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 super cool pogo ball for kids who are bouncing off the walls and need a new place to channel all that energy. It's basically a pogo stick (minus the stick) — same bouncy fun but closer to the ground in case of falls.
For ages 6+ and up to 160 pounds, includes an air pump and needles.
Promising review: "I ordered this fun pogo jumping toy for my 10-year-old son! He absolutely loves it so much and jumps on it every single day! It comes with a pump which is super nice, and it is very easy to pump up the ball in the middle of the toy. You just put the ball in the middle of the board, and then you are good to go! In my opinion, this is much easier to jump and balance on than a regular pogo stick. Now all my son's friends want one, and they love it! My son and I highly recommend this fun toy! It would be a fun gift!" —Jean Butterfield
Get it from Amazon for $22.49+ (available in 11 color options).
2. A Craft-tastic "Make a Fox Friend" kit so your little fashionista can create an equally fashionable pal. The kit comes with everything needed to make a fox stuffed toy along with on-trend accessories. Your little one will learn basic sewing skills, and they're sure to love putting on fashion shows with their new model.
Promising review: "I got one of these for my little niece and her mother said she wished she could have one for herself to decorate her bedroom with. It's just darling." —Placeholder
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in bunny).
3. A Lite-Brite set to light up all their creations. This updated version has four light modes, LED bulbs that never get hot, 206 pegs, and six design templates. Be still, my '90s heart!
The templates includes designs for a boat, unicorn, elephant, and more.
Promising review: "My grandchildren LOVE it! Colors are great, easy as plug -nd-play...or, play, then plug in for a big WOW effect at the end. Great buy, shipped very fast, fun for all ages." —Placeholder
Get it from Amazon for $13.78.
4. A Melissa & Doug reusable puffy sticker activity book that lets your little yarn spinner craft compelling storylines involving princesses, mermaids, and overstuffed closets. Each book has over 65 stickers for dress-up and interior design so your kiddo can really let their imagination shine.
The set includes three reusable puffy sticker activity books with dress-up, princess, and mermaid themes.
Promising reviews: "These are perfect sticker books for younger kids and toddlers because of the puffy stickers. The stickers aren’t very sticky, but that’s why I like them. My 2-year-old can play and play with them and I don’t have to worry about them damaging my coffee table! Also, they make great gifts and are wonderful to bring on planes or to restaurants to keep kids busy!" —RaeK
"I know all kids are different but these kept my toddler busy and interested like almost nothing else I bought during this shelter-in! She has had for weeks and continues to go back and reuse quietly for up to 30 minutes by herself! We've tried some other similar products, but these stickers are so easy for her to peel off and they stick over and over again. Very very happy with this pretty simple product!" —Stephanie McCullen
Get a set from Amazon for $23.99.
5. Or a DIY puffy sticker kit because the only thing better than puffy stickers is making them yourself. The kit comes with a 16-page book and enough material for your kiddo to make 60 stickers.
The book comes with pre-colored designs along with ones your kids can color themselves.
Promising review: "These are actually quite cute. The kit comes with everything needed to make the stickers — pre-colored images as well as images to color yourself. It can be a little tricky for little hands to layer everything correctly and get a nice good seal on the edges, but with a little help, little ones can make impressive puffy stickers. The instructions do state to not cut too close to the edge, which was done accidentally, and the sticker came apart — but after that, we made them correctly. I was hoping for a refill kit, but I don't believe one is available." —Annamarie
Get it from Amazon for $16.07.
6. A LeapFrog picnic basket to add a material element to the "We're Going on a Picnic" game. We're going on a picnic, and I'm bringing...this toy! The set has utensils, cups, a blanket, and a singing picnic basket with a shape sorter to match the different shaped foods. When your child puts food into the basket, the toy helpfully tells them the shape and color. I haven't been to a picnic this informative since Michael Scott revealed the Buffalo branch was closing.
Promising review: "I purchased this set for my daughter's first birthday and she loves it! She loves play food and I wanted to get her a shape sorter. This set has both, is really cute and, best of all, is self-contained! It has three different play settings, two different volume settings as well as "off," isn't obnoxiously loud, and my daughter enjoys it even when it is turned off entirely with no music, sounds or lights at all (for now)! I would highly recommend!" —Fierce Logic
Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in two colors).
7. A 48-piece Melissa & Doug puzzle featuring captivating scenes of space, dinosaurs, sea creatures, and more. The pieces are just large enough that kids can work through the jigsaw alone without getting frustrated and asking you for help.
Promising review: "My 3, 6, 7 and 9 year old all love these Melissa and Doug large floor puzzles! They are made very well and have held up great to a lot of use. This ocean puzzle is beautiful! The children will put it together and then just stare at it for a long time trying to identify each ocean creature. I am so glad we purchased it!" —sw
Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in six styles).
8. A burger stacking toy that comes with recipe cards so you can place an order with the fry cook and let them cook you the perfect lunch. Just make sure they don't forget the pickles — SpongeBob was a cautionary tale.
There are 10 cards showing different orders for the ingredients.
