If you’ve ever walked through the toy aisle and felt like you needed to buy something that was going to make your child smarter, you’re not alone.

There are educational toys for learning letters, numbers, sight words, coding, science, fine motor skills, problem-solving, reading, math, and just about everything else you can think of. As a former classroom teacher, I completely understand the appeal. We want our kids to learn, and when a toy promises to make learning happen while our kids play, it sounds like a win.

But I think we’ve gotten a little carried away with the idea that everything our children do needs to be educational.

What if your child doesn’t need another educational toy? What if they just need to play?

I know that might sound strange coming from someone with a background in education, but I’ve seen firsthand how much children can learn when we stop trying to turn every activity into a lesson.

Play matters. So does boredom. So does helping make dinner, building something that falls apart, reading a book for the tenth time, playing a board game, and making up a completely ridiculous pretend game.

Those things may not come with a learning objective printed on the box, but that doesn’t mean your child isn’t learning.

We Don’t Have to Turn Childhood Into School

I think parents have been given a lot of pressure to constantly provide enrichment.

Is your child reading enough? Are they practicing math? Are they doing STEM activities? Are they learning over the summer? Are they getting enough screen-free time? Are they playing with educational toys?

It’s exhausting.

And honestly, children don’t need us to turn their entire day into a curriculum.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has emphasized the importance of play for children’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. It also points out that toys should support play and interaction rather than replace the relationships children have with the adults around them.

That last part is important.

A toy doesn’t have to teach your child multiplication to be worthwhile. Sometimes a toy is valuable because it gives your child an opportunity to create something, solve a problem, use their imagination, or spend time playing with you.

And sometimes it’s valuable simply because they really, really enjoy it.

Unstructured Play Is More Valuable Than We Give It Credit For

One of my favorite things to give children is something that doesn’t have a specific set of instructions.

Think blocks, LEGO, magnetic tiles, cardboard boxes, art supplies, or even a pile of random objects from around the house.

Instead of telling a child exactly what to make, try saying, “What can you build?”

Now they have to come up with the idea themselves. They have to decide what materials they need, figure out how to make their idea work, and adjust when something doesn’t go according to plan.

That’s problem-solving. It’s creativity. It’s persistence. It’s planning.

And you didn’t have to print a worksheet or purchase a STEM kit to make it happen.

LEGO is a great example of this because there isn’t one right answer. A child can build a house today, a spaceship tomorrow, and something that makes absolutely no sense the next day.

That’s the beauty of open-ended toys.

Let Your Kids Be Bored

I know. This one is hard.

We’ve all heard, “I’m bored,” followed by the expectation that we’re supposed to immediately fix it.

But boredom isn’t necessarily something that needs to be solved.

When children are constantly entertained by screens, activities, toys, and adults telling them what to do next, they don’t always get the opportunity to figure out what to do on their own.

And yes, they might complain.

They might wander around the house.

They might tell you they’re bored approximately 47 more times.

But eventually, they may come up with something.

They might build a fort, make up a game, draw, play outside, organize their stuffed animals, or decide that a cardboard box is actually a spaceship.

That process is valuable.

I’m not saying you should never provide activities for your kids. I have absolutely spent time putting together crafts, games, and activities for children. But I don’t think parents should feel guilty when their children have nothing planned for an afternoon.

Boredom can create space for creativity.

Some of the Best Learning Happens in the Kitchen

If you really want to work learning into your child’s day, you don’t necessarily need another educational product.

Invite them into the kitchen.

Let them measure ingredients. Read a recipe together. Count eggs. Talk about fractions. Double a recipe. Figure out how many cookies you’ll have if you make two batches.

And suddenly, you’re practicing math and reading without sitting down to do “math” or “reading.”

The same thing happens with everyday responsibilities.

Have your child help sort laundry, match socks, set the table, make a grocery list, count money, organize their backpack, water plants, or clean up their toys.

These activities teach skills that children actually need.

And unlike a worksheet, they have an immediate purpose.

Board Games Are One of My Favorite Learning Tools

If you do want to purchase something specifically for your child, board games are one of the categories I would look at first.

Not because every board game is secretly an academic lesson, but because playing a game requires children to practice so many skills at once.

They have to follow directions, take turns, wait, make decisions, communicate, solve problems, and deal with the fact that they might not win.

That last one is important.

Children need opportunities to lose.

They need to experience disappointment and frustration in small, manageable situations and learn how to handle those feelings.

A game of Connect Four isn’t going to solve every problem, but it gives your child an opportunity to practice patience, strategy, and resilience in a way that doesn’t feel like a lesson.

