Small Educational Toys to Keep Your Little One Distracted

If taking a child to a sit-down restaurant was easy, then parents wouldn’t have to think twice anytime they did it – and they certainly wouldn’t have to think about all the things that could go wrong during the outing.

Restlessness, fussiness, boredom, temper tantrums, meltdowns – the list goes on. 

Most parents would agree that keeping their child entertained, distracted, and happy is one of the most difficult things when sitting down at a restaurant – especially with their child’s already-short attention span. 

RELATED: 15 of the Best Educational Apps for Kids and Students

The same can be said about airports, waiting rooms, and public transportation. 

It seems like any time we want our children to sit down and behave, they have something different in mind. Playing ‘peek-a-boo’ and ‘I spy’ can definitely help, but it won’t keep them distracted for too long. 

Don’t worry – this is a common struggle most parents face, but it doesn’t have to ruin your family outings. 

Mamas Uncut Community Offers Advice

Last month, one of our anonymous readers wrote into our Answers by Mamas Uncut online forum with the million-dollar question every parent wants an answer to – and our trusted mama experts delivered! 

Here’s what our reader asked: 

“What kind of little hand toys do you usually bring out to eat with your toddlers? Mine is 3 and is crazy out to eat we still can’t really enjoy it so wondering what works for other mamas that keeps them busy!”

The suggestions came in abundance. 

Tablets, coloring books, crayons, Hot Wheels, Legos, sticker books, sketchpads, Play-Doh, books. 

Then again, some mothers went a completely different route. 

“We don’t bring toys,” wrote one mother, named Whitney – who tries to avoid eating out and prefers to cook instead. “My little sits so well and we talk snd play eye spy, one potatoe two potatoe, rock paper scissors. I don’t allow toys or electronics at the dinner table at home so I won’t when we are out to eat.”

You can join in on the conversation by clicking here.

50 Educational Toys to Distract Your Little Bundle of Joy

Are you having a hard time entertaining your child when out in public? Do they often cause a scene or throw a tantrum when asked to sit down and behave? Are they easily distracted outside of the home? 

Like most parents – we feel your pain!

That’s why we recommend packing an ‘activity bag’ or ‘fun sack’ – or whatever quirky name you want to give it – anytime you plan on leaving the house with your little bundle of joy. It could be a game-changer!

In fact, you can make it an activity in and of itself. 

Before getting your child’s shoes on, take them to their play area and let them pick out some of their favorite educational toys and pack them in a bag – make them feel like they have control over what they bring. 

And if possible, nudge them toward the educational toys. 

I mean, if they’re going to be sitting there playing with a toy, why not give them a toy they can learn from? 

If that sounds like something you’re interested in, then don’t worry – here are 50 educational toys to consider packing!

Tablets & Mobile Devices

It’s 2024, so it’s only right that we begin with a little thing called technology. 

And when keeping a child distracted or entertained, there’s nothing more versatile and effective than a tablet or mobile device – whether they want to watch their favorite show or play their favorite game. 

Better yet, we now have a variety of tablets and mobile devices designed specifically for children – some of which are manufactured by some of your child’s favorite brands, including LeapFrog and PBS. 

Here are some of our favorite: 

50. Kindle Kids. A version of Amazon’s popular Kindle e-reader that’s specifically designed for children. CLICK HERE

49. Amazon Fire Kids. A tablet designed for children with a kid-friendly interface and parental controls. CLICK HERE

48. Contixo Kids Tablet. A family-friendly Android tablet with pre-loaded educational apps and games. CLICK HERE

47. LeapFrog LeapPad. A child-centric tablet created by the popular company, LeapFrog Enterprises. CLICK HERE

46. PBS Kids Playtime Pad. A kid-friendly tablet with educational apps and games from PBS Kids. CLICK HERE

Most of these tablets will run you between $50 and $100, but you don’t necessarily have to spend that much money, if you don’t want to – especially if you don’t mind them using your personal phone or tablet. 

As long as you have YouTube, Netflix, and a couple of their favorite games installed, you should have everything you need to keep them entertained on demand. Whatever you need – there’s an app for that!

Coloring & Activity Books

Restaurants used to always hand out crayons and activity sheets to children as a way to keep them entertained during the meal, but it’s not as common as it once was – and is even frowned upon by some.

Not because it isn’t helpful, but because a lot of those crayons ended up in landfills – what a waste.

The good news is you don’t have to rely on restaurants to supply entertainment – especially with some of the new-and-improved activity books on the market today, some of which are restaurant-themed. 

