27 Cool Toys That Basically Any Kid Will Love

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Warning for parents: Just because these toys are (very) cool doesn't mean your kids will suddenly start to think that you're cool too.

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For ages 2–5.

Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of the Meditation Mouse on my 4-year-old. I read a lot of reviews that were mostly geared toward younger toddlers, so I felt like I was taking a gamble. My 4-year-old had been having a rough patch with sleeping, having a hard time relaxing before bed and then suffering from separation anxiety before falling asleep and then multiple times a night. Since we got this mouse, she has slept like a champ. When she wakes up, she uses the nighttime meditation to help her fall back asleep and will even turn it to the music setting herself if she needs it. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has a toddler struggling with sleep." —Rebecca Geskey

Get it from Amazon for $18.95.

For all ages!

Promising review: "My son has been diagnosed with ADHD and as conventional medicines are not an option for him we're always trying out different ways to help him cope.This product is great! Bigger than your average fidget cube with more buttons to push/pull and manipulate keeping his hands busy and his mind on task. The seems sturdy enough to withstand the normal throwing of the backpack into a corner and sitting against it on the bus." —Charly F.

Get it from Amazon for $16.95+ (available in six colors).

For ages 3+ and requires two AA batteries.

Comes with 27 tools and 12 colors of Play-Doh.

This was the big shared gift for my two children this past holiday season, and as the calendar flips to March, this ice cream truck playset has been used nearly every day. Totally worth it! My favorite part is the built-in storage bin (which has a plastic "lock") that stores all those Play-Doh containers and lids that always end up everywhere around the home. It's actually been really helpful in getting a four-year-old and a two-year-old to play together as they make all manner of ice cream-inspired concoctions.

Get it from Amazon for $94.99.

For ages 4+.

Includes wooden postcard and stamps, envelope and invitations to mail, double-sided puzzle, 10-piece wooden memory game, gift box, shipping pouch, and a reusable activity magazine to personalize with three sheets of reusable stickers.

Promising review: "This toy does not disappoint! Everything is very sturdy. The mailbox may be a bit hard for toddlers to open, but it does keep everything stored safely inside, which is worth it. We got this for my 2-year-old for his birthday (he’s obsessed with Blue’s Clues) and he loves it. His 4-year-old (almost 5) sister has really enjoyed playing with it too!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $13.16.

For ages 4+.

Promising review: "This is one of the best games I've ever bought! It's so fun to play with friends and family of any age and it left us laughing the whole time. The set up is a breeze, the instructions are succinct and easy to understand and there's no plastic packaging which is a ginormous plus in my book. The cake pieces are made out of foam so there's no annoying hard plastic clanking sounds when playing so the only loudness comes from the players cheering. I love that there are multiple levels of play depending on how difficult or challenging you want to play at, and I can see my family never getting bored of playing because of all the options." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

For ages 3+ and requires three AAA batteries.

Promising review: "Assembly was fairly simple. Absolute favorite for my 3-year-old who has a fascination with all things spaceships (Buzz Lightyear) themed play. Super cool light show to set the scene and encourages imitation play." —Kieren

Get it from Target for $329.99.

For ages 1.5+ years.

Seeing my almost 2-year-old daughter play with Fisher Price Little People for the first time made me heart swell and somehow caused something to get in my eye (not sure what all that tearing up was about). Her eyes, however, lit up when I started putting this together (set aside a good 15–20 minutes, 30 if the kids are hanging off of you). And once it was all set she knew exactly what to do, all the parts are easy and intuitive for little hands. It's the first thing she plays with when I take her out of the crib in the morning and the last thing before she goes to sleep at night. Some very catchy tunes (but Barbie calls them "bops" just like the kids do these days). And yes, the toilet that makes a flushing noise is a hit!

Get it from Amazon for $52.99

You know when your brain tells you, "This might be a bad idea!" but your gut tells you "Nah, this is going to be hilarious! Maybe." Luckily, my gut was right this time. Silly Poopy is beyond silly and not poopy at all. It is indeed a poop-ton of fun for the whole family thanks to its infectious song that sounds like it was taken straight from a 1970s game show. Best of all, my kid loves it and hopefully, this is the only poop he tries to hide around the house.

