The start of the summer is always exciting. You make all these grand plans, detailing each day down to the T with ideas and activities that you swear you’ll do with your child. But come August, you’re often too tired to even think about anything other than just chilling in front of the TV. These 10 summer toys can help you survive those dog days, and give you a fun bonding experience with your kiddo, too.
Sky Viper Fury Drone
Let’s face it: drones are just really, really cool. But if you don’t want to spend big bucks on a drone that your kiddo might crash and burn, the Sky Viper Fury Drone is a great introduction to the world of droning. It has a tiny camera sensor that scans surface patterns at a staggering 200 times per second. You can fly it in any direction, and hover over objects with ease. Although it’s designed for fast flight outdoors, you can definitely use it inside as well—carefully. ($39.99)
KNEX Architecture: Eiffel Tower
Take a virtual trip to Paris when your kiddo constructs this K’Nex Architecture: Eiffel Tower set. It comes with almost 1500 parts featuring K’NEX rods and connectors that will create one of the most beloved landmarks in Europe. Aimed at ages 9+, it teaches kids STEM as they learn to measure, imagine, and create one of the coolest structures. Once built, the Eiffel Tower will stand at 29 inches tall. ($49.99)
Chocolate Pen
You’ll actually want your child to play with their food when they have the Chocolate Pen. They can color anything from rainbows to butterflies, thanks to the chocolate bars that come with the set. Simply place them in the melting tray, and then add them to the pen to draw freehanded shapes, or use one of the 40 mold designs that are already included. All of the candy creations harden in mere minutes, which means that your child can consume their yummy creations. ($29.99)
Hess Toy Truck Mini Collection
Tripping over big toy trucks is never fun. But these adorable Hess Toy Truck Mini Collection means that your child can have fun racing and zooming the trucks—and they won’t take up the space of your entire living room floor. The Mini Collection, which started in 1998, puts your child directly in the driver’s seat with three fun trucks to play with. And all of them have the signature Hess logo, making them the perfect collectible for your kiddo. ($27.99)
Dino Crunch
Kids can take a bite out of playtime with Dino Crunch, a game that all T-Rex fans will find terrifically fun. The goal: rescue the dino eggs before the T-Rex leaps out at you—and possibly takes a bite. Designed for gamers ages 4 and up, and it teaches fine motor skills. Your kids will roar with delight at this fun game! ($19.99)
GigaPets
They’re ba-ack! GigaPetsAR, the virtual pet that allows your child to experience taking care of a real critter, has made a big comeback. Kids can choose from a Puppy, a Unicorn, or a T-Rex to love, feed, and even bathe. Kids can clip the GigaPetsAR to their bookbag (like their parents used to do back in the day), and by completing various tasks (like taking your pet to the doctor or disciplining it), kids can unlock screens that can in turn be scanned to reveal cute animations on their smartphone. ($15.99)
Loog Guitar
Now your child can jam like Jimi Hendrix when he plays the Loog Guitar. Designed to make guitar learning fun, easy (and woot, fast), the 3-string guitars make understanding chords simpler. The Loog Mini makes for a great introduction to music for younger kids (ages 3-8), and comes in cool colors like red, green, pink, white, yellow, and black. It’s made from real wood, and yes, it’s a totally real guitar that will have your kid riffing right away. ($79)
Mixy Squish
Your child can squish and smoosh to their heart’s delight with Mixy Squishy. The textured clay comes with glittery (and crunchy!) add-ins, and can be shaped into almost anything. Simply knead the material for a minute or two, and then your kiddo can have a blast making new designs that offer a satisfying sensory experience. Best part: if your child leaves their creations out, they’ll dry, but still have a soft and spongy texture to offer even more hours of fun play. ($17.99)
CAT Junior Crew Fix-It Phillip
Your child can come up with cool construction adventures with the Fix-It Phillip toy. The 12 inch vehicle is an essential part of any work crew, with his gang of comical tools that can handle any job. When the tools are matched to their part on the truck’s bench, they light up and make fun sounds to let your child know that they did a good job. As for the big guy himself, Fix-It Phillip has a hard hat and big bushy eyebrows that will make him even more fun to play with. ($24.99)
Shark Bite
It’s finally safe to go back into the water when your child plays Shark Bite. Here’s how to play: Your child takes a fishing rod and then has to fish out some of the creatures that are being contained in the shark’s mouth. But be careful: you never know when the shark just might take a big bite—out of your hand! ($19.49)