Here are some popular options to consider: 

45. At the Restaurant Activity Book. Created by Alice Hobbs; featuring coloring, drawing, dot-to-dot, sudoku, word searches, and more. CLICK HERE

44. Eating Out Is Fun. Designed for large groups; each book contains a collection of 16 fun-filled coloring sheets and activities. CLICK HERE

43. Food & Snacks Coloring Book. Created by Meg Publishing; contains 40 easy-to-color pages and a variety of delicious foods. CLICK HERE

42. Totally Awesome Mazes and Puzzles. Created by William Potter; contains over 200 brain-bending challenges and activities. CLICK HERE

41. The Kid’s Awesome Activity Book. Created by Mike Lowery; contains mazes, puzzles, stickers, jokes, word searches, and more. CLICK HERE

Most activity books include a combination of interactive content – such as games, puzzles, quizzes, word searches, crosswords, and pictures to color. You can find them in just about any theme you can think of.

In addition to giving your child something to do, these books help inspire creativity, concentration, expression, and the development of motor skills – some of them also have a learning aspect to them.

Building Blocks & Magnets

Building blocks should be a staple in any activity bag – not just because they’re easy to pack and children are drawn to them, but because they cater to various fundamental aspects of growth and development. 

It’s entertaining, but also educational. 

They’re visually appealing with their various shapes and colors, they help develop hand-eye coordination and motor skills through hands-on play, and they allow your child to tap into their creative imagination. 

Here are some of our favorite variations of building blocks: 

40. MAGNA-TILES. A collection of translucent geometric shapes with magnetic sides that snap together to form bigger creations. CLICK HERE

39. LEGO. A building and construction toy that consists of interlocking plastic bricks and an array of gears and mini figurines. CLICK HERE

38. Lincoln Logs. A classic construction toy designed to mimic wooden logs that are primarily used to build log cabins and other wooden structures. CLICK HERE

37. Infantino Press & Stay. Unique construction blocks that feature soft, silicone suction cups on all sides that stick when pressed together. CLICK HERE

36. Wooden Building Blocks. The most basic form of construction toy, wooden building blocks come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. CLICK HERE

If you’re packing for a restaurant or airplane, pack enough for them to build small objects or shapes – but not so much that you have blocks or tiles everywhere. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself or others. 

“When kids are building with blocks and Legos, they’re using spatial reasoning skills,” says Amy Shelton, the director of research at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. “These skills not only have a relationship to academics, but to the fields you might gravitate to, and where you’re going to excel.”

Geoboards

Geoboards are educational tools consisting of a wooden or plastic board with a grid of pegs onto which children can stretch elastic bands (such as rubber bands) to form various shapes and geometric patterns.

They offer a hands-on, engaging way to learn mathematics and practice fine motor skills. 

Your child will stay entertained while they learn how to create different shapes through manipulation and sensory skills, and how to visually demonstrate the concepts of area, perimeter, angles, and symmetry. 

Here are some of our favorite geoboards available today: 

35. Guidecraft Geo Boards. Comes with four small two-sided boards and dozens of molds to guide your child into building different shapes. CLICK HERE

34. LESONG Wood GeoBoard. A wooden geoboard with 100 pegs, 50 multicolored rubber bands, and 30 pattern cards with unique shapes. CLICK HERE

33. Learning Resources Geoboard. This set includes 10 bright-colored, 5×5-pin geoboards, which allow children to create shapes with straight and diagonal lines. CLICK HERE

32. Skrtuan Wooden Geoboard. A 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.9 in. wooden geoboard with 81 pegs and 25 pattern cards (20 geometric cards and 5 blank cards). CLICK HERE

31. DIY Wooden Geoboard. All you need is a wooden board, small nails, and some rubber bands – it’s that easy to make on your own!

Geoboards encourage creativity and problem-solving, as children experiment with creating different forms and figuring out how to represent geometric ideas physically – it’s a fun way to learn math at an early age.

Most geoboards come with small cards that show your child how to make certain shapes and objects – even animals! Make sure you pack enough cards to keep your child busy, especially if they learn fast!

Flash Cards

When in doubt, get the flash cards out! 

Flash cards are invaluable educational tools for young children. They can be customized to various subjects, from vocabulary to mathematics, making them a versatile addition to early education toolkits.

For example, you can pack food-related flash cards when eating out at a restaurant, travel-related flash cards for airports and planes, and health-related flash cards for doctor appointments and waiting rooms. 

