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We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page. Parents Everywhere Will Love These 27 Products That Teachers Absolutely Swear By Keeping your home running smoothly thanks to the experts themselves. 1. A visual timer that can help make transitions easier for everyone. Since kids can't tell time, "five more minutes" doesn't mean much. When time is visual, kids can watch the colored portion get smaller and be less shocked when time is up. If you have a kid that struggles with transitions or doesn't want any time but NOW, this timer is for you. 2. A magnetic letter tracing board for a little handwriting practice without pens and papers and markers and erasers and tears. Since the magnets pop up as they trace, there's a little sensory fun there, too. These are perfect for keeping kids occupied in restaurants or waiting rooms completely screen free. 3. A set of dot paint markers that makes painting clean, creative, and fun! For parents who don't like how messy paint can get, these are an absolute lifesaver. I also suggest a dot marker book for some guided fun. 4. A mindfulness maze to help kids learn some coping strategies before getting to meltdown mode. If your little (or bigger) one is starting to get worked up, these mazes are a fun and visual way to practice deep breathing. Breathe in as you get to a corner, breathe out until the next one. Repeat. 5. A set of MathLink cubes that are the gold standard in helping kids learn basic math (learning win!) but also make the most fun creative play blocks. With that ever satisfying *pop* we've been chasing since childhood, these learning toys are going to be your kid's favorite real-life Minecraft. 6. A clip board in case your kiddos love a little flex seating with their creativity. My elementary schooler doesn't like doing homework at the table, so she'll grab a clip board and take it to her location of choice — giving my afternoon one less battle. 7. A guided reading tool to help young readers focus word by word. If helping your emerging reader focus on carefully reading each word makes you want to pull out your hair — because learning to read is SUCH a taxing process — it's time to enlist a little help. No advice on the "s....se...see...HAT?" dilemma. 8. A fast-paced, but little kid accessible card game that's fun for everyone in the family. Spot It is somehow equally challenging for all ages that play it and is so simply fun for the whole family. 9. A perfectly massive caddy of 152!!! Crayola crayons, because literally every teacher I know will only buy Crayola, and every kid I know loves crayons. A huge variety of colors, a sharpener, and instant organization? No wonder it's a must-have for teachers. 10. A weighted stuffed animal to give them an extra cute way to feel a little bit of calm. The benefits of weight work for everyone (me, staring longingly at my weighted blanket) and this weighted stuffy can help with regulation whether or not now's a good time for a nap. 11. A set of flash cards for helping your elementary-aged kid get a little faster with math. Historically, I was never a fan of flashcards, but now that my kids are older, I see how just knowing them by memory helps my oldest complete her math homework with significantly less stress. These can slip easily into a bag for something to do to pass a little time, and the learning benefit is amazing. 12. A set of magnetic sentence strips to keep them occupied while you're throwing together dinner. Sentence strips are great for practicing writing their names and inspiring a little creativity. And should you need to copy down a phone number in a pinch, you're covered. 13. And a set of kid-friendly word play magnets for creating fun sentences the entire family can enjoy. Refrigerator poetry has been around forever, but honestly what a fun way to start some low-stakes creative writing. 14. A wooden sight word puzzle to help them with early reading skills — or just give them a fun puzzle to do. As they grow, they can also start putting together their own words for a toy that grows with them. Just don't be surprised if you see a rainbow-colored "snack please" in strategic locations around the house. 15. A Little Spot plushy and book kit for teaching your kiddos a little emotional awareness. The Little Spot series is a favorite among child therapists, and all kids could use a little more emotional awareness. These plushies are not only cute, but can also serve as a visual tool for helping kids communicate how they're feeling. 16. An LED drawing pad to create fun pictures without the need for crayons and paper. My kids bring these along on car rides and love drawing and practicing writing. I love how little space they take up. They're also great for restaurants and doctors appointments since they store easily in a backpack or diaper bag AND they're popular with all ages. Such an easy win. 17. A variety of lacing toys to help with fine motor skills in young kids. Or if they have older siblings, there's nothing quite like imagining you're a pioneer child learning to sew to help the family before winter comes. Was that just me? 18. A set of paint sticks because teachers have literally no time to deal with spilled paint mess and neither do you. With paint that can be held like markers, your little Picasso is going to love feeling like a true artist. 19. A Guess in 10 game that's the perfect travel size for when you're in waiting rooms, restaurants, traveling, or just looking for an easy game to play while you can sit down for a change. Not only does it encourage thinking, it's just fun to have a little connection with your kids between wild play. 20. A wobble cushion to help them get those wiggles out during mealtimes, quiet times, or really any time they need to sit in a chair for more than a few minutes. I will sing the praises of the wobble cushion until the end of time. My ADHD child uses one at school, and putting it on her chair as we worked on staying seated during meals was such a game-changer. This baby comes out during movies, meals, or rainy afternoons to save me from the extra energy my kids expend. 21. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones for sensory sensitive kids. If your little one doesn't love loud noises or just needs to chill out in crowded spaces, a good pair of headphones could be the difference between cool down and melt down. My oldest child is sensory sensitive and we keep a pair in the car, at home, and in her room because a little break from white noise makes all of the difference. 22. A set of emotional regulation tubes to help overwhelmed kids have a calm few minutes. All of the benefits of a lava lamp without needing to be near a plug. Breathe in, breathe out. 23. A tangram puzzle you can use to create fun images or to start your kiddo on the complexities of Tetris from an early age. My kids have this puzzle and it's a quiet time favorite. And literally the only toy I get a spark of joy with if they forget to put it away. "I guess I'll have to take a stab at it..." 24. A selection of letter stamps for helping little kids become familiar with letters and helping big kids have a little fun creating sentences with the ever-popular stamp pad. Does it look a little like a ransom note? Sure. But at least it's just filled with block-lettered bathroom humor. 25. A daily calendar to spend a little time going over the day whether you homeschool, have toddlers, or just want to spend a little intentional time with your kids in the morning. This calendar is a quick, organized way to go over the days of the week, the weather, and what you might have planned for the day. 26. A painting smock for when you have to appease them with a little paint. This way, you can focus on their perfectly adorable brush stroke and not on how much it would cost to replace the Gabby's Dollhouse T-shirt they refused to take off. 27. A shoe lacing practice sneaker because learning to tie shoes is SUCH an unnecessarily stressful experience. With this practice toy, you're less likely to find dirty shoes all over the house, but they're still getting plenty of practice in. And just think — the sooner they learn, the less you'll hear "tie my shooooooe" from across the park. Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity. Why Trust BuzzFeed Shopping? BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Raylyn Paquin is a freelancer who has been writing for BuzzFeed Shopping for two years, with a focus on products that make parenting just a bit easier — and hopefully more fun — home decor, kitchen gadgets, and whatever deals she can scope out. When not writing, teaching, or chauffeuring her kids, she spends the wisps of her weekend watching baking shows or exploring sunny Southern California.
