We have two sets of Magna-tiles — one with the grommets (purchased new last year) and one without (purchased second-hand [no idea how old they are]). The PicassoTiles are the same weight and size as the MagnaTiles and have the same exact magnets. They do not have metal grommets, but the old MagnaTiles are indestructible, so I know that these will be too. And PicassoTiles are much prettier, in my opinion, because they are slightly more translucent and have brighter colors. They integrate into the collection seamlessly. I highly recommend this product. And if you are considering buying any kind of magnetic tile toy for your child, I recommend purchasing as big a set as you can for versatility of play. Our son has played with these all day and night off and on every single day since we bought them last year. After integrating the new PicassoTile set, he hugged his enormous structure and declared them his A wonderful toy!" — skater mom Get it from Amazon for $39.99. 2. A Crayola light board that'll take your growing artiste's masterpieces to the next level — their designs deserve to shine brightly, and I mean that literally. Plus, the board is reusable, so they can wipe away old drawings or tracings and start all over again (and again and again). It includes an LED light board with a removable tracing panel and six gel markers. They can just draw directly onto the light board — plus, the removable back panel makes tracing images incredibly easy. Then, turn it on to light up the designs and showcase them — even in the dark. Promising review:" This light board is awesome!! My 6-year-old loves to draw and absolutely loves this board. The markers nestle into the back of the board for storage, which makes this mom happy; the board cleans easily with a damp paper towel or wipe. This is a great car activity for traveling. Love the added feature of the removable blackboard for tracing — so fun! Will make a great gift for any art lover!" — Danielle Campbell Get it from Amazon for $32.50. 3. A magnetic shape-shifting puzzle cube if your kid is into fidget toys — this is wayyyy cooler than the average one. It can be manipulated into over 70 different mesmerizing shapes, thanks to the design with built-in magnets! You can also collect all 12 puzzle box designs and 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 $24.99 (available in 18 designs). 4. Or The NeeDoh Nice Cube, a super-viral sensory fidget toy with juuuust the right amount of resistance for a super-satisfying squish. And it always goes back to its original shape! Fair warning though: you might need to get one for every kid on your gifting list this year, otherwise fights might break out. Promising review: "I bought four of these; one for myself and three for my kids. My oldest already had one and everyone else was fighting for it. They're stiff at first, but the more you use them, they get softer with the warmth of your hands. I've actually used it as a calming mechanism when arguing with my husband and it worked. It's easy to clean with a little soap and water, and then it feels brand new again. It's very durable, too. My 10-year-old will be watching a movie and smashing it up, and it's still in good condition. Definitely worth it." — Dixie Get it from Amazon for $8.70 (the color is either blue, pink, or purple and gets selected for you at random!). 5. A marble run set so kids can work on developing their problem-solving skills while having a HECK of a lot of fun watching the colorful marbles zip and zoom through tracks and obstacles. Promising review:" 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 that losing a few doesn't matter." — Joyce Parker Promising review:" 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 $54.99 (available in three styles). 6. Or a Gravity Maze marble run designed to challenge kiddos to think ahead to figure out how to build paths so the marble can drop down to the final cube. Puzzling and satisfying! The game includes 60 challenges, ranging from beginner to expert, so they can work their way up to the harder ones. Amazon, 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 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 $24.65. 7. A two-pack of Playfoam Pals packed with ~sensory foam~ that's suuuuper fun to play with and squish (like slime!) without creating a huge mess ( or drying out after being left out. And that's not all: There's also an adorable pet hiding inside they'll love to play with and collect! Promising review:"These are amazing for creative sensory play! I love that the foam is non-toxic and that it doesn't stick to everything. My kids have left it out numerous times and it never, ever dries out. And the little pet pals are just the cutest. The kids were so excited to see which ones they got and literally spent hours playing with them and the foam. These would be perfect for stocking stuffers!" — NYMommy Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.36. 