Kids have tons of energy—that’s one of the many things we love about them. Sometimes, though, as we all know, they don’t have enough outlets for that energy. As a result, they can do things that we don’t love quite so much. But properly channeled, those idle hands can play, do, create, build, investigate, and get involved in all sorts of wonderful, productive things. Here are some of our favorites.
Dr. Panda Plus Home Designer (Dr. Panda)
Perfect for kids who love to draw and design, Dr. Panda combines a physical toy with easy-to-use AR technology to bring your child’s creations to life. Use more than 50 flashcards to place generic items (furniture, clothes, art, plants, and more) into whichever room you want to design. Or, flip the card over and customize each item. Then, using your smartphone or other Android, Fire OS, or iOS device, scan your images into the app and, wow! Comes with flashcards, erasable markers, and a code to unlock the free app. Pre-readers can also learn to spell and pronounce the names of the objects on each flashcard. For ages 3-8. Under $40. https://drpanda.com
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One player deals eight cards to all the other players. Each card has a line—some you know, others will leave you scratching your head—from movies (some you’ve heard of, others not so much). The dealer then pulls an Awkward Family Photo card from the deck and turns it over for all to see. Players decide which of their eight movie line cards would make the best caption for the picture. The dealer picks the winner and awards points accordingly. If you run out of pictures, you can download more from awkwardfamilyphotos.com. Movie knowledge might help a little, but it’s by no means necessary. A good sense of humor, however, is essential. About $18. For 4-8 players, ages 12+. 
Now that it’s Autumn (and it’s finally cooled off), you’ll want to make sure you have some layers available. One of our current go-to items has been this Stretch, a pull-over-the-head, half-zip sweatshirt. This is definitely not your mom’s sweatshirt, however. It’s got a soft, warm lining on the inside, a quick-drying/water-repelling outside, and is tough and functional to boot. The Core Stretch comes in several color options, which makes it easy to pair with your running gear, jeans, or anything else you feel like wearing outside (or inside, if you haven’t turned on your central heating just yet). Hey, the more options, the better, right? It’s just the right weight for the fall season or to layer under your clothing as it gets colder. Care is easy, and at $22, it’s perfectly priced. http://en.dare2b.com
Remember those iconic Atari games you used to play (or that your parents or grandparents told you about)? Well, now you can enjoy them on your TV—and without all those pesky cartridges. The joystick comes preloaded with 10 games, including Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede, Missile Command, Warloards, and more. To make your return to the 80s complete, each game features retro graphics, sounds, and all the original gameplay. 4 AA batteries required but not included. For ages 8+. About $20. 
This is one of those games that will get you and the family up, outside, and sweating. It’s honestly a great workout. As you can tell from the “minton” part of the name, it’s kind of like badminton, but you don’t need a net. And the “bash” part tells you that you’ll be whaling away, smacking the 4.5-inch “birdie” ball as hard as you can with one of the 21-inch mesh rackets. The rackets and ball are washable and float, meaning you can take your game into the pool. Includes two rackets and one ball. For ages 5+. Under $20. 
The folks at Crozzit bill it as “the game you always almost win.” You may want to read that line again. The goal of this two-person game is pretty simple: Player 1 needs to lay out his her or her blue tiles to connect the two blue sides of the board. Player 2 does the same, using yellow tiles to connect the yellow sides. Oh, did we say simple? Ha! There are only three rules that are extremely easy to follow, and since there are only two players, your odds of winning are 50/50. But to succeed, you’ll need to use logic, reasoning, and strategic planning. Crozzit comes with a board, 64 tiles, and instructions, and takes about 20 minutes to play—but it’s hard to stop after one game—you’ll soon find yourself playing best of 3, then 5, then 7, and so on. It’s for ages 8+. Under $20. 
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+. 
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+.