Unconventional Toys for Kids

Guest Checks & Server Book

I bought our first set in 2022 and they are still going strong for playing shop & restaurant. I’ve re-purchased guest check booklets a few times since then, and it is money well spent- every single time. The imaginary play this simple set unlocks is pure childhood magic.

Traffic Cones

I started this collection in 2016 and its still going strong. These cones become obstacle courses, pretend ice cream cones, goal posts, “room” dividers and so much more.

Temperature Gun

Completely random and the kids love it. They pass it around finding the temperature of items and trying to heat or cool them. We got this after hiking with one in Yellowstone and the kids were hooked.

Measurement Wheel

After years of joking we “needed” one, this has become an instant classic. Kids love data. The measurement wheel lets them set distances for races or measure distances like throwing paper airplanes.

Gutter

Maybe the most random, but this piece of gutter from 2019 has lived a life! Sometimes as a river for leaf boats, sometimes as a chute for rolling cherries from a tree, sometimes as a ramp for cars. This gutter is loved in a way I can’t explain.

Large Bucket

This large bucket is the make-shift basket for every random game the kids come up with and most trick shots they try to make. On warm days, it holds our reusable water balloons and gets filled with water to refill squirt guns. It’s having a good life.

Water Pump & Jug

Putting a pump on a standard water jug was the best decision I made to support outdoor play. The kids use water for so many things and rarely have to turn on the hose. A non-toy hero.

Metal Detector

At home, the beach, and the park – this is such a hit that another neighbor bought one so the street could have two. Watching the kids lock-in on sweeping an area and uncovering treasures is too fun.

Fry Screens, Zesters & Graters

Perhaps the hottest item in my yard most days- these items are essential for chalk paint and making colorful “batter” for restaurant play. One of the most popular neighborhood games? Use a combination of grated chalk, dirt, and water to create colorful cakes for a neighborhood “bake-off.”

I love fry screens for younger friends and zesters and graters (a little bit sharper) for ages 6+.

Director’s Clapboard

Once my kids entered late elementary to early middle school, movie making (specifically commercials and spoofs) went bananas. The kids spend hours with friends writing, designing, and acting out skits. Sometimes they film them, sometimes they’re performed for a live audience (me, my husband and whatever lucky neighbors are nearby). Adding this clapboard has taken their projects over the top.

A fun add-on for aspiring film stars and news anchors? This fake microphone.

PVC Pipes

Back in 2018, we gave our kids a collection of PVC pipes cut to different lengths for Christmas. Probably one of our best gifts ever. It’s 2026 now and those pipes are still being used for all sorts of play. They’re popular in our dirt site, for tools in imaginary kingdoms, and boundaries in battles. My husband used a PVC pipe cutter that he had from another project to set these up.

Caution Tape

For my oldest child’s 4th birthday, a friend of ours in construction brought him a roll of caution tape. It was a smash hit. The roll lasted at least a year and became an annual tradition: at the start of summer, a fresh roll of caution tape. That was nine summers ago and we are still rocking this tradition.

Whittling Knives

I had a hunch this would be a hit. I didn’t realize just how big a hit… Whittling has been an incredible skill for my kids and their friends to pick up – starting about ages 6+. I show them how to safely whittle and they take it from there. We pack this kit with us on trips to the beach because it gives kids something quiet to do…

Plastic Jars with Lids

The kids use these for everything from potions, to the dirt site, chalk paint, activities, collecting bugs, frogs, fish, going berry picking, and a million other uses. From the backyard to the beach to a park, we are never without “The Jars.” A bunch always live in my car kits, too.

Real Tools (Not Toys)

The kids use these for everything from potions, to the dirt site, chalk paint, activities, collecting bugs, frogs, fish, going berry picking, and a million other uses. From the backyard to the beach to a park, we are never without “The Jars.” A bunch always live in my car kits, too.

Stopwatch

Another data collector that attracts neighborhood friends like moths to a flame. Kids love to time stuff and the possibilities with a stopwatch are endless. They’re timing races, doing speed challenges, “record setting” around the house…so much open ended play.

Hand Counters

Go with me on this one: these are fantastic for kids. Why? Here’s an example: We went on a hiking field trip and the leader gave one to each kid. “Click every time you see a spider web.” For the entire miles-long walk, the kids (ages 3-8) were entertained above and beyond. Kids love small devices, they love numbers, they love autonomy. These are gold. 

Tape Measure

Yep, another data “toy.” We have one that lives in our kitchen junk drawer, a sturdy one that lives outside, and more in our garage. They are pulled out on a daily basis. Kids are measuring long jumps, checking on each others’ height, creating building challenges, and so much more.

Magnifying Glasses

Gosh, we love a magnifying glass for exploration, field work, imaginary “school” and “lab” and so much more. These multi-packs are fantastic for siblings and friends (they also come as a single). We have had this set for 5 years now, and so do most of the families in our neighborhood. Everyone loves them.