8. A *magic* Crayola watercolor set — what makes it magic, you ask? Well the paints *only* work on the special paper that comes with it, so they can bring out their inner Jackson Pollock without getting paint all The kit comes with a paintbrush, 18 special pieces of paper, and six clear paints that change colors when they hit the paper. The brush lights up to indicate what color is currently on the brush. Promising review: "I saw this everywhere and wanted to get it for my kids. My kids love this magic light brush paint set. It's perfect for toddlers who want to paint but you don't want the whole mess. The only problem I found was the yellow after a few swipes wouldn't make yellow anymore no matter how much I rubbed the brush on the palette. It would be an orange-brown color. It wasn't a deal breaker for us. Overall, it's fun, and the kids love it." — Ashley 9. A dino race track complete with 144 pieces of flexible track, *cars shaped like T. Rex heads that light up when pushed along the track* and realistic dino figures — every other race track set available suddenly looks so boring... Once they open it, every grownup in the room is going to want their turn to play, too. Promising review: "My son received this set as a gift for Christmas and he really loves it. I asked the gifter where they got it and I have since bought the same set two times as a gift to other toddlers my son's age. And each time it's a huge hit! Kids are just obsessed with this. Even myself had fun playing this with my son. I like how versatile the tracks are. Totally worth it!" — olive Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in blue). 10. A 174-piece 3-in-1 Lego kit (honestly it's hard to choose the best Lego kit these days!) so they can build three different poseable(!) dinos creatures — a T. Rex, a triceratops, or a pterodactyl they can play with, display, or disassemble and rebuilt into another delightful prehistoric powerhouse. There are other 3-in-1 kits — like a shark + crab/squid/anglerfish for $12.99, unicorn/seahorse/peacock for $9.25, dragon/phoenix/fish for $9.49! Btw, Lego has a cool gift-finder feature so you can brows by the age of the kid you're shopping for, their interests, and your budget! Promising review: "I got this set for my daughter and it's legitimately awesome. So far we've put together the T-Rex (amazing) and the Pterodactyl. It's great that you can build multiple things from one set, though the T-Rex uses almost all the pieces and the other two are a bit smaller, but still super fun. This would be a great birthday present, too. So happy with this purchase. Nice small box, has three sets of instructions and hours and hours of fun. Also, the toys are sturdy enough to play with after you build them." — FzzPoofy Get it from Amazon for $13.59. 11. An interactive Fingerlings baby monkey with sensors that respond to touch, a unique personality, and over 70(!) different sounds and reactions that'll warm their little heart. As soon as they put the Fingerling on their hand, its heart will start to beat, and it'll say "hello" — how cute is that?! Not ready for a pet yet? They'll adore this little guy. Promising review:"Adorable and affordable. My kiddos love these little things. The packaging is easy to open, and the fingerling works right out of the box. When turned on, he/she will make the cutest little sounds and noises that keep the kids smiling and occupied while this busy mom catches up on all the things." — C. Guttierez Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in blue and purple). 12. A three-in-one Bluey playset so the biggest fan of those down-under Blue Heelers can enjoy some imaginative play — this baby transforms from an airplane to a resort and a boat! And don't forget the figures: this set includes Bluey, Bingo, Chilli, Bandit, and the Captain. You can all play together and dream of being on your own tropical vacation instead of watching slush pile up outside. Amazon Promising review:"My daughter loves the Bluey figure toys, so we had to get this for her for Christmas. It's adorable, and with the plane turning into a resort, it's a great value. It was hard for me to find in stores but Amazon came through! The character figures are great and it looks like fun. I'm sure she will be excited to receive it!" — Ashley S. Get it from Amazon for $69.99. 13. A pair of functional kids' binoculars for the birder-in-training — now they won't have to steal your (...more expensive) pair but can still get a good look at the nature around them! Not only do they work great (parents are even tempted to use them), but they're also rainproof and super sturdy when dropped or thrown around — just listen to this parent: "My destructive two-year-old still hasn't figured out how to break them, and that's saying something." Amazon The set also comes with a protective carrying case, a neck strap, a cleaning cloth, and a bird identification sticker book. Promising review: "Awesome binoculars for kids! My 3, 5, and 7-year-olds all use them and get to bird with mom and dad. I have even used them in a pinch, and they work great. We have had other brands of binoculars for them, and they do not fit as nicely in their hands or focus as well. These are lightweight and easy to use." — Mama of Wrens Get it from Amazon for $22.59 (available in two colors). 