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"Oooooh!" —your kid discovering their new favorite toy from this post.

As a parent myself, I know what I'm mostly looking for when buying another toy is that it'll ACTUALLY keep my kids engaged long enough to bring a sliver of peace to my home (a tough task, to say the least!). From Magna-Tiles and the new Toniebox 2 to colorful sensory tubes and a LeapFrog Touch and Learn eReader, my kids have tried out enough of these items to lead you in the right shopping direction!

Promising review: "This KidKraft Laundry Set is still going strong after starting with a 3/almost 4-year-old that's getting ready to turn 5, who is NOT easy on things. It has 'washed' MULTIPLE loads of her baby dolls, LOL dolls, Barbie dolls and teddy bears clothing, has 'washed' several stuffed animals, ironed anything she felt needed to be ironed including Play-Doh... at one point I even found that she had stashed her favorite snack foods in both washer and dryer with a stuffed animal blocking the little windows just to keep others from getting her food. I think it's a wonderful play set that's built very well, has withstood the antics of a toddler." —Janice

My family has enjoyed the original Toniebox for years now, so it was a no-brainer to give the new iteration ago. It has already bought me so much time and brought my toddlers tons of fun! My kids adore theirs — even though they're only 3.5 and 1.5 years old — they have no problem understanding how to turn the Toniebox on, adjust the volume, and place different characters on top to tell various stories. It can also be used while it's charging, so there's no need to worry about your toddler having a meltdown if they want to play with it while the battery is drained (phew). My oldest loves the new Tonieplay feature, specifically the Disney: Quiz Kingdom Game which comes with a board game, character markers, interactive character cards, and a Tonieplay disc that sits on top of the box itself. My 1.5-year-old even holds the cards up to hear songs from the characters she recognizes! Speaking of, she is OBSESSED with the squishy, baby-friendly farm animal Tonies.

The Toniebox 2 starter kit includes the box itself, a USB-C charging cable (a notable upgrade from the previous version, which required its own specific charger), and the fan-favorite Playtime Puppy Tonie. It also features an exciting built-in bedtime and wake-up function to help establish better sleep routines (fingers crossed).

Get it from Amazon for $99.99 (available in five colors).

Promising review: "This toy phone is a hit with my toddler! The eight interactive functions keep my child engaged, and the bright lights and sounds are both fun and educational. It’s lightweight and easy for little hands to hold, making it perfect for on-the-go play. I also love that it encourages imaginative play while helping develop fine motor skills and early learning. Durable and well-made, it can withstand the usual toddler handling. My kid absolutely loves pressing the buttons and exploring all the features!" —AmandaB

Get it from Amazon for $9.98 (also available in black).

Recommended for ages 3 and up. And! Magna-Tiles is a small business!

My 3.5-year-old is a BIG fan of Magna-Tiles and, honestly, so am I. They're really fun to play with! There's so much you can build with them! You can choose to follow the guidebooks that come with the sets or go rogue and make your own masterpiece. We're also loving the glittery Magna-Tiles castle (it comes with a dragon!) My favorite thing about them is how easy they are to clean up. While we *also* love Lego, they are a serious pain to clean. The Magna-Tiles take seconds to clean up because you can quickly stack them all magnetically, then put them away. I'm aiming to make my life even EASIER by getting this Magna-Tile storage bin (which also comes with a cool play mat).

Promising review: "Endless fun and THE go-to activity during downtime." —Mama N

Get it from Amazon for $69.99 and discover all the new pet-themed add-ons!

You can also check out the basic sets: $49.99 for a 32-piece set or $119.99 for a 100-piece set.

Promising review: "Purchased for a birthday gift for 7-year-old nephew, he loved it and plays with it constantly!" —T

Get it from Amazon for $14.99 and check out all the different Kinetic Sand sets on their landing page.

Promising review: "I love that it has two mics and is easy to connect via Bluetooth. We pull up Spotify with the lyrics and are good to go! The sound isn’t perfect, but it’s great for such a little machine. The lights are also fun to have and change. Love the color options as well. Perfect for a young child, tween/teen, and adults! You can’t go wrong, it would make a great birthday gift as well!" —EVALSWA01

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in 14 colors).

Promising review: "Got two of these for our kids' Christmas Eve gifts with new jammies! The games are fun, size is perfect for hands, sound is good, and not too loud. I love that they light up and have different modes of play. My kiddos are 13 and 9, and both love playing with them. My husband and I even love playing with them and will challenge the kids to a battle! These fit nicely in travel bags, and the games are super fun! Great, quality game for the price value!! We highly recommend!" —Holly K. Henry

Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (also available in three other designs).

