Open ended kids toys and activities we love
Our kids' favorites (toddler to early elementary) - lots of open ended play ideas/toys
Toys
HANDS DOWN our favorite toy - they're used daily at our house! great open ended activity for a wide age range too
We love our Nugget couch! We use it as a cushion/mat under our rock wall/monkey bars, and the kids love to make forts/create with it
These are great for building bigger structures with the magnet tiles
Definite kid favorite at our house - ours is hung from a monkey bar in our basement (see other favorites for those links)
I used this tutorial to make a car ramp for my boy for Christmas a few years ago. We've had to reinforce with a couple screws, but it's held up really well and is used often!
Arts and crafts
Spill proof paint cups. These are great if your kids like to paint often. Lids and individual brushes for each color. Lakeshore learning also sells super washable paints
Fun paint sticks for coloring
Skinnier paint markers
my kids love these - fun puzzle like craft
Outdoors
Our kids have loved having a mud kitchen out back for the last 5 years. It was pretty rickety, so I remade it this week with leftover wood from other projects. It's smaller but much sturdier this time around. There are tons of tutorials out there like this one - you really can't go wrong
I personally hate the feeling of chalk, but it entertains my kids for hours in the warmer months. I pick up at least one new set each year, between all the use and the kids leaving them in the grass 🙈
We’ve loved this convertible baby balance bike. You can find them in stores, but Facebook marketplace is a great place to look