Screen-free toys that actually keep kids busy

The toys that keep children busy without a screen are the open-ended ones: toys that can be used a hundred different ways, so the result is never the same twice. Building sets, pretend play and making things beat any toy that only does one trick.

Most parents in Bangladesh know the feeling. The phone keeps a child quiet, but afterwards they are restless and cranky. A good toy works the other way round: it asks the child to think, and leaves them calmer.

What makes a toy hold attention

Children stay with a toy when they are in charge of what happens next. If a toy plays a song when pressed, it is fun twice. If it can become a house, a rocket or a castle, it is fun for months.

So look for three things: it can be used in many ways, it gives a visible result, and it can be started again.

Building toys

Building is the classic screen-free activity. Magnetic blocks are the easiest way in, because the pieces snap together from any face and do not fall over when small hands are clumsy.

A set of 100 pixel-style blocks is enough for houses, towers, animals and whole landscapes. When it is finished, it comes apart in seconds for the next idea.

• Build World Magnetic Building Blocks

Pretend play

Dolls with props give children a story to act out. A doll on a tricycle with a parasol and balloons is not just a doll: it is a trip to the park, a birthday party or a visit to grandmother.

Pretend play builds language too. Children talk to their toys, give them voices and solve small problems in the story.

• Doll and Tricycle Playtime Gift Set

Making things

A print camera turns photography into a craft. Children take a photo, print it in seconds, colour it with pens and stick it in a scrapbook. Every print is a small finished project.

• DIY Instant Digital Camera

Toys that move

Some children need movement. A remote control robot dog gives them something to steer around the room, set up obstacle courses for and teach tricks to. It is active play that still needs planning.

• Robot Dog D5

Make the habit stick

Keep a small number of toys within reach, not a full cupboard. Too much choice makes children wander off.

Rotate toys every week. A set that has been away for a few days feels new again.

Play together for the first ten minutes. Once the game is started, most children carry on alone.

Have a regular screen-free time, for example after school until dinner. Children accept a routine more easily than a sudden "no".

A note on age and safety

Check the age on every box. Magnetic blocks and doll accessories contain small parts and are made for ages 3 and up. For younger children choose large, soft toys only.

Order with cash on delivery

All these toys are delivered across Bangladesh. Delivery is 80 taka in Dhaka and 150 taka elsewhere, free over 3,000 taka, with cash on delivery or bKash.