We often use Ipads as the go-to toy at restaurants, waiting rooms, and car rides. Mostly because they guarantee to keep kids sitting quietly and focused for long periods of time. But, what if I told you that you can get the same result (well almost the same) with other toys? Check out this list of toys that I put together that will likely keep your kids quiet and focused without extra screen time.
Please note: I am a participant of the Amazon Services Associates Program and have included “affiliate links” for all the toys. This means that when you click the pictures or links provided and make a purchase, I receive a small commission on the toy at no extra cost to you. You can read more about the Amazon Associates Program here.
Sticky Mosaics is a great quiet time toy that kids also love. There are many different themes to choose from, so kids can pick the one they like best. Besides for attention, Sticky Mosaics also encourage fine motor skills, visual scanning, and matching.
Plus Plus is a cool new construction toy that comes with small interlocking puzzle pieces that can be used to create endless designs. I've seen kids play with this toy for hours. Plus Plus comes in bigger pieces that can be appropriate for younger kids as well. Construction toys are also great for working on visual spatial abilities and motor skills.
Magna Deluxe encourages kids to use their imaginations by creating their own pictures with a magnetic stylus. This set includes picture cards that can be replicated for an additional challenge. Drawing with the magnetic stylus also reinforces fine motor skills and coordination.
Rush Hour is one of my favorite one player logic games. It comes in a Junior version (this set) that is appropriate for kids 5 and up and the original version for kids 8 and up. The idea is to get the ice cream truck out of traffic without turning the rest of the cars. Each card has a new challenge to solve. Rush Hour is guaranteed to keep kids focused and engaged for quite some time.
Hidden Picture are another great way to engage kids in learning without additional screen time. Looking for hidden pictures encourages kids to focus, process visual information, and recognize shapes in different forms (visual discrimination). There are many amazing hidden picture books and toys out there. I’ve used this Hidden Pictures book by School Zone many times, and love it.
Kanoodle Jr. is a fantastic logic and visual perceptual game. It’s guaranteed to keep kids thinking and problem-solving while having fun. The goal of the game is to set up the board by following the challenges and then figure out how to position the rest of the “noodles” inside the board so that they all fit in.
I absolutely love this craft book by Kumon. and buy it every year. The projects are easy to make and turn out amazing. They requires cutting, folding, and pasting which is great fine motor practice as well.