This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. I received all of the items included in this post complementary, and am so excited to share with you! TONS of great items to keep the kids entertained this summer.
Trust me, I KNOW how hard it is to keep a kid entertained for more than ten minutes. It’s basically impossible. Most of us are trying our best to limit the amount of screen time our kids get now and all summer, but it can be hard to find activities that will keep them entertained and learning.
I wanted to share eight activities that actually do BOTH of those things, and that kids actually look forward to using! Us mamas gotta stick together, right? I got you, girl. Keep on reading for more on these activities, along with links to the products/websites and special offers just for my readers. Let me know what you think, and if you end up giving any of them a go!
- DISNEY HITS PLAYLIST BY DISNEY MUSIC
How can any kid be bored when they’re listening to the happiest music on earth? The Disney Kits playlist is available on all music streaming platforms (Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Pandora).
Why we love it:
- Kids can easily play it on their own. Daisy loves to say, “Alexa, Play Disney Hits!”
- Disney Hits has all of the best Disney songs of all time. You’ll love it as much as (if not more than) your kids!
- In addition to the hits, you can also access Disney Lullaby, Disney Piano and Disney Junior playlists as well. The Disney Lullaby playlist has been our bedtime lifesaver!
CLICK HERE to listen to the playlist. Download FREE Activity Sheets HERE to use while listening to Disney Hits
2. FEELING THROUGH COLORS ACTIVITY
Toddler and childhood is an exciting yet confusing time for all of us, both parents and kids alike. They are going through so many emotions, learning so much and trying so hard to adapt. Nonprofit organization Action for Healthy Kids offers help, ideas and activities for kids through several activities, like this Feeling Through Colors activity Daisy and I did together. Check out more digital and online resources from Action for Healthy Kids to battle boredom, support virtual learning, and keep kids physically and emotionally healthy at home.
Why we love it:
- Resources are easy to access anywhere from your phone or computer.
- In addition to activities, they provide all kinds of tips for parents and kids, and ways to talk with your children about a range of topics.
CLICK HERE or HERE for activities you can do with your kiddo at home.
3. A CHILD’S INTRODUCTION TO THE NIGHT SKY
Books are SO important for kids at this age, and it’s so easy to sneak in educational books when they’re fun and colorful. A Child’s Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations–and How You Can Find Them in the Sky from Black Dog & Leventhal is great for kids from Daisy’s age on up, and something they’ll continue to learn from.
Why we love it:
- It’s a fun way for them to learn about the planets, stars and astronomy.
- I mentioned above, but it’s a book that can grow with your children.
- It’s the perfect STEM introduction for readers ages eight and up, BUT as I mentioned, even younger kids will enjoy it. It has handy definitions and sidebars help engage younger readers and develop their interest.
- Each copy includes a star finder wheel and glow-in-the-dark stickers.
CLICK HERE to shop the book.
4. MAGIC SKETCH
Magic Sketch™ from Boogie Board is the ultimate electronic art kit. You can write, doodle and sketch in fun rainbow colors while writing electronically, and it all erases with the push of a button.
Why we love it:
- All electronic, which means NO MESS!
- No messy markers, paint or crayons. Everything is done with the magic pencils and erases with the press of a button.
- The included templates help your child learn how to color in the lines, or trace their numbers and letters.
- Great for on-the-go, and thin and lightweight for easy packing.
CLICK HERE to shop the Magic Sketch.
Special offer: Use code WMBBX2BQDSZZH to get 10% off any purchase at www.myboogieboard.com. (One use per customer. Valid through October 2, 2020.)
5. THE FEEL BETTER BOX
The cutest box from Open the Joy! Daisy is OBSESSED with so many things in it, especially the doctor unicorn plush, stamp markers and fidget noodle (she plays with it when she’s upset or frustrated and it’s the cutest thing). So many activities to keep them occupied or bring a smile to their face like origami, magic, painting activities, super silly “would you rather” playing cards, amazing “conversation” starter cards and much more to keep families laughing and bonding during difficult times.
Why we love it:
- First of all, it all comes in a cute box. I love when things come with storage so we can keep everything together.
- Many of the activities can be taken in the car for road trips, and all are easy to travel with.
- It is designed by Child Therapists to promote conversation and healing through play.
CLICK HERE to shop the Feel Better Box.
Special offer: Use code boredombuster for 10% off (valid until June 1, 2020). Open the Joy partners with the Spread the Joy Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 (www.spreadthejoy.org) to distribute joy boxes to hospitalized children across America
6. SMART FARMER + JUMP IN’ SMARTGAMES
SmartGames Smart Farmer is a game for children 4+ that practices planning, problem-solving and spatial insight with dozens of difficulty levels that you can increase as the child learns and grows. SmartGames Jump In’ game practices logic, planning, problem-solving and more, and allows for fun learning.
Why we love it:
- The games are portable, so you can play them almost anywhere.
- The instructions come with TONS of pictorial directions for skill levels for the younger kids all the way to older kids. It’s challenging, for sure!
- Smart Farmer is a great introduction to SmartGames, with dozens of skill-building titles for all ages, preschool and up.
CLICK HERE to shop SmartGames.
Special offer: Use code 10SMART2020 for 10% off. (Good on any item. Valid through 5/30/20)
7. KIDIGO™ WALKIE TALKIES
Walkie Talkies are still a thing, y’all! We were so excited to introduce Daisy to one of our own childhood toys. These kid-safe, two-way radios
feature a digital connection that’s actually clear and keeps kids’ conversations secure, preventing other walkie-talkie users from listening in or chatting with them (remember that from when you were a kid? Oops.).
Why we love it:
- In addition to functioning as a walkie talkie, they can send pretend messages to one another, and play one of the four two-player games for real-time gaming between devices.
- They allow kids to chat up to 500 feet
CLICK HERE to shop Walkie Talkies at Target.
CLICK HERE to shop Walkie Talkies at Walmart.
8. LEAPFROG® LEAPSTART® 3D LEARNING SYSTEM
A great learning tool for preschool kids! It’s a bi-fold digital book that’s perfect for visual or auditory learners, with touch and talk activities that make learning fun with interactive animations to help kids build math, reading, problem solving skills and more.
Why we love it:
- You can connect it to your computer to load new games and books.
- Daisy gets SO excited to use it and learn. It’s like magic to her every time she touches the stylus to an object on a page and a new game or lesson starts.
- The 3D screen brings the stories and activities to life, and makes it even more fun for the kids.
- You can purchase additional books to switch up the interactive activities, lessons and stories.
CLICK HERE to shop Learning System at Target.
CLICK HERE to shop Learning System at Walmart.
CLICK HERE to shop Learning System at Amazon.
In this unprecedented time, VTech and LeapFrog are helping parents, teachers and kids “Learn Through This” with their new campaign, offering resources for learning at home, such as expert advice, free printable activity books and educational activities, plus product recommendations, like the VTech KidiGo Walkie Talkies and LeapFrog RockIt Twist, that keep kids busy and make learning at home fun. Click here to learn more.