Promising review: "Got my toddler-aged son this train set and he loved it so much that we have bought others as gifts for our friend’s kids. Great price for the amount of pieces that it comes with, and I love that you can make basic tracks for younger kids or more complex ones for older kids to play with. It also comes with lots of accessories to add to hours of imaginative play. Wood is of great quality and smooth, and all of the pieces fit together easily. It’s definitely a set that will last a long time and is worth the investment." —Megan P

Promising review: "The kids have a lot of fun building bridges and other structures in the bathtub! Great for kids who are past the baby toys but still enjoy a good bath!" —Terry Adinolfi

Promising review: "These are fun and sturdy, solid 'rocks' that are great for open-ended play. There are many sizes and lots of bright colors. If you are stacking them, you do need to find some patience…they like to topple over — which can be frustrating for littles. Overall, a great toy!" —MomofLulu

Here's a TikTok that shows how to play. In short, you pick a 2D or 3D puzzle from the guide and set it up to match the image. Start the timer and work to solve the puzzle with the remaining pieces. When done, stop the clock and record your time. Friends can challenge each other, or you can play solo to try and beat your own best score. It requires AAA batteries, so be sure to grab some!

BuzzFeed contributor John Mihaly has this to say about this game: "We love the classic version in our home, and it's been in heavy rotation since we got our hands on it. The object of the game is to finish a puzzle using all 12 Kanoodle pieces. The 2D version lies flat, while the 3D version (you can play both with this set) requires you to build a pyramid of pieces. Simple, fun, and challenging (harder puzzles reveal fewer pieces to start)."

Promising review: "Very easy to use and fun for all ages. Great gift idea and is small and compact, so you can take it anywhere with you!" —Jocelyn

Promising review: "I bought this for my daughter's eighth birthday and she LOVES it! It actually works way better than I expected! It makes a perfect 3D sticker every time, and the sticker choices are great! I love that you can add sprinkles, confetti, or stars to the inside of the 3D sticker. My daughter likes shaking it around and thinks it's really cool :)" —KBrick216

The set comes with a stomp launcher and four foam rockets. It's recommended for ages 5+.

Promising review: "Bought for my 3-year-old nephew, but became great outdoor fun for the whole family. The 3-year-old loved it and could stomp and jump on the launcher without problem, sending the 'rocket' into the sky about 20 feet. The adults didn't hold back after a few trials, and the toy held up to the heavy feet and launched the rockets extremely high, not 200 feet, but more like 75–100. Very fun trying to catch them on their way dow,n too! Soft nerf and lightweight plastic made the toy safe and fun." —Brandy

Get it from Amazon for $19.99, and if your kids already have (and love) this toy, check out the Stomp Racers version, where kids can "race" each other with air-powered cars

Promising review: "This toy was a hit with the kids, and it actually climbed walls. The kids were so excited to see, and the birthday boy had a blast, and did not want to stop playing with it. It’s very easy to use, and it’s lightweight and flexible." —Jeanette Rivera-Cruz

Get it from Amazon for $29.97 (also available in glow-in-the-dark)

My son has this toy and has, honestly, learned SO much from it. Animal and vehicle sounds are made after the word has been read out (his favorite is the firetruck, of course). It's so simple that little ones will easily pick up on how to maneuver the machine on their own. It's a very basic toy, but my toddler loves it more than most of his others! Additionally, my best friend is a speech-language pathologist and uses it with her students. 

Promising reviews: "Wow! That's all I have to say! The technology behind this toy is fantastic! My daughter is learning by the day, and she loves this toy! It teaches her, keeps her entertained, and helps her pronounce words correctly. I recommend all parents to purchase this!!!" —Jon Monterrosa

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 11 styles).

Promising review: "Such a fun toy. They're easy to take to play with in a restaurant or while waiting. Very versatile. They can be made into just about anything. A fish, a bracelet, a rocket ship. They can be used many times." —Nicole Hadley 

Promising review: "So fun! Our 2-year-old loves it. He is too young to build his own run but I enjoyed building one and he loves to drop the marbles down and watch them go. I like that they are transparent so you can see the marbles easily. Great quality too. I think this will grow nicely with him as well considering that I even had fun with it as an adult." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three styles).

Promising review: "If you wanna keep children busy for hours, get these. You can’t beat this price for that many, and they are reusable and washable. Just rinse them and rub them under the water, and they are like new again. Our 1- and 3-year-old love them. Highly recommend these products." —E2j2c4

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.14+ (also available in a pack of 16).

Promising review: "Great little item for the grandson on his 8th birthday. He loves using it, and it brings out those creative ideas. Works wonders for eye/hand coordination without a game controller. He and his sister are both using one of these now and love working together on projects. It works well, and it is easy for smaller hands to hold. So far, no issues with this item." —MyOpinionMatters

My son has this camera and has such a blast with it. He loves taking pictures of his sister and random things around the house. Mostly, he loves snapping photos of himself in "selfie mode." Being that he's only 3, most photos come out horribly. But! That doesn't stop him from having a grand ol' time with the camera!

