The 10 Best Toys For Kids Of All Ages
Special Honors
Purling London Checkers While chess might be the more timeless of the two games, checkers is undeniably more accessible to the masses, especially to children. Now, whether that justifies the kind of prices this company's asking for its high-end set complete with Italian Alabaster pieces and gold-accented board is for you to decide. It is likely to be a purchase that lasts, though. purlinglondon.com
Editor's Notes
May 29, 2020:
Trying to find things that could apply to as broad an age range as possible, we took a hard look at things like the Furby Connect and the CoolSand 3D Box and found them lacking. In the case of the Furby, there was definite a ceiling at which kids would stop wanting anything to do with it, so we replaced it with the Soft Baby Yoda, who can serve as a cuddly playmate to the extremely young, and as a collectable to kids who are well into their 40s and 50s. As for the sand toy, there were too many small choking hazard pieces for it to be seriously considered.
Another newcomer to the list is the Bondi Ukuleles Mahogany Kit. Ukuleles have been having something of a moment in recent years, and that's partially fuelled by how easy they are to pick up and play, both in terms of the pressure you need to apply to the nylon strings and in terms of the simplicity of the chord formations. That makes them great choices for kids, as they'll feel procicient early on and be encouraged to pursue more musical education.