Here are some of the most popular flash cards today: 

30. Think Tank Scholar Sight Words. Premium, jumbo-sized (3.2” x 5.3”) cards make it the best learning tool for homeschooling or just for practicing reading. CLICK HERE

29. Lapare Audible Learning Toy. A talking flash cards set contains 520 sight words, covering almost all fields – designed for younger children. CLICK HERE

28. Skillmatics Letters, Numbers, Shapes & Colors. Make learning fun with 50 colorful, double-sided flash cards about letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. CLICK HERE

27. Brybelly Emotional Intelligence Flashcard Game. Includes 50 richly illustrated, open-ended family and school scenario cards and an array of 50 emotions. CLICK HERE

26. DIY Flash Cards. If you’re trying to save money, make your own flash cards with a sharpie and index cards – you can choose any subject you’d like!

If you’re trying to save room in your activity bag, you can always download a flash card app on your phone or tablet. Some apps offer pre-made flashcards, while other apps let you customize the cards. 

Bimi Boo Flashcards for Kids is a good app for helping kids learn first words, while Flashcard Maker and Brainscape: Smarter Flashcards are good options if you want to make your own and customize them. 

Puzzles

I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no – we’re not suggesting you pack a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle when going out to eat. That would be too much to handle and would likely result in missing pieces.

Instead, you can opt for travel or to-go puzzles – yes, they do exist!

Compact and portable puzzles, such as magnetic or small wooden jigsaw puzzles, are designed to be mess-free and easy to manage on a small table. And the pieces are usually big, so they won’t get lost. 

Here are some of our favorite options: 

25. Mudpuppy Puzzle Pouches. Contains 36 pieces and measures 12 x 9” when finished, so you don’t need much space to work on it. CLICK HERE

24. Wooden 4-Piece Puzzles. These types of puzzles are only four pieces, so they’re designed for toddlers who are still learning how to piece them together. CLICK HERE

23. Magnetic Puzzles for Kids. The puzzle pieces are equipped with magnets, ensuring pieces stay on the board while traveling or on the go. CLICK HERE

22. Wooden Block Puzzles. Usually contains 16 wooden cubes that can be arranged to make up to six different photographs to up the intensity. CLICK HERE

21. Chuckle & Roar Learning Puzzle. Includes 26 two-piece puzzles that require your child to connect the word with the image. CLICK HERE

Puzzles can be a calm and focusing activity that helps reduce anxiety and promotes a sense of peace and accomplishment, making them a valuable educational and therapeutic tool for young children.

As children analyze where each piece should go and how it fits into the larger picture, they enhance their critical thinking and decision-making skills while also teaching them the importance of patience and focus.

Wood-Lacing Toys

Typically made from wood, these educational toys consist of various shapes, such as animals, vehicles, or geometric figures, with holes drilled through them. The shapes are threaded together with a piece of string or lace. 

It makes for quite the tactile learning experience. 

Lacing requires both precision and concentration as your child learns how to carefully weave through the tiny holes. This not only helps improve motor skills, but also visual perception, patience, focus, and more.

Here are some of our favorite wood-lacing toys: 

20. Wooden Lacing Beads. Usually comes with dozens of brightly colored wooden beads in a variety of shapes, 2 colorful laces, and a wooden storage case. CLICK HERE

19. Lacing Boards. A wooden board with holes in a grid and small wooden shapes with holes in it to thread the string through. CLICK HERE

18. Wooden Lacing Shoe. Practice lacing and tying skills on a wooden high-top shoe that simulates the real thing. CLICK HERE

17. Wooden Lacing Objects. Instead of lacing beads and shapes together, your child can lace objects (fruit, numbers, animals) together. CLICK HERE

16. DIY Wooden Lacing Toy. You can make a lacing toy out of anything, including wood and construction paper – just poke or drill some holes through it and grab some string!

Playing with wooden lacing educational toys can be calming and relaxing for your child. It offers them a quiet and meditative activity that can help regulate their emotions and reduce stress – which helps them mature. 

They’re also durable, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and easy to pack in a diaper bag or activity sack. And if you go the do-it-yourself route, it makes for a memorable experience between both parent and child. 

Doodle Boards

Does your child like to make a mess anytime the crayons, markers, or paint comes out? Are you looking for a convenient, mess-free, travel-ready alternative that’ll help keep your child busy when out in public? 

If so, then you’re going to love what doodle boards have to offer. 

Doodle boards, or magnetic drawing boards, are reusable drawing surfaces that allow children to create drawings and sketches without the need for traditional paper and writing utensils like pencils or crayons.