14. A classic Melissa & Doug ice cream station that'll be almost as delicious as the real deal — your L.O. will be so excited to stack scoops and toppings for the ultimate cone. Start crafting your order! 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:" Fun toy set for a creative toddler. 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 and 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 $43.35. 15. And a Melissa & Doug interactive wooden dashboard for your backseat driver. This dash is packed with realistic features, including a steering wheel, ignition key, a horn that really beeps, hazard lights, etc. It's never too early to start practicing for their road test! Amazon Promising review:"This thing is awesome! My kids were playing with my husband's old gaming steering wheel, and it ended up breaking apart a week ago. They were pretty upset because they love pretending to drive so I looked to find another one. There were cheaper options than this one, but they were just the plain steering wheel, no buttons or gear shift, so I decided to give this one a try. My boys loved it so much that I had to sit with them for hours, having them take turns playing so they wouldn't fight over it. I didn't realize there was a little window that shows the car on the road, but my 3-year-old LOVES it! He likes to set the timer on the gas gauge, and when it goes off, he lets me know he's pulling into the gas station (there's a little gas station in the window part). Anyway, we loved it so much we bought another one the same afternoon so both boys can drive together." — Brittany Get it from Amazon for $36.49. 16. A pack of dinosaur egg bath bombs sure to make bathtime way more rawr -some. Just plop the egg in, and the exterior will fizz away for colorful bathwater fun — and reveal a hidden dino toy inside! With each bath, their collection of dinos will grow, so they'll have a veritable Jurassic Park to play with when tubtime is over. Promising review:"My younger sister is having a phase where she loves taking baths, but at the same time obsessed with anything "dinosaur involved." I decided to give her these dino surprise bath bombs, and she absolutely LOVED them; she even requested to take multiple baths per day. One of her favorite parts of the bath is where the bomb dissolved to reveal a small trinket — and even though it was nothing special, she'd play with it afterward for hours on end. Most of the colors were pretty good, too, except for one that looked like she had an accident 😅. This is a perfect gift for 6-year-olds and under!!" — ESmoth Get a pack of nine from Amazon for $19.99. 17. A bestselling Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes musical toy packed with 10 classical tunes from iconic composers like Mozart and Vivaldi, plus twinkling lights that'll entertain even the fussiest baby. I'm seeing a musical prodigy in you future. Promising review:" I LOVE this thing! I bought it before my daughter was born because of high reviews. It's a reasonably priced toy, and my daughter has been using it since birth. Whenever she's having a meltdown, I break it out of the diaper bag, and she's all better. :) I actually memorized the songs and order, and they're pretty catchy. Not annoying and overbearing like other toys. I don't know what I would do without it!." — uhhdorkable Promising review:" The best baby distractor EVER! Every person with a child must have this toy! I had about five tucked in various places in case one got lost. My son loved them from basically birth and sometimes it would distract him for hours of non-crying! (Heaven for a new mother) Of course, in the beginning, you have to keep pushing the button for them, but compared to swinging him in his car seat, that was easy! Then, when he got older, he would spend entire car rides just playing with this one toy. I give it to everyone I know who has a baby." — NH-Mommy Get it from Amazon for $8.88. 18. An LCD writing tablet so they can draw, scribble, erase, and draw all over again — and it looks like the rainbow scratch paper we all loved as kids! You have the mess-free fun of a tablet, but no actual screen time is involved. Amazon, 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 three sizes and four colors). 19. Or a scratch paper art set if you want to go fully tablet-free — you'll want to borrow a sheet of paper and join in to enjoy the nostalgia! Promising review:"I can not give these enough stars! These are the best thing ever, they keep my 5-year-old entertained for hours!" — turbo1795 Get it from Amazon for $9.99. 20. A Smart Lab human body toy for doctors and scientists in the making — it has 21 removable body parts, including squiiiishy organs, that'll be the perfect intro to Human Anatomy 101. Promising review:"Great learning toy. I got this for my kids (7, 9, and 11) while we were studying the human body for science, and they are obsessed with this! They want to play with it all the time and can sit there for hours. They have learned so much just by playing with this toy and reading the book it came with." — Jacqueline Get it from Amazon for $27.99. 