hese fun Hippity Hop Balls [1] from Bintiva encourage active play. Kids can have races with friends, create their own obstacle course, or simply bounce around for fun. These types of balls are used by educators and physical and occupational therapists to strengthen core, abdominal, major leg, and major arm muscles. Each one comes with its own pump, measures roughly 18” in diameter, and features a textured, easy-to-grip handle for improved stability, and are sold in a variety of colors.

If you want double the fun, check out Slackers® Bounceballs Hop Ball Race Set [2]. Includes two 20” balls with handles, ball pump, and start/finish lines.

Never lose your tennis balls and practice without needing help from a friend or teammate! Swingball® Reflex Tennis [3] by National Sporting Goods includes a ball attached to a base with a tether and a durable airbat with which to practice. Give the ball a mighty slap and watch it go bouncing away from you. The tethered cord snaps it right back, giving you the chance to test your reflexes and perfect your technique. There is also a Swingball® Reflex Soccer 21 option.

Ollyballs® [4] from Victury Sports, LLC are the perfect toys for safe, active indoor play—great for anytime of the year! The Ollyball is designed so you can hit it with full power and it won’t fly a long distance or break any household items. It measures 12” and includes a variety of themes and styles for you to choose from. 

Never lose your tennis balls and practice without needing help from a friend or teammate! Swingball® Reflex Tennis [3] by National Sporting Goods includes a ball attached to a base with a tether and a durable airbat with which to practice. Give the ball a mighty slap and watch it go bouncing away from you. The tethered cord snaps it right back, giving you the chance to test your reflexes and perfect your technique. There is also a Swingball® Reflex Soccer 21 option.

Ollyballs® [4] from Victury Sports, LLC are the perfect toys for safe, active indoor play—great for anytime of the year! The Ollyball is designed so you can hit it with full power and it won’t fly a long distance or break any household items. It measures 12” and includes a variety of themes and styles for you to choose from. 

ombine swinging with surfing and you get swurfing! The Swurfer® [1] by Flybar, Inc. is a new version of the age-old swing—used standing up and moving side to side. All you’ll need is a sturdy, long tree branch to give you plenty of room (and a decent amount of balance), but then you’ll be swurfing the skies! The maple swing is curved up at the ends with ropes on each side and adjustable wooden handles. Rope is made to withstand years of outside use! Assembly is simple with their instructional videos.

Playzone-fit Cloud Swing [2] by Bolder Play is intended for inside or outside use. This lightweight soft swing promotes balance, concentration, and is just plain fun! Perfect for little ones, this swing is soft on all sides, and yet it holds up to 200lbs! The kit comes with a cloud swing featuring double box stitching and a UV resistant polyester fabric cover, 6 ft long adjustable hanging straps, 2 safety delta carabiners, and an air pump. Hanging hardware is sold separately.

You will be able to take the fun with you with this easy-to-assemble Pocket Swing [3] by Hape International, Inc. Easy to set up, pick two strong trees that are around 7 to 10 feet apart, attach the ropes and carabiner hooks to the trees, and enjoy! This swing set opens a door to a new world of adventure, as children will now be able to have a place to swing wherever there are trees. Easy to transport, this device can hold up to 220 pounds.

ntroduce your kids to some of the oldies that you played while growing up. Neighborhood Yard Games [4] by Channel Craft is a box of nine bonus games that includes: Ghost in the Graveyard, Red Light/Green Light, Firefly, Captain Midnight, Red Rover, Steal the Bacon, Hopscotch, and Kick the Can.

BattleBird Backyard Game [5] by Waboba® is a fun outdoor game everyone will enjoy. To play, hit the birdie back and forth with the hand paddles and land it in your opponent’s square to score points. Each set includes two uniquely designed hand paddles, two birdies, and other components needed to create your court. It’s fun for both kids and adults and works great on a variety of surfaces so you can take it anywhere!

Children can enjoy active outdoor play with the color changing Cosmic Kick the Can [6] by Starlux Games. This device has five different color modes and will glow in the dark so kids can have fun day or night. This game can also be played in many different places outside, so it will be easy to find a space to play with friends or family. This makes a great gift providing a fresh take on a classic outdoor game.

Solar Race Car [7] by Thames & Kosmos is a fun and easy kit that is great for children just learning to build robotic models. Once completed, the model runs on clean, solar energy! For optimal operating speed, make sure to place it in a very sunny location since cloud cover and shade can affect the car’s speed. Children may need adult supervision since the model pieces need to be cut before use.

