The Best Indoor Toys for Hot Summer Days
When the temperatures start to climb, the humidity is at a steady 100%, and your kids are cooped up inside, it can be helpful to have toys and games around to fill the hours and burn off some energy (without destroying the house—probably). Help your family rediscover the great indoors with our picks for the best toys to keep your little one busy, whether they’re a baby or big kid.
What Makes a Great Toy?
Some toys are just flat-out better than others: great toys create joyful moments, spark creativity and imagination, and support your child’s growth and development. To find the best toy for you little one, keep these attributes in mind while shopping:
- Engaging. A great toy will captivate your kiddo’s attention for longer periods of time, and encourage active engagement. It provides opportunities for imaginative play, problem-solving, exploration, and creativity.
- Age-appropriate. A toy that’s suited to your child’s age and developmental stage is important—it should challenge and stimulate your child without being too complex or frustrating.
- Educational. There are so many toys with valuable educational benefits, from the obvious (learning letters or numbers) to the less obvious (improving spatial reasoning or emotional intelligence).
- Strong sensory components. Toys with multiple sensory inputs, such as differing textures, temperatures, or sounds, encourage exploration and help your child’s developing brain appropriately integrate sensory information.
- Open-ended. Toys designed for open-ended play have multiple uses, can be played with in a variety of ways, and don’t impose strict rules or limitations. They empower your child to use their creativity and imagination.
- Social interaction. Toys that promote social interaction and cooperative play will encourage your child to develop the patience to take turns, understand sharing and teamwork, improve communication, and help foster empathy.
- Positive messages. Great toys promote positive values, inclusivity, diversity, and environmental consciousness—they can have a huge impact on your child’s development and define their worldview.
Our Picks for the Best Indoor Toys for Hot Summer Days
Bet you didn’t know you needed an elevated ball pit (but you do). This cushy and comfy ball pit from Gathre won’t cramp your playroom’s style, and will spark your kiddo’s imagination, too. Ball pit, pirate ship, a zoo enclosure for favorite stuffed animals—the play possibilities are endless, so sit back and watch your little one explore.
Notable specs
- Vegan leather
- 41.5” x 12.5”
Mudpuppy 100 Piece Music Cats Puzzles
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called parenthood. Introduce your children to a musical icon with Mudpuppy’s Purrince Puzzle (other legends receiving the musical cat treatment include Tuna Turner and Dolly Purrton). This cheeky puzzle includes cool foil embellishments and arrives in a sturdy decorative box—perfect for gift giving.
Notable specs
- 100 pieces
- Ages 6y+
Is Minecraft taking over your dinner table conversations? We say lean in (and put a screen-free option in the hands of your kiddo). LEGO Minecraft sets give kids a new hands-on way to enjoy their favorite game with familiar mobs, scenes, and characters brought to life with LEGO bricks. Just like the Minecraft game, the play sets reconfigure to inspire new adventures.
Notable specs
- Ages 8y+
Melissa & Doug Fresh Mart Play Grocery Store
Melissa & Doug’s Fresh Mart Play Grocery Store offers so many opportunities for your kiddo to role-play! Your little one can shop the grocery shelves for lunchbox treats, or get behind the register for a super fun checkout. A beeping scanner, hand-crank conveyor belt, card-swiping machine, keypad calculator, and working cash drawer will keep kids entertained for hours.
Notable specs
- Ages 3y+
Milton & Goose Essential Play Kitchen
Milton & Goose’s heirloom quality wooden kitchen is made in the USA and is the perfect canvas for imaginative play (and future James Beard award winners). The kitchen has turning knobs, an oversized oven that’s easy for little hands to open and close, and a Fixer Upper approved farmhouse sink. Get cooking!
Notable specs
- 16 pieces
- Ages 3y+
Floss & Rock makes cute and quirky puzzle sets with pieces that are perfectly sized for toddler hands. The puzzles have glitter and foil details, and feature whimsical illustrations. A wonderful tool for helping to strengthen your child’s ability to focus and concentrate while having tons of fun.
Notable specs
- Made in the USA
- Ages 2y+
Wonder & Wise Wooden Mini Golf Game
This pastel wooden golf set has everything your future golf pro requires to set up mini courses (including multiple obstacles and two adjustable putters). The colorful pieces will inspire your kiddo’s creativity, and allow for multiple configurations and different gameplay every time they hit the links.
Notable specs
- 16 pieces
- Ages 3y+
Jiggy puzzles feature artwork from emerging female artists and we love their bright and bold designs (and so will your kids). Each puzzle comes in a reusable cardboard tube and includes an adhesive sheet to preserve your little artist’s masterpiece.
Notable specs
- 100 pieces
- Ages 3y+
Fat Brain Toys Squigz Deluxe Set
Made from 100% food-grade silicone, these pliable pieces suction together for hours of open-ended creativity and building. Combine Squigz to form rockets, bridges, or anything your little one can imagine. They’ll stick to any flat non-porous surface, and encourage fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, and playful experimentation.
Notable specs
- 24 pieces
- Ages 3y+
Take “playing house” to the next level with Airfort’s inflatable cottage (go big and stay home). Forget sheets and blankets, just connect the fort to a box fan and you’re ready to play house. The cottage is roomy enough for sleepovers, and inflates in less than thirty seconds. And we give this particular Airfort bonus points for nailing the coastal grandmother aesthetic.
Notable specs
- 77” W x 50” H
- Does not include box fan
Gathre’s oversized blocks come in warm earthy tones and include shapes that make it easy for little builders to stack, climb, slide, and create obstacle courses. Not only does this toy encourage open-ended play, it also helps strengthen motor skills, improves coordination, and promotes spatial reasoning skills.
Notable specs
- Vegan leather
- 4 pieces
Finding What’s Right for You
Albee Baby is the oldest family-owned specialty baby shop in the US, and we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best assortment of baby products anywhere, at fair prices, always. We’re committed to being an inclusive resource for parents, and hope you’re feeling empowered to find the right car seat for your family. Still have questions? Feel free to contact our baby gear experts at 877.692.5233 or by email at [email protected].