10 Toys for Creative Play

Creativity. Imagination. Open-ended play. No matter what you call it, it's having a moment, and we couldn't be more thrilled! So take a break from plastics, characters and big brands—plus those long lists of instructions—and embrace the whimsical instead. Playtime suddenly got fun again!

Oh, Mr. Printables, we love your imaginative activities and blog, and now we can buy this adorbs paper city from your shop! The city is pre-cut with pre-fold lines, ready for the head architect to make the city of their dreams.

These gorgeous, hand-made masks span the spectrum of just about every animal conceivable, including endangered (there's a narwhal mask!) and mythical beasts. Can't decide on just one? Join the mask-of-the-month club to keep that dress-up box very well stocked. Plus (eek!) some masks have a matching tail available separately.

Our littles have a serious case of camera obsession, but until they're old enough to be trusted with the lens, this wooden facsimile from Twig Creative does the trick. With movable knobs, buttons and a view finder that turns, this will keep fiddly fingers busy for a long time. It also looks great as a decor object in the nursery.

We're not sure quite how to explain the Sonny Angel series of collectible dolls, except to say that they possess some serious retro charm. The surprise factor of not knowing which dolls lies within the packaging makes us want to collect them all. And the quirky animal hats on each doll inspire some great creative thinking.

Are they dolls? Pegs? Pebbles? They're anything you want them to be! Paint on a face or leave them be and clothe them in paper capes featuring monochrome alphabet letters. This is open-ended play at its best.

Building just got even cooler with these geometric, interlocking blocks. Easy to build up, out and way over there, there is no need for “the instructions” with this construction toy.

Washi tape is like a miracle invention. It tears cleanly and can be repositioned on walls again and again with no damage to paint. With this magic substance in hand, why not create a tree on the playroom wall? Blueprints for a fort? An epic tic-tac-toe game? The wall's the limit!

OK so the price is a bit steep for this kit, but hey—you're making actual robots here with sensory, behavioral and communicative capabilities! Just think of the creativity it will inspire in your little robotics engineer. Plus, it's pretty darn cool when the whole family gets involved.

Brush pens are, well, just as they sound. They're markers that have the properties of paint brushes but with better control and no mess. Let the kiddos loose to create masterpieces, new fonts, cool patterns or some really epic monsters.

Well worth every dollar, bead mazes are a winner for little ones and great for developing motor skills. But the cool thing about this activity cube is how preschoolers and beyond will repurpose it for their imaginative play. One day it will be the console for a rocket ship, the next an inventor's toolkit. They should just re-name this the imagination box.