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Irish Examiner
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
From daydreaming about bank heists to TV adaptations: Andrea Mara on her writing career
When she worked in financial services, Andrea Mara would often find herself daydreaming in conference calls. She wasn't daydreaming about lying in a hammock on a beach. Mara was more likely to be thinking about what would happen if masked gunmen entered her bank's Luxembourg office while the video call was going on. 'I would start to think, imagine if we were just watching this video conference on screen, and masked gunmen came into the Luxembourg office right in front of our eyes,' she says. 'So it's only a few feet away on the video screen, but actually hundreds of miles away in real life. And that weird thing where we would be seeing it unfolding, but there's nothing we can do. And, you know, what should we do — should we call the Irish police or the Luxembourg police. How would we call them?' With daydreams like that, it's no surprise that Mara has gone on to become a bestselling thriller author, writing in the domestic noir or suburban thriller genre. And with books, All Her Fault, Hide and Seek, No One Saw a Thing and Someone in the Attic all featuring in the Irish top 10 bestseller lists, she appears to have hit a sweet spot. This week, Mara released her eighth novel, It Should Have Been You. The plot centres around new mom Susan who mistakenly sends a message intended for her sisters to an entire WhatsApp Group. The message, which exposes some truths about a neighbour and her family, kickstarts a series of events starting with the murder of a woman — which Susan suspects should have been her. The book touches on the aforementioned WhatsApp Groups, cyber bullying, cheating spouses, dealing with teenage children, and linking it all together are the familial relationships. Within these themes lies an intricate, twisty plot. Andrea Mara: A bestselling thriller author writing in the domestic noir or suburban thriller genre. Picture: Gareth Chaney For Mara, her books are about taking what might seem innocuous — a text sent in error, a playdate, a game of hide and seek — and asking 'what if?'. She's famed for her twists; a review of her latest book calls her book 'so twisty, even the twists have twists'. 'That's really my favourite part, the plotting and the twists are what I enjoy the most,' she says. 'When I start out, I'll have an outline so I know the premise and I know the ending, and I know a very rough path of how we're going to get there. So, I'm thinking great, I've got this four-page outline, and then I get to chapter five, and I'm like, I don't know what happens next. But then I think okay, well, what if the next thing that happens is not what it looks like to the reader, maybe posting the reader in one direction, but really, in the background, we're going in a different direction, and that's the part that's really, really fun. 'And dropping little clues along the way that might be real clues that will point you towards the answer, because in crime writing, you have to give the reader a good chance to guess the answer. Otherwise, it's not fair. You have to give them clues, but then there are other clues that are pointing in the wrong direction altogether, and that's also really, really good fun.' Mara has always loved crime books. She's read every Agatha Christie book, and loves Jeffrey Deaver and Patricia Cornwell. But when she started reading Barbara Vine books (who is Ruth Rendall writing as Vine), which were crime thrillers without a detective, she could see a niche. She says: 'The Barbara Vine books were very much domestic noir style stories, psychological suspense without detectives and police and I think it was maybe the Barbara Vine books that steered me in the direction I went, the more domestic noir psychological suspense side, where it's regular people living in regular houses, and then something extraordinary happens and turns their lives upside down.' Andrea Mara has always loved crime books. Picture: Gareth Chaney Mara began her writing career later in life; she was 42 when she wrote her first book. In the years of working in financial services, despite regularly daydreaming about high-octane thriller plots, writing a book wasn't on her radar: 'Writing a book sounded like something other people might be able to do. I didn't think I could make a whole book out of just one idea. But I enjoyed writing, so I got into blogging.' In Mara's blog, 'Office Mom', she wrote about the trials and challenges of parenting while working full time. She recalls getting a message from Kildare author Margaret Scott who read her blog and suggested she should write a book. 'Literally, the next morning, I started writing the first chapter of what became my first book,' she says. 'I think I needed to be pushed. When [Margaret] said, 'you should write a book', I was happy to just go ahead and give it a go. Maybe being a rules and procedure-driven person, I'm also a permission-driven person.' Shortly afterwards, after taking redundancy from her financial services job, Mara began writing features for newspapers and magazines. 'I loved doing that, and decided I would give it a go for six months, and then if it didn't work out, I would go back and try and find another job in financial services. But after six months, I was busy with loads of work all the time, so I just kept going with that, and then the same author, Margaret Scott, contacted me and said her publisher was looking for a novel in the domestic suspense genre, and I should send her my draft. And that was the start.' Now, 10 years later, Mara has eight books under her belt, and her book All Her Fault is currently being made into a TV series by US streamer Peacock. Mara remembers getting the call from her agent telling her about the deal. Andrea Mara has eight books under her belt, and her book All Her Fault is currently being made into a TV series. Picture: Gareth Chaney 'It was 10 o'clock at night. My agent told me to check my email, and there was a link to an article announcing that Peacock had given the green light to All Her Fault to go straight to series,' she says. 