For those of you looking for boredom busters for your kids this summer, or even a great gift idea, I thought I’d share my kids’ top 3 toys that they play with nearly every single day. They appeal to a wide range of ages, are open ended for endless play options and have withstood the test of time in terms of durability and entertainment appeal for littles!
1. Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Set
I’m not kidding you when I say that this toy is a crowd pleaser for all ages. Kids always gravitate towards this set amongst all the other toys we have, from a year old to 7 years old (and counting!) The ice cream set has wooden ice cream scoops that you can actually scoop and stack, along with toppings, cones, cups and other accessories that make it a really realistic ice cream shop experience! The kids love to order their creations amongst themselves or take the adults’ orders and assemble the scoops to deliver. A PERFECT gift idea!
2. The Nugget
The increasingly popular Nugget is an “infinitely configurable play couch” that’s made up of four foam pieces: a foldable base, foldable cushion, and two triangle pillows. It’s covered in microsuede fabric that comes in a range of beautiful colors from pastels to neutrals to vibrant hues. With two kiddos that love to climb and jump on any and all furniture and surfaces, this was a no brainer in terms of safety (and my couch cushions longevity!) I’m a big fan of fewer, bigger gifts that will last, so the Nugget was the perfect Christmas gift for the boys and it has been worth every penny. It held up to my expectations for quality, too from the durable fabric cover to substantial and soft foam inserts. My kids use it for everything from building forts and tents to cuddling up for movie night. We’ve also used it for sleeping when the boys do “sleepovers” in each other’s rooms. There are lots of other brands on the market these days– some more expensive, some less. This post had a great roundup of options.
3. Antsy Pants play set
This play set comes with various color coded sticks and connector pieces so that you can create whatever you’d like– a truly open ended toy. They also sell fabric covers to make farmer’s market stands, circus tents, tee pees, fire trucks, etc. We have the carrying case, which has proved helpful in organizing all the pieces and have used them to build elaborate creations to simple designs and pretend props (like barbells when they are working out with me, for example). We got ours from Target, as the brand exclusively sells through them.
Share your favorite(s) in the comments below…I’m always on the lookout!
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