Kids Toys

We tested wooden, doorway, tabletop, and pop-up puppet theaters to find the ones kids keep using — and the ones that wobble or take all evening to build.

Five water tables that stand up to real toddler play, from a 32-inch waterfall tower to a folding splash pad that lives behind a door.

We tested the Montessori-aligned toys worth buying for toddlers and preschoolers: open-ended builders, sorters, and practical-life sets that hold up.

We tested kids’ instant print cameras that use thermal paper, comparing print clarity, ease for small hands, battery life, and durability.

We compare two youth .177 BB rifles, the classic Daisy Red Ryder and the shorter Buck, with fit, power, and safety advice for parents.

We compare seven build-and-code robotics kits for kids, from a fifteen-minute coding robot to a wearable hydraulic hand, and what each one asks of you.

We tested seven beginner telescopes with kids in mind. Here is which ones actually show the Moon, which hold steady while a child focuses, and which to skip.

From magnetic tiles to a first electronics kit, these are the STEM toys worth the shelf space — what to buy at 3, 5, and 8, and what to skip.

We tested the outdoor toys that survive real backyards: a water table that runs itself, a nine-foot coaster, a whole-family swing, and cheap ball games.

We built with eight magnetic tile sets to find the ones that hold together, suit small hands, and grow with your child, and who each one really suits.