And there’s another benefit: you’re doing it together.

That’s something I don’t think we talk about enough when we discuss educational toys. The interaction between a child and an adult can be more valuable than whatever happens to be printed on the packaging.

Please Let Your Kids Read for Fun

As an educator, this is one I feel particularly strongly about.

Not every book your child reads needs to be at exactly the right reading level. Not every book needs to be followed by comprehension questions. Not every reading experience needs to result in a worksheet.

Sometimes kids should read because a book is funny.

Sometimes they should read comics.

Sometimes they should reread the same book over and over.

Sometimes they should choose a book that seems ridiculously easy.

And sometimes you should read aloud to them even when they are perfectly capable of reading independently.

Reading for pleasure helps children develop a positive relationship with books, and that’s something we shouldn’t overlook.

Keep books around the house. Let your child choose them. Visit the library. Read together before bed.

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Give Them Art Supplies and Get Out of the Way

You don’t need an expensive craft kit every time you want your child to be creative.

A stack of paper, some markers, crayons, glue, scissors, stickers, and cardboard can go a surprisingly long way.

And here’s something I would encourage parents to try: don’t tell them what to make.

Instead of saying, “Let’s make a butterfly,” put the supplies out and say, “What do you want to make?”

The result may not be something you’d put on Pinterest.

That’s okay.

The goal isn’t a perfect craft. The goal is giving your child an opportunity to make decisions and create something that came from their own imagination.

Don’t Underestimate Pretend Play

Pretend play can look completely ridiculous from an adult perspective.

Your child is a doctor. Then they’re a veterinarian. Then they’re running a restaurant. Five minutes later, you’re apparently a dinosaur who needs emergency surgery.

Go with it.

Children use pretend play to practice language, storytelling, social skills, problem-solving, and perspective-taking. They create scenarios, assign roles, negotiate rules, and change the story as they go.

And you don’t need an expensive pretend-play set to make this happen.

A blanket can become a fort. A cardboard box can become a spaceship. Stuffed animals can become students in a classroom.

Sometimes the less a toy does for them, the more they have to do with it.

What About Educational Toys?

Now, before anyone thinks I’m saying you should throw every educational toy in your house away, that’s not what I mean.

There are some fantastic educational toys, games, books, and learning resources out there. I own plenty of them, and I think the right resources can absolutely encourage learning.

The point is that “educational” doesn’t automatically mean “better.”

When you’re deciding whether to buy something for your child, I’d think less about what the packaging promises and more about what your child can actually do with it.

Can they use their imagination?

Can they solve problems?

Can they build something?

Can they play independently?

Can they play with someone else?

Can they use it in more than one way?

Will they actually want to play with it?

Those questions matter more to me than whether the word “educational” is printed in big letters across the front of the box.

So What Should You Actually Buy?

If you’re looking for things that encourage learning without making your home feel like a classroom, I’d focus on a few simple categories.

Building toys: LEGO, blocks, magnetic tiles, or anything that allows children to construct their own ideas.

Board games: Look for games that involve strategy, memory, counting, communication, or taking turns.

Art supplies: Paper, markers, crayons, paint, scissors, glue, stickers, and other basic supplies.

Books: Especially books your child actually wants to read.

Puzzles: Great for problem-solving, patience, and persistence.

Outdoor toys: Balls, sidewalk chalk, bikes, scooters, gardening supplies, and anything that gets kids moving.

Pretend-play materials: Costumes, stuffed animals, dolls, play food, puppets, and whatever else your child is currently obsessed with.

And don’t forget one of the cheapest and most versatile toys of all:

A cardboard box.

Seriously.

Let your child turn it into whatever they want.

The Best “Educational” Activity Might Not Be Educational at All

I don’t think we need to stop buying toys.

I don’t think we need to stop doing crafts or educational activities.

And I definitely don’t think parents should feel bad for buying their kids something that has the word “educational” on the package.

I just think we need to take some of the pressure off.

Children don’t need every afternoon scheduled. They don’t need every toy to have a learning objective. They don’t need to be constantly preparing for the next grade level.

They need time to explore, time to make mistakes, time to get bored, time to create, build, read, imagine, move, talk, and play!

And they need adults who are willing to occasionally sit on the floor and join them.

So, the next time your child tells you they’re bored, you don’t necessarily have to reach for your phone and find an activity.

You could simply say:

“Okay. What do you want to do?”

And then let them figure it out.

Because maybe the best thing we can teach our kids is that they don’t always need someone else to tell them what to do.

Sometimes, they can figure it out themselves.

And that’s a pretty valuable lesson.

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Stay Curious & Teach Boldly,

Jade