Toys That Give Kids Something To Do This Summer

By Charlene DeLoach, Chief Play Officer, Playroom Chronicles

A quick note: This content was created in partnership with one or more of the brands featured. I may have been paid, received products, or both. Paid or not, I’m still going to tell you what I think because none of us needs another toy our kids won’t play with.

Summer has a way of exposing the toys that were never going to make it past the unboxing. By July, the novelty is gone, the backyard has been “done,” and every quiet moment seems to end with the same question: “Can I have your phone?”

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This is not about making screens forbidden or turning summer into a constant negotiation. It is about having toys with enough play built into them that kids have somewhere else to go: something to make, move, build, collect, invent, or turn into their own idea.

These are the screen free toys I suggest this summer. Not because they promise to entertain kids all day, but because each one gives multiple and varied play opportunities and gives kids a better option than scrolling.

Here are five toys that offer that kind of play potential.

1. LamaTama: A Pocket-Sized Answer Machine for Everyday Kid Debates

LamaTama from NSI International is a small interactive collectible that answers yes-or-no questions with a moving facial reveal. Kids ask a question, wait for the answer, and let LamaTama deliver the verdict.

Each blind box includes one surprise character, and Series 1 includes 12 different characters to collect. The surprise reveal is part of the fun, but the real play comes from what kids do with it afterward.

This is not meant to be a giant, all-afternoon activity. It is a portable social toy for the in-between moments when a phone usually becomes the default: waiting for food, sitting in the car, hanging around after camp, or deciding what to do next.

Outside the Toy Box Idea: Let LamaTama Run the Summer Club

Have kids create a simple “Summer Club” list of yes-or-no questions for LamaTama.

Examples:

1. Should we have a backyard picnic today?
2. Should we make popsicles?
3. Should everyone wear something blue?
4. Should we play outside before lunch?
5. Should we invent a new game?

The answer does not have to control the day. The fun is in letting kids turn ordinary decisions into a little ritual, then creating a game or activity around the answer.

Ages: 8+
Price: $14.99
Where to buy: Target, local toy stores, and specialty retailers

Note that the official retailer is Target, but if you want to buy from a third party seller on Amazon, the link is also below.

2. Tie-Dye Dotz: A Summer Craft That Does Not End at the Kitchen Table

Tie-dye is one of those classic summer activities that sounds simple until the dye bottles come out, the kitchen table disappears, and someone accidentally turns a towel purple.

Tie-Dye Dotz from Blue Marble Toys takes a more contained approach. Kids place the color Dotz onto a shirt, tote bag, or other fabric item, add water with the included droppers, and watch the colors spread into a tie-dye design.

The set includes 15 Dotz in five colors, droppers, gloves for kids and adults, and instructions for classic tie-dye patterns. It has enough materials for up to three adult-sized T-shirts, making it a useful option for siblings, cousins, camp friends, or a low-key backyard activity.

This is a good example of a toy or activity that has a clear beginning, middle, and end—but still keeps giving once the project is finished. Kids are not just making a craft. They are making something they can wear all summer.

Outside the Toy Box Idea: Create a Summer Team Shirt

Instead of simply making a tie-dye shirt, let kids create a “team” around it.

They can invent:

1. A team name
2. A symbol or logo
3. A secret handshake
4. A backyard challenge
5. A snack menu
6. A list of summer missions

One shirt becomes the starting point for imaginative play, sibling collaboration, and a made-up summer tradition. Also challenge them to find other things, like curtains, shoes, tote bags or even an old lamp shade. Tie Dye Dotz give more options than traditional tie dye.

Ages: 5+
Price: $14.99
Where to buy: Amazon

3. Bilibo Midi: The Toy That Can Be Something Different Every Day

Bilibo Midi is proof that a toy does not need a screen, instructions, or a pile of accessories to hold a child’s attention.

This smaller version of the classic Bilibo is a lightweight shell that kids can sit in, spin in, wobble on, carry, fill, scoop with, balance on, or build into pretend play. It can be used indoors, outdoors, in the garden, at the beach, in a sandbox, or even in the bath.

One day it may be a spinning seat. The next day it may be a turtle shell, a treasure bowl, a doll bed, a stepping stone, or the safe zone in a made-up obstacle course.

That is what makes this an especially strong choice for independent play. It does not tell kids what to do. It gives them something they can do something with.

