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Watching them bounce across the yard together in harmony is what parenting dreams are made of.

I am a contributor who has been writing for BuzzFeed Shopping for two years, with a focus on products that make parenting just a bit easier — and hopefully more fun — home decor, kitchen gadgets, and whatever deals I can scope out.

Promising review: "Fun for adults and kids. This game is fast-paced and goofy enough to create genuine laughter and joy for all ages. One of our top game night, card game choices." —Apatey467

Get it from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in two sizes).

Promising reviews: "A great gift for my 4-year-old and 6-year-old, loves it too! Bought a cheap box fan at Walmart to use for it, which works great, so very versatile in a box fan you can use! Hours of fun and imaginary play! Great investment, and I feel like it will last a long time. Not too difficult to set up and folds up into a small bag. Super compact for storage!" —Shannon

"Bought this for my son's birthday almost 2 years ago, has always been a big hit. His cousins and friends always love playing in it. We're a family of 4, and all of us fit in it, with a spare room. Great for playtime or for a fun movie night. 10 out of 10 recommend." —Courtney

Get it from Amazon for $49.95+ (available in 17 designs).

These balloons have a magnetic closure — inside the lining, so they won't come out — that stays closed for the throw but opens easily for splashing without pain for the kids. While you can use a hose to fill them up, reviewers suggest filling a bucket with water and allowing the kids to fill them up in there. They also come with a mesh carrying bag to keep everything in one place!

Promising review: "We live in Texas, where the heat is no joke. My kids love water balloons, but hate having to clean up the mess. I saw a friend share about these, and I almost didn’t buy them because of the price — glad I did! Totally worth it. All the money and time spent on water balloons over the years had me convinced. Received them, and they work great! My kids can’t get enough and constantly beg to use them. They can fill them themselves, and they don’t hurt when hit. Super easy to use and clean up. Buying more for sure. My kids are ages 2, 4, 6, and 8. All could use them easily." —Eden

Get them from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in various multipacks). 

Promising review: "I love this. You can use these indoors and outdoors and for years to come. Easy storage, doesn't take a lot of space, and also stackable." —Liina Ojamu

Get them from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three designs and in packs of five and 10).

Promising review: "I bought this kitchen for my 2- and 4-year-old sons. They play with it every day. My handy husband put it together without difficulty. The materials seem high-quality and durable. It was the only kitchen set I came across that had some counter space for working. I put a mirror behind the window for my little guy. I highly recommend this item! You won't be disappointed." —Rebecca Ledermann

Promising review: "My sixth-grade students love this game. I use this during social-emotional instruction time to give the students time to learn to play a game and follow directions and be patient, and take turns. We love this game. The kids love it." —Kathleen A. Hennessy

Promising review: "It’s a lot of fun — four kids can play together with no problem at all. They can even come up with different ways to play on their own, and it easily keeps them happily occupied for an entire afternoon." —HL

Get it from Amazon for $115.99+ (available in three colors).

Each set includes 75 pieces to create plenty of track variations. 

My kids have had an older version of this set for about four years, and every time I think they might finally be done with it, out it comes again. They love working together to make the track connect, and I'm always surprised at how well they work together with it. 

Promising review: "Really impressed with this set. Ordered it for two kids under 4, and they absolutely love to build and rearrange the tracks. Each piece is very sturdy and has held up against rough toddler play." —David West

Promising review: "This is such a great game for all kids! It's set up in a Chutes and Ladders format. The players practice naming emotions as they work through the game board. The game comes with a glossary of different emotions, which was a bonus.

Players also learn and put into practice various coping techniques as they work through the harder emotions.

I think the game is well thought out and excellent for all children, especially those struggling with big feelings. Fun for adults as well!" —KC

Promising review: "Our family is hard on things, we just play HARD. After a ton of research last year around this time, I bit the price tag bullet and bought the nugget. I can’t rave enough — from forts that my children make all on their own (6 and 4) and caves to hide the stuffy thieving uncle (haha) to chairs to read their library books on and ramps for the kids, trucks, and dogs alike.

It’s served as a bed for guests who much prefer it over the air mattress or couch, and has blocked the largest of sharks from swimming out of the kitchen ocean. I can’t ever stop thinking of ways I’ve seen my children enjoying this, and am DEFINITELY about to buy another one.

Also, my house isn’t 'large,' but I’ll give up space for another one of these." —Emmilee D

Get it from Nugget for $249+ (available in four fabric options and 24 colors).

Promising review: "This game is so fun! My 5- and 7-year-olds played for almost 45 minutes, ready to challenge the next card. Def will look into buying their other games!" —Sv15

Promising review: "As soon as I assembled it, my kids jumped on it and kept playing. They loved it. They play with it every day." —King 1

Promising review: "Purchased as a Christmas gift for my kiddos, 2 and 4. I wanted something they could do together, and this was a throwback to my childhood! I also love that it has a water feature. You can play with or without the water. They can play with each other or separately, and so far, they love it. It was super easy to put together, and the hose connects easily as well." —Cordless Mixer

This gaming system comes with five pre-loaded games, but you can subscribe to a larger library for $89 a year.

