It’s 5:15 on a Wednesday night and I’m trying to cook dinner. Correction, I’m thinking about cooking dinner, but can’t actually get started because my kids are asking me a million questions, lamenting about how bored they are, and making a huge mess with legos in the living room that they are never going to clean-up themselves - but I can guarantee I will step on.
The easiest thing to do would be to power on the TV and watch them slip into a vegetative bliss for the next hour. But what follows is that unrelenting mom-guilt. I may not have all the answers, but I’m a mom of 6 with a passion for childhood development. I’ve rounded up the best toys that your kids will actually play with - they are toys that are used daily, open-ended, and durable. Yes, one of them is my own invention (hello, Figgy!) - but all of them are here because they tried and tested and so well-loved.
We looked for toys that checked the boxes on:
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open-ended/child-led play;
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durability;
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safety, and
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played with daily for over 3 months
Lovevery Play Kits
Best For: Kids under 3 and families who appreciate curated options delivered right to their door.
Why We Love It: Lovevery takes the guesswork out of developmentally appropriate toys for your kids based on their age. Each kit comes with a special booklet that helps you understand ways to use them; how they help achieve developmental milestones, and well-made, sustainable toys.
Bonus Points: These toys last forever! Easy to pass down to siblings or resell.
Price: Starting at $80.
Where to Buy: Lovevery.com or Target
Grimm’s Wooden Rainbow
Best For: Kids who love are spatial thinkers or love to build, engineer, or create new things. A great addition to wood block sets or for younger kids who can’t use smaller lego bricks. spatial thinkers
Why We Love It: Grimm’s Wood Rainbows are one of our favorite open-ended play toys. It’s fun to see all the ways our kids have incorporated them into their play-time - from using them as ball runs to role playing. They support gross motor skills as kids stack and play. They help younger kids identify colors and are designed in Europe with the highest-safety standards. The Grimm’s Wooden Rainbow even comes in different sizes and colors - so you can mix and match!
Bonus Points: They look beautiful when stacked/stored and don’t have a ton of tiny pieces.
Price: Large rainbow, $100.
Where to Buy: Bella Luna or Amazon
Yoto Mini Player
Best For: Great for kids who love stories or music and families on the go! Wide range of and song collections for kids 1 through 12. Perfect for parents who want a screen-time alternative or wish they could read more with their kids.
Why We Love It: The Yoto Mini Player is a fan favorite in our house. We love the portable, easy-to-travel with design and the plethora of card options. The story and song cards are easy to keep in a purse or glove-compartment and young kids can figure out how to play the cards themselves. The Yoto Mini Player doesn’t require batteries and can be used for up to 14 hours on a single charge. It’s a great toy for families with multiple kids because they can all collect their favorite cards and use them on one player.
Bonus Points: You can record yourself or a loved one (hi, grandma!) reading a story that your kids can play using a special card.
Price: $69.99 plus the cost of cards.
Milton + Goose
Best For: Kids under the age of 5 and families who love sustainable, products that are worth investing in. The modern asthetic, high quality birch make it a treasured heirloom that can be passed down.
Why We Love It: The Milton + Goose Essesntial kitchen is gorgeous and one of the highest-quality play kitchens on the market. We like that it’s made of real wood instead of MDF or plastic. It has just enough details for kids to get really engaged in play, but no sounds or lights or distractions. We like that you can turn the knobs, open the doors, and that the cabinets are a great place to store pots/pans and play food. It’s one of the more expensive play kitchens, but if you want to invest in something that will get used all the time and hold up to lots of touches, this is worth it.
Bonus Points: It’s made in the USA and each piece is handcrafts. You can add on pieces to make your kitchen more complete - like a fridge and a hood.
Price: $799
Where to Buy: Milton + Goose
Figgy Play Couch
Best For: Active kids and families who want a multi-use toy that can grow with them. Kid’s who love to climb, build, and create and families who prefer a modern aesthetic and modular kid’s furniture.
Why We Love It: The Figgy is the first and only play couch with velcro connectors. It may look like a toy, but it’s a tool for getting kid’s active, reducing screen-time, and building brains. They Figgy is one of the most used toys in our house with all our kids ages 14 to 3. The cushions can be transformed into a ball-pit, stair slide, train, obstacle course and more. Made in the USA and designed with parents in mind, it’s waterproof, machine washable and ultra-durable. Multiple Figgies can be connected together to create some seriously epic forts. There are different add-on pieces to really expand the fun - like the half-moon rockers and the Biggy wedge.
Bonus Points: Covers are easy to swap out when preferences change, foam is the same foam found in mattresses that have 20 year warranties. The Figgy is a great OT/PT tool to use with sensory seeking or sensitive kids.
Price: Starting at $279
Where to Buy: Figgy
Candy Lab Toys
Best For: Car-loving, movement-oriented kids who love to build and race. Great for buliding a collection.
Why We Love It: CandyLab Toys might make the cutest wooden cars we have ever seen! From retro-style cars to futuristic rainbow unicorn vans. There is something for everyone - truly! It’s great they they come in so many styles and sizes and we love they even sell accessories to spark imagination. The cars are made of solid birch and painted with non-toxic, water-based paints. Accessories include items like trees, a donut shop, and a magnetic car garage. They are all beautifully designed.
Bonus Points: DIY car kits that let your budding artist make their own, high-quality CandyLab car.
Price: Starting at $14
Where to Buy: CandyLabs and Amazon
Sarah’s Silks
Best For: Sensory-rich, open-ended play by kids of all ages.
Why We Love It: Sarah’s Silk’s has been around for over 70 years make the most delightful play silks - we especially love the large ones that can be used as a parachute alternative. It’s so fun to see the way kid’s chose to use them - they connect them - they hide under them - they use them to role play. The colors are awesome and they are the softest fabric you’ll feel! They are perfect for kid’s of any age, which is perfect for a household with multiple kids.
Bonus Points: A monthly subscription to build up your Silk collection. Fun limited edition prints like dinosaurs and fairies.
Price: Starting at $44
Where to Buy: Sarah’s Silks
Conclusion
We know there are A LOT of toy options out there and not every one is a fit for every family, but these are tried and true toys we love. The biggest takeaway is that choosing intentional toys does make a difference. You don’t have to be completely screen-free to enjoy these options and they can make any parent feel great about the toys they are bringing into their homes.
About the Author:
Rachel Neill is from the Midwest and a mom of 6 kids. When she isn't building Figgy forts, you can find her feeding chickens and attempting to garden.