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 Kanoodle Ultimate Champion game, which is an updated version of the classic and now has 500 2D and 3D puzzles *and* a timer. It's also a great screen-free option for keeping the kiddos occupied in the waiting room at the doctor's office.
2. A three-pack of airplane launcher toys made from foam so they'll take a beating and keep on flying. Throw them by hand or use the launcher and set them to glide mode or loop mood. Plus, there's a built-in LED light for night flights!
3. An UpsideDownChallenge game (backyard edition) where players wear goggles that turn everything upside down and try to complete relatively simple challenges like jumping through rings, catching a ball, or relay racing. Fun for kids, and a potentially painful reminder of the college years for adults.
4. A three-chord Loog Mini acoustic guitar so little punk kids can learn the entire Ramones catalog. Comes with flashcards of chord diagrams and full access to the Loog Guitar app. Hey! Ho! Let's go!
Promising review: "My daughter and I learning how to play the guitar together. Even if we don't become rock stars the quality time we are spending together is all the justification I needed to make the purchase. The strings are perfect for her little fingers." —JSpriggins
Get it from Amazon for $98 (available in six colors).
5. A 350-piece Lego Dreamzz Mr. Oz's Space Car building set from their newest line (which also has its own TV show) with two out-there building options. These sets are pushing the creativity level by producing some unique new parts. Plus, they're all really weird in the best ways possible.
6. A classic Bop It game where the objective is to, well, bop it, twist it, or pull it, depending on what the game commands (at three different volume settings). Kids can play it themselves in solo mode or challenge the adults in "pass it" mode.
7. A Craft-tastic "Make a Fox Friend" craft kit for kids to learn the basics of sewing while putting together a full wardrobe of clothes and accessories for this fantastic (and fabulous) little fox stuffie. No special tools or additional supplies to buy make this a great all-in-one gift!
8. A DinoMazing dinosaur egg decorating kit combining all the things kids love: dinosaurs, slime, markers, and decorating eggs. Just give the egg a spin and start adding creative designs before cracking it open.
9. A "Silly Poopy's Hide & Seek" game (from the makers of What Do You Meme?) that actually involves hiding a fake plastic poo that talks and gives clues to its whereabouts.
You know when your brain tells you, "This might be a bad idea!" but your gut tells you "Nah, this is going to be hilarious! Maybe." Luckily, my gut was right this time. Silly Poopy is beyond silly and not poopy at all. It is indeed a poop-ton of fun for the whole family thanks to its infectious song that sounds like it was taken straight from a 1970s game show. Best of all, my kid loves it and hopefully, this is the only poop he tries to hide around the house.
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
10. An adjustable Ninja Warrior obstacle course, which could be the most exciting (and affordable) alternative to a backyard jungle gym or swing set. Kids will climb, swing, flip, and balance the day away while creating their own unique training course for whatever action-oriented scenario they've concocted.
11. A 12-sided Fidget Cube Dodecagon for not so idle hands to reduce stress and anxiety allowing the brain some greater focus. There are audible and silent sides, so it's OK for the classroom (or meeting room if you're an adult).
For all ages!
Promising review: "My kiddo asked him to get a fidget toy for class that doesn't make noise so he can keep it on his lap during school. It helps him focus somehow. It's very durable and it does the trick." —BronwynVan
Get it from Amazon for $16.95+ (available in five colors).
12. A 75-piece Black+Decker kids' workbench to make tool time as fun (and safe) as possible. Young construction enthusiasts can even build their own tool caddy with the included parts.
13. A rechargeable kids' karaoke microphone with four voice effects (high pitch, low pitch, chipmunk, and echo) for young crooners to sing along with their favorite songs (via Bluetooth connecting with a music app) or to 30 included Motown hits (like “Superstition”).
14. A super-soft, giant 4-foot-tall Vermont Teddy Bear that'll grow with your kids (even though it stays the same size) from snuggle buddy to tea party guest to eventual recipient of all manner of suplexes and body slams.
15. A Make Your Own Puffy Stickers sets because remember how cool puffy stickers were? Well, they're still cool but now your kids can color and create their own!