21. A DIY puffy sticker kit with pre-colored and colorable designs that kids 6+ can transform into 3D stickers they can decorate with. Plus it comes with extra sticker paper to print your own! Amazon Promising review:" This is a great craft for my 7-year-old to do on her own! It's quick, easy to use and gives her hours of fun. So much so that I ordered another one. I love how this craft kit is something she can do with no help. Yes, the stickers are cheap to an adult, but to a 7-year-old who colors and makes it on her own, it's magic." — Coop Get it from Amazon for $19.99. 22. A National Geographic geodes kit that'll amaze and astound any young scientist and keep them busy for hours as they smash the rocks to discover the gorgeous crystals hidden inside. This science kit includes four natural crystal-filled geodes, one pair of safety goggles, one display stand, 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 $19.99 (available in three sizes). 23. A Tetris-esque wooden puzzle kids of all ages will enjoy — and honestly I wouldn't mind having a go at this myself. No screens needed! Reviewers 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 $8.99. 24. A Dyson Ball toy vacuum that actually *has some suction* so that when the kid in your life is mimicking and wants to "help out" around the house, they're actually getting a little bit of vacuuming done. And it'll keep them busy for ages! Amazon, 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 on '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). 25. A Snap Circuits kit, a no-tools-needed set for giving engineers-to-be hands-on insight into electrical circuits. It includes over 30 electronic parts that snap together in a variety of designs for a total of over 100 functional projects! The kit comes with over 32 electrical components, including snap wires, slide switches, an alarm circuit, a music-integrated circuit, and a speaker. (Each piece is numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy.) Plus, a plastic grid and a project manual with 101 different electronic projects. Recommended for ages 8+. Adult supervision is advised. Promising review:" Can I give this 6 stars? My 6-year-old son didn't ask me ONCE today for his tablet, video game, or to play on my phone. He ignored a new movie on TV (one he had been BEGGING to see) because he was playing with this toy. He spent a couple hours working with his dad, a couple experimenting by himself and another few HOURS working through the projects with his aunt. I LOVE THIS TOY!" — SnappinMom Get a set from Amazon for $35.99. 26. A Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! 150-Piece Building Set for a twist on building toys that interlock (just like actual gears) to keep them entertained for ages, both building and playing. Promising review:" I bought this for my son when he was 3. Two years later, I've come back to write my unbiased review, so you have one to trust. At the time, I bought these on a whim and had no idea what I would unlock. For more than two full years now, these gears have been played with DAILY. Every. Single. Day. They have held up to crashed airplanes, tidal waves hitting sea creatures, and have been catapulted into castles. Very rarely have they been played with, as shown in the product pictures, as my son uses them to build different things every day. Dusty Crophopper (plane), Lightning McQueen (race car), and so much more. Our only regret is sometimes we don't have enough pieces to build an entire fleet. These creations have an entire shelf for display in his bedroom to feature what he builds each day. This toy is durable, open-ended, grows with the child, fits a variety of abilities and ages, and is only limited by imagination. I could not recommend this toy more!" — Traveler Get it from Amazon for $44.35. 27. A pack of parachute toys that (gasp of gasps) actually won't tangle when thrown from the top of a staircase over and over. Miracles happen once in a while! Promising review:" I bought these for my 4-year-old nephew and 2-year-old niece for when they come to visit. Right out of the box, they were excited and loved tossing them up in the air and watching them fall. I was amazed at how long it kept their interest and the different ways they played with them. They dropped them off the stair landing, off the couch, in the yard, and held them behind them to expand as they ran. My niece liked "Dancing" with them and twirling it around. Good colors and are very well made. Hours of fun and the best $7 I ever spent on a toy!" — hiker0811 Get a pack of four from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three colors). 28. A Melissa & Doug activity book designed to help build fine motor skills and includes a pair of child-safe scissors to help them use their destructive talents productive ways. Promising review:"Scissors skills are important both in and of themselves because they strengthen 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. 29. A flying orb that magically floats or boomerangs back and forth, depending on how it's thrown, all while flashing colorful lights. And it fully charges in just 20 minutes so the fun doesn't have to stop for long! Promising review:" This is incredible!! My grandkids spend hours outdoors, playing with this!! Best thing I could have ever bought to get them outdoors and out from under video games and YouTube. Also, good exercise. It is better outdoors than indoors. The battery life is not very long, but I bought 2, and they just switch them out. Fun! Fun! Fun!" — ladybug Get it from Amazon for $25.60 (available in seven colors). 