As we begin the countdown to summer recess, you might begin to wonder what the kids will do to while away the hours at home. When you aren’t exploring the great outdoors, here are some fun ideas for you.

Long road trip or flight ahead? If you are traveling with young kids, you might want to consider bringing along a tablet. We just tested out the HOT WHEELS™ 7” TABLET POWERED BY NABI. This tablet comes with several Hot Wheels screens, including one titled “Hot Wheels Labs” that lets children watch videos about the science of and forces propelling the resistance, friction, and gravity of the toys- in short, how they really work. Consider it branded science, LOL. So many kids are addicted to these little cars, I think it’s a fun way of learning something. In this theme, there is also a “Trackwars & Hacks” area with over 25 apps and games. The custom orange bumper keeps the tablet kid resistant to the bumps and falls it will likely take, and racing sound effects will thrill little gear-heads. Not interested in Hot Wheels? Barbie and American Girl versions are also available. You can get these for about $79 at Best Buy, Toys R Us, Kmart, Costco, or the nabi Shop.

Are the kids excited for the upcoming sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy? I know we are, and some of these toys are really fun. One of our current favorites is the new Dancing Groot Figure. If you recall, toward the end of the first volume, Groot sacrificed himself to save his friends, and Rocket replanted a small piece of Groot in the hopes that he would grow anew. And grow he did! Into a fun little dancing Baby Groot that made us all giggle through the credits. In this vein comes the new Dancing Groot toy. This 11.5″ electronic figure lights up and dances to clips of music from the Guardians of the Galaxy movie. You can also play your own music for Groot to dance to, as it can detect external sounds. Requires 3 AA batteries, included. Available for $34.99 at most major retailers and at HasbroToyShop.com.

Can’t get enough space adventure? Maybe it’s sequels (and prequals?) you are crazy for. You and your children can act out your favorite scenes from Rouge One with the new Rouge One: A Star Wars Story Jedha Revolt 4 Pack. You can also create your own adventures or have the figures mix and mingle with other action figures you might have- the possibilities for little (or not so little) fans, of course, are endless. This pack comes with Jyn Erso, Saw Gerrera, Imerial Hovertank Pilot, and Edrio Two Tubes, as well as 5 additional accessories. Available for $24.99 at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com. Other figures available.

If your child is ready to come back to Earth, and has a more realistic playmate in mind, consider taking a look at Furreal Kami, My Poopin’ Kitty. Yes, you totally read that right. That’s the real name. The past few years, toys that poop have been a thing, and Kami is one of the latest. Why do kids think poop is funny? Ask their dads, they still do, too.  Furreal Kami is more then just her poop, however. She has many fun and funny moments, and behaves like a realistic kitty as well. You can feed her treats and even take her for a walk- much unlike most cats, but I guess they wanted to incorporate dog-like awesomeness as well. She also sits, and when you pull back on the leash, that is usually when she leaves her deposits. She even comes with her own clean up bag. Really. No litterpan? It’s a cat-dog hybrid, for sure. Available for $24.99 at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com, requires 2 AAA batteries, not included.

With Easter around the corner, you are likely starting to gather items for your children’s baskets. You probably don’t want to fill them with candy, and might be looking for other small items to put inside. Here are a few toys we think are a great fit.

Are your children fans of Super Wings? The new Super Wings Vroom ‘n Zoom are great for pre-k and toddler aged kids, they push to rev up, then release them to speed away.  Jett and friends available, $5.99.  Also available are the Super Wings Transform-a-Bots four Pack. These planes can transform from planes to robots in just three easy steps, each slightly differently, since they are shaped uniquely. Transform-a-bots let your kids recreate favorite scenes from the Super Wings TV show or imagine whole new helpful deliveries. $11.99

PJ Masks, another show for young kids, makes similar cars. PJ Masks Mini Vehicles feature your favorite heroes from the hit show.  You can get Catboy in his Cat-Car, Gekko in his Gekko-Mobile, and Owlette in her Owl Glider. Each car is $6.99 at stores like Walmart and Toys R Us. The cars are a good size for small hands, and are easy to push and roll around.

Madballs are great for slightly older kids, and even tweens. They are fun, gross, and collectable. Millennials and kids born around that time might remember them- they were first out in 1985 (so dad will likely get a huge kick out of them as well).  Icky faces made of foam that are also great to throw, hit, bounce, etc- everything you’d do with any other ball, but these are “way more better” since they have gruesome features.  They come in the classic 3 inch (typical ball-ish size) and mini blind bags. Six Madballs characters are currently available: Dustbrain, Horn Head, Oculus Orbus, Screamin’ Meemie, Skull Face, and Slobulus. $7.99 each, $2.99 for the mini blind bags.

If you want to take the fun outside, check out Bunch O Balloons. These are like classic water balloons, except you can fill AND tie 100 of them in less than one minute. Really. These balloons not only fill quuickly, but are self tying. If you ask me, that’s alwyas the worst part, the tying.  Just connect the ballons bunch to your hose or sink, and fill them up- done. The balloons are also biodegradable, so if you miss a few pieces when picking up after yourself, at least it’s safer. OK, maybe that’s the best part. We love these, it’s hard to pick a best part. Oh wait- did I mention they now come in “Minion” form? Yes! SO much fun. You and the kids will have a blast with Bunch O Balloon warfare. $9.99

You can also get the portable Bunch O Balloons Filler/Soaker to take with you on the go. Wherever you want to take your water balloon fight you can. No need for a hose, just put the balloons on the front nozzle, put the filler into a pool, bucket of water, any body of water, and fill it. It also doubles as a water gun, huzzah for double use!  It is $14.99 for the Filler/Soaker and 3 bunches of included Bunch O Balloons.

Animal Jams are adorable toy pets that you “adopt”. After you open your new friend, you can also activate them online on the Animal Jams website.  The site helps you keep track of your collection as well as unlock special online accessories and play games. Kids can also learn about plants and animals, but we recommend parents monitor all chat on the site to be safe. There are all sorts of options, ranging from blind packs, pets that come with their own pet (really), playsets, and more. They are a great size for an Easter basket, and quite a few of them are even “Easter Egg” sized. Just right! Prices vary per product. Available in many stores as well as online at places like Amazon.

To add more animal fun to your Easter basket, a personal favorite of ours, Stickbot, now introduces Stickbot Pets. These are so much fun and let your child be so imaginative, we can’t say enough good things about Stickbots. They are inexpensive, nearly impossible to break, teach your child technological and creative skills like photo and video editing, and inspire hours of fun. With the addition of pets (including not-so-pet-like animals like gorillas and pandas) your Stickbots and Pets can have more companionship on their adventures. Who knows where they will end up? Let your kids find out. Love. These. About $5 each in stores like Target.