'I didn't even know what that meant at the time, but normally, the streamers and commissioners would ask for a pilot episode first, and then once they've seen the pilot episode, that's when they would decide whether or not to go ahead. So my gosh, even the idea that there are just thousands of pilot episodes out there that never go anywhere. We were really, really lucky. I was on cloud nine for months and months with that excitement.' Then came the news about the casting, which Mara remembers as another pinch-me moment. 'When you write a book, most authors are not really writing a book with TV in mind,' she says. 'It's hard enough to write a book in its own right without thinking about TV, but if you're lucky enough to sell an option and then have the green light for it to go into production, it's, it's huge, and it's rare, and it's fabulous. And then to have actors like Sarah Snook, Dakota Fanning, and Abby Elliott, it's just incredible. 'I went over to see the filming in Melbourne, and I went to visit the set, so I've seen some of the filming. Knowing how good it looks from just that one week there, I can absolutely relax and just wait with excitement to see it.' But first, it's her new novel. Mara says she always feels excitement mixed with nerves when she's releasing a new book. 'There's always that excitement, but absolutely tinged with anxiety, because you just don't know until the book comes out, you don't know if it's going to go well or not. Of course I trust my editor and all the people who are involved in the editing and production process that they'll always get the book to be the best it can be before it goes out, but you still don't know. Any book can take off or just fly under the radar. And there's no way to know in advance how that's going to go. 'You've no control over how many people buy your books or what other big books are going to come out at the same time. And as each book achieves a new milestone, there is a self imposed pressure to improve on that the next time around so it never ends.' 'It Should Have Been You' by Andrea Mara, published by Bantam, is out now.
Metro
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Maya Jama's full dating timeline from Stormzy to Ruben Dias
Maya Jama's full dating timeline explained as she confirms her new relationship with Ruben Dias. The TV presenter, 30, is best known as he current Love Island host and judge on The Masked Singer and has had a variety of high-profile presenting roles on TV and radio. Throughout her varied career over the past decade, the star has also had a high-profile on-and-off relationship with the rapper and singer Stormzy. The couple started dating in 2014, but after ending things in 2019, Maya has been attached to a variety of other famous faces. She's even been reported to be dating the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Drake. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. So, what is Maya's dating history? Here's everything you need to know. The Hide and Seek hitmaker, 30, and Maya first met in October 2014 at the Red Bull Culture Clash and began dating the following January. The famous couple went their separate ways in 2020, four years after becoming an item in 2016. Maya and Stormzy – real name Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. – had tongues wagging after they reunited in November 2022 but at the time, Maya's team confirmed the claims they had reunited were unfounded and they weren't in a relationship. In an interview with Louis Theroux on October 22, 2022, the Big For Your Boots rapper described the break-up as his 'biggest mistake.' He explained: 'My break-up, that was probably the biggest catalyst for growth as a man. It was like, OK, you made a mistake and you lose someone you loved, someone you cared for, someone who is special to you. 'That's probably the biggest loss a man can have, isn't it? Away from someone passing away, that's the biggest loss you can have.' Speaking about the early days of their romance in January 7, 2023, Maya shared: 'We were so young when we met, just beginning our careers. I was starting at MTV. He'd not even released a single at that point. We were just little babies. She continued to The Sunday Times: 'I'm not naive to the fact that when you are a woman in the industry, most of the things that people want to talk about are your relationships. It's different for men. I'd seen that happen to other people. I don't think either of us knew it was going to be such a big thing. 'We were just: we're young and in love and we're going to go for it and work really hard. We're just together. We never really did red carpets. We didn't do any of that stuff.' Maya and Ben Simmons enjoyed a whirlwind romance kicking off in the summer of 2021 – and were believed to have got engaged over Christmas a few months later. The couple chose not to publicly speak out about their relationship or engagement, but Maya didn't deny the proposal when grilled about it by comedian Mo Gilligan when they hosted the Brit Awards in February. Maya moved over to America, where the NBA player is based, but returned to the UK full-time when they split in August 2022. An insider had earlier claimed: 'Maya called off the engagement after things came to a head last month. 'She is not going back to New York now. It's heartbreaking for both of them, especially as they were so committed to each other.' Hold your horses, the Passionfruit hitmaker and Maya were not in a relationship, but he did mention her name in a track. The rapper, 36, teamed up with Headie One on the track, and left fans stunned by his casual name drop of the MTV presenter. 