1. A kid-friendly 5-pound bucket of Crayola Air Dry Clay so you can all follow your inner pottery dreams without the gloppy mess or oven hassle. After you pull the clay out to shape it, it'll harden on its own — no baking or effort required! You can even paint over it when you're done and cherish the lil' knick knacks you made forever. 

www.amazon.com

Psst — a lot of reviewers use silicone or plastic molds to get specific shapes! 

Promising review: "It’s honestly just a really nice material to work with! If you want to create things with clay, this is definitely a good choice! It’s definitely not for professional use, but I feel like that’s a given? I mean, it is Crayola. But all in all, great for those who want to use it for fun!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $10.96. 

2. Twister Splash, an updated version of everyone's favorite body-contorting game that'll shoot water at you unless you can cover the hole with your hands or feet. Everyone's gonna be EXTRA hydrated whether they wanna be or not!! 

Amazon

Promising review: "In July, my sister and I, aka The Grandmas, had a week that we were challenged to keep four kids between the ages of 5–11 busy and motivated. We wanted just a really fun time for little to no extra cost, hence the purchase of Twister Splash. Well, it lived up to the hype. Those kids could not wait to play. Hours spent in the sunshine screaming, laughing, and getting soaking wet while trying to reach the right color with the left foot. Hilarious! They wanted to play every day. It was economical, fun, and so easy to set up and take down!!" —Melissa Applewhite

Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in an XL size for more players).

3. A set of kid-friendly temporary hair chalk to turn yourself and everyone within reach into a sentient rainbow (pot of gold not included). 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "These were so fun to play with! Easy to use. Easy to wash out. The colors are bright. Great alternative for people that don't want to commit to something permanent." —Audrey Sheffield 

Get a set of eight from Amazon for $14.99. 

4. Ocean Scene, a beloved stress relief coloring book for kids and adults from Coco Wyo, a brand that's made itself famous on TikTok for its cozy, relaxing, easy-to-draw themes. This one is full of happy little sea creatures frolicking in the water.  🌊. 

Amazon, www.amazon.com

Psst — Coco Wyo has a *ton* of other cozy stress relief coloring bookswith different themes in theirAmazon storefront! 

Another psst — you can pick up a cult-fave colored pencil set on Amazon! 

Promising review: "I love the ocean so I had to have this book in my collection! I have found that it's great for practicing different techniques as the pictures are simple and cute to color how you want, and then trying out different techniques around them by layering or filling in the empty space. Very relaxing and straight forward to color giving lost of inspiration and ideas on every page! Highly recommend!" —Greg 

Get it from Amazon for $7.99. 

5. And a set of rainbow aesthetic coloring pencilsfor some extra adventurous artists who aren't afraid to shake things up — each pencil has a whole bunch of different shades woven into it, so you never know just *quite* what it will look like as you draw. It's worth the risk, though — the beautiful results speak for themselves! 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Got these just to have a change of pace in my sketchbook. Kids loved them as well. They are fun to use. They write and draw smoothly. Great for any age artist." —angela

Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for$6.99. 

6. A"shark bites" mini hot dog mold sure to make ~waves~ when you show up to the family barbecue with the coolest snack of all. Sorry, pigs in a blanket — your time in the spotlight is over. 

Amazon, www.amazon.com

Mobi is a small business that specializes in unique food molds. 

Promising review: "This is awesome! Super easy to use and clean! The kids LOVED these for Shark Week! For the price it's definitely worth it!" —aaron

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (also available in other animal shapes). 

7. NeeDoh Groovy Fruit, one of the many variations in the*elite* NeeDoh sensory fidget toy line that subtly says, "Yeah, your aunt is on TikTok, too, punk." This comes as an orange, banana, or a strawberry, and reviewers love that it doesn't have the kind of stickiness that picks up debris and makes it hard to clean. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Schylling is a small business that specializes in modern and retro toys, games, and sets. 

Promising review: "NeeDoh makes the absolute best fidgets! These are perfectly soft and squishy. And fun to play with! They’re pretty small, but no less awesome." —Jessica K 

Get it from Amazon for$8.88 (available in three fruits, which arrive at random!). 

Check out the rest of the Needoh fidget toy options on their Amazon storefront! 

8. And a set of TikTok-famous Globbles, a stress-relieving fidget toy that will lead to pure, unadulterated MAYHEM. These colorful balls are squishy, stretchy, and stick to pretty much any flat surface you throw them at *without* leaving any messy residue. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I have bought these over and over again for gifts. My own children have played with these balls repeatedly. We even left one on the ceiling to see how long it would stay for. It lasted four months before we decided to take it down. Since they are so sticky, they get dirty pretty quickly. All you have to do is a quick rinse in the sink and an air dry, then you are good to go. Great for adults and children! Will be buying again." —Valerie Young

Get a set of six from Amazon for$10.99+ (also available in a pack of 16). 