Promising review: "Bought as a gift for my 3-year-old daughter, and it is perfect for her. She can use it easily, and it is perfect for the price. She loves it. The picture quality is as good as a normal digital camera. It is much smaller than I was anticipating, but the size is perfect for little hands." —Dilan Shipley

Get it from Amazon for $23.99 (available in five colors).

Several reviewers said they used this tape on airplane tray tables to entertain their kids while traveling. PlayTape is a small business!

Promising review: "I was so excited to gift this tape to a 4-year-old boy and to see how it was. It's very light and stuck to a table very nicely. It left no residue on the table and could tear easily to make a turn in the road. You could put this anywhere in your house and not be worried about damage. Very cool!" —Courtney S.

Get a 30-foot roll from Amazon for $11.98 (available in multipacks).

Promising review: "Our kids love this stepping stone set of building bricks to play the floor is lava. They are bright and easy to clean. Stack beautifully in the corner when done. Lots of fun to play with and learn motor and balancing skills. Completely waterproof, so you could float them in a pool and play games with them. Very strong and sturdy material. Loads of fun for the kids and great to see them invent new games to play with." —††† Have Faith †††

Get them from Amazon for $25.99+ (available in four colors).

Promising review: "We live in a very rural community and have no Legos in town. I was so excited to order these for my 8-year-old son and me to play with, just like in my childhood. This set came with a fun booklet to build things together, and I'm loving all the nostalgia. The colors are great, just like I remember, and they still hurt to step on, just like I remember!" —Rayna

Get it from Amazon for $39.49, and don't forget to add a baseplate for $5.79.

One reviewer connected it to this buildable model of the Lover house (IYKYK). I am squealing over it!!!

Promising review: "This was harder to put together than the Lego brand, but it’s perfect and it comes with a Taylor Swift figure that it doesn’t show. That was a huge surprise and made my little girl so happy." —Adam Dunham

Psst — a lot of reviewers use silicone or plastic molds to get specific shapes! 

Promising review: "It’s honestly just a really nice material to work with! If you want to create things with clay, this is definitely a good choice! It’s definitely not for professional use, but I feel like that’s a given. I mean, it is Crayola. But all in all, great for those who want to use it for fun!" —Amazon Customer

After our first play kitchen fell apart, we knew we wanted to invest in one that was sturdier and, honestly, cuter! My husband and I loved that this one had so much storage (the oven, the bins, the cabinets) for us to stow away all of the toy food we've somehow accumulated. I also appreciate that it doesn't make any sounds, so my little ones have to use their imaginations instead. Truly, no one loves this kitchen more than my two toddlers! They spend so much time chefing it up! Not to mention it's been great encouragement to get my youngest to stand. We like it so much that we also bought the matching fridge.

Promising review: "It wasn’t hard to assemble at all, just a little tedious. (Well, my husband put it together. Not me. I just observed. BUT based on my observations, there was no loud sighing, cursing, or yelling.) I love the aesthetic of the kitchen, but also the practicality. We love all the storage and features. Our girl absolutely loves her kitchen, and we think you will too!!" —Raine Davis

Get it from Amazon for $161.48 (available in three colors).

We took this along on a five-hour road trip to Maine, and my 3-year-old son was (and still is) obsessed. He calls it his "pad" and loves feeling like he is just like Dad (who usually unwinds with his iPad). It's continued to keep him entertained even though he's now heard the same stories a ton of times — even my 1-year-old enjoys pressing the buttons and hearing the various songs it plays! The "eReader" has a bunch of quizzes built in that my son loves taking over and over to challenge himself (I'm pretty impressed, TBH). This is definitely going to be a go-to item I gift to the other kids in my life this holiday season.

Promising review: "This tablet has entertained my 4-year-old grandson for hours at a time. He loves that he can erase at will and that the drawings are multicolored. I highly recommend this item for 18 months old and up. I bought a pink one for our 18-month-old granddaughter, and she, too, is just enthralled with it and the 'power' she has to erase, create, erase, create! They loved them so much that we bought another set of two different colors so that they would have them at home as well as at 'Grammy's.'" —Kindle Customer Red Heart

Get it from Amazon for $13.98 (available in two sizes and four colors).

Promising review: "This set was so much fun, with a great range of colors for my toddler to play with. She loves mixing the colors and letting her creativity run wild. The texture is very soft and easy to play with, even for a 3-year-old. Overall, a great value." —Gb

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ is currently my daughter's favorite show, so you better believe I'll be getting this for the holidays. It's so cute, and I can just hear her excitedly squealing over all the mini figures of her favorite characters.