30. A Craft-tastic "Make a Fox Friend" kit, because they'll love their new stuffie even! more! when they make it themselves. That's right, they'll learn basic sewing skills while whipping up this cutie — and it even comes with fancy accessories! Amazon Promising review:"This is by far the best sewing craft project!!! The design is adorable, and it's so clever. All the extra pieces that come with it are an absolute delight. My 7-year-old daughter LOVES it! She was able to do most everything herself, but the purse accessory (that was tricky)…but so cute :)" — J Fox Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (also available in a bunny version and a koala version, which is listed separately). 31. A cute lil' train sets up dominoes (🤯) — all they'll need to do is load up the dominoes (which reviewers say is great for building patience and fine motor skills), press the button, and watch it go! It even makes train sounds as it goes. Promising review: "Love, love, love! I got this for my 3-year-old for his birthday, and he's obsessed! It came with a whole bunch of dominos, two stacks for the dominos, the train of course, and batteries were included! You're able to adjust the front wheels to make it automatically go in a circle which I thought was cool, I assumed we would just have to keep moving it so that was a nice surprise! Overall, it's just a really neat toy that keeps my kid very entertained!" — Lea Bransky Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in two colors). 32. A solar-powered DIY robot kit that can transform into 12 different kinds of moving robots at two levels of difficulty so kids can flex their engineering muscles and enjoy the results of their hard work. 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 $24.99 (available in grey and blue). 33. A roll of road tape to engage your tot's imagination and help them set up the most creative race course Ever! Designed! Rainbow Road who?! And don't worry — reviewers say it doesn't leave residue behind, so even if roadways end up on the walls, they won't leave a trace when playtime is over. Promising review: "I was so excited to gift this tape to a 4-year-old boy, and to see how it was. It's very light, and stuck to a table very nicely. Left no residue on the table, and could tear easily to make a turn in the road. You could put this anywhere in your house and not be worried about damage. Very cool!" — Courtney S. Get a 30-foot roll from Amazon for $9.47 (available in multipacks). 34. A set of washable dab and dot markers perfect for helping budding artists unleash their Pointillist creativity — without the mess that comes with paint bottles and brushes. They're even designed to be easy for toddler hands to grip! The set comes with eight paint markers and a downloadable 101 Easy Dot Marker Activities PDF. Promising review:"My son is 4 years old; we bought this item a year and a half ago. I can't believe he still uses them weekly and loves them like the first day. I came to my Amazon order history only to write a review here because I'm amazed at how long they last and still look like new! We used it for his 3-K class projects, and now we use them for pre-K (and, of course, home projects and coloring books). Is a great tool for little artists! Last Halloween, we had a couple of friends over to paint small pumpkins, and these markers saved me from all the mess that could have been!" — Sofia Ostrowski Get a set of eight from Amazon for $12.99 (also available in set of 16 and 36). 35. A LeapFrog 100 Words Book that'll help your kiddos pick up more than 100 common words (everything from animals to food to colors to opposites and more) in both English and Spanish. Reviewers say it actually holds kid's attention through the bright colors and interactive buttons and sounds. Promising review:"This may be my favorite LeapFrog toy yet!! So much to teach children, two languages, and it has actually kept my 1-year-old's attention for more than 60 seconds!!! It's a must-have toy, in my opinion!" — Megan Hennegan Promising review: "Our 18-month-old toddler loves it! Clear words makes it easy for babies to repeat. A must-have toy. 👍" — Zaida Get it from Amazon for $12.99. 36. A Bingo game to help make learning sight words more fun (and less frustrating). It's played just like regular old Bingo, except instead of letters and numbers, you'll be calling out 46 different commonly-used words to help build word recognition and reading skills. Amazon The set comes with 36 playing cards, 264 playing chips, caller's mat and cards, and a storage box. You can also get Sight Words Level 2 or Bingo for lots of other skills — including Multiplication and Division, Rhyming, Colors and Shapes — on the company's Amazon store page. Promising review:" Our first-grader was feeling really discouraged with her sight words, and I've been trying to think of ways to encourage her and get her excited to learn things she doesn't already know. She loved this game! We played with the whole family, and her 3-year-old sister even enjoyed playing (we showed her the cards and had her find the word that matched her Bingo card). I think this is a great way to make learning/practicing sight words fun! I am very happy with this purchase, and I can see how it would be great for teachers in the classroom as well!!" — Jennie Get it from Amazon for $12.99. 