Brain-Engaging Toys To Beat Summer Slide

Maybe you have a hard time sneaking vitamins into your child’s morning breakfast, but sneaking some brainpower into their daily dose of playtime can be much easier. These toys allow a child to enjoy independent play with the added benefit of ensuring that some learning happens along the way.

For Pint-Sized Philosophers

Lay the groundwork for your little one to recognize great historical minds like Einstein, Shakespeare, and Confucius with a whole gang of plush Genius Dolls by Lalei. Each cute doll bears a striking likeness to its namesake and is a great way to get kids chatting about ideas like philosophy and literature at a young age as they incorporate these real-life geniuses into their play routine.

Price varies, beandolls.com

For Any Flower Child

Getting a handle on counting can be made a whole lot easier when you add a smiling, garden-inspired friend. French toy company Boikido’s flower counting toy ensures that everything comes up roses as your toddler begins to learn numbers. The petals of are color coded (with numbers 1-10 each getting its own hue) and feature indents for wooden pegs (again, each petal has its own number of peg slots). This makes it easy for kids to differentiate between the distinct numbers as well as associate the correct physical quantity with each number.

$24.99, amazon.com

For The Little Daredevil

The wonders of the physical world are often a point of fascination for young children. And what better way to guide their curiosity (in an edgy way, no less) than with a toy that both teaches and offers a sense of adventure? Brinca Dada’s Parachutists toy set is a dream come true for your budding action hero. The set includes two wooden parachutists with functioning chutes, and an educational booklet explaining the physics behind the force of gravity as well as how to engineer the toys to land on targets at specific angles.

$29, brincadada.com

For Art Historians

Nothing feeds a growing child’s intellect quite like the heady combination of inspiration and creativity–oh and some neon colors thrown in the mix. The Fine Art Scratch & Sketch book–available at the MoMA Store–teaches kids about classic works of art by inviting them to sketch out their own versions using fun activity pages and templates in a wildly entertaining scratch-paper book. Soon enough, you’ll be framing multi-hued Mona Lisas all over the house as your kiddo spouts out fun facts about DaVinci!

$12.99, momastore.org

Mia Weber is an independent lifestyle journalist, blogger, and social media consultant. Her passion for pop culture and fashion inspired her to create sopresh.blogspot.com—a guide to shopping, dining, travel, and easing the pain of the mundane. Mia recently relocated to NYC from Vermont, and is enjoying exploring the city while still serving as the social media voice for Vermont Vows & WellWed Magazines. She can be reached at sopresh.blog@gmail.com and found on Twitter at @MeezyWeb.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Treehouse Shakers

<div>Treehouse Shakers&rsquo; Branching OUT After-School program is for ages 12-14. This awarded program is for young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, or are seeking to become better allies. Branching OUT centers on discovering and exploring one&rsquo;s story and identity through an intentionally artist-led format. During our community-based program, young people will explore and reflect on their own story to create a larger, more meaningful experience, while gaining self-empowerment and gathering with like-minded peers. Through the guidance of our awarded teaching artists, young people will create narratives that will be turned into podcasts, dances, songs or poetry.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Young people have the opportunity to learn new art forms, work with professional artists, while building a meaningful community.</div>

British Swim School - Long Island

The premier learn-to-swim provider for people of all ages, offering programs for children ages 3-months through adults.&nbsp; British Swim School uses gentle teaching methods and a survival-first approach to help people of all experience levels become safer, stronger swimmers. British Swim School&rsquo;s safe, fun, and effective instructional program has made it the preferred choice for parents and students for over 40 years. Come see the British Swim School difference!