'Chubbs might jam this yute for a chain,' he spits when freestyling the first line, before quickly adding: 'And gave it to a sweet one, called that Maya Jama.' Although fans couldn't help but question what this meant for the duo, the star simply shrugged off the shout-out. We're sure she was flattered though! Maya was spotted rekindling the flame with her ex Stormzy, 31 in 2023. Rumours swirled after the star was seen milling around London's All Points East festival on the day of her former beau's headlining set. After onlookers whispered about their private backstage chats, the pair of exes teased followers with cryptic holiday snaps that hinted they were vacationing as a couple. Finally appearing to confirm they were well and truly back together, Stormzy gripped Maya's hand as the stars enjoyed a stroll in Greece. Pictured stepping out hand in hand in Greece, the former lovers appeared happier then ever to have found each other again. Unfortunately, despite being seen at various events together over the next year by July, the golden couple announced their split in a joint statement. Explaining their relationship 'didn't work,' they wrote: 'We still think the absolute world of each other, we still care and respect each other, we are still grateful for the time we've had together, and we are still friends and will always be friends.' Ruben Dias is Maya Jama's current beau. The Love Island presenter, 30, has been linked with the Manchester City defender, 27, for some time now, and it has been reported that they met at the European Music Awards (EMAs) in November. The couple has been growing closer, and at the weekend, Maya was snapped supporting the footballer during his game at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. She was first spotted with Portuguese international player Ruben on New Year's Eve, and Maya even flew to Portugal to watch Ruben play a game in March. The couple seemed to confirm their romance on April 28 as footage captured by The Sun showed the couple kissing at hugging while attendingYouTube personality KSI's Baller League football event at Copper Box Arena on Monday night. More Trending Speaking about what she wants in a relationship these days, Maya revealed in an interview with the Standard in November 2024 that she's on the hunt for true love. 'I am so happy right now but the next person I meet I want to marry and have kids with, so obviously I'm feeling fussy. I've created such a nice life for myself alone and I don't want anyone who's not going to add to that'. She continued: 'I'm in this lovely bubble and I don't want you unless you make me happy. If you're not, I kind of don't need you. 'One thing I've learned: some people are like, 'I'm lonely, I need someone.' But the mission in life is to make yourself happy, then find someone who brings something that matches that to the table.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Pete Wicks quietly dating 'absolutely gorgeous' reality star after Maura Higgins split MORE: Sam Thompson's famous new 'love interest' revealed after Zara McDermott split MORE: Most complained about TV moment of 2025 revealed – and it's not Celebrity Big Brother
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If You Were Wondering What Happened To Ms. Rachel, I Have Some News For You
Parents and caregivers of the tiny tots with short attention spans, don't panic! There's an update on the whereabouts of the popular YouTuber Ms. Rachel. While Ms. Rachel (real name Rachel Accurso) has been active on Instagram recently, her popular YouTube videos have been on hiatus, and the absence of her videos has potentially thrown some parents and children into a panic. A famous content creator among parents and young children, Ms. Rachel's most popular video has over 1 billion views, and dozens of videos with 100 million views on YouTube. Parents, kids, and even celebrities like Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore are obsessed with Rachel and her content, which uses techniques early childhood experts and speech therapists recommend to teach young children important development skills. Her last video was released on Jan. 9, and her absence on the website left her followers flocking to Instagram comments searching for their treasured digital babysitter. "Hide and Seek with Ms. Rachel & Elmo + More Games, Kid Songs, Nursery Rhymes & Social Skills," which reached over 40 million views, was the last time in two months since a video was uploaded. In an Instagram post about her husband and co-creator and producer, Aron Accurso, a follower asked, "When are we getting more episodes? I feel like since you've signed with Netflix we don't really get good content anymore..." A four-episode season of Ms. Rachel premiered on Netflix on January 27. The show included interactive lessons that cover topics like "Speech and Toddler Learning," "Milestones, Nursery Rhymes, and Songs," and "Phonics, ABCs, and Preschool Learning." View this photo on Instagram But Rachel has cleared the air that the Netflix series isn't why her content's been absent from YouTube. She responded to the comment, "I'm sorry. We've had some family things to attend to. Nothing to do with Netflix, as that is content from YouTube." In response to another fan, Rachel said, "I will make a little video tomorrow to help ❤️." So, to all the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, guardians, and caretakers of little ones who were beginning to worry that we would have to start making our own Ms. Rachel videos — worry not. Our early child development queen will make her triumphant return to the YouTube soon. Thank goodness! Now I can take that pink shirt, blue overalls and $500 of camera equipment out of my Amazon shopping cart.
