1. Klutz Mini Sushi Bar Activity Kit
Making little clay snacks is fun for its own sake. Included in the Klutz Mini Sushi Bar Activity Kit are a variety of colors of air-dry clay (to represent the main ingredients and sushi rice), decorative beads and bobs (to represent the finishing touches, such as salmon roe and eyeballs), and a double-sided plastic tool (to facilitate the cutting and shaping processes). Chopsticks, a bowl, and a cardboard bento box are supplied for showcasing the finished products. (Those unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine can learn more about the various meals that are shown.)
My then-aged 8 and 6-year-old children prepared a bento box for themselves, complete with onigiri (rice balls), mochi balls, and an impossible-to-eat-all-of serving of miso soup, all artfully decorated with slivers of green onion, cubes of tofu, and, of course, adorable eyes and grins. The directions, which are written at around a third-grade reading level, are accompanied by clear images that show the reader exactly how much clay should be pinched off for each activity. My girls needed my help with the more finicky activities, including gluing the cardboard milk container’s edges together. The children served their American Girl dolls lunch the following day after the crafts had dried overnight in the open air.
2. Mattel Magic 8 Ball
This vintage fortune-telling toy comes in handy when my kids are asking a lot of questions. The Magic 8 Ball has been around since 1946, and when inverted, it may predict one of twenty possible outcomes: “Without a doubt,” Can’t tell right now, and my answer is no. My two little children take turns holding the mysterious ball and making predictions. Can I expect my son’s beloved football team to get to the postseason? When the morning comes, will my kid be the star of the show for her teacher? Even though I don’t know everything, I’m very sure the Magic 8 Ball can shed some light on the situation.
3. Mudpuppy Little Park Ranger National Parks Map of the U.S.A. 70-Piece Geography Puzzle
Completing a puzzle by Mudpuppy is quite rewarding. The parts are thick and solid, the colors are bright, the patterns are interesting, and they all fit together smoothly. Recently, my kids and I have been playing with two different animal-themed puzzles. The Little Park Ranger National Parks Map of the United States of America is a 70-piece Geography Puzzle that features iconic national parks like Yosemite and Acadia. Among the puzzle pieces are 18 in the form of animals native to the parks, such as an armadillo, a pelican, and a buffalo. Meanwhile, the Music Festival 500 Piece Search & Find Family Puzzle provides twice the fun. Assembling the 500 pieces (presumably a family event, considering the size) reveals a group of cartoon monsters (innocently) partying at a music festival. Then, like in Where’s Waldo?, you have to look for 45 hidden objects in the scene.
4. Creativity for Kids Hide & Seek Rock Painting Kit
It’s a lot of fun to paint pebbles and then leave them around the neighborhood to spread some cheer. As a gift for her kid, deputy editor Christine Cyr Clisset suggested the Creativity for Kids Kit, which includes ten pebbles, eight paint colors, and a number of transfer patterns. After being adorned, the pebbles are designed to be set free in a park or other outside places (a plus for people who already have too much stuff). Anyone who comes across a rock equipped with a tracking sticker can share their discoveries on social media using the corresponding hashtag. The stones’ forms may serve as inspiration for any project, and there’s something soothing about putting a piece of nature into a child’s hands.
5. Unicorn 3D Puzzle
Kido Chicago owner Keewa Nurullah found Studio Roof, the Dutch design business responsible for this 3D unicorn puzzle (among other items, such as colorful masks), on Instagram. “They have very bright, vibrant, impeccably designed items,” Nurullah remarked. Which piece of the unicorn puzzle stuck out the most to you? This thing’s got some serious depth to it. As Nurullah put it, “Unlike a flat puzzle,” the components of this one encourage students to consider engineering and STEM fields as they figure out how they fit together. About a foot in height when put together, this puzzle made from recycled cardboard is fascinating for more reasons than one. (There are also different designs, such as a stegosaurus and a catamaran.) After the 13 parts have been assembled into a unicorn’s shape, they can be used as a prop in make-believe games.
6. Brain Games Ice Cool 2
Ice Cool 2 may change your mind about board games. Players flick, spin, and fire penguins across a multi-room game course ingeniously made from nested cardboard boxes; this zany, fast-paced, action-packed game is a favorite in our guide to the best board games for kids. Ice Cool, like marbles, pinball, and pool, is a “dexterity game,” the difficulty of which rests in finding out how to apply the appropriate angles, speeds, and forces to have the penguins travel in the desired directions. Christoph Schlewinski, a member of the jury that awarded the original Ice Cool the 2017 Kinderspiel des Jahres Award, praised the game’s appeal to players of all ages. In most cases, though, youngsters have the upper hand, as “the gameplay itself is very intuitive for kids,” as Schlewinski put it. “[Kids] are often superior to adults because they don’t overthink it,” says one expert.
7. Tote-A-Fort
After my sisters and I built a fort in the dining room, my mom never once grumbled about having to pick up and stow away nearly every blanket in the house. When my kids started making forts in the living room, I really realized how bothersome it can be. But who am I to forbid such a right of passage? I propose constructing a Tote-A-Fort. Three hardy blankets in bright primary hues (yellow, blue, and red) are included, each with its own set of Velcro and straps for securing the blankets to one another and to your furniture. A cinch sack holds everything, and anchor weights prevent them from sinking. The completed creation is large enough to accommodate a 5-year-old, a 15-pound dog, and me, and the brightly colored cloth brings back fond memories of playing the parachute game in gym class.
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