Get it from Amazon for $12.99.

For ages 5+.

Bonus: comes with a Tony Hawk skateboard toy!

My son discovered this toy on YouTube thanks in part to a lengthy commercial that features a completely original pop-punk song ("Drop In To Hot Wheels"). It's an ear-worm and its even got the "Whoa oh oh! Whoa oh oh!" chorus and breakdown part at the end, but again, it's a commercial for tiny skateboards that kids put on their figures and race around (so it's just one degree off, like as if it were written and performed by Blink 183 or Sum 42). Anyway, I realized that this commercial was probably more for me (Warped Tour veteran of many years) than for my kid. And I'm fine with that. So we got the dang thing. And it's been a ton of fun and a perfect excuse for me to play some real punk rock tunes for a three-year-old!

Get it from Walmart for $15.

For ages 6+.

Promising review: "I set the track up and had fun with the kids which is what it's all about. We put little Lego people in the cars and made custom vehicles which is really fun. The truck was more top heavy than the car which made it a little more difficult to control, but you can pull that piece off and go custom. The track is not long enough to really need full speed or turbo for the most part. Expect to be returning cars to the track, a lot...Mastering the jump is tricky. I like that it has a few different pieces to add building blocks onto." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $45.94+ (available in three sizes).

Promising review: "Amazing item! All children should learn the skill of letting go from an early age. The lesson is valuable and extremely profound! The earlier one learns the better! Thank you for creating such a deep tool to continuously practice the art... So grateful!" —Answers

Get it from Amazon for $37.95.

For ages 8+.

Promising review: "My kids loved this and I honestly loved it as well. It’s very practical and easy to understand the dynamic of how to play. I recommend it to everyone. I have bought many more for gifts and the other kids loved it." —Esther T.

Get it from Amazon for $16.29.

For ages 5+ and will fit any child’s head with a circumference of 19—21 inches.

This is the helmet my son wears when he's whipping around the uneven pavement of city sidewalks on his scooter (usually not looking where he's going). I love the way its fits him and the adjustability makes it easy to figure out if it's on his noggin just right. The chin strap clip is magnetic and takes a little getting used to. But let's talk about how cool it looks! The slightly extended brim almost makes it feel like a horse-riding helmet. We've got the white one with the red, white, and blue stripe down the middle that gives serious Speed Racer vibes.

Get it from Amazon for $60 (available in six colors).

For ages 5+.

Promising review: "Bought one for my son… we loved it so much we ordered both of the other colors too! He loves them, and so do I! I keep one in my office to play with while on conference calls…IYKYK! Highly recommend. Will be buying a couple more for gifts!" —aubs824

Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in five colors).

For ages 3+.

Promising review: "This purse was even cuter than imagined. It is sturdily made and cute as a bug! My 7 year old granddaughter loved it. The moving eyes and sounds make this a a perfect gift. It’s like a combo pet and purse." —Paul S. Hejl

Get it from Amazon for $19.60+ (available in four colors).

For ages 3+.

Promising review: "Bought this for my 2-year-old grandson! I'd been spending a lot of time placing dominoes for him to knock down, now the train does the work! Reloading the dominoes is nothing compared to stacking them all and usually knocking down several times before they're all set up! We love all the different patterns it makes and enjoy playing with this very durable train! Would definitely recommend!" —Kim Barrett

Get it from Amazon for $19.99

For ages 3+.

Set includes 1 ratchet, 2 cubes, 2 blocks, 2 screws with eyes, 4 wheels, 6 brackets, 8 three-hole bars, 8 five-hole bars, 16 two-hole bars, 16 nuts, and 22 screws allowing for some pretty unique builds beyond what's in the instructions.

As a parent, there's nothing I like more than a toy that comes with its own nicely-designed storage case (especially if there are a ton of small parts involved and there usually always are). What's great about this Discovery "Mindblown" set is that everything can be built with the one included tool (so don't lose it). This is a great beginner set for "early engineers" to really learn how to get their build-on.

Get it from Amazon for $20.99.

For ages 5+.