Buzz Feed
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
If You Were Wondering What Happened To Ms. Rachel, I Have Some News For You
Parents and caregivers of the tiny tots with short attention spans, don't panic! @rachaelkayalbers / There's an update on the whereabouts of the popular YouTuber Ms. Rachel. While Ms. Rachel (real name Rachel Accurso) has been active on Instagram recently, her popular YouTube videos have been on hiatus, and the absence of her videos has potentially thrown some parents and children into a panic. A famous content creator among parents and young children, Ms. Rachel's most popular video has over 1 billion views, and dozens of videos with 100 million views on YouTube. Parents, kids, and even celebrities like Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore are obsessed with Rachel and her content, which uses techniques early childhood experts and speech therapists recommend to teach young children important development skills. Her last video was released on Jan. 9, and her absence on the website left her followers flocking to Instagram comments searching for their treasured digital babysitter. " Hide and Seek with Ms. Rachel & Elmo + More Games, Kid Songs, Nursery Rhymes & Social Skills," which reached over 40 million views, was the last time in two months since a video was uploaded. In an Instagram post about her husband and co-creator and producer, Aron Accurso, a follower asked, "When are we getting more episodes? I feel like since you've signed with Netflix we don't really get good content anymore..." A four-episode season of Ms. Rachel premiered on Netflix on January 27. The show included interactive lessons that cover topics like "Speech and Toddler Learning," "Milestones, Nursery Rhymes, and Songs," and "Phonics, ABCs, and Preschool Learning." But Rachel has cleared the air that the Netflix series isn't why her content's been absent from YouTube. She responded to the comment, "I'm sorry. We've had some family things to attend to. Nothing to do with Netflix, as that is content from YouTube." In response to another fan, Rachel said, "I will make a little video tomorrow to help ❤️." So, to all the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, guardians, and caretakers of little ones who were beginning to worry that we would have to start making our own Ms. Rachel videos — worry not. Our early child development queen will make her triumphant return to the YouTube soon.