For ages 6+ months.
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 $17.86.
16. An easy-to-set-up and easy-to-clean indoor pop-up kids' playhouse tent for camping/glamping adventures. It comes with a bag for storage (yay) and travel (aka sleepovers, double yay).
17. A set of 26 soft blocks great for your little one who's just starting to play with toys. These blocks are safe for gumming on, are very squeezable, and stack well when your baby gets to that stage!
18. A Melissa & Doug Blue's Clues wooden mailbox because if there's one thing that all kids love, it's getting snail mail. (You might have to explain that there are no actual snails involved though).
For ages 4+.
Includes wooden postcard and stamps, envelope and invitations to mail, double-sided puzzle, 10-piece wooden memory game, gift box, shipping pouch, and a reusable activity magazine to personalize with three sheets of reusable stickers.
Promising review: "This toy does not disappoint! Everything is very sturdy. The mailbox may be a bit hard for toddlers to open, but it does keep everything stored safely inside, which is worth it. We got this for my 2-year-old for his birthday (he’s obsessed with Blue’s Clues) and he loves it. His 4-year-old (almost 5) sister has really enjoyed playing with it too!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $18.99.
19. A Droyd Romper electric trike ride-on so kids can speed around (between 3–6 mph, thanks to parental speed controls) without all of that pesky pedaling. Send them on missions to grab the mail or race around the backyard while you race to hit your deadlines.
20. An updated Lite-Brite set that comes with more templates and pegs, and is bigger and brighter than the classic 1980s version. This gift might be the most affordable time machine money can buy for kids and, in all likelihood, adults.
21. A D&D "Dragons of Stormwreck" Isle starter set to introduce future members of the Hellfire Club to the classic fantasy roleplaying adventure game. Ideal for newbies on their first quest but also fun for parental Dungeon Masters too. Alexa, play "In The Garage" by Weezer!
For ages 12+.
Includes a 48-page adventure booklet, 32-page rulebook for playing characters of levels 1–3, 5 ready-to-play characters (each with a character sheet), and 6 polyhedral game dice.
Promising review: "We have been playing D&D for years and we love playing new adventures. I found this starter kit and ordered it immediately. After reading through and getting it set up to start, it will be very fun. One of our group always wants to talk to every new group or creature we come across. It's always fun and interesting how some adventures is more talking and some are more fighting and you never know what you are going to get...sorry no spoilers." —knightslady
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
22. A Play-Doh Kitchen Creations ice cream truck playset complete with a soft-serve machine, scooping station, and everything else a kid would need to create cool and colorful imaginary desserts. The cash register even cha-chings! And yes, of course, it plays an ice cream truck jingle too!
23. A set of colorful, handmade mini-butterfly wings for some fun flying fantasy play. They also come with a storage bag and confetti (so watch out for that last one).
24. An inflatable Flybar pogo trick ball just like the one you had as a kid but better thanks to its stronger construction (holds up to 160 pounds), built-in handles, and a free replacement of the bounce ball if yours does happen to break (like, maybe when an adult tried it while the kids were asleep).
25. A 1,500-piece bucket of Pix Brix pixel art puzzle bricks for building any 2D or 3D creation a mind (young or old) can muster. And if you're stuck on what to build, there's also a photo pixelator to upload a photo and create your very own puzzle. It even tells you the exact pieces you'll need and how to put them together. Bonus: They're also compatible with "other" brick brands!
26. A Cake-N-Bake Challenge game that challenges burgeoning bakers to "make those cakes as fast as they can." Kids get to ring a bell (they love that) and the winner gets to wear the chef's hat.
For ages 4+.
Promising review: "This is one of the best games I've ever bought! It's so fun to play with friends and family of any age and it left us laughing the whole time. The set up is a breeze, the instructions are succinct and easy to understand and there's no plastic packaging which is a ginormous plus in my book. The cake pieces are made out of foam so there's no annoying hard plastic clanking sounds when playing so the only loudness comes from the players cheering. I love that there are multiple levels of play depending on how difficult or challenging you want to play at, and I can see my family never getting bored of playing because of all the options." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $17.97.
