30 Walmart Toys That May Not Be Babysitters, But They'll Still Give You A Few Moments Of Peace

Buzz Feed

30-04-2025

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
It's all about fostering that independent play.
1. A cottage playhouse so your kids can visit this pretend vacation house...and you can take a little mini brain break while they entertain themselves.
2. A TonieBox starter set that comes with Mirabel, Elsa, and Moana, which has been a staple in our home for YEARS now — my kiddos love choosing what music and stories they get to listen to, and the Tonies (sold separately) come in all of their favorite characters.
Walmart
Promising review:"I bought this for my 3-year-old and she loves it! It's super easy for her to change out characters. I love that this set came with three characters to choose from. Love that the characters sing and tell stories. Makes it very entertaining for her age. Love how easy it is to power on and control the volume. Love that it comes with app for the parents." — amber
3. A Kinetic Sand set for those moments when you're stuck inside with bad weather, but you and your kiddos would much rather be at the beach.
Walmart
Promising review:"Our son loves this set. It came with a good amount of sand and it's good quality. The toys are a great mixture and he sits and plays for hours each week with it!" — CC
Price: $21.23
4. This simple magnetic maze game that's not only super entertaining, but can also help with fine motor development.
Walmart
Promising review: I had to take a road trip with my four kids ages 3 months to 8-years-old by myself; it was 13.5 hours without stopping. Needless to say, it took us 18 hours. This was a hit. I got it for my 3-year-old, but my older two loved it as well!" — CB007
5. A Little Tikes pretend pizza-making kit, which features ingredients made out of a reusable, moldable material — making the experience more tactile and realistic for your aspiring chefs.
Walmart
6. A play kitchen so cute you might even get design envy — but those feelings will be washed out by relief when your kids independently play with this MVP.
Walmart
7. A wooden train set for your cutie conductor. While your little is developing engineering and building skills and imagining a small world, you can keep the other trains running on time... you know, like planning dinner, etc.
Walmart
9. A bag of 25 balloons (for a grownup to blow up!) because after playing with Bluey figurines, your littles will be asking you to also play "Keepy Uppy."
Walmart
Promising review: " If you have a toddler who loves Bluey, you know about this game. Lots of fun for a low price. Vibrant colors and they don't pop easily." — Perla
10. A complete 140-piece set of Crayola markers, crayons, and colored pencils that will hold the attention of mini Monets and petite Picassos for a very long time.
Walmart
Promising review:"This art case is jam-packed with Crayola markers, crayons, colored pencils, and paper. The case itself is sturdy, keeping the art supplies neat and contained. My grandchildren love this set and have enjoyed hours of craft fun with its contents. This is a great gift for kids, and the price is right!" — marmey
11. A water table for hours and hours of outdoor fun. Sun's out means baby buns are out! Of course, whenever there's water involved you need to keep a good eye on them, but you'll feel zen as you sit back and watch this cuteness.
Walmart
Promising review:"Perfect water table! My 1, 5, and 7-year-olds all love to go out and play with it together. I love all the pieces to it and how the colors are more muted than the other loud colors water tables usually have." — anonymous
12. A cute 17-piece tea set from Green Toys to get a play party started, and you can possibly enjoy a real cup of tea. This eco-friendly set is also food-safe and can go in the dishwasher, so the imaginative play can include real treats!
Walmart
Promising review:"I was looking for the right tea set for my 5-year-old daughter. She had a ceramic one which was great but very delicate and had already broken, chipped off in many places. This one is perfect: it's a good size, has lovely colors, and my daughter loves to pretend play and makes tea for all of us :). We are an environmentally friendly family, so we love that its green and made with recycled material. Also love the fact that its dishwasher-safe!" — Walmart Customer
13. A 37-piece set of Magna-Tiles, which will be a staple in your house for years to come. Pro tip: Rather than buying different types of building sets, keep adding new Magna-Tiles to your collection. My kids have had them for five years, and we're still going strong and adding more!
Walmart
Price: $59.99
14. A play couch that can be anything they need it to be: a pirate ship, a fort, a reading nook, and also extra bedding for kiddos during sleepovers!
Walmart
Promising review:"Holds up amazing and washes extremely well. All the stains wash right out! My kids have had it since Christmas, and it still looks brand new! Couldn't recommend more." — Amanda
15. An absolutely darling magnetic dress-up set, which will be a hit at home and when you're traveling. You can make more than 200 different outfits with this self-contained kit, so get ready to see them get creative.
Walmart
My kids LOVED these kits (and anything from this company, really) when they were little.
Price: $22.94
16. An indoor doorway gym set for kids, perfect for those days when you would go to the playground, but for some reason, you just can't. (Reasons including everything from bad weather to you not feeling like it.)
Walmart
Promising review:"Adjustable lengths. Strong enough for an adult and fun for toddlers. Just read the instructions on how it fits in the door jam, not the whole door frame. There's videos showing set up and installation too." — Fi
17. An LCD doodle tablet to inspire some serious creativity — and help you save paper. I can't be the only one constantly picking up paper scraps, right?
Walmart
18. A set of hand puppets so the show can go on, and on, and on. Next thing you know, they've forgotten all about their tablet, and they're making scenery out of a cardboard box.
Walmart
