Whether you’re looking for some exciting outdoors activities or something just as exciting to do indoors, we’ve got you covered.
Ultra Dash (Play Monster)
Set up your five-target course any way you want. Then, press the button on the tagger to start. Whichever color it flashes, you race to it and tag it with the tagger. The tagger instantly flashes the next color and you’re off again. The tagger keeps track of total elapsed time. You can play solo, one-on-one, or team vs. team. Since you and the kids design the course, it’s a different game every time, and you can make it more challenging by using the tagger’s randomizer function. It’s a fast-paced game that will get everyone up, moving, and having fun indoors or outside. Comes with the electronic tagger (batteries included) and five targets. Ages 6+. Under $20. Ages 6+. www.playmonster.com
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School—and imagination—are always in session. The Cabbage Academy Playset includes three play areas (a study hall, classroom, and playground) and a variety of accessories (desks, a chair, a double-sided easel, a globe, a basketball and hoop, lockers that open, a working swing, a slide, and more). And since there’s no sense having a school (or recess) without a student, you even get a 1.5” Little Sprouts figure, Piper June, who happens to be quite rare. The adorable, cabbage-shaped Little Sprouts Mystery Packs contain either a single kid or a baby plus a pet. There are 120 possibilities, including rare and ultra-rare figures. The Academy retails for around $20 and the Mystery Packs are about $3. Additional sets, with four or eight figures, are also available for under $10. Ages 4+. 
The games in this series are designed to teach core coding concepts through hands-on, screen-free, unplugged play—and they do a wonderful job. Each one consists of a map and 40 levelled challenges (beginner, intermediate, and advanced). In On the Brink, the player takes a challenge card and will use logic and problem-solving skills to move his or her robot along colored pathways from start to finish. Rover Control is similar, but the pathways are colorless, so the player has to figure out not only how to program the robot to get from A to B, but also how to color the pathway, since the robots can’t move without the colors. Robot Repair takes thing up another notch. Instead of moving the robot, the player needs to repair the robot. Each of the challenge cards presents a problem and gives a series of clues for how to fix it. The player uses logic and deductive reasoning to solve the problem and re-activate the robot. $14.99 each at many online and brick-and-mortar retailers. For one player, age 8+. 
Water balloon fights are awesome—who doesn’t love one in the heat of the summer—but there’s always one person who gets stuck preparing most of the balloons (and tying knot after knot after knot…), and the post-fight cleanup is never fun for anyone. To avoid all the annoyance while keeping all the enjoyment, check out Water Wubble (the newest member of the Wubble family). Water Wubble is easy to fill in the pool, at the beach, or with a hose. But the coolest thing about the Water Wubble is its re-usability: you fill it, it seals beautifully, you throw it at your target, it explodes with a splash, and repeat. It’s for ages 7+. $14.99 at Walmart, Target, and ToysRUs, or online from 
Most kids love building, and a slightly smaller group loves bugs. For those who love both, this action-packed kit is perfect. It contains 80 colorful pieces and easy-to-follow instructions to build a motorized bug that moves, rotates, and more. Kids will learn about robotics, gears, following instructions, planning, and patience. For ages s 6+. Under $20. 
This high-quality kit (we wouldn’t expect anything else from Seedling) includes a foldout box kite, tubes of fabric paint, and other materials that you and your little one(s) can use to create a one-of-a-kind soaring, dodging, flying, masterpiece that you’ll use over and over again. All you need is time, imagination, and lots of wind. For ages 8+. About $30. 
A great craft activity to do with your tween and/or teen. It comes with everything you need for a fabulous mini garden (except water): a trendy, geometric terrarium; potting mix; seeds; pink flamingo and golden pineapple ornaments; decorative plants, sand, and stones; a water dropper; and instructions. For ages 12+. Under $25. 
One of the cornerstones of any budgeting and savings plan is to take a set percentage from every check you receive and put it into a savings account. But, knowing what you should do and actually doing it are two very different things. Feed the Pig has a variety of tools and resources that can help you create a budget, control your spending, manage your credit, and set up savings plans. Thinking about the future will help you pay more attention to how you’re spending your money today. Having long-term goals makes it a lot easier to say No to those impulse purchases. Saving and investing could mean the difference between being able to buy a home in your 20’s and renting until you’re in your 40’s, and between being able to travel the world while you’re still young enough to enjoy it and being confined to your cubicle until you retire. 
Have you ever told a stranger to pick up after his or her dog? Have you ever fallen asleep while driving? Have you ever gotten into a shouting match over a parking space? Have you ever shoplifted? Do you wear thong underwear? These are just a handful of the 200 revealing questions that may give you and your fellow players some insight into exactly how “normal” you are. Each card also includes the percentage of people polled who have answered “Yes.” You earn points for guessing how the other players will answer. For ages 15 and up. Retails for about $10. 
For a doll that does double duty (you can snuggle it or take it into the bathtub or pool), check out this new entry from Corolle. Filled with polystyrene beads that dry quickly, these 12-inch dolls are specially designed for playing in the tub, and are so light they float. They have adorable faces, vanilla-scented skin (Corolle’s signature), and eyes that open and close. Every doll comes with an outfit and bath toy of its own and they’re available in several skin tones and both sexes for about $28 each.