Buzz Feed
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
If You Know *Nothing* About Kids But Have To Buy One A Gift, Check Out These 33 Parent-Approved Ones
1. Silly Poopy's Hide and Seek because your nibbling is currently in their potty humor phase. Let them delight in finding a rainbow-colored fake poop that gives seekers clues to its whereabouts. Know any parents in desperate need of some alone time? You very well may earn yourself a "~Holy crap~ this gift is amazing text!" John Mihaly / BuzzFeed Promising review:" My 6- and 3-year-old are OBSESSED. They play for an hour at least! Played with daily since we got it. When it's my turn to hide, I make it tricky enough that I can actually be productive until it's my turn again." — Cara Lentz Get it from Amazon for $12.99. 2. A miniature baking set for the tiny chef with a big love for whipping up delicious treats in the kitchen. It even comes with a 48-page recipe book that also shares the science involved. The set comes with a storage tin, rolling pin, wee knife, pizza/dough cutter, mixing spoon, three wee spoons, mixing bowl, pizza/pie pan, pie server, sheet pan, silicone cake and cupcake molds, two silicone finger mitts, and a 48-page recipe book. Promising review:" My 9-year-old daughter LOVES this — OK, more like is obsessed with this! Everything holds up and is durable. The recipes are so simple to follow. She takes over the kitchen and does everything by herself. She makes us delicious cinnamon rolls, apple pies, pizzas…everything! Everything is written and geared to have a child be able to do it. We have told all her friends, and now they all have this, too! The kids on the street all come to our house just so they can tiny bake! Every kid needs one of these!" — Summer Get it from Amazon for $19.99. 3. A pack of Crayola Globbles to keep kiddos busy sticking, squishing, squeezing, stacking, and slinging without you or their parents worrying about sticky residue on ceilings and walls. Promising review:"A huge hit with my children. We bought them for one child with autism, and he's obsessed with these. Christmas morning has been pure joy for him playing with these, and all of us joined in on the fun. They are not exploding on us nor are they 'peeling' our ceiling paint or plaster off. Overall, I would absolutely buy these again and recommend them to anyone else. Especially anyone who has a special needs child or child with sensory issues."— SamSurgany Get a set of six from Amazon for $10.04 (also available in a pack of 16). 4. A National Geographic geode kit that'll make for a ~smashing~ gift. Now hand me those goggles, please! Amazon It comes with 10 geodes of varying sizes, as well as goggles and a display stand. Promising review:"My 9-year-old niece gets these every year for Christmas. It is a new gift every time! She loves to put on safety glasses and swing that hammer! The geodes are always beautiful. She also loves the element of surprise! This is a wonderful gift that will engage even kids who are not into the sciences. Every year she takes pieces in to share with her class. She also loves to give pieces away as little gifts or mementos. Nat Geo never disappoints!" — Kristin D. Get it from Amazon for $29.45. 5. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a fast-paced card-slapping game so they can destroy their family and friends at the next game night. Amazon Promising review:"This game is a hit! My 5-year-old is obsessed, and my teenage sisters were fighting over who got to bring it to camp, so I had to buy two copies! It's such a fun party game, it is guaranteed to bring the laughs." — Jennifer Simms 6. A working mini Dyson vacuum because — believe it or not — parents swear by this pint-sized picker-upper. It's great for kiddos who are obsessed with copying their parents, and it even has a little suction power so they can help clean *some* of the messes they make. You'll need four C batteries. Promising review:"Easily my 15-month-old grandson's favorite toy. He's learned how to press the buttons to turn the motors on and off and really enjoys pushing this around, just like the big people do with their vacuum :) It's well-made, durable, and survives frequent drops. No small or sharp parts. It really does vacuum, there is a small dirt container to empty it's not really that powerful. It's a great toy though. Your kids/grandkids will get a lot of enjoyment out of it." — Chuck over in Wisconsin Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three colors). 7. A laser tag set for what will be undoubtedly be some competitive fun for the whole family! You'll get four guns, four vests (front and back), and one charging station. Promising review:"This set was perfect for my grandkids ages 7, 11, 14, and 17. Even we adults played. They had so much fun. We set up obstacles to hide behind, such as: patio furniture, foldable table, ice chest, etc. Very easy to set up and play. Was definitely worth it." — Debbie L. Get it from Amazon for $199.99. 8. An educational and fun Gravity Maze logic game to challenge their critical thinking skills through 60 levels that increase in difficulty. They'll have so much fun testing they won't even realize they're learning at the same time! Amazon, Promising review:" My 10-year-old son is obsessed with this game. He loves figuring out each maze. It makes him use problem-solving skills and logic. This is a great toy for an only child whose parents can't entertain the child every minute. He chooses this over video games! Now that is saying something." — Amy P. Get it from Amazon for $21.99. 