
Toys that keep your kids busy for hours? Yes, please.
Let’s face it. Not all toys are created equal. Some toys can’t even keep a child’s attention span for mere minutes before it’s just in the pile of the rest of ’em… or they break the very first day.
Obviously, every child is different and what may work with one kid may not work for another. Also, some toys may be the right fit right now but they may end up growing into some toys and liking them as they get older. (This was the case with Legos in my house– took a bit to be a hit but are they ever now!)
I always like to take a look a toy lists to see what works for other households. I know that some toys that I’ve seen on other lists haven’t worked as well for me, but I’ve also found some really great toys that have lasted FOR YEARS. Below are the toys that my kids have really enjoyed and if I had to start from scratch again, these are the toys I’d buy first.
So in no particular order or age range, I give you: Toys That Will Keep Your Kids Busy For Hours. You’re welcome.
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Magnetic Tiles
Magnetic Blocks are hands down my favorite toy– they are so versatile and my kids never really grow with the kids as they age!
We introduced these things when my oldest was just shy of two, and I’m staring at them in my living room as we speak SIX YEARS LATER. Not only have them kept my boys busy for hours, they have lasted for YEARS of play.
Magna tiles can get a little pricey, we actually don’t have any of the original brands, but we do have a few knocks that work just as well!
We have Picasso tiles and PlayMags and another random brand. I like the PlayMags a tad better if they are the same price, but Picasso tiles and other brands are fine too! The different brands also work fine together, I think as long as they look like they will work together, they will.
Play Kitchen
These Play Kitchens are a great addition for any toddler playroom. Play kitchens and play food is something that toddlers will play with daily. They are big and take up space, BUT they get played with A LOT and worth it!
Play food is also a great addition to your kitchen and will get played with often as well!
There are also so many different play kitchens and play food to choose from!
Melissa and Doug Ice Cream
Melissa & Doug’s Ice Cream Counter is a hit (and takes up much less space than a play kitchen). The best part is the scoop because it has a little magnetic where it’s easy to pick up the ice cream and scoop into the cone!
This is such a great gender-neutral toy for toddlers that let’s kids pretend to be little ice cream store workers! It’s also a lot cheaper than a lot of play kitchen and store-fronts on the market, and kids will get a good amount of play time out of them!
I would sometimes just bring the cones, ice cream, and scoops when we were on the go to keep the kids busy!
Play Tents
There’s something about Play Tents that can keep busy for awhile! I usually just set it up, and then they start to pile their pillows, blankets, toys, etc. and just start playing and using that imagination!
There are also SO MANY different play tents out there from pink dollhouses to rocket ships, there is a play tent for every child! We just have a basic house tent that we picked up from IKEA for cheap and we definitely got our $20 worth out of it!
Flexible Tracks
This isn’t the most popular toy on the list– but we’ve gotten plenty of play time out of these flexible tracks and my kids have played with these for a few years straight which is a win in my book, especially since the cars are still moving along nicely.
We have a regular rainbow version of this toy (I couldn’t find the exact one on Amazon) but the dinosaur flex tracks looked so fun that I wish we went with that one! It’s very similar in concept though.
The tracks are flexible and can easily bend and twist, and you can build bridges and the track however you like! The car goes around the track and we’ve had good luck with this one.
Keva Planks
We did not have Keva Planks in our household but our local science museum and local library had them and my kids sat there and played with these things FOREVER whenever we went to play.
My kids always gravitated towards these, and I kind of wish I bought them for our household. They are just wooden blocks so I thought it was a little too simple, but sometimes the simplest toys are the biggest hits.
Balance Bike
A balance bike is another one that I wish we added to our own toy collection that we didn’t. We just figured that we could take the pedals off regular bikes, but there’s something to be said about Balance Bikes.
There’s a three-year-old riding around my friend’s neighborhood now because he started with a balance bike! I’ve heard amazing things about balance bikes and I wish I bought a balance bike for my oldest that we could have passed down and used.
You can also take the pedals off a regular bike– we actually never did– but both my kids love to ride bikes now! A bike of any kid is a great toy to have and can keep kids busy for awhile, especially if you have a great driveway or street for bike riding!
Legos
Legos are something that my children play with daily now especially now that they are getting older and growing out of the younger toys.
It did take a little while for them to get into Legos, but once by oldest hit seven, it was Lego love.
Lego Duplos are great start for younger kids to see if they like them, but lego kits were the big hit once they got bigger. We often buy Lego City because my son loves to build and expand a town, but any Legos will make my kids happy these days.
What are your favorite toys in your household that have kept your kids busy for HOURS?