Promising review: "Wanted to get a nice educational gift for a kid and got this. Accidentally ordered two and gifted both. Both kids loved it. It narrates the slides so kids actually learn something while seeing it under the microscope." —Amy

My kids have these sensory tubes and I often find myself absentmindedly playing with them. They're very satisfying to push and pull, despite the somewhat annoying sound they make. Both my toddlers love them! My daughter chews on them (that's fine, right?) and my kids love wiggling them around like worms. They're a simple toy that gets the job done.

Promising review: "My toddler daughter is gonna love these tubes, but grandpa is gonna be annoyed by the noise. Haha. Good quality toy." —Sheena

Get a set of eight from Amazon for $7.95 (available in three sizes).

You can read my entire review on the doll riiiiiight here.

My kids (aged 3.5 and 1.5) are equally obsessed with our savior, Ms. Rachel. I've been using the fantastic Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll to help us get through the crankiest times of the day (one click of it changes my daughter's entire persona; it's wild). It's been crafted by Gund, so you know it's a quality plush item. My son immediately wanted this doll to sleep in his crib — we just turned the sound off for the evening and told him Ms. Rachel needed some rest (haha). He is also loving the Ms. Rachel Melissa & Doug Letter, Number, and Game Wooden Learning Blocks, and my daughter loves grabbing at this Herbie Sensory Take-Along Toy while in her car seat.

Promising review: I love the size, color, and design of this doll. Not only is it easy to use, but the quality of the material is impressive. The detail they've put into this toy is just astonishing. My 2-year-old is absolutely obsessed with it. The interactive features are a huge hit. It's a cute doll that fits perfectly in the hands of little ones. This has quickly become a favorite in our home!" —Williamsclan

Check out all of the Ms. Rachel products while you're at it!

Promising review: "Our son is absolutely obsessed with our Dyson (the real one). Which is why we purchased this toy Dyson vacuum for his birthday. He's 2 years old and he is really enjoying having his own 'working' vacuum cleaner!!! He seriously plays with it for hours during the day. Turning it on and off and pushing it through the house just like we use our real vacuum. I would buy this again! It was his favorite gift!." —Amazon Customer

Promising review: "This game is HILARIOUS. My kids love playing with it and taking turns hiding it (8, 6, and 3 years). They all think poop is funny and run around yelling, 'Silly Poopy, where are you?' It keeps them busy for at least half an hour at a time, and they leave me alone. Also? It's pretty durable. I found it outside in my garden in the 20-degree winter weather. I guess my 8-year-old left it out there for a few days. It also gets thrown down the stairs, and Silly Poopy just keeps on giggling and having fun." —Adele

Promising review: "My 1-year-old loves to touch the different animals and hear the book say their name and animal sound. He has a good vocabulary, but we’re working with him to encourage him to use more and more words. His doctor recommended teaching him about animals and the sounds they make, so this is a great addition to what we’re already doing. A great toy that is both fun and educational. They learn through repetition — and this was just what I was looking for! I also love that this toy will grow with him. He is currently using the name/sound mode, but he also has a mode that provides facts for when he’s older, which includes Spanish. 10/10 recommend." —Jessica Grace

Get it from Amazon for $24.97+ (available in two styles).

My son was gifted this TWICE last holiday season, and we enjoyed it so much we honestly just kept both and sent one to my in-laws' house. The songs themselves are fun (thankfully) and won't make you want to rip all of your hair out. It's super simple for kids to use; both my 3-year-old and 1-year-old play with it easily. They love having the power to create their own music listening sesh without the help of mom or dad, and I love that it comes with a stand for housing all of the "records."

My toddler is obsessed with this toy. He makes us close his curtains and turn off the lights so he can shine the projection on the wall and really see the lighting effects. I love that it actually reads the story out loud and that it's simple enough to operate — my 2-year-old has no issue playing with it on his own. It also doubles as a white noise night-light and has built-in cartridge storage on the side. I'm planning to gift this to the other toddlers in my life for the holiday season. This starter kit comes with three Little Golden Book stories and one display character (which adds lighting effects in nightlight mode). My son also loves the Trolls Special Day Story Collection and the World of Eric Carle The Very Story Collection.

Promising review: "Love this! My toddlers, ages three and four, are obsessed with reading. Though they normally enjoy us reading to them, they really loved this! It is the cutest little projector that is easy for them to use by themselves, it is durable, and the picture quality is great! Easy to adjust when blurry." —Mikaela Laughlin

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Plus, kids' mattresses, baby shower gifts, storage and organization solutions, travel must-haves, quiet toys, bassinets, toddler tricycles, baby sunnies, playmats, and finds from Walmart.

Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

This piece is by Heather Braga, a Shopping editor (and mom to two toddlers) who covers a variety of topics, including things that'll make parents' lives (hopefully) easier, exciting gadgets, cozy products (think: home goods and fashions that'll make you want to snuggle), and any magical Disney item that crosses her path.