9. Or a marble run toy that they'll spend hours with, exercising their creativity and critical thinking skills and devising ways to get their marble from start to finish. This innovative toy works on a variety of surfaces (windows, smooth walls, appliances) without leaving behind sticky residue. And it won't take up the entire living room floor! Amazon Promising reviews: "We recently gifted this to two 7-year-old boys, and both have loved it. Different than you typical marble run, and they love the flexible ramps." — KS "Open-ended play, fun, easy to use, and hours of imaginative play and thought. A must for the little engineers in your family." — Carmen Petru Tudosa Get it from Amazon for $25.75. 10. A reviewer-loved Sol de Janeiro hair and body mist so you can pretend you're social media literate. This stuff is all over TikTok and will def score you points with a teen! Promising review: "I bought this as a present for my daughter's eighth-grade graduation. She loved it! I didn't know before buying that this was something she had seen on TikTok and had been wanting to get. It was a great gift!" — alexis armstrong Get it from Amazon for $25 (available in seven scents). 11. A splash-proof kids smartwatch if your kiddo is obsessed with your smartwatch but you're not about to drop $200 on a watch they're bound to break. This kid-friendly smartwatch can take videos, pictures, and selfies they can customize with built-in funny filters. There are even built-in games, like Monster Detector, which allows the child to experience AR and "catch" monsters in the real world. Amazon Promising reviews:"I got this watch for my 8-year-old for her birthday, and she loves it! She takes pictures, videos, and plays the games." — YaYa "Super cute and easy to work for my 5-year-old. He loves that he can match Mom now! It has games already installed and can take pictures, exercise, and lots more. Entertainment for HOURS!! And you can even change the watch face like an Apple Watch! So cool!" — Brittany Get it from Amazon for $22.04+ (available in five colors) 12. A TikTok-famous 1,000-piece puzzle from The Magic Puzzle Company because there's more to it than meets the eye! Not only is the illustration so beautiful that they'll probably glue and frame their puzzle when it's completed, but it also features 50 Easter eggs throughout *and* a magical twist that reveals itself once the puzzle is finished. Amazon Promising review:"I bought this for my teen daughters and they loved it! Excellent quality pieces with a fun twist. They loved it so much I bought them a second one by this company. Highly recommend!" — L. STEVENS Get it from Amazon for $22.97. 13. A pack of tangle-free parachute toys for both entertaining (and maybe tiring out) some rambunctious kids. They'll have a blast seeing their colorful parachuter flutter to the ground and maybe they'll actually exhaust themselves running up and down the stairs to drop 'em. (One can hope!) 14. A lightweight LCD writing tablet to give a mini Matisse an outlet for their isn't a white wall. This portable and reusable canvas is mess-free — great for road trips, entertaining your little one at a restaurant, etc. Promising review:" I purchased this gift for my just turned 2-year-old daughter, and she is obsessed — and so am I! It is mess free, nontoxic, endless coloring fun! She will scribble to her hearts desire, and with one push of a button, she has a clean slate. This clearing function also has a locking feature to prevent erasing, but she hasn't used it yet! Highly recommend!" — Helen Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in four colors). 15. Or a nostalgic scratch paper art set that'll remind *you* of when you were a kid. It comes with 50 scratch papers, styluses, and stencils for plenty of screen-free fun. Amazon Promising review:"My kids are obsessed with these things. They can make their own design. Plenty of papers." — Sierra Get it from Amazon for $9.99. 16. An extra-extra long plushie so stinkin' adorable and absolutely ridiculous you may order one for yourself. Whether you're shopping for someone who's 8 or 18, you can't go wrong with this cutie! Promising review: "My kids love these long cats. And now we buy them as gifts for all their friends. It is unique and fun especially if you struggle with gift ideas. It's perfect." — Ali M. Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in five lengths and 11 styles). 17. A set of magnetic building tiles if the parents are asking for a gift that's both educational and will keep their kid entertained. Ding ding ding — we have a winner! The magnets make it so easy to build with and the bright colors are just so fun! This isn't a gift that they'll forget within a few days or play with the box more than the actual toy. Promising review:"A friend bought these for my son when he was 2 and he played with them more than anything else for a couple of years solid. We loved them. Perfect thing to take a few to a restaurant or family gathering to help keep the kids entertained. As he's gotten older, we found tons of ideas online for things to build, too. I just bought a set for a friend's daughter's birthday." — rae malm Get a 60-piece set from Amazon for $25.99. 