Top 10 cat themed toys, games & activities: from tots to teens

With the children off school – be it half term, holidays, or during this period of isolation that we are currently experiencing, it is always easier to keep them occupied if we parents are prepared! Therefore, with this in mind, we have put together a list of our favorite products