Promising review: "This is the best thing we have ever bought for my 5-year-old (and me!). I was saving it for Christmas, but decided to bring it out early during a long, rainy weekend. Hours and hours of active fun for kids and adults! She plays it every night and only after she has collapsed from exhaustion asks for her iPad or TV time. We play a lot of the games together, and I am getting quite the workout too! I started doing some of the adult workout games while she is at school, and I am having a blast. The games are very well made and thought out, and I am impressed by how well they continue to track her even when she moves out of the zone. Great way to be active and have fun, family time when the weather is rough." —gaelhusk

Promising review: "It's a simple game and great for kids (and adults!). I like it because it helps the kids ask questions about what the card can be. I'm sure this helps with development. Very fun and entertaining." —T&M

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in six versions).

Promising review: "My kiddos played with this at OT, so we ended up getting one for home. They absolutely love it, and it's great for indoors or outdoors!" —Courtney L

Promising review: "We use this as a way of keeping in contact with our oldest. We live in a safe and friendly neighborhood where she likes to play outside and run around with all the other kids. I check on her often, but for extra security, I got a set of these, and now we can talk back and forth whenever. 'It’s time for dinner!' 'OK, Mom, I’m coming!!'" —Jennifer

Get them from Amazon for $24.99 (available in seven colors).

Promising review: "My 9-year-old and my 8-year-old love this. Buttons are easy and don’t stick. Great value as it’s entertained them for hours, especially during road trips. It’s lightweight and easy to carry. Great for ages 7 and up! As me and my husband have played a time or two! 😂" —M.J

Promising review: "Bought for our cabin and grandkids from ages 6–11, couldn’t stop playing. Definitely worth getting, simple but so fun!" —Ted Hartwig

Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (also available in a four-player version).

Promising reviews: "My sixth graders love to play spot it during indoor recess. I just added another game to my classroom wish list. I first found out about Spot It in the waiting area of an escape room. Bought it soon after for my class. Highly recommend!" —Marissa Romero

"My three and a half year-old is obsessed with this game! We brought it with us on vacation, and it was very small and transportable, and we played for hours! Have played it with older kids too, and they also love it — would highly recommend!" —Amazon Customer

Promising review: "I got this as a gift for my 4-year-old, and it has been a FAMILY HIT. Super easy to set up Bluetooth, so you can play whatever music you want. It can get very loud if you want that! Our family has had so much fun singing duets and playing with the different voice options. It's definitely worth the money, and the build quality is good enough that even though we've lost it behind the couch a few times (we live in a madhouse), it still works very well. Fun!" —Dinah Sawyer

Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in 13 colors).

Promising review: "Great game keeps the kids busy and off electronics for a while!" —Esperansa medina

My kids have this toy and it's definitely a favorite. I love that there are games my younger child loves and more challenging games for my older one. It's become a favorite calm-play in our house, and my kids are still working through all the stories in the Groblies story set. It has a slightly higher starting price point than other audio players, but the games are about the same price as Toniebox figurines and are so much more interactive.  

Promising review: "I bought this for my grandsons. They love the option to play games, listen to stories, and listen to music. I personally love the wood structure and the happy face theme. The kids love the oversize knobs on the side. Can't wait to order more games and themes." —Maria B.

Promising review: "It was just like I remembered as a kid! Bought this for my kids because I remembered loving it as a kid. It was a hit with my younger AND older kids. Ok, I played too. Great to bring out with a crowd too. 😆 Who doesn’t love this game!?" —Amazon Customer

Promising review: "Fun game! My 8-year-old loves playing this with friends and me. Simple to set up, so you can play immediately. Builds hand-eye coordination too." —Amazon Customer

This set can be combined with other tiles to make larger structures, but comes with enough pieces on its own to make a great tower. 

My family has this set, and my husband enthusiastically jumps in every time it's pulled out. I love seeing them all work together on their creations, and their excitement when the balls make it all the way down is downright contagious. 

Promising reviews: "Santa brought this one for my 8-year-old. She already had the Picasso set of regular tiles, so I was concerned this wouldn't be used that often. Turns out they work perfectly together, and EVERY day since she got them has been a building day. I love it when something physical that helps with creativity trumps TV watching. They are a lot of fun — highly recommend." —Sarah Bryson Artwork

"Entertainment for my husband and kid." —Meghan Andrews

Get a 50-piece set from Amazon for $24.99+ (also available in other pack sizes). 

Promising review: "This is played daily in our house. Had lasted several seasons, and we got some severe ones. Easy to move also, but stays put in large winds." —Heather

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Plus sun hats, swim accessories, pool safety essentials, and finds from Walmart.

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 for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.