18. An absolutely adorable "Make a Fox Friend" kit because it's two gifts in one! They'll learn sewing basics and *and* create a fox friend complete with mix-and-match clothing and accessories. Craft-tastic is a woman-owned small business based in Michigan. All their products are focused on teaching kids new skills and limiting screen time. Each kit comes with six garments, eight accessories, a kid-friendly plastic needle, thread, a fox, and easy-to-follow instructions. For ages 5+. Promising review:"This craft was a hit! The fox was very easy to put together, and it turned out so cute! You have to make the tutu by tying a bunch of knots, but other than that, all of the clothes are ready to go and do not require sewing! The fox came with a little fabric bag to conveniently store it for travel. The materials in the craft are good quality and hopefully will last a while. My daughter loved this little cute fox!" — Olivia O. Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (also available in a bunny style) 19. A mini Waving Inflatable Tube Guy for gifting them their favorite roadside attraction. (Me too, buddy!) This lil' guy wiggles and shakes just like the ones at the car dealership. Promising review:"My youngest loves seeing these guys everywhere we go. When we drive around and she sees one outside, she yells, 'Look, it's a (color) guy!' So we got her this little one. She is just obsessed with how she has one of her own! It is so cool. Made of awesome material. The fan is strong, and it waves around just like the larger ones you can put in your yard." — Joe H Get it from Amazon for $8.58. 20. A colorful wooden puzzle to bring Tetris to life and keep their little brains and fingers busy sans screen. They can build shapes (like trees, flowers, and robots), or they can try fitting every piece on the board. Reviewers say this is a great toy for a wide range of ages — from 3 to 12. Promising review:"My kids are getting older, and I needed some unique little items to keep them busy on a long trip. This seemed attractive, lightweight, and fine for teens and younger. As it turned out, the three of us had fun challenging each other with it. We played with it in front of Grandma, and then she wanted one to keep her mind sharp! There are different challenges you can do (like timing yourself to finish it) and I love the artsiness of the wood. At $10, definitely a good buy and nice little gift." — C-Reader Get it from Amazon for $8.99. 21. A Bluey 3-in-1 playset so you can wow them with a Bluey toy they don't already have. It transforms from a plane to a boat and resort, allowing for hours of ~paw-some~ fun. Amazon It comes with 15 play pieces and, of course, if you're gifting this to a big Bluey fan, they can use their existing Bluey toys with this set. Promising review: "I was looking for Bluey stuff my son DIDN'T already have, lol, for his birthday and came across this little diamond in the rough. It's amazing; it's literally like getting three toys in one big toy. And if you have the extra figures, even better. It comes with all kinds of little extras, like luggage and several other items you'd see in the show. It's not made cheap at all. This one was definitely a good find. ❤️" — Molly Get it from Amazon for $69.99. 22. A value pack of 500+ puffy stickers if you're looking for a little somethin' somethin' to round out their gift. The stickers feature letters, numbers, vehicles, butterflies, deep-sea life, animals, fish, dinosaurs, and more. Promising reviews:" My 1.5-year-old is obsessed with these. Not sticky enough to do any damage but can also be reused a few times" — Katie Merkatoris " I love that they are removable. They don't leave marks on your window. You can even place them back on the plastic sheet and use them again. I have a busy box for my toddler, and these stickers are in there. She peels them off and puts them on the lid of the box and then peels them off again and puts them back. She creates scenes with them. She puts them on windows at home. I peel them off and put them back. They really are fantastic stickers." — Elizabeth A. Zapf Get a pack of 20 sheets from Amazon for $5.99. 23. A Disney necklace activity set because they can make and remake necklaces as fast as they switch their answer to the question of who their favorite princess is. Amazon, Promising review:" My 4-year-old is so obsessed with this particular product that she has made me five or six different things already. She really loves what she's doing. Great product for the price. Especially if your child loves to be creative." — John Bartley Get it from Amazon for $12.99. 24. A set of washable and fast-drying (yep, they dry in just 90 seconds) tempera paint sticks for gifting a child hours of creative fun *and* gifting parents mess-free entertainment. Promising review: " These are my favorite art accessory ever! My girls are obsessed, they work on We can't get enough." — R. Ras Get a pack of 24 pens from Amazon for $22. 