Here are some of our personal favorites: 

15. Boley Mini Doodle Boards. Perfect for practicing writing, math, and art skills without the added mess – and it’s mini, so it’s easy to pack! CLICK HERE

14. LCD Writing Tablet. A 10-inch LCD drawing tablet with a colorful screen, encouraging your child to explore their creative side. CLICK HERE

13. Etch A Sketch. A classic mechanical drawing toy that requires children to use knobs to draw pictures and write messages. CLICK HERE

12. PicassoTiles Drawing Board. A 12×10 inch drawing board that attracts magnetic beads into a hole with a magnetic pen to write letters and numbers. CLICK HERE

11. Crayola Ultimate Light Board. Simply draw and color directly onto the Light Board surface, then turn it on to watch your designs shine. CLICK HERE

Children use a magnetic pen, attached to the board by a string, to draw on the screen. As the pen moves across the surface, the magnetic particles beneath the plastic layer are pulled up, creating visible marks. 

Since there’s no ink or paint, they can draw without staining furniture, clothing, or walls. The drawing can be erased at any time by sliding a lever or pressing a button, which clears the board of magnetic particles. 

Rattle Toys

Rattle toys are a classic type of toy for newborns and toddlers. They generally consist of a handle and container that holds small objects like beads or pebbles. When the rattle is shaken, it produces a sound.

It’s not just a distraction, but it helps enhance sensory recognition. 

The sounds produced by a rattle can stimulate a baby’s auditory senses and help them understand cause and effect – the cause being the act of shaking the rattle, and the effect being the sound the rattle makes. 

Here are some of our favorites: 

10. Traditional Rattle Toy. These are usually designed to look and function like mini maracas, so they can get a little rowdy. CLICK HERE

9. Teething Rattle Toy. These rattlers help your child overcome the teething process by giving them something with unique surfaces to chew on. CLICK HERE

8. Wrist/Feet Rattle Toy. These rattlers wrap around your child’s wrist or ankle, that way it makes noise every time they start wiggling. CLICK HERE

7. Ring Rattle Toy. Usually designed to mimic a keychain with various shapes and links connected to a ring – and some can be used as a teething toy. CLICK HERE

6. Oball Rattle Toy. A rattle toy that looks like an Oball, usually equipped with various different rattlers to create a unique noise. CLICK HERE

Rattles make noise, which is great for sensory development at home but might be disruptive in a quiet setting, such as a restaurant or airplane. Keep this in mind before packing rattle toys in your activity bag. 

With that said, rattle toys and other noise-making educational toys can keep a baby occupied and entertained for quite a while, which can be very helpful in a setting where parents need their child to stay calm and engaged. 

Stickers

Believe it or not, peeling and placing stickers helps children refine their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, while also keeping them entertained with a wide variety of shapes, colors, and themes. 

Sticker books take things a step further. 

With a sticker book, your child can start a sticker collection that gives them a sense of accomplishment whenever they add a new sticker. And don’t worry – stickers are usually cheap and readily available.

Here are some of our favorite sticker books: 

5. Melissa & Doug Sticker Wow!. A unique take on a sticker book that comes with a tool to carefully place the stickers on the activity pad. CLICK HERE

4. Benresive Reusable Sticker Books. A book made with waterproof, reusable PVC material that contains 115 pieces in various different themes. CLICK HERE

3. Cupkin Sticker Books. A fun way to collect stickers with different themes and activity pads – designed to mimic a scrapbook, but for kids. CLICK HERE

2. Highlights Hidden Pictures Sticker Fun. With 480 fun stickers, this set is filled with hidden objects to find in classic black-and-white scenes, so it’s good for coloring too! CLICK HERE

1. DIY Sticker Collecting Book. All you need to do is bind a few pieces of paper together, have your child design a cover, and then start collecting stickers!

Stickers are a unique arts and crafts activity because they offer a sticky aspect (which children are extremely drawn to), but without the mess that often comes with glue and/or other sticky substances.

“They can explore with their fingers more readily and without hesitation, because stickers don’t typically overwhelm their nervous system, like glue or other sticky textures may cause,” says Stacy Yagow, MS.

Other Ways Parents Can Keep Their Child Distracted

Packing a small bag with some of your child’s favorite educational toys and games is one of the best ways to ensure they stay entertained and distracted in public – restaurants, public transportation, and waiting rooms. 

With that said, it’s not the only way to keep them happy. 

For example, snacks are a great way to keep your child satisfied whenever you’re not home. Healthy snacks can also deter hunger-induced tantrums, which can save you from a frustrating experience. 

Playing one-on-one games with your child can also help them pass the time. Games like ‘I Spy’ and ‘Tic Tac Toe’ can be played just about anywhere. ‘20 Questions’ is another game to keep them engaged. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Is Your Kiddo Still Too Young for Back to School, Here Are 10 Educational Items to Keep Them Learning!

The key here is to plan ahead – and always cater to the activities your child enjoys, especially since every child is unique in their own way. As long as they’re happy, then you’re doing something right!