Kubb [8] by Tactic Games is a family-friendly, outdoor game consisting of throwing wooden sticks at wooden blocks. Each team sets up five wooden base “Kubb” (pronounced “KOOB”) blocks at opposite ends of a rectangle with a King block in the center of the field. Teams take turns tossing six throwing sticks at the opposing team’s Kubbs. Any Kubbs knocked over by a team can be moved to their own side of the field to serve as defense. Opponents must knock these over before attacking the five Base Kubbs. Once a team knocks over all their opponent’s Kubbs, they can attempt to knock over the King Kubb, winning the game!

Put on an impressive light show and flaunt your spin skills with a little practice! Fun in Motion Toys offers Glow.0 Toys for ages 6 and up. Choose from a set of Spinballs®! [9] , a Floating Wand! [10], or Juggling Balls! [11] . Each set contains LED glowing elements that involve juggling or swinging the objects in the air to put on a mesmerizing show after dark. Each includes a USB charging cord (cord only). Great for events or just fun family time!

et a chance to see how ants live up close with Ant Factory™ [1] by Geosafari®. This kit includes an ant habitat, tools to feed them, tunneling sand, and activity guide. The habitat features see-through glass so you can easily get an inside look at how ants live. It’s easy to assemble,too! The included certificate for the harvester ants gives you a website and a coupon code to get your ants (shipping is extra). The activity guide features instructions on setting up your ant factory and information on the care and study of ants.

Make Your Own Squirrel Feeder Kit [2] by MindWare® is easy to assemble with step-by-step instructions. Kids can paint and decorate the wood pieces before placing it in an ideal spot. The feeder is designed like a picnic table and has a cute little umbrella to provide shade. Kit includes everything needed to assemble and decorate the feeder and includes a guidebook with tips on where to place it and what treats squirrels might enjoy.

Provide shelter for bees and other insects in your own backyard with a Solitary Bee Habitat [3] by Toysmith®. This kit targets mason bees and similar non-swarming bees. The rows are made from wooden sheets that stack on top of each other, making it easy to take apart and view individual tunnels. An elastic loop latches onto a knob to keep the top and bottom half together. The wood will require some sanding and possibly some reinforcing.

Enjoy the hustle and bustle of your own lovely Ladybug Garden [4] by Educational Insights®! Each habitat features a twist off lid for safe feeding, 3 magnification spots for up-close observation, and a mail-in certificate for ladybug larvae (postage not included). Watch the transformation from larva to pupa to ladybug. Includes an informative instruction guide with fun facts, care and feeding for all stages of ladybugs, and fun drawing and coloring activities. Please note that ladybugs only ship within the continental U.S..

Butterfly Feeder [5] by Insect Lore is such a fun and easy way to attract butterflies to your backyard! Fill the Butterfly Feeder reservoir with nectar, making sure the red wicks are positioned in the flower openings so the nectar can be drawn to the feeder surface. Hang the feeder outdoors using a string or place the feeder on a flat surface outdoors. Every few days, wash the Butterfly Feeder with warm water, rinse, and fill with fresh nectar. You can even make your own butterfly nectar by dissolving one-part sugar into four-parts water and mixing thoroughly. (Refrigerate unused nectar for future use.)

he Clean Up Broom Set [6] by HaPe International has everything children need, in just their size, to help with the household chores. The set includes a mop, broom, duster, dustpan, towel, and stand to store everything on. The broom and mop are small enough for little hands to grasp so kids will have no trouble cleaning up a mess themselves!

Pretendables™ Backyard Pizza Oven Set [7] by Fat Brain Toy Company® will inspire hours of creative play! From the simple, no-reading-required cookbook to the well-constructed, authentic looking ingredients and cooking components—this may be the coolest pretend cooking set I’ve seen in a long time! Set includes pizza peel, 6 pieces of pizza with attachments to connect together as a whole pizza, 2 plates, pizza cutter, serving spatula, 2 shakers, and various felt toppings in the shape of common pizza toppings. It also includes a slotted storage container for felt toppings. Each pizza slice has 2 hook attachments for toppings so children can create the perfect slice of pizza for their guests! Storage container serves as a pizza oven.

I don’t know about you, but I love my morning coffee! Kids and grandkids can have their special coffee set to enjoy with you or grandma and grandpa with the Ecoline Coffee Set [8] by Viking Toys®! This super cute, eco-friendly coffee set features dishes that are made from sugar cane. They are dishwasher safe and toxin free, too. Includes 4 cups with handles, plates, and spoons, and 1 pitcher with a detachable lid.

Deluxe Grill and Pizza Oven Playset™ [9] by Melissa & Doug® serves as a wooden BBQ grill, smoker, and pizza oven that looks just like Mom and Dad’s! From pouring the “wood chips” into the chimney and smoker box to the removable thermometer, this deluxe grill has it all! Dials to raise and lower the “flames,” built-in timer, movable utensil rack, side burner, storage shelf and a safety-close hinged lid. The wooden, sliceable grill foods appear uncooked on one side, but show grill marks on the other! The set comes with over 60 pieces including condiments, utensils, different meats, buns, felt pizza toppings and more! This quality constructed set provides hours of pretend play that develops fine motor, sorting, and counting skills.