9. A mess-free, reusable Bluey aqua art pad for a deeply convenient, screen-free, portable way to keep kids occupied when you're on the move. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This Bluey Aqua Art set has been an absolute hit with my 5-year-old granddaughter! She’s a huge Bluey fan, so her excitement was off the charts when she saw this. It’s such a clever and engaging activity that keeps her entertained while also sparing me from any cleanup headaches." —Kimberly Zittlow

Get it from Amazon for $4.99 (available in five other styles). 

10. A giant bubble powder kit, because why should Glinda and her giant bubble have all the fun?? Unleash your inner bubble powers and impress the whole neighborhood with your big beautiful planet-sized bubbles all summer long. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

The kit comes with a two-stick bubble wand and powder packets, which you can activate using 16 cups of water and 1 cup of dish detergent. 

Promising review: "I couldn’t believe how much fun and how big these bubbles were! I had several kids over and we did this for hours! The solution was easy to make and inexpensive. This is my new favorite gift!" —Kevin Schlemm

Get it from Amazon for $15.95. 

11. Disney Princess Unoso the next time you Reverse Uno a family member so hard they cry you can turn on "Let It Go" and tell 'em the past is in the paaaaaast. 

Amazon, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My granddaughters love this card game. They especially find it easy to follow the colors and princesses, the numbers not so much. This is the only card game my 5-year-old granddaughter will play because she often gets frustrated with not winning and not understanding the rules, but she’s getting the hang of it. The cards are very well marked and easy to identify." —Lillian M. Matthews 

Get it from Amazon for $7.99.  

12. A Lego-inspired brick waffle maker that's about to become the MVP of breakfast. Lego fans will love them for "building," waffle fans will love that they're small enough that they maximize crispy edges, and everyone will love that these are the perfect size to make whole breakfasts or eat as snacks! 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My boys loved this! They were excited to see lego waffles and had fun building with them and eating them." —Emily

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in two sizes). 

13. A color-changing LED flying disc to make it feel like you're tossing a lil' UFO back and forth, even in the daytime. Reviewers love how beautiful the colors are, and how durable the disc is despite all its glitz! 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Very high build quality, with easy-to-use instructions. LEDs are very bright, even in broad daylight. We used to stop playing when it got dark, but now, with this thing, it looks even better in the dark. There are many modes and color levels to choose from, even setting up your games. Highly recommend this!" —Hannah 

Get it from Amazon for$39.99(available in seven styles). 

14. A crinkle cutter tool for veggies, fruit, potatoes, and cheese that not only makes meal prep a breeze, but makes certain foods more enticing for the picky eaters in the fam. Everyone knows a squiggly-shaped thing tastes better than a regular shape ... it's just science! 

Amazon, www.amazon.com

Check out a TikTok of the crinkle cutter in action. 

Psst — reviewers warn that this is sharper than it looks!! It makes for easy cutting, but definitely make sure it's kept away from little hands. 

Promising review: "I bought this to specifically cut cheese. I love how easy this is to use. The cheese sticks a bit, but it is really easy to knock off the already cut cheese. I love it! Price is basically free if you want nice-looking cut cheese!!! The cut cheese really does look fantastic!!! You could easily cut other things like carrots, cucumbers, and other things. So simple to use, and cheap!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for$5.99 (also available in a pack of two).

15. "The Peckish Pirates," a brand-spanking-new addition to the cult-favorite Magic Puzzle series so beloved on TikTok. Like the others before it, this isn't just a puzzle, but a whimsically illustrated, colorful journey — there are tons of Easter eggs in it, a collection of miniature scenes full of optical illusions and surprises, *plus* a magical twist at the end. Everyone will have to work together to find out! 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Another stellar puzzle from Magic Puzzle Company, featuring high-quality pieces, a hidden final image, and a unique solving experience. The artwork is full of detail, making it an immersive and engaging build. The pieces fit together snugly, with no puzzle dust, and the final reveal adds an element of surprise. If you’re looking for a high-quality puzzle that’s more than just a standard jigsaw, this one is worth every penny." —Baloptimus

Get it from Amazon for$27.34 (and check out the DELIGHTFUL assortment of Magic Puzzlesfor more options!). 

16. A light-up solar frog figurinefor your garden or porch so every time the fam comes to visit, they'll have to give their regards to this croaky lil' fella first. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I love this! It’s well painted, and the solar light works great. It is the cutest thing on my patio table." —solowithpits 

Get it from Amazon for $21.98. 