27. A rechargeable, light-up rocket bubble blower machine because if your kid likes bubbles, imagine how much they'll like blasting 2,000+ bubbles a minute with this thing! It's great for birthday parties!
28. An 18-piece Fisher-Price "S'more Fun" campfire playset that trades all the danger of wood chopping, roaring fires, and grizzly bear attacks for kid-friendly wood accents and soft fabric. Plus, no marshmallow or chocolate stains!
For ages 3+.
Promising review: "My daughter is almost 4 and has recently gotten into building tents and forts out of pillows. We used my phone to 'make a fire,' but I wanted to get her something cute she could play with instead of my phone. This fits the bill and is affordable. It’s cool that you can cut the firewood with the felt ax. The marshmallows are double-sided; one side is uncooked, and the other is cooked. It’s also nice that the mat for the fire can double as a picnic pad, too. The material seems very durable as well. The box that this comes in is cute and doubles for storage as well." —Christie
Get it from Amazon for $18.23.
29. A Taco vs. Burrito card game (actually created by a 7-year-old) to turn game night into a food fight by adding "disgusting but adorable ingredients" (via cards assigned point values) to your favorite Mexican meals.
30. A Melissa & Doug Vroom and Zoom driving dashboard with cool moving parts, lights, and sounds, including a scrolling GPS, a working horn, a moveable gas tank meter, and a turnable key!
31. A glow-in-the-dark "Capture The Flag" game where two teams try to grab a glowing orb from enemy territory without being tagged out and sent to "jail." And that's just one way to play; there are 12 variations to pick from.
32. An 80-piece domino train set to speed up the slowest part of playing for beginners: actually lining up the dominoes. This little engine can do just that leaving perfect rows of dominoes just ready to be toppled.
For ages 3+.
Promising review: "Bought this for my 2-year-old grandson! I'd been spending a lot of time placing dominoes for him to knock down, now the train does the work! Reloading the dominoes is nothing compared to stacking them all and usually knocking down several times before they're all set up! We love all the different patterns it makes and enjoy playing with this very durable train! Would definitely recommend!" —Kim Barrett
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
33. A Buddha Board for painting rich, inky, water-based images onto a "canvas" that will slowly fade as the water evaporates. The best part? It's not messy (as long as you don't overfill the reservoir).
34. A Fisher-Price Meditation Mouse to help kids relax throughout their day. There's a guided daytime mode with stretching and breathing exercises, a bedtime routine mode that includes meditation time, and a soothing mode that plays music and sounds for 20 minutes. This mouse? Anything but modest.
35. A durable metal Big Dig sandbox digger crane with 360-degree rotation for serious backyard, beach, or playground excavation projects — no permit needed! Just a great prezzie the kiddies will, um, totally dig!
Promising review: "I don't write reviews often but we have had this for two days and my boys (3 and 5) woke up at 6:30 a.m., ate breakfast, and got dressed and hustled outside on a gloomy rainy mid-February morning in Seattle to play with this. They normally fight over whose turn it is, but instead, they have been taking turns and playing like civil humans for an hour already. Best toy ever, bought a second one already so they don't have to share because there's only so long siblings can go before someone throws down." —Rk
Get it from Amazon for $43.89+ (available in two colors).
36. A Little Tikes Magic Workshop tabletop play set so would-be wizards and witches can practice the not-so-dark-arts without summoning any actual demons into your home.
For ages 3+ and requires 4 AA batteries
What sorcery is this? Cauldrons, wands, spell books, dragon eggs, and an enchanted frog with a tiny little crown! This play set has it all for the enchanting little sorcerer/ess in your life. It's like the home-schooling version of Hogwarts! I couldn't even get this out of the packaging before pressing all the buttons. The main gimmick is choosing potions from the spell book and pouring different potions (just water) onto the frog who will react in various ways (based on the page of the book). There's more but I kind of don't want to give away all the fun. This set has cast its spell on me (and I've never read a single Harry Potter book and I think I've seen maybe three and half of the movies. Team Dr. Strange here).
Get it from Amazon for $79.99.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.