37. A pack of Crayola Globbles that'll relieve hours of boredom — kids love to toss these at the walls and ceiling to watch the colorful spheres stick and unstick. But fret not: reviewers say they actually don't leave residue behind! Amazon, Yes, they easily wash clean with soap and water without losing stickiness, so the fun can keep going even after they end up in one of your houseplant pots. Promising review:" I waited over two months to write my review! My 4-year-old daughter plays with these DAILY! YES, they do attract dirt and hair. HOWEVER, they are so easy to rinse off it's not a big deal! We took these to a family gathering and ended up giving two away because they were SO loved! The two we gave away went to a 12-year-old and my 19-year-old brother. They discovered throwing them at the ceiling fan and watching them shoot across the room, which was pretty entertaining! None of them have busted or ripped, and they are definitely NOT gentle with them! I will definitely be buying more!" — Kindle Customer Get a pack of six from Amazon for $10.62. 38. An inexpensive Pop2Play foldable indoor slide to bring the playground indoors when the weather is just not cooperating inside. It just pops up easily in moments and folds down completely flat for storage when the kids are done playing. The slide's capable of holding up to 50 lbs. 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 setup 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 $35.99 (also available in Barbie, Baby Shar, and Paw Patrol themes). 39. A set of Crayola Scribble Scrubbie pets for endless coloring fun — and I mean endless, because once these toys are colored with the included markers, they can wash them clean (it even comes with a cute tub and scrub brush!) and start all over again. Amazon, The Peculiar Pets set includes: one dragon, one narwhal, one yeti, one unicorn toy, 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 $19.59. 40. A bestselling Little Tikes trampoline to really get their jumping energy out, without them jumping on your bed instead. An hour or so on this, and you can all take a nap! Promising review: "I have a wild 3-year-old who has more energy in one day than I've had in my entire life. From sun up to sun down he is ON. Unfortunately, we don't have a yard, and we can't always make it to the playground. We picked this up for him hoping that it would help him get some of that energy out on days that we're stuck inside. We've had it for 8 months, and it has been a lifesaver! I was worried about it taking up too much space in the living room, but it's not bad at all. It's wide enough for him to jump comfortably but not big enough to be an eyesore or get in the way. When I catch him trying to climb on the couch or run around too wildly, I just give him a quick reminder to jump on his trampoline instead. It's a win for both of us since he has a safe place to let that energy out, and I'm not scolding him because he's jumping on things he's not supposed to. He is about 40 lbs and 40 inches tall and he doesn't seem to be growing out of it anytime soon. It was easy to put together and has held up beautifully! It's never tipped over, and we've never had any accidents with it. I am so thankful we picked this up for him because it helps keep all of us happy and sane." — Ana Get it from Amazon for $74.99. 41. A talking microscope with slides they can inspect for a Closer Look at nature's wonders. And g'day to learning, because it actually features Bindi Irwin's voice to expand their knowledge of animals and plants! Amazon The microscope talks in three languages in addition to English — you can choose between two options: Mandarin/Japanese/Korean or Spanish/French/German. Promising review:" This is by far one of the coolest products I've ever seen! My 4-year-old loves this talking microscope! Every day while her baby sister naps, I spend some quality one-on-one time with her, and this was the perfect product for our special time together! She didn't want to stop looking at all the different slides and I love how each slide has three images and the fact mode shares fun facts about the slide chosen! I love that she was learning new facts while looking at it up closely! She has been having so much fun using it and asks me daily to use her new microscope! This is such a great learning tool in a fun, different way for a 4-year-old and it is a big win in my book, especially because it can be used for many, many years! It also includes a quiz mode that we haven't used yet, but it's nice that it has different modes for older kids. Highly recommend for all preschoolers and older kids!" — JC Mommy Get it from Amazon for $34.49. The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