Promising review:"Perfect set of hand puppets! I need the Zebra for some homeschool work, and so because of the awesome value for the whole set, I opted for this. It didn't disappoint! Good quality, great price!" — Elyse
Price: $29.99
19. An 80-piece chalk set with stencils, a spirograph kit, and a nifty carrying case for storage that is so fun it might bring all the neighborhood kids to your yard. You got the kids to spend time outside AND work on their fine motor AND explore their creativity? Chalk that up to good parenting.
20. A set of binoculars made for kids to encourage them to start exploring the amazing world around them, whether that's inside your house or in the backyard. And you? You can sit back and enjoy the view of your kids playing independently.
Walmart
Promising review:"Omg, my great-granddaughter likes to play pirate, but she doesn't know how to close one eye to look through a telescope, so the binoculars are perfect. She loves to look at the moon and when airplanes fly by she gets so excited looking at them now. Loves to see the stars at night. This is a great idea for little ones that love adventures." — Jennifer
21. This two-piece balance board system which can help restore balance to your day if your kid needs something to concentrate on. It's not just a one-trick toy — it has so many uses!
22. A set of Stomp Rockets that are out-of-this-world fun. They get to play outside, and you get to sit and watch the good times. Big jumps only!
Walmart
Promising review:"This provided so much fun for the entire family...I can't believe how much time my family spent outside Christmas Eve playing with this rocket. It was a gift for my 5-year-old and his cousins (ages 6, 9, 14), my husband, my brother, and my dad had the most fun with this!" — EDemp
23. A Barbie Dreamhouse Pool Party house because you mean BUSINESS. This house is so cool it'll have you pulling up Redfin and daydreaming about moving... maybe it's time to call up Realtor Barbie.
Walmart
Promising review:"The coolest dream house I've ever seen. At almost 30, I'm wildly impressed and jealous of my 6-year-old. It's so neat! The attention to detail and neat traits it has — like an oven light, stovetop sounds, functional doors, toilet sound, and a whole elevator! Very cool. It's easy to put together but will take a little time just because it's a lot. Also, it's huge. Prob 3 feet high and 3 feet wide." — Charlene
24. A Mr. Potato Head, which is just plain silly and classic for a reason. Your favorite tater tots will sprout smiles and get a real kick out of having his hands come out of his head and his eyes where his mouth should be!
Walmart
Promising review:"My child can easily put pieces in and out of it. Toddler-friendly toy that lets him develop fine motor skills. The toy has been every day since purchase and has not worn out yet. That was my concern with things you push together and take apart. For the price it is great!" — anonymous
25. A Hot Wheels City motorized raceway play set because you know this toy has some serious staying power and will inspire the next generation of gearheads. Do you still sometimes wish you still had your own set? Yes, yes, you do. Buckle up for a good time!
Walmart
Promising review:"Purchased this for my grandson's fourth birthday. He loves the small cars. So fa,r he has enjoyed this set very much and is constantly playing with it. The set was received as advertised and promptly. All parts seem to be durable. I would recommend this set. My grandson is 4 years old." — marcus
26. A classic 150-piece set of wooden blocks that will stack up against any other toy. Littles love building their own cities and towers... and you love watching them knock it all over as you knock out your to-do list.
Walmart
Promising review:"The blocks come in different shapes, colors, and sizes. They are perfect for little hands to hold. My 1-year-old grandson and I have had a great time building and knocking over blocks. I'm looking forward to playing blocks with him for the next several years." — Patricia
27. A LeapFrog 100 Words book which will teach your little words in English AND Spanish — all while they're happily playing and learning names for things. That's a win-win.
Walmart
Promising review:"This interactive children's book is fantastic! The activities and illustrations keep kids engaged, and it's packed with interesting content. While there are more words than expected, it's great for sparking conversations and encouraging early readers to explore new vocabulary. Perfect for curious minds!" — Axel
28. A wooden Melissa & Doug magnetic daily calendar that is super fun to play with but, as a bonus, might help you convince the kids later that they do, indeed, need a jacket, and no, it's not shorts weather.
Walmart
Promising review:"I love this Melissa & Doug calendar. I'm using it for homeschool and speech. It's great. My daughter is learning all the months, days, seasons, temperatures, activities, feelings, and holidays. This is great for speech because there's so much language to learn from it." — zippy
Price: $14.49 (originally $27.99)
29. A kid's flash guitar with a mic and stand, so your small Swiftie can get enter their own songwriting and singing era.
Walmart
Promising review:"Our 3-year-old LOVES it. It has push buttons that play rhythms along with the melody of prerecorded tracks. She plays along, sings into the mic and has us join in. I wish the built in strap was adjustable but she doesn't mind as she often walks around with the guitar hanging across her torso looking for her next duet! Great family fun!!" — Zee
Price: $24.99 (originally $49.99; available in six colors)
30. A Furby allowing kiddos to experience the same thrill of staring into those big, wide eyes and communicating with this chirpy creature that you did as a kid. But these Furbies have had a serious glow-up — they even come with mindfulness exercises now!
Walmart
Promising review:"Love this new version of Furby. My favorite features are the light show and calming (I can't remember the actual name right now) sessions. The calm part is great bc it takes you through breathing exercises and relaxes you. This Furby also comes some old beloved antics." — Panda1213
Price: $34.95+ (originally $69.99; available in two colors)
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The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.