25. Uno Minecraft to surprise a gamer with Minecraft -themed cards, including a special Creeper card. If you didn't recognize a single one of those words you just read, just know that millions of kids (and adults!) play Minecraft, so this is pretty much a surefire hit. Promising review: "My 7-year-old grandson is obsessed with all things Minecraft, so this was a fun and logical choice. He had fun explaining the names of all the characters because I didn't know any of them. Go figure! We love all the UNO play sets. Would recommend." — Valerie K. Get it from Amazon for $10.99. 26. A pair of GeoSafari kid binoculars that'll almost definitely trigger many cries of, "Look! Look! Look!" Amazon, Promising review:" I got a set for my girls (3.5 and 1.5), and they are obsessed. We use them on hikes and at the zoo. I did end up tying the string together because the anti-choke clasp just kept coming undone too easily, and I was constantly fixing it. Yes, it is only a simple magnifying view, but that's all they need at this age." — Eliza Get it from Amazon for $9.69+ (available in two colors). 27. A whale bath toy so even the must reluctant bather will be excited for bath time. It lights up and sprinkles water from its spout — what's not to love? Promising review: "We got this for our 5-month-old since he loves to try and hold/catch running water. He LOVES this! In the tub, it gets him sooo excited. We have even taken it outside in his small, shallow splash pad, and it still works. He loves catching the water and picking it up. And in the tub likes to try to sneak a sip haha. He is now almost 8 months old and is still obsessed. There are sensors on the bottom that, when it hits the water, will turn it on, and when it needs to be charged, the water does not go very high or will just shut off. A definite bathtub fave for sure!" — Jo Edith Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in five styles). 28. A wireless Bluetooth karaoke microphone if they love pretending their bedroom is the American Idol stage. Connect it to your phone, tablet, TV, or speaker; pull up the lyrics; and belt out that Taylor Swift. It can also connect to their device via cable. Check out BuzzFeed's full write-up on this karaoke mic. Promising review:"Oh my gosh, I love this! I got mine in the mail yesterday and ended up playing with it for about five hours last night, LOL. It connects via Bluetooth, so you can connect it to your phone — the music and your singing come out of the microphone's speaker. It has a volume control for your voice and for the music and also an echo feature. You can put an SD card into the bottom of it and record yourself, or connect it with an audio out to record on one of those karaoke apps on your phone. Between this and being able to find just about any song on karaoke via YouTube, you could easily have your own karaoke parties at home!" — Ferretocious Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in 15 colors). 30. A 17-piece Melissa & Doug wooden fruit set for rounding out your their play kitchen. This set not only helps children develop their fine motor skills "cutting" the fruit, but it also helps teach them the concept of part and whole. Amazon Promising review:"My first and third grader really love these pieces of fruit. The pieces are nicely weighted, and when you 'cut' them, the insides are beautiful, just like a real fruit would be. The kiwi and orange is particularly pretty, realistic." — robin vaughan parler Get it from Amazon for $14.99. 31. An at-home scavenger hunt to save parents when it's too snowy or cold to make a trip to the park. This toddler-friendly stack of double-sided cards encourages children to find fun in common household objects. Mollybee Kids is a family-run small business creating high-quality toys that promote learning, staying active, and, most importantly, fun! Promising review:" A must-have. My 2-year-old son is obsessed. Always asks to play the 'find you' game, LOL. Then we play it, and every option on the game, he actually thinks really hard, then says, 'Come o,n mommy,' and runs me through the house to find the object. Highly recommended from a mom of four." — Britney bansley Get it from Amazon for $12.99. 32. A pair of glowing lightsaber chopsticks that'll bring that spicy tuna roll from their plate to their mouth with all the skill of a Jedi. Buy this, you must! "My favorite gift, this is!" they'll say. Emma Lord / BuzzFeed, Amazon My colleague Emma Lord bought these and loves them. In her own words: "I bought these for myself, and I love them to pieces. TBH, I use them as decor every bit as much as I use them to eat. Sometimes I just keep them in my work area to light them up during the day to feel fancy. They toggle back and forth between a bunch of different colors, like red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor, so you can either make them match *or* have a red and blue one together and bring ~balance~ to the Force." Promising review:"I bought these for my son, who likes to eat his ramen with chopsticks. He absolutely loves them. They are well-made, and the different lights are amazing. I also love that each chopstick has its own button so you can choose the colors for each, and it doesn't have to be the same color" — Jackie H. Get them from Amazon for $11.97+ (available with clear or frosted tips). 33. An interactive scissor skills activity pad so they can practice their cutting skills while feeling like they're playing a game. Amazon