17. A truly ginormous, cult-favoritebeginner's art set that is truly a Mandatory Aunt Purchase if there ever were one. It includes just about everything you can think of under the artsy sun — which is astonishing considering just how high quality and affordable this set is, and how many different mediums you can make art with. 

www.amazon.com

Each set includes a sketch book, graphite pens, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, charcoal pencils, white charcoal pencils, metallic pencils, three blending paper stumps, a refillable water brush pen, and other shaping and drawing tools. 

Promising review: "I was very impressed with this drawing kit. It felt personal to me. The pad is smaller but perfect for drawing on the go. I love it so much I got one for both of my nieces for their birthdays." —barbara bloodworth 

Get it from Amazon for $25.99. 

18. A ~Magical Flame~ colorant you can use in your fireplace at home or in outdoor campfires to basically flex to your tiniest family members that you are, in fact, a wizard now. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Magical Flames is a small business that specializes in color-changing fire products. 

Psst — do not roast s'mores or any other edible thing over this fire if you're using the colorant! 

Promising review: "This product is so easy to use. Just toss a packet into the fire and watch the flames change color. The colors were beautiful and received a lot of oooooos and ahhhhhhs. Surprisingly, it lasted for quite a while. We will enjoy this addition to our campfires this summer." —Debra L. Musselman

Get a pack of 10 from Amazon for $13.59.

19. A set of reviewer-belovedchocolate bar molds to DIY bonkers chocolate bars together like your name is Aunt Willy Wonka. These are great for mix-ins like nuts and cereal, but also have enough depth for you to add fillings like peanut butter, jam, and caramel. 

www.amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: "I used these molds to create homemade Nestle Crunch bars. It was easy to load these molds. I placed them on baking sheets and banged them on the counter to remove air bubbles, then loaded into fridge/freezer. The molds are compact enough that they fit easily into my side-by-side fridge. I did not add any release agents to the molds before using, and the chocolate bars popped out very easily." —Keith G. 

Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 12 other styles). 

20. A family-friendly DIY clay dish craft kit so you can use a rainy afternoon with the kiddos to create a cute trinket dishes you can use for jewelry, your keys, and other small baubles. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This kit is fantastic! It comes with everything you need to create beautiful and unique jewelry dishes. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, making it perfect for all ages. The clay is high quality and easy to work with, and the finished dishes are both functional and stylish. This kit is a great way to spend a creative afternoon and makes a wonderful gift idea. Highly recommend." —Funky Feedback

Get it from Amazon for $14.99. 

21. A truly WILD pack of ~~zombie~~ plant seeds that grow into a plant that will literally PLAY DEAD whenever you touch it. Can't wait for your nieces and nephews to brag to their friends about their "aunt with the undead plant"! No alarm bells here, folks!! 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Tickle Me Plantis a small business that specializes in reactive plants. 

Promising review: "This was a fun plant. My kids enjoyed watching the leaves pull up and then spread back out. I even mailed one to a family member so they could try it out. I would buy this again!" —Nene582

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.95.

22. A magnetic rotating UFO-shaped Bluetooth speaker so you can have an ~otherworldly~ experience getting beamed up by your favorite bops (even if you have to endure the embarrassment of the younger set asking who the Spice Girls are). 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Bought as a gift, but I will get one for myself. I was totally surprised at the quality of the speaker part of this. Got it for my grandson for Christmas. He set it up while here after opening, and we listened to Christmas music all day." —Dawna324

Get it from Amazon for$99.99. 

23. A super popular Slammo game setyou should only buy if you're prepared for HOURS worth of showdowns in the backyard at every party and family hang you throw from now until eternity. This compact, super portable net ball bouncing game has all the same energy as volleyball, but without taking up nearly as much space. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I purchased this game for our beach trip. It came in a drawstring bag that fit everything nicely not taking a lot of space. We assembled it quickly on the beach and had a blast playing. It's so much fun for teenagers and adults." —L. Pruitt

Get it from Amazon for $39.99. 

24. A "One-Step Tie-Dye Party" box full of everything you need to make your dizziest tie-dye dreams come true — this comes with 18 colors, rubber bands, gloves, and instructions so easy to follow that parents swear by it for kid parties. Bonus?? No need to presoak or prep fabrics before turning them into art — the colors are designed not to run on cotton, rayon, and wool. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I loved this dye kit. I threw a birthday party for myself and the colors in this kit were vibrant and worked well with like 20 people. We all shared the kit and came out with beautiful tie-dye shirts. I recommend this kit and will buy it again." —Mz. Alcaraz

Get it from Amazon for $24.74 (also available in a larger box). 

25. A zero-ink, app-enabled Kodak instant phone photo printerto essentially transform your phone into a Polaroid camera, but with the ability to pick and choose which photos you print. You can even tag in the fam to help edit photos within the app with fun little graphics and other personal touches! 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

This is compatible with Zink's zero ink printer paper — you can snag 20 sheets of it on Amazon for $9.99! 