Want to add a healthy option to the pretend mix of items? Slice & Toss Salad Set [10] by Melissa & Doug® includes everything that children will need to make the perfect pretend salad. Includes organic lettuce and kale, croutons, sliced carrots, and many other pieces. There are even bottles for pretend vinaigrette and ranch as well as directions for assembling different types of salads. This detailed set provides a fun and realistic way for kids to play as they get creative and experiment making this healthy dish.

ill you be the first to gain the 270 electoral votes needed to become the next president of the United States? Election Night!™ Boardgame [1] by Semper Smart Games™ allows you to bring the excitement of the election home as you battle it out against another player or team. The double-sided game board provides two versions of game play: a simpler one using addition or a more complex version using multiplication. Simply roll the four dice and add or multiply two pairs to get different numbers. Each number correlates to a group of states. You will choose one state from each group to “claim.” Using the two provided dry erase markers (red and blue), fill in the mark on the state, the corresponding star on the state grouping that you chose from the sides of the U.S. Map game board, and the number of electoral votes you received from the board’s bottom. States with higher numbers of electoral votes need multiple spots filled to get a majority and win their votes. Strategy cards add another element to the multiplication game allowing for some dice manipulation.

Presidential Elections [2] by Gallopade International helps your kids understand the presidential election process. Each page explains key bits of the history and election process and an activity. Learn about campaigning; the ballot and election process; the Electoral College; and terms like gerrymander; demographics, delegates, and more. The book includes a brief list of additional book and web resources, a glossary of election terms, and an index. Illustrations are black and white.

U.S Presidential Elections: How They Work [3] is a wonderful group of books by PowerKids Press to learn and discuss the democratic system, presidential candidates, and the political process. Each book is a brief 32-page read full of photographs spanning the history of our presidents, rallies, ballots, and more. Each also covers a specific facet of the presidential process, from the electoral college, fundraising, primaries, and inauguration day. Books include a glossary and index that open up the possibility for further conversations and research. These paperback books can also be easily added for young readers to any American history or government course.

ummer is a great time to explore what the ins and outs of a small business would entail. It’s My Biz [1] by Fashion Angels Enterprises features a business kit for jewelry, knitting, or stickers. The kits come with everything you need to get started, including a planning notebook to develop your business plan.

You can be your own boss! To start and run your business, you first need a good idea. Be Your Own Boss [2] by PowerKids Press is a series of softcover books that will show you the steps to plan and start your own business—including making a business plan, creating a budget, advertising, and more. In time, you’ll be able to enjoy your business’s profits. Each book is about 24 pages and topics include bake sale, car wash, recycling, babysitting, yard sale, and yard work.

raveling this summer? Travel Journal: Record Your Adventures [3] by Jr. Rangerland™ is perfect for taking along on your next great adventure! This mini-journal helps kids process and remember all they encounter on a road trip, hike, or vacation. Discover new plants, animals, food, art, music, culture, colors, people, and more—and then journal about them. It also features creative prompts like drawing an expectation vs reality. Includes everything you need: a journal, sticker page, small pencil, handheld pencil sharpener, and 8 colorful Prang Crayons.

Here I Go! Travel Journal [4] by Sourcebooks Explore is great for those who love holding onto memories! This travel journal is filled with writing, drawing, coloring prompts, and more. Flip to any page, record the date, and jot down a memory to cherish for years to come. Perfect for vacations and long trips. These prompts are also a wonderful, screen-free way to pass time on the road or after a long, exhausting day of adventure.

ina Burmeier and her husband homeschooled their three kids using many Charlotte Mason and classical programs. Realizing all three kids were very different, taking an eclectic approach gave them a great opportunity to meet all their children’s needs. For years, they traveled together as a family to homeschool conventions representing Rainbow Resource Center. She has thoroughly enjoyed meeting and talking with many homeschoolers over the years. With all three kids now college graduates, she is a consultant in the office at Rainbow and continues to enjoy helping homeschoolers with curriculum questions. She is very passionate about researching curriculum and learning styles as she helps other homeschoolers find the best fit for their children.

mber Garcia studied Elementary Education and music at Bible college. There she met her husband and began the journey of ministry and family. Giving their four children a Christian education became the focus and they purposed making that happen by putting them in a Christian school where they were teaching some years and homeschooling other years. Now Amber is a homeschool consultant at Rainbow Resource Center helping other homeschoolers with curriculum questions. Amber loves finding the key to help each student learn in their own way.