Promising review: "Such a cute, well-made toy with lots of play value. My infant uses it as a stacking toy AND my toddler uses it to learn about sequencing. Pleasantly surprised with how great the quality is and it’s just a really cute toy. I love it." —Tiffany L
Get it from Amazon for $16.99.
9. A wooden puzzle so you can start training your kid for Tetris competitions. Petite perfectionists will log countless hours on the board trying to fit every piece.
10. A classic wooden doctor's kit for the child who loves to perform check-ups on you, their stuffed animals, the neighbor's dog, etc. The diagnosis? An owie. The treatment? Better wrap the patient up like a mummy.
The set comes with a toy stethoscope, a thermometer, a syringe, a blood pressure gauge, an ear scope, a reflex hammer, scissors, and two medicine bottles.
Promising reviews: "My daughter got this doctor kit for Christmas and it's pretty amazing! The fabric bag is great quality as well as all the accessories. The bag is what makes it truly special though! She has always loved playing doctor, but she is in full swing now and I loves the wooden and fabric toys. This is something I will be keeping for possible grandkids once she has grown out of it!" —A Clever Mess
Get it from Amazon for $34.99.
11. A pack of brightly colored stacking cups because you can't beat the classics. Not unlike a classic rock song, this eight cup toy will be on repeat all day long.
Bonus: These have holes in the bottom for water play and come with a cute star ring to keep them together.
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 $7.07.
12. A LeapFrog Learning Friends book that'll keep your little one occupied as they learn 100 new words ranging from animals, food, colors, and more in both English and Spanish! With built-in sound effects, songs, and activities, this entertaining book is basically going to be like HBO for toddlers — COMPELLING.
Promising review: "What a great learning toy! My little boy loves it. It’s touch-sensitive and his little fingers don’t have to press it too hard. He already knows 75% of the words but hasn’t lost interest in it yet. I believe this book will be good for three to four more years when he enters kindergarten though first grade and learns to spell some of the words in the book." —Luciane D. Costa
Get it from Amazon for $12.97 (also available in a flash card version).
13. A set of Globbles, TikTok-famous fidget toys that are squishy, colorful, and stick to any surface you throw them at without leaving a residue. Your kids will have fun launching these across the room when it's too cold or rainy to go outside.
Promising review: "Bought a six-pack for my neurodivergent family. We are all either ADHD or autistic. I struggle with compulsive hair pulling and bought these to help keep my hands busy. They are the perfect size, more satisfying than a stress ball, clean easily, fun to hurl at the wall or ceiling, and so far have lasted very well. I did test the durability of one and did break one when I pulled it as hard as I could — the inside looked something like shaving cream and didn’t smell or anything. But if you have a kid who is an aggressive chewer, perhaps keep an eye on them." —Amazon Customer
Get a set of six from Amazon for $9.99.
14. A *magic* Crayola watercolor set that only works on the special included paper. That means your petite Picasso can let their paintbrush fly without you constantly worrying about them getting paint on the table, their clothes, the cat, etc.
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
Get it from Amazon for $24.88.
15. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza — a card game delivering a heavy dose of high-energy, adorably illustrated fun right when your kid needs it. This has been a long-time bestseller because people of all ages absolutely love it!
Here's how to play: You deal all the cards out to your two to four players, and everyone keeps their mini-deck face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle of the table, saying one of the words "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order. If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone slaps their hand on the card in a pile as quickly as possible. The last person on the pile has to take the stack and add them to their cards, and whoever runs out of cards first wins!
Promising review: "Ridiculous in a good way! I was skeptical about how much I may enjoy this game being in my mid-30s. But it's a lot of fun! Easy to learn, easy to play, my 8-year-old has lots of fun with it. Its a great family game with the potential to be a late-night more adult-oriented event if you’re picking up what I'm throwing down. Cheers!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $9.84.
16. A flower-building activity set that's both literally and figuratively a STEM toy! Kids 3 and up can use their imagination to build elaborate floral arrangements and then use the included watering can to keep the pretend play going.
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 $15.98+ (available in three sizes and a storage case option).
17. A sight word Bingo game to help your kid with those important words that should be known on sight. It'll make learning less frustrating and more fun, especially when they win and rub it in your face.
The set comes with 36 playing cards, 264 playing chips, caller's mat and cards, and a storage box. Instead of calling out numbers, the leader calls out words (there are 46 commonly-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 $9.05.
18. Kanoodle Ultimate Champion game, an updated version of the TikTok classic that your tween has probably seen 100 videos of. The new and improved version has 500 2D and 3D puzzles, plus a timer for an extra challenge. Despite being a social media darling, it is in fact a welcome break from screen time.
Here's a TikTok video that shows how to play. It requires AAA batteries, so pick some up here.
BuzzFeed contributor John Mihaly has this to say about this game:
"We love the classic version in our home, and it's been in heavy rotation since we got our hands on it. The object of the game is to finish a puzzle using all 12 Kanoodle pieces. The 2D version lies flat, while the 3D version (you can play both with this set) requires you to build a pyramid of pieces. Simple, fun, and challenging (harder puzzles reveal fewer pieces to start)."
