Vacation Guide: Best Summer Games & Toys

Summer is finally here! After a short spring break on the blog, we are back to help you plan the ultimate puzzle: keeping the minis busy during the summer holidays. Whether you're heading to a cabin in the woods, setting up your umbrella on the beach, or enjoying a peaceful staycation in the city, one thing is certain: we want to travel light, but smart!

To save you from packing the entire house, we’ve put together the ultimate guide divided by vacation type and weather whim.

We’re kicking things off this week with our first chapter: the city vacation survival guide!

Chapter 1: The City Slickers (Vacations in the City & at the Park)

Staying in the city for the holidays is magical. We take the time to live at the rhythm of our neighborhood parks, improvise picnics, and enjoy quieter afternoons at home. Here are our essentials to maximize urban fun, whether it’s beautifully sunny or a quick shower forces a change of plans!

Sunny Day Option: Taking over the parks and laneways!

When the sky is blue, the motto is: get outside! Grab a big backpack, a blanket, and turn the park grass or the laneway asphalt into a giant playground.

Outdoor Drawing Chalks (Goki) An absolute must-have to bring color to the neighborhood! These giant chalks are perfect for little hands. We love using them to draw a classic hopscotch game, create fun obstacle courses on the sidewalk, or simply let the imagination of little artists run wild. A timeless classic that washes away with the very first rain! 👉 Discover Goki chalks here

Portable Bamboo Microscope (Hape) Turn your park outings into real scientific expeditions! This ultra-light microscope made of sustainable bamboo is designed for easy handling by small hands. Equipped with a powerful zoom, it allows kids to closely observe the secrets of urban nature: the veins of a leaf picked up from the ground, the texture of tree bark, or the tiny insects in the lane. A fascinating educational toy that sparks scientific curiosity in the great outdoors! 👉 Discover the Hape bamboo microscope here

Flying Petanque (BS Toys) The traditional game of petanque, redesigned to be 100% safe and perfectly suited for urban parks. Instead of heavy metal balls, players throw soft, colorful fabric discs that glide toward the target. It’s compact, weighs next to nothing in a stroller bag, and plays beautifully on grass or concrete without making noise or damaging anything. 👉 Discover Flying Petanque

Oiseau Volant Soft Flying Disc (Djeco) Forget rigid plastic frisbees that hurt your fingers when you catch them! Djeco offers a soft, lightweight foam flying disc, beautifully illustrated. Along with being gorgeous, its soft texture reassures younger children who are learning to throw and catch without fear. A breath of fresh air essential. 👉 Discover the Djeco flying disc

Giant Bubble Ring Set (Pustefix) To create pure magic right in the middle of the park, this is your secret tool. Pustefix is the gold standard for bubbles, and this kit creates bubbles so giant that children will happily chase them for hours. It’s the perfect activity to bring smiles to the whole neighborhood and create beautiful photo memories. 👉 Discover the Pustefix giant bubble kit

Rainy Day Option: Cozy backup plans at home

A surprise shower pointing its nose? No panic! It’s the perfect time to slow down the pace, lay out a blanket in the living room, and bring out activities that switch up the daily routine.

Snoreau – Quebec Expressions Game (Vol. 1) What better way to spend a rainy day than laughing with family or friends? Snoreau is an absolute local favorite! This party game celebrates our finest Quebec expressions through funny and clever challenges. It’s festive, bridges the generations (perfect if cousins or grandparents are visiting), and lets everyone learn more about our linguistic heritage while having a blast. 👉 Discover Snoreau here

Wooden Multi-Games Set (Jeujura) The perfect investment for the holidays. This beautiful wooden box, made in France, gathers 4 timeless classics (Ludo, Game of the Goose, Checkers...). This is the kind of box you open on grey afternoons, listening to the rain fall, to introduce the youngest to simple strategy rules. Durable, beautiful, and timeless. 👉 Discover the Jeujura multi-games set

Sticker Poster (Poppik) If you're looking for a calm activity that will channel your kids' energy for a good long while, Poppik posters are magic. Children complete a large, gorgeous poster by matching dozens of giant stickers. It develops fine motor skills and concentration, and once finished, you have a beautiful, colorful piece of art ready to be framed or hung in their bedroom! 👉 Discover Poppik creative posters

Kapla Barrel (200 Natural Wood Planks) If there is one game that can occupy children (and parents!) for entire hours on a gloomy afternoon, this is it. These small wooden planks made of natural pine wood, all with identical dimensions, allow for building dizzying towers, castles, or complex marble runs without any glue or fasteners. It’s the ultimate tool to stimulate creativity, patience, and fine motor skills from toddlers to grandparents. An absolute staple that spans generations! 👉 Discover the Kapla barrel here

Magic Portal Potion Kit – Les Petits Sorciers (L'Atelier de la Potion) Transform your living room into a true alchemist's lab! This apothecary kit invites minis to brew real fizzing and bubbling magic potions by mixing mysterious ingredients. It’s a completely mesmerizing sensory and scientific activity that gently stimulates children's imagination. Perfect for transforming a rainy, gloomy day into a moment of pure wonder. 👉 Discover the magic potion kit here

Next week, we pack our bags and hit the road: get ready for our special selection "Off to the Cabin"!

Until then, drop by the shop to stock up on new discoveries, and don't hesitate to share your finest laneway chalk masterpieces with us!