Promising review: "I take lots of photos, but rarely do I ever print them out. We travel in our RV, and I like to keep some photos of places that we've been in the RV on our photo board. I really like it; it's a lot of fun. The color is pretty good, prints pretty fast, and the little backgrounds that you can stick them to are a fun touch. There are also some other stickers and frames that you could add to the pictures. I also keep a notebook of all the places that we've traveled (with campsite-specific info), and I try to keep one picture to represent each place in the notebook. It's perfect for this." —Link family 

Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in four colors and as a starter bundle that includes photo paper, frames, and other accessories). 

26. A set of cat-themed tarot cards purrrfect for swapping fortunes, complete with a guide on how to pull the cards and how to interpret them. (I'm pretty sure you just get mailed one of these for free when you become an aunt.) 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Honestly, I saw this tarot deck and thought I needed this for ha ha’s. But man. This deck’s images are hilarious. It’s so much fun, and I felt so drawn to it as soon as it was in my hands. I am smitten over these kittens. 😍 10000% worth the purchase!" —Kathryn Prouty

Get it from Amazon for $17.96.

27. A portable "boombox" that's basically the version you know from the '90s with a MASSIVE update — this handy gizmo not only supports CDs and radio, but connects to Wi-Fi to play music and stream content on the screen, whether it's coming from Netflix, a DVD, or your phone. Go, little Bluetoothed boombox, go!! 

www.amazon.com, https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3GY8IPZOM1NSS/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0BVT3T57N / Via www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This boombox is EXCELLENT. IT HAS SO MANY WAYS TO USE CDs and DVDs, radio, or to connect to my music list on my phone by Wi-Fi. The picture is very clear. The sound is excellent. I'm loving this!!! I highly recommend this device." —Lvs2Rdblks

Get ti from Amazon for $149.99 (available in five colors). 

28. A unicorn head squirrel feeder because you know what kids really need for their development?? An aunt with mildly alarming hybrid creatures frolicking in their backyard. This is your task. Go forth, my friend. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Accoutrements is a small business that specializes in offbeat home and lifestyle products. 

Promising review: "This is both ridiculous and spectacular. It just might be my best Amazon impulse buy ever." —Meredith

Get it from Amazon for $19.06. 

29. A "girl dinner" print that's actually just a warning to your siblings of what you plan on feeding their kids whenever you babysit. (Fries are a food group, right?) 

La Maison De Jo/Etsy

La Maison De Jo is a California-based Etsy shop established in 2023 that specializes in European-inspired prints and home goods. 

Promising review: "As always, Kailey’s products are superior! I have 8 of her prints and this one is adorable, just like the others!" —Kelly

Get it from La Maison De Joon Etsy for $15+(available in six sizes). 

30. A ginormous "marshmallow cloud fleece" blanketyou should only pull out for your nieces and nephews if you're prepared for them to burrow inside and never, ever leave. (Was this ... the plan all along??) 

Urban Outfitters

Promising review: "If you’re willing to splurge on a blanket, this is the one. My favorite blanket that I’ve ever owned. My dog and cat love it too!" —UO Reviewer

Get it from Urban Outfitters for $169 (available in five styles). 

31. Foldology, an origami puzzle game that's sort of like if a Rubik's Cube and origami set had a fun little brain-teasing baby. You have to fold the puzzle this and that, using creative problem-solving to complete the picture hidden in each puzzle. Each set comes with 100 (!!!) puzzles with difficulty levels from beginner to advanced, so everyone in the fam can get in on the fun. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Foldology is a small business that specializes in unique puzzles. 

Promising review: "So much fun! This activity has provided hours of enjoyment. They start off easy and with each you learn a new fold and they progressively get harder. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for someone who likes puzzles." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $9.99. 

32. A fairy door garden kityou can install at the base of your very favorite tree in your backyard to let all neighboring fairies know they are always welcome in your space. ✨ (Don't worry about the fairies getting lost — these also glow in the dark!) 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I bought this on a whim. We lost a big tree to a storm last summer and wanted to do something interesting with the stump. It's mossy and covered in fungi. It was the perfect base for the start of my new Fairy Garden. Easy to install and fun to 'landscape' and decorate. Looking forward to expanding the bed with fairy-friendly plants." —C. Meyers

Get it from Amazon for $20.99. 

33. And a Cool Aunt Energy hatbecause being a cool aunt isn't just a title, it's an entire lifestyle.  😎

www.amazon.com

Hannah Roberts is a small business that specializes in unique accessories. 

Promising review: "Love this hat. Super cute and the quality is great. The writing is threaded, not an iron-on or anything. Looks and feels sturdy in fabric." —The Foster Farm 

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (also available in a Fun Uncle and Mom Era version). 

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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