Promising review: "Very easy to use and fun for all ages. Great gift idea and is small and compact, so you can take it anywhere with you!" —Jocelyn
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
19. A pair of kid binoculars that'll expand their worldview and let them sneak peeks at birds, squirrels, and other critters in their backyard. These are durable, easy to use, and perfect to make your next hike together even more fun.
The binoculars have oversized eyepieces, 2x magnification, and a breakaway neck strap.
Promising review: "Even a year later this toy is going strong in our household. It was a gift to our then-2-year-old and she LOVES it. It's made to last, so no matter the beatings, it's still going strong." —Jarynette Montejano
Get them from Amazon for $9.69+ (available in two colors).
20. Silly Poopy's Hide and Seek, a game that's pretty self-explanatory — take turns hiding this rainbow, light-up poop toy around the house. It'll offer clues and eventually sing a victory song when it's found. Thank you, poop!
Relatable is a small business that sells card games/toys, plushies, and pool floats.
Promising review: "My 6- and 3-year-olds are OBSESSED. They play for an hour at least! Played with daily since we got it. When it’s my turn to hide, I make it tricky enough that I can actually be productive until it’s my turn again." —Cara Lentz
Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (also available as an egg).
21. A Dyson Ball toy vacuum that *actually* sucks (in a good way)! Your kids will love the chance to help you around the house and you'll love having an at-home miniature cleaning service on call. Win win!
There's a storage compartment you can remove that'll hold all the debris your kid picks up.
Promising review: "I bought one for 2-year-old child’s birthday gift. Around this age loves pulling and pushing, this is perfectly developmentally appropriate material. Plus it does look like a real Dyson and sucks some real dust. It was absolutely the best gift from the party, the child dragged it all over the backyard. Once he put it down, his 2-year-old cousin played for next hour until he claimed it back. His parents were very happy too that he learns how to help round at home." —Kim
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three styles).
22. A ThinkFun Dog Crimes logic and brainteaser game for your pet detective in training. There are 40 canine-themed mysteries to solve, like, "Who ate the cake?" and "Who puked blue all over the new couch?"— OK, that last one is less a mystery and more a personal grievance.
23. A tinker box featuring fun knickknacks and baubles like figurines, shells, and pompoms just waiting to be explored and sorted. Thoughtful kids 4 and up will love pawing through the box and discovering the tiny treasures inside.
Worlds Between Covers is a small business that sells cute parenting products.
Promising review: "Great quality and works great to keep my preschoolers busy at nap time!" —Ashley
Get it from Worlds Between Covers on Etsy for $11.35 (available in nine themes).
24. A Connect 4 Spin Game, which is like the original but adds a challenging spin: Players have to whirl each column after dropping a piece. Strategy is no longer enough — lady luck has final say who wins.
Promising reviews: "My kids loved this, and I honestly loved it as well. It’s very practical and easy to understand the dynamic of how to play. I recommend it to everyone. I have bought many more as gifts, and the other kids loved it." —Esther T.
"This a fun new way to play. I like the spin option because it can change your strategy around. Played it with my 9- and 10-year-old nephews, and they created their own game! Fun, fun, fun!" —SE
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
25. A 3D skyline puzzle to introduce your child to sights around the world, like New York City, San Francisco, and London. They'll learn more about famous monuments and maybe develop a taste for city planning. Who knows, maybe they'll name a sky scraper after you?
These 123-piece puzzles can take up to three hours to put together!
Promising reviews: "I love 3D puzzles and have done a few in the past, and was really excited when I saw this one. You do have to be careful with any 3D puzzle because it's easy to break off tabs or bend pieces. I definitely wouldn't get this for a young child, but it would make a great gift for pre-teens and up. The instructions are very clear, and it's easy to assemble and take apart for storage!" —alexismu97
"My son loved this 3D puzzle set. He is a big Godzilla fan, and he loves recreating scenes from the movie. They really hold up. Pretty good quality. Great value for the money, and my son absolutely loved them." —Leticia Rdz.
Get it from Amazon for $19.35+ (available in eight different cities).
26. A rubber bubble toy shaped like a flower, paint palette, or phone your kids will love poking away at. And with such pretty color schemes, you may find yourself asking your child for a turn!
Promising review: "It looks just like the picture. My daughter loves to play with it! Nice and well made." —Juyeon Lee
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in seven styles).
27. A customizable wooden vehicle for your tiny construction foreman looking to break ground in your living room. There's a variety of solid wood toys to choose from, so you can stage a whole construction site. Personally, I think it's never too early to put them on the path to forklift certification.
If you get the crane, you can also get some matching magnetic blocks for it to pick up! There's also a cargo trailer that connects to the truck. Busy Puzzle is a small business that sells wooden toys.
Promising review: "These toy trucks are super high quality! Way cuter than I could have imagined and our son loves them!" —Hazen
Get it from Busy Puzzle on Etsy for $21+ (available in seven vehicles and an engraving option).
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.