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“Boredom, shmoredom.” — Your kids, probably

I've been a BuzzFeed Contributor since 2020 and I'm always on the lookout for products that are the perfect blend of form and function — especially if it's in the realms of parenting, travel, and home goods and décor.

Promising review: "The grandkids love to play with these little ball/balloon things in the pool! From ages 2–14, they all play with them. Easy to fill and fun to squish!" —Kelly 

Promising review: "This is a great little product for a fun afternoon. It comes with everything you need. Just fill the bottles with water, and away you go. Definitely do it outside or something. It does come with a covering, but best to be careful." —Tyler

Promising review: "It's a great game for everyone of all ages. If kids know what to do when they see certain cards, then they can play. The game can last a good while if you have a couple of people who play really well. Have gotten it for all the kids I know, and the parents love it." —Felicia

Promising review: "Great activity! My son loves making animals. And I enjoy it as well." —Erin

Promising review: "My 6-year-old girls love this and so do I! They can give me one, and we can talk to each other from different parts of the house and some parts of the yard. Great product for kids to have fun and learn the basics of walkie-talkies with!" —Tori

Price: $14.99 (originally $19.99, available in two designs)

Promising review: "The 46-piece set of Magna-Tiles is awesome for my kids. Originally got them for my 3-year-old, but I have caught my 14-year-old and my 20-year-old playing with them! Even caught my husband playing with them! The magnets are nice and strong, so building is easy for little hands (and big ones)." —NOZIPPEPOCKETS

Promising review: "This set is the real deal. It's basically a mini version of what an adult uses. The sticks are real wood and thick. I bought this set for my nephew, who is strong and husky. These may be a little on the heavy side for a smaller child. I am very happy with the purchase. These are good quality." —SunnyCa805

Promising review: "Omg, my great-granddaughter likes to play pirate, but she doesn't know how to close one eye to look through a telescope, so the binoculars are perfect. She loves to look at the moon, and when airplanes fly by, she gets so excited looking at them now. Loves to see the stars at night. This is a great idea for little ones that love adventures." —Jennifer

Promising review: "I mean... Wow. Just wow. Our kids (4 and 2) LOVE the puppet show. Built well all the way around!!!" —Thomas

Promising review: "I bought this for an elementary dance party outside, and the kids loved it. It makes a lot of bubbles, and I like the fact that this bubble machine rotates, so bubbles are flying everywhere. It also has colored lights that flash. Looks great at night for a yard party. The only negative remark about this bubble machine is that, while rotating, it sometimes gets stuck and makes a clicking sound. You just have to give it a turn, and it works fine again. It’s worth the money, the better the bubble solution you use, the more bubbles you get." —goldlashes

Promising review: "My toddler loves this house. The working doorbell, easy open/close door, cute little grill, and inside seat are some of his favorite features! The house was fairly easy to assemble, and it has been worth every dollar spent so far. Gender neutral colors make it great for both boys and girls to enjoy." —M

Promising review: "This was a great learning activity for my 6-year-old son. Easy to plant. Also grew within a few days. After putting the stickers in the sun for a few hours, you could see it glow." —tasha

Promising review: "Klutz books are a classic. Cat's cradle is something that I enjoyed as a child, and now my 7-year-old grandson is learning how to use it." —JT

Promising review: "Great for the price! Easy instructions. Comes with the mount to hold the rubber bands. My 7-year-old's new obsession!! Can bring this anywhere and everywhere. Love that it comes with a carrying case. And when the rubber bands run out, you can refill the case." —Walmart Customer

Promising review: "Bought this for my teenage son for Christmas, and he and my older son played with it all morning. They loved seeing who could get the highest score. Perfect gift for siblings or just a game to challenge yourself." —Jennifer

Promising review: "What a fun pack to keep our kids busy on a sunny day. They loved the different shapes and colors of chalk, with plenty of it to keep them occupied for quite a bit. Such a budget-friendly way to have loads of fun!"—Britt

Promising review: "Kids love these. When they are bored and want to stomp around, these rockets are ready for fun!" —Brenda

Promising review: "Hours of fun! Throw a little bit of Dawn dish soap in there, and the kids have thousands of bubbles! It's well-made, with very pretty colors, and my 5-year-old and 3-year-old stay busy for hours! Highly recommended" —anonymous

Promising review: "My granddaughter loves it so much. 💕 She is three years old and has hardly played with her other electronic toys. She has not been on her tablet in days. Loves to listen to the stories and is talking more daily. She learned how to turn it on and change story characters in five minutes. Well worth every penny just to listen to her laughing and using her imagination for a change." —pam

Promising review: "I bought one for each of my grandkids, ages five, three, and two, and they all loved it! Kept them busy for hours. 😁" —tammy

Promising review: "Super cute item! I bought it as a gift for my daughter (six years old). Love the detail with the set and amount of accessories that come with it." —mommalovestoshop

Promising review: "I was looking for the right tea set for my 5-year-old daughter. She had a ceramic one, which was great but very delicate and had already broken, chipped off in many places. This one is perfect: it's a good size, has lovely colors, and my daughter loves to pretend-play and make tea for all of us. :) We are an environmentally friendly family, so we love that it's green and made with recycled material. Also love the fact that it's dishwasher safe!" —Walmart Customer 

Promising review: "My daughter is beyond excited to 'help' mommy clean around the house with her own little cleaning kit. 😊" —Jaime

Promising reviews: "My 5-year-old loved this! My only problem is getting her to put it away!! Every time I turn around, she's pulling them out to play with them. It was a lot of fun mixing the different slimes with the add-ins. She really enjoyed doing that, and they each have a different scent as well, so we were trying to guess what each one was." —Christina

"I got this for my daughter's birthday, she's 10, both a Squishmallow and slime enthusiast. As a parent, I enjoyed how they come with their own individual containers, and everything is neatly packaged for easy cleanup. Some of the slime smells super, super good, and I even kept one for myself while I work from home. Very fun, very cute, kept my kiddo entertained for hours." —elisabeth

Price: $10.99 (originally $13.99; also available in a four-pack)

Promising review: "Really awesome toy. My 8-year-old loved it, but definitely needed me to assist with most of it. But for kids that like to know how things work and enjoy a project, this is it." —Michelle

Promising review: "OMG, the best toy EVER!!!! I have four grandsons, and I've bought a lot of toys over the past 10 years, but this one… There are no words to do it justice. It's incredible. It literally flies. It looks like a giant bat flapping its wings when it really flies!!! Be careful flying outside because it flew away onto the neighbor's roof. lol GET THIS TOY!!!" —eva

Promising review: "This set is super cute and perfect for those littles who have a big imagination. The quality is great. It does have a lot of pieces to put together, but it was pretty easy. Highly recommend. Colors are exact to the picture." —Sammie

Promising review: "Purchased this for my grandson's fourth birthday. He loves the small cars. So far, he has enjoyed this set very much and has been playing with it constantly. The set was received as advertised and promptly. All parts seem to be durable. I would recommend this set." —marcus

Promising review: "This is a beautiful art kit! It comes with a wide variety of crayons, markers, colored pencils, and paper. Everything stays neat and organized in the case, making it perfect for road trips or just keeping the house tidy. The quality is typical Crayola — bright colors and long-lasting. My kids love using it for their drawing projects." —Sandra

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Plus, finds from Amazon, Uncommon Goods, Walmart, and Wayfair.

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.

Reviews in this post have been edited for length and clarity.