Outside the Toy Box Idea: Build a Bilibo Backyard Challenge

Set up a few simple play prompts:

1. Spin in the Bilibo and count to five before standing up.
2. Use it as a stepping stone without touching the grass.
3. Fill it with “treasures” from the yard.
4. Carry it across the patio without dropping a soft ball inside.
5. Turn it upside down and create a tiny animal habitat around it.

You do not need to make this a formal game. Leave out a few prompts, then let kids decide what happens next.

Ages: 2+
Price: $20
Where to buy: MOLUK, Fat Brain Toys, and Amazon

4. Sam & Julia Shop Furniture Kit: Build It, Stock It, Then Let the Stories Begin

The Sam & Julia Shop Furniture Kit from The Mouse Mansion is for kids who love small details, tiny objects, and making up stories about the worlds they create.

Kids assemble pre-cut wooden pieces to create a miniature shop with a storage cupboard, checkout counter, double display cabinet, and single display cabinet. The pieces are built in 1:12 scale and can become part of a larger Mouse Mansion world.

The construction is only the first layer of play. Kids can paint the pieces, add accessories, decide what kind of store it will be, stock the shelves, invent customers, and keep expanding the tiny world around it.

This is the kind of activity that can grow with a child. A child may begin by building the shop, then return later to decorate it, create tiny products, add a story, or use it as part of pretend play.

Outside the Toy Box Idea: Open a Miniature Mouse Market

Let kids decide what kind of shop they are opening.

It could become:

1. A grocery store
2. A bakery
3. A toy shop
4. A pet store
5. A flower market
6. A tiny summer camp store

Have them create miniature signs, paper money, product labels, and a “specials” board. They can even cut tiny product images from old magazines or print simple food packages to stock the shelves.

The best part is that the shop can keep changing. It does not need to stay one thing forever.

Ages: 6+
Price: $14.99
Where to buy: Sam & Julia / The Mouse Mansion and specialty retailers

5. Bluey Draw ’N Create Projector: Turn Favorite Characters Into Creative Play

For kids who love Bluey, this drawing projector from Horizon Group gives them a way to do something with that interest beyond watching another episode.

Kids insert a character slide, trace the projected image, and color it using the included crayons. The set includes Bluey-themed slides, crayons, and a projector that helps young artists get started without facing a blank page.

That is especially helpful for kids who like art but get frustrated when they do not know what to draw. Instead of expecting them to create a masterpiece from scratch, the projector gives them a familiar starting point.

From there, they can add their own background, make up a new scene, draw a new character, or tell a story about what happens after the picture is finished.

Outside the Toy Box Idea: Draw, Tell, Play

After kids trace and color a Bluey character, have them create a three-part story:

1. Where is the character going?
2. What problem do they need to solve?
3. How does the story end?

Then let them act out the story using toys, stuffed animals, dress-up clothes, or household props.

The drawing becomes more than an art project. It becomes a story prompt, a pretend-play setup, and an easy way for kids to practice imagination without needing a screen to direct the plot.

Ages: 3+
Price: $21.99
Where to buy: Target and Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions About Screen-Free Toys for Kids

How Do You Get Kids to Put Their Phones Down Without a Fight?

You do not need to make every screen request into a power struggle. Instead, make play easier to begin.

Keep a few toys visible and accessible. Save a project for the long afternoon. Put an open-ended toy outside. Leave an unfinished creative activity on the table so kids have something waiting for them.

The goal is not to force independent play every minute of the day. The goal is to make sure kids have toys that give them somewhere to go with their ideas. Because the best alternative to a phone is not always another rule. Sometimes, it is simply a toy that has more than one way to play.

What are the best screen-free toys for summer?

The best screen-free toys for summer are toys that work in more than one setting and offer repeat play. Look for open-ended toys, portable games, hands-on crafts, pretend-play sets, and creative activities that kids can return to over several days.

Can toys really help kids play independently?

Yes, but the toy needs to leave room for the child. Toys that offer open-ended play, storytelling, building, movement, or creative choices are more likely to support independent play than toys that only have one button, one outcome, or one short activity.

Do kids need expensive toys to stay off phones?

No. A more expensive toy is not automatically a better toy. The real value is in how many ways kids can use it, how easily they can access it, and whether it gives them a reason to return to play again.