Summer is a favorite season for so many people, but it holds a special place in parents’ hearts. After all, summer brings the opportunity for fun warm-weather activities with your kids like swimming and snorkelling. Most importantly, though, with the summer break from school, you have more chances to spend quality time with your kids rather than spending your time on homework or extracurricular activities. 

This summer and for many summers to come, you can make the most of your time with your kids by choosing the right toys for them. Start with these top brands that are on a mission to exercise your kids’ imaginations and make their summers as fun and growth-filled as they can be.

Scrunch

Every parent has felt the pain of trying to pack up all the toys and necessities for their kids as they head to the beach, the park, or a vacation destination. The masterminds behind Scrunch know this problem well, so they designed a solution.

Scrunch toys are made with flexible silicone so they can be rolled, folded, or scrunched up, making them easy to store and transport. When you unfold or unroll them, they’re as usable and fun as a toy made of plastic or wood. The sand-made silicone is also environmentally friendly, so there’s no guilt behind these unique toys.

Bling2o

Hitting the water is a great way for kids to take advantage of the summer weather while getting healthy exercise, and it’s an activity that the entire family can easily enjoy together. Bling2o’s mission is to make your kids’ time in the water even better, and they’ve done exactly that.

Bling2o offers a wide range of aquatic gear for kids, including goggles, snorkels, swim masks, and more, all “blinged out” in kid-friendly styles. In fact, the company started as a home craft project to add sparkle and pizazz to kids’ goggles, and it grew to popularity in a hurry. Whether you’re taking your kids to the pool or the beach this summer, these stylish products are perfect for encouraging your kids to wear their productive gear.

Elle Porte

Sun safety is essential during outdoor play, but kids don’t always enjoy doing their part by wearing sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, and other essentials. Elle Porte’s goal is to change that. 

The brand makes glamorous sun wear that any child will love to put on when they’re heading out to enjoy the summer. Without realising it, they’re helping to protect themselves from sunburn, future skin cancer, and eye damage. As an added bonus, Elle Porte offers sunglasses and hats for women too, so kids can even have fun matching Mom.

Dantoy

Eco-conscious parents today are always looking for ways to give their kids great toys that won’t have a negative impact on the environment. This can be difficult because so many kids’ toys are made with traditional plastic. Dantoy, however, is offering an alternative.

Danish toy brand Dantoy actually created the first toys to be awarded the Nordic Swan Ecolabel - a certification that has strict standards for plastic production. To meet those criteria, Dantoy uses more eco-friendly plastic and avoids harmful chemicals like BPA or phthalates. Their products have a longer life cycle and at the end of that lifecycle, they’re easily recyclable too.

MaMaMeMo

Like Dantoy, MaMaMeMo is a brand from Denmark that aims to create eco-conscious toys for kids. The two brands meet their goals in different ways, though, with MaMaMeMo specializing in wooden toys.

Overall, MaMaMeMo is all about empowering imagination by producing role-playing toys. From large wooden kitchen sets to wooden tool toys to costumes, they want to give you everything your child needs to explore their creativity and step into anyone’s shoes.

PlanToys

As another unique toy brand, PlanToys takes a unique approach to sustainable toys. The brand’s toys aren’t only wooden, they’re made from leftover sawdust. This means your child’s toys are using materials that would otherwise go to waste, and they’re biodegradable to boot. Unlike modern toys and electronics, wooden toys are built to last, so they make perfect family heirlooms that your kids can pass down to their own children and grandchildren.

PlanToys also puts a special emphasis on creating toys that are designed for your child’s age and developmental stage. The PlanToys experts study how kids learn and grow at various ages and create toys that build the specific cognitive and physical skills that are at the top of your child’s to-learn list.

Floss & Rock

Floss & Rock, at first glance, might sound like one of those electronic toys that make constant noise and give every parent a daily headache. The brand couldn’t be further from that unhappy image, though. 

Floss & Rock makes a variety of toys designed to help your child learn and grow in different ways. The brand’s top specialties are wooden puzzles and play boxes which serve as dollhouses and other fun backdrops for small dolls.

The play boxes are perfect for kids to exercise their creativity and role-playing skills. Meanwhile, the wooden puzzles are a safe and eco-friendly way to help your child develop spatial awareness, problem-solving, and other cognitive abilities. Ranging from 12 pieces to 100 pieces, these jigsaw puzzles come in varieties for kids of any age and developmental level.

Choosing Your Kids’ Toys Wisely

Playing is far more than a way for kids to enjoyably pass the time and give you a chance to spend time with them. For kids, playing is the way they learn almost every skill they develop, from social to cognitive skills. It all starts with toys that will engage your kids, keep them mentally or physically active, and stimulate their imagination.

The brands above are your teammates in the goal of giving your child a healthy, happy development, and so are we. Shop these brands and more in the Swanky Boutique summertime collection.