It’s soft, it’s baby-sized, and it’s got cute ears. The Jellycat Bashful Grey Bunny Baby Stuffed Animal Security Blanket takes the standard “security blanket” a step further by attaching a sweet, snuggly critter (Amazon, $22.50). You also can’t go wrong with squeaky Sophie the Giraffe ($26.98), whose neck is easy for tiny hands to grab, and whose soft nose is perfect for gnawing. The same goes for a Wubbanub Infant Pacifier, whose small, attached animal provides extra comfort and weight to keep the pacifier in baby’s mouth.

Supplement a new parent’s blanket stash with these Aden + Anais Tea Collection Swaddle Blankets (great for everything from tummy time to functioning as a nursing cover-up) or Burpy Bibs, whose rounded shape makes for amazing over-the-shoulder burp cloths (they come in 24 patterns and cost $11.99 for a two-pack). Both are made with muslin and get softer with every wash.

For a toy you might enjoy as much as your baby, enter the Talking Cactus (Amazon, $28.99). Not only does it play songs and “dance,” it can record your baby’s sounds and mimic them, letting them have an exceedingly cute conversation with none other than themselves. Or combine two things babies love: Crinkle books and tags they can pull, in the Taggies Crinkle Me Toy ($10.94, Amazon).

For a little music in baby’s life: Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes ($8.88) lets baby easily hold and press play on classical tunes while the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube ($19.95), includes harp, flute, French horn, piano, and violin instrument sounds. The Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym (Amazon, $39.98) offers hours of musical fun, all with a kick of baby’s feet.

When little ones become mobile and talkative, their curiosity and love of imaginative play takes off. My toddlers spent countless hours in our Kidcraft Modern White Play Kitchen ($169.99), taking orders over the phone and crafting hundreds of unique “ice cream and sausage” creations with this Melissa & Doug Wooden Frozen Treats Ice Cream Play Set ($14.99). Enhance the fun with this Scoop & Stack Magnetic Ice Cream Cone Set ($23.99), and Grill & Serve 20 Piece BBQ Set ($18.88). In my experience, a toddler rarely tires of Cutting Fruit ($16.76) or serving you Wooden Birthday Cake with Velcro gum drops on top ($29.99). Of course, every budding chef needs a Retro Cash Register to pay for their supplies (Fisher-Price, $21.92) and shopping cart to transport their groceries; this one from Little Tikes does the trick ($24.99).

The B. Toys Interactive Cat Piano ($26.99) lets young musicians sing, tickle the (faux) ivories, record their voice, or jam along to banjo and techno beats. The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Tablet ($18.52) keeps toddler fingers busy on long car rides, and familiarizes little ears with the letters of the alphabet.

You know who loves pushing brightly colored bubbles and hearing them pop? Toddlers. The Dimpl from Fat Brain Toys ($12.95) lets them pop to their heart’s content. Take ride-on toys to the next level with the Step 2 Ride-on Roller Coaster ($133.59), or motorize the fun with the Kid Trax Toddler Recycling Truck ($199.99). This age range will love the Melissa & Doug Farm Animals Sound Puzzle ($14.99) and Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Set ($23.79 for 8 puzzles). With just 12 pieces each, they’re a great way to help toddlers feel like a capable puzzler (with a little help from mom or dad).

Preschoolers come with a longer attention span, and are able to do more “unoccupied” or solitary play, unaccompanied by a parent or friend. (That’s not to say they won’t try to get you to do the same puzzle ad nauseam.) For little hands and big inquisitive minds, try the Kid O A to Z Magnatab ($29.95), that lets their hands learn how to trace letters with a magnetic pencil. A set of Lego Duplo bricks ($24) (larger than traditional Legos), Mega Bloks ($14.92), or the less-expensive version of Magna Tiles called Picasso Tiles ($30.99) will give their young building minds plenty to create.

Make a Face Sticker Books ($14.95) can entertain the most bickering of siblings (and keep them gloriously occupied at restaurants). Don’t sleep on a Mr. Potato Head Tub Set, whose various eyes and mouths provide silly fun. And Zingo ($21.99) offers a fun entry into the world of Bingo and board games for pre-readers. For jumping fun, the Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper ($16.99) comes in 14 colors, and with a weight support limit of 250 pounds, parents can show them how to use it.

