Gilly Ferguson
Longing for some peace and quiet during the school holidays? Meet the eight most popular – and mindful – kids toys that every child (and parent) should own
Already mapped out a kids’ summer holiday action plan? Perhaps you’ve made a spreadsheet, Jigsawing together holiday camps, activities and games galore (plus two hours of scheduled spontaneity at 0900 hours)? Maybe your master plan involves winging it, and water play. Either way, the chances are you’ve already panic bought a paddling pool.
So far, so normal. But what if we told you that there are eight (parent-popular) toys that will delight ALL kids from toddler-to-tween? And that they come with peace and quiet as standard?
These toys take time to play with, helping to slow down strong emotions and create a feeling of calm. Ideal for busy parents and busy minds. Think of them as mindfulness for you and your mini-me, whether you choose to get involved, or to hide yourself away in a spa cupboard.
Air Dry Clay TOMY Hey Clay Modelling Kit – Animals, £14.99
Want to keep your head through this long, hot summer? Try Hey Clay. Kids adore air-dry clay. It’s not messy (always a win) and they stay engaged with it for ages! This multi-use, easy-to-sculpt air-dry clay is super soft, flexible, non-sticky and non-toxic, and air-dries in 24 hours. With 15 cans of clay and 2 modelling tools, it’s the perfect mix of mindful creativity and fun.
Magformers Vehicle Transform Car 17 Set, £19.99
Magnetic puzzles, Magformers, Magneti books, Magna-Tiles… kids are always attracted to magnets (sorry). Kickstart their collection with the Magformers Car Set, containing 8 magnetic triangles, 6 magnetic squares and 1 magnetic rectangle to make up to 30 different models – that’s at least 30 days of entertainment, sorted.
Orchard Toys Giant Road Jigsaw Puzzle, £10
Fans of a floor puzzle will get giddy over Orchard Toys Giant Road. It doesn’t need much of an intro (it’s a Giant Road) but these 20 interchangeable pieces will help with shape-matching and observation. This puzzle has extra pizazz, lending itself to endless rounds of imaginative play – team it with their favourite toy cars and you’ve bagged yourself aeons of entertainment!
National Geographic Explorer Science Series Sensory Science Kit, £24.99
The most popular kids toys for 2-8 year olds invariably include: Magic sand! Putty! Kinetic sand! And, of course, Slime! From toddlers-to-tweens, kids love textural, sensory play (and parents love the minimal mess). This easy-to-use kit contains hydrophobic sand, colour-changing putty, 6 sand moulds and a handy play tray, plus it won’t dry out! Soothing sensorial sand play can help to encourage mindfulness too. Put simply, you (sorry, ‘they’) will love it.
Poke-A-Dot Who’s in the Ocean Children’s Book, £11.99
Anyone who’s lost blissful hours (okay, minutes) to a Pop It fidget toy will appreciate the joy of a Poke-a-Dot book. They’re designed to encourage language development, colour recognition and fine motor skills – the dots make different clicking and popping sounds depending on how they’re poked. Sensory fun at its best and a great gift for ages 1 to 3 years or for easy screen-free play during long car journeys.
Aquabeads Beginners Carry Case, £17.99
The original ‘stick with water’ arts-and-crafts bead activity toy, Aquabeads is a firm favourite with 4 to 8 year olds, and 48 year olds! If you haven’t tried them yet, this Beginners Carry Case is (unsurprisingly) a very good place to start, with 900 beads in 24 colours, a handy case to store all your beads, a flip tray and template sheets, as well as a double-sided pen and sprayer. An ingenius way to boost imagination and fine motor skills, also keeps kids very busy.
Petit Collage Funny Faces Magic Sketch Board, £14
An oldie but a goodie, magnetic drawing boards (such as Etch-A-Sketches) deserve their spot in the ‘easy kids entertainment’ hall of fame. With a wooden stylus, an eraser and 5 stencils of friendly, funny faces for guided doodling, Petit Collage’s toys have proved to be a BIG hit with little people. Ideal for quiet time, or when Nanny Netflix and Uncle Tonie have the day off.
Little Brian Paint Sticks Bucket £13.99
This wouldn’t be a best kids toys checklist if it didn’t include mess-proof paints and Little Brian’s are the business! Spillage-free, water-free, brush-free and – for the most part – squabble-free, they can be used indoors or outdoors, on colour-in canvas tablecloths, wood, paper, PYO card and even glass. The paint dries within minutes, but the entertainment lasts for hours, nay years! A great birthday gift, guaranteed – one for new parents, seasoned parents, and, well, all parents…