Promising review: "Comes with so many dinosaurs that fit inside! The handle on the container makes it easy for my son to carry." —happy50

Get it from Target for $22.99.

For ages 4+.

I got a chance to play with this "Switch and Go" roadhog and this thing is a beast (and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways). I do qualify it as a robot because of its transforming feature (super easy too) and the fact that it turns from a car into a non-scaley and imaginarily metallic) dragon. Kind of like a Dino-Bot from Transformers! Classic "evil-character" colors but is maybe just misunderstood. Tons of fun to be had playing with the ro-beast!

Get it from Amazon for $29.97.

For ages 6+ months.

Promising review: "This is a great craft for my 7-year-old to do on her own! It's quick, easy to use and gives her hours of fun. So much that I ordered another one. I love how this craft kit is something she can do with no help. Yes the stickers are cheap to an adult but to a 7-year-old who colors and makes it on her own, it's magic." —Coop

Get it from Amazon for $17.97.

Promising review: "This is a wonderful globe. I bought this for my nephew and this is a fun way to give him the basics. He enjoys learning countries and he loves the night-light. The constellations are pretty cool in the dark. The size is perfect and the quality is amazing. The countries and regions are clear and they are easy to read. The base is strong and stable. It doesn't tip when spinning. The guidebook has more detailed information about the constellations and it's location. This globe definitely captured my nephew's attention and he is learning with interest. Overall, this is a perfect globe and can't go wrong with it." —Lucky10z

Get it from Amazon for $45.99.

For ages 4+ and maximum 110 lbs.

Bucket seat adjusts into two positions to allow for growth.

Promising review: "Sturdy, good quality, and easy to assemble. One of the best I have seen compared to other competitive products. Got it for my two-year-old kid and even my six-year-old uses it too." —Varun

Get it from Amazon for $191.24.

For ages 5+.

Promising review: "This craft was a hit! The fox was very easy to put together and it turned out so cute! You have to make the tutu by tying a bunch of knots but other than that all of the clothes are ready to go and do not require sewing! The fox came with a little fabric bag to conveniently store it for travel. The materials in the craft are good quality and hopefully will last a while. My daughter loved this little cute fox!" —Olivia O.

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in bunny and mouse).

CMY Cubes is a woman-owned small business.

How it works: "Rotating the angle from which the cube is viewed varies the degree to which the specific frequencies of cyan, magenta, and yellow are filtered, creating a unique, cube-specific spectrum of colors."

Promising review: "Everyone was mesmerized by the colors of the cube. Especially my 10-year-old daughter, that likes all things geeky and artistic! That was her favorite gift over the others she received." —David R.

Get it from CMY Cubes for $19.95+ (available in multiple sizes and shapes).

For ages 8+ and 2—10 players.

Promising review: "Played this game with friends recently and picked up a copy to gift the host of my holiday party. The game was easy to learn and we all had a blast. We had ages of 8-68 playing and having fun and the kids enjoyed using after the adults were done inventing their own flipping challenges." —Greg Fenske

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

For ages 12+.

Includes a 48-page adventure booklet, 32-page rulebook for playing characters of levels 1–3, 5 ready-to-play characters (each with a character sheet), and 6 polyhedral game dice.

Promising review: "We have been playing D&D for years and we love playing new adventures. I found this starter kit and ordered immediately. After reading through and getting it set up to start, it will be very fun. One of our group always wants to talk to every new group or creature we come across. It's always fun and interesting how some adventures is more talking and some are more fighting and you never know what you are going to get...sorry no spoilers." —knightslady

Get it from Amazon for $19.82.

For ages 3+.

Batteries required. Set includes Michael Knight, Devon Miles, and Bonnie Barstow figures and other accessories.

This is definitely one of those toys that falls into the "kidult" category, meaning that it's fun for all ages but maybe a little more fun for the adults. But fun is fun, and boy howdy, this talking Knight Industries Two Thousand (voiced my Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World) is a ton of fun. Plus, let's not overlook the fact that you get an actual David Hasselhoff action figure! Listen, this isn't going to get your kids to watch Knight Rider (leave the memory alone) but make sure to play the theme song for them because it is still, to this day, a banger!

Get it from Amazon for $48.99.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.