For a sensory experience, there’s squeezable the Kinetic Sand Sandisfactory Set ($17.99) that can be scooped, squished, and molded into different shapes. Similarly, Play Foam ($17.99 for a pack of 10 colors) will give them a tactile experience they love, without leaving a mess (for real). On the older end of this range, Perler’s Biggie Beads ($12.99) can keep small hands busy and focused for quite a while, making their pegboard ($10) patterns perfect.

Five-year-olds love helping—and it’s a great time to introduce cooperative board games! Rather than being competitive, cooperative board games require players to work together towards a common goal. The Peaceable Kingdom Race to the Treasure! game ($15.99) enlists players to strategize and build a path and beat an ogre to the loot. In Gnomes at Night ($23.27), they must communicate to move a magnetic gnome around a maze. And while not cooperative, Sleeping Queens ($9.99) and the eeBoo United States Geography Bingo Game ($19.99) are fantastic, fun ways to get early elementary school kids doing simple math and learning where faraway states are.

Parents may not love gooey, glittery substances in their home, but kids sure do. The Elmer’s Galaxy Slime Starter Pack ($9.83) will keep their hands busy; for less mess, let kids create familiar objects and animals with the Aqua Beads Deluxe Studio ($24.99). The Crayola Ultimate Light Board ($27.99) lets them draw endlessly on a lit, erasable surface and Kiwi Crates expand young minds through art, science, and engineering projects. (Note: Kiwi Crates at this age will require parental participation).

While the Fidget Toy and, more specifically, Pop It craze is not unique to this age group, I have personally witnessed many an eight-year-old Fidget Toy trade negotiation, hence its position here. Sensory Fidget Toys (think: all sorts of small plastic things you can squish, pull, twist, and pop) come in endless permutations and prices, depending on their makeup and quantity. This set of 38 pieces is $12.99. The same can be said for Pop Its, a subspecies of fidget toy, which, while slightly more geared towards girls, have plenty of shape and color options to suit boys, as well.

Kids can’t resist the suspense of building a tower and seeing whose mistake will crash it down in the game of Jenga ($19.99). Square Up ($24.95) offers fast-paced visual thinking challenges for one or two kids as they shuffle colored pieces around to match the pattern in the cube shaker. Guess Who is, in my humble estimation, one of the greatest siblings-of-varying-age games because they’re whether five or eight, kids love searching for and eliminating all the guys with red hair, or women with glasses.

The Flybar Maverick Pogo Stick ($48.99) may function just like the pogo sticks of your youth, but with rubber grip handles and foam-covered metal frame, it’s a lot more comfortable. Let kids cruise around the neighborhood on the Mini Cruiser Retro Skateboard ($44), which comes in nine colors.

Let budding young readers follow siblings Jack and Annie as they go on time-traveling adventures in the Magic Treehouse series ($11.95 for books 1-4). Of course, there is the end-all, be-all video game gift for kids: the almighty Nintendo Switch ($299.99). It’s not cheap (neither are its game cards, which average $60 each), but it’s guaranteed to inspire joy in a young gamer’s eyes.

For the pre-tween set, a Fujifilm Instax Mini Camera ($150) provides hours of old-school Polaroid photographic fun (just be sure to stock up on extra film). A One-Step 18-color Tie-Dye-Kit ($19) lets them easily cinch up and create multi-colored shirts, and a Refasy Piggy Bank ATM ($34.99) lets them store their burgeoning Tooth Fairy cash. Let them work on hand-eye coordination with this 12-piece Magnetic Dart Board ($35.99) or cruise to their friend’s house on a Hoverboard Self-Balancing Scooter ($150). For the musically-inclined, an Ashthorpe Beginner Acoustic Guitar ($49) is specially-designed for young hands just starting out.

The tween years bring new interests, like taking pride in how their bedrooms look. Help them trick out their cribs with a Big Joe Dorm Bean Bag Chair ($57- $61) or a Big Joe Milano Gray Plush Chair ($55) or a string of Globe String Lights ($18) to set the mood. They’re also into “merch”—that is, any merchandise related to the online games or YouTubers they’re into. Gamers who love completing strategic group tasks while deducing the sabotaging imposter will love Among Us swag. When in doubt, ask who their favorite YouTuber is (if they have regular internet access, chances are high they’re subscribing to popular YouTubers—and they all have online stores full of T-shirts, hoodies, and ball caps for their fans.