Children have lots of beautiful things about them. Their simplicity, honesty, and even the unfiltered joy they feel from the most minor things: it's no doubt that children are one of the best things in our lives.

Still, if we had to choose our favorite thing about these cute little guys, it'd have to be their imaginations. Children are in that perfect place where their minds can imagine anything, from large brownstone castles to great, giant dragons that blow flame.

The best part is that you can use something children already spend a lot of time with to boost their imaginations: toys.

Toys? They Do That?

You wouldn't have expected that, right? Believe it or not, toys that make your child their imagination can actually be a pretty significant boost to it too.

We're talking about… say, art supplies like crayons and colors, or even play-dough that they can use to sculpt things with their cute little fingers.

But hey, don't take us at our word. Below, we've listed some of our best picks for toys to help boost your child's imagination:

1. Building Blocks

Whether you call them building blocks, legos, or even those off-brand pogos, building blocks have been a large part of our childhoods.

Who doesn't remember trying to make our own skyscraper with those cute red blocks, or maybe even a train engine for those kids really gifted with their hands?

They might seem like a hazard at the first go (we've all stepped on them at one point or the other), but if your kid has an imagination, they will love playing with these innovative toys.

These are often sold in different-sized kits, ranging from small beginner's kits with ten to twenty blocks to engineer's kits with panels, doors, and even adorable little windows.

2. Playing Dress Up

Whether they go for cool dragon-slaying knights with a huge sword or a magical princess waiting for her rescuer, children love creating fantasy worlds for themselves.

A great way to let your child get immersed in their imaginations is to buy them costumes. You can even make creating costumes out of everyday clothes into a family activity.

You get to spend time with your kids, and in turn, they get to play the roles of anything from doctors, superheroes, knights, historical figures, and many more things.

An added advantage is that you can use costumes to teach your kids about animals, plants, or even historical figures.

We don't know about you, but a Genghis Khan costume? That's what we wanna see.

3. Balloons

One of the cheapest and yet one of the most versatile for entertaining children, balloons can provide hours of fun for very little money.

They also help kids' imaginations as there's no clear way to play with these things, meaning the kids have to come up with games independently.

That's a great way to teach them the outside-the-box thinking and initiative they'll need later in life.

We really liked swatting them up and giving each person a balloon that they'd have to keep from hitting the floor. Don't tell your kids, though, and let them come up with the idea.

However, you should only buy child-safe balloons that don't pop easily, as the loud noise from balloons popping can easily scare children.

4. Toy Cars and Trucks

If you're a parent, we don't need to be the ones telling you that children love playing with toy cars and trucks. Even more so when the toy car in question is an eye-drawing shade of red and maybe even comes with a little siren.

We can tell you, though, that toy cars are actually a great way to help children engage their brains from an early point in their lives.

Children associate toy cars and trucks and even those cute fire engines with the concept of traveling, going to new places and making new friends, and experiencing new things.

Toy cars let your child take a trip in the wild imagination of their minds. Believe it or not, they go a long way towards making sure your children aren't an isolated hermit when they grow up.

5. Stuffed Animals!

This point doesn't even need an introduction, right?

Kids have always loved stuffed animals. For most kids, their idea of friendship develops alongside their first stuffed animal, something they're attached to for the entirety of their childhood.

Stuffed animals like teddy bears, the fluffy little pandas, and fierce little tigers aren't just a boost:

They kickstart your child's imagination, turning an ordinary plushie into a true friend who laughs, comforts them, and plays with them.

On the topic of teddy bears, there's something new on the scene these days we certainly didn't have around when we were kids: recordable teddy bears! These things can play a recorded message when thumped.

You get to decide the message, so it can be anything from a simple reminder that your child is loved to a cute little inside joke between just the two of you.

6. Play-Dough

Play-Dough, a clay-like substance that can be sculpted into shapes with hands or shovels or what have you, is a great idea to make children use their imaginations.

Mind, however, that Play Dough can get a little messy and might not be suitable for your child if they are under 4 years of age (since they might try to eat it).

Conclusion

While these are great picks for every child, we want to end this off with a reminder: not every child is the same.
Just because one of your children loved their toy cars doesn't mean your other children will. Try out different toys to see what captures their attention, and most of all, have fun with your children!