Fun and Educational Children's Toys That Don't Make Noise

I love to share advice and tips gleaned from my own experiences.

A lot of the toys and books designed for children are created to be interactive and used as a learning tool. Many of them—like the Leapfrog Laptop, The Early Education Baby Xylophone and the World of Eric Carle, Around the Farm sound book—are good toys but the downside is that they can be noisy.

This isn't a bad thing, but what if you want a toy or book that isn’t noisy but is also as fun and educational as these are? There are lots of toys on the market like this so trying to find ones that fit the need of the child and the parent can be time consuming.

This is a list of five children's toys and books that don't make any noise, are a little bit educational and are lots of fun. The only noise you should hear from the child is them talking or laughing while they are playing with them.

Five Great Quiet Toys for Kids

The five items mentioned are:

1. Fingerprint Activity Books
2. Little People, Big Dreams Books
3. Kids: My Calendar
4. Kinetic Sand
5. Water Coloring Books

There are many different versions of these items available, so the price can vary. That also means that there is an option to suit most people's budget.

Two of these items (the Little People, Big Dreams books and the kinetic sand) are one of a kind, but the other items all have dupes that are similar to them. So the option is there to try one version before investing in an expensive one.

It might not be such a bad idea to give these as a present to a child so that mom, dad or the child's guardian can have at least one quiet evening at home.

A report released by The NPD Group saw 2019 sales in the toys industry decrease 3% in the United States, increase 5% in Russia and increase 3% in Germany and 2% in Brazil.

1. Fingerprint Activity Books

The first book that is really good for children is the Fingerprint Activities Book by Fiona Watt. This book has a number of pictures that the child colors in using the tiny ink pad that is attached to the side of the book. The main idea behind the creation of this book is that it encourages the child to paint the book with their fingertips.

The child presses their fingertips onto the colored pad, and then they press the fingertip onto to the book to transfer the ink to their picture they want to paint. They then color in the book using their fingertips instead of using a paint brush. You can wipe the paint off their fingers with a damp cloth.

The book comes in a range of themes: animals, bugs and dinosaurs, for example. The author also has a book based on things living under the sea, one about Christmas and one also based around the garden.

There are other authors who do similar types of books like Sam Taplin and Klutz Ends.

Similar Style Coloring Books by Other Authors

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2. Little People, Big Dreams Books

This next item is a children's book created by an author named Maria Isabel Sánchez. This author does a whole range of educational books that are titled Little People, Big Dreams.

Each book tells a story about men and woman who have done things that have significantly contributed to the arts, to the worlds and to society. She also focuses on more recent individuals who have made strides in the industries that they work in.

Each book tells a story in a child-friendly manner using pictures and words to teach the child about this person.

It’s a great way to start teaching children early on about people from history that have made a big contribution to society. As well as focusing on people from the past, she has also focused on famous musicians like Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton.

She has released a lot of titles in this range which include Little People, Big Dreams: Woman in Science, Woman in Art, Maya Angelou, Frida Kahlo, David Attenborough and Muhammed Ali.

Range of Books in the "Little People, Big Dreams" Series

According to The Bookseller.com, over 1.5 million copies of the Little People, Big Dreams series has been read since its 2016 release.

3. Kids: My Calendar

This next item can also be used as a fun educational tool to help teach a child who is starting pre-school. These calendars are interactive and educational and you can use them as a fun tool to help teach your child how to learn the time, their numbers, and the days of the week, the months and the seasons.

All the manufacturers of these calendars provide sets of stickers that are either magnetic or velcro that attach to the calendar in the relevant section.

These calendars also come in different sizes and different designs, so depending on where it will be hung there is one to suit a wall or even a fridge. The best place to hang them would be on the wall of a child's bedroom.

There are many brands who sell different version of these calendars like Fridge Magic who makes one you can put on your fridge. Fiesta Crafts also sells a similar calendar but theirs is made from cloth which could suit younger children.

So there a variety available that will suit any space.

Other Versions of Kids' Calendars

4. Kinetic Sand

Kinetic sand looks and feels like regular sand. However, unlike real sand kinetic sand never dries out and always remain manageable as long as you store it correctly and don't get it wet.

It's made from 98% sand and 2% Polymers. You can purchase it separately in one, two and three pound bags. But the option is there to buy a set which includes 2 pounds of sand, a box, some moulds, a bucket and a shovel.

All that is required is some kind of tray or sand box to keep the sand contained in one area.

The sand remains wet throughout its entirety and it never dries. This means that a child can have hours of fun making sand castles in their own back garden or at the kitchen table.

At the moment it seems like Kinetic sand is only manufactured by one company, Kinetic Sand.

One warning that is on the box is that the sand is not supposed to get wet as this will destroy the chemical makeup. If it does accidentally get wet, they suggest setting it somewhere warm to dry. But with the prices they charge, it is better to avoid getting it wet if possible.

Type of Kinetic Sand Sets Available

5. Water Coloring Books

These coloring books are different to the coloring books you usually color in with crayons or coloring pencils.

Firstly you don't color the image in the coloring book with actual markers or coloring pencils, instead you paint the coloring book in with a water pen.

The water pen is supplied with the coloring book and you firstly fill the pen with water and then the child start coloring in the page. Gradually as the paper gets wet, the design on the page begins to reveal itself.

You will need to let the pages dry after the child is finished with it so that the pages get a chance to dry. Otherwise they will stick to each other. Once the pages are dry, the images will then disappear and the child can reuse the book again and again.

There are different brands on the market like Galt and Melissa & Doug. There are also coloring books with different themes ranging from unicorns, to safari, to farm animals and even dinosaurs. So there is a book to suit each child's interests.

Other Brands of Water Coloring Books

Conclusion

This is only a list of five toys and books; there are many more children's toys and books on the market that again are educational but silent. Obviously some of these toys would require parental supervision or in the case of the books the assistance of mom or dad.

But unlike the toy laptops and the toy cellphones, these toys can be used collectively by siblings or as a family.

It's good to know that there are other toys manufacturers out there that produce silent toys. You just have to a lot of looking around to find them.

© 2020 Sp Greaney

Comments

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 26, 2020:

@ Liz Westwood, there has probably been similiar versions like these that have around over the years. Yes I noticed that too. It's like they aim to create a toy with as much light and noise as possible.

These are probably most suited to children aged 4 and above.

Liz Westwood from UK on June 26, 2020:

I recall using water on a paintbrush to reveal a picture. These are interesting ideas. What age ranges do they cover? A lot of noisy toys I come across are for the 0-18months age groups.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 24, 2020:

@Vera Karimova, I'm not surprised. I think the quarantine lead to some unpredictable trends.

That's a great idea and I think that sometimes these type of toys are better than the tech toys.

Vera Karimova from Ho Chi Minh City on June 24, 2020:

There was a tendency predicted for the toy market slur after the quarantine bulk buys of toys and puzzles.

My favorite choice of activity for my son is busyboard. It can be either quiet or loud, depending on what you use.

Sp Greaney (author) from Ireland on June 24, 2020:

@Liza, thank you. Both of those options are also good choices. Here sticker books never go out of fashion as some kids show or films bring one out for children during the year.

Liza from USA on June 23, 2020:

Recently, I bought coloring books and animal sticker books for my nieces and nephew. The report caught my attention about toy sales decreased in the US. I wonder why. Voted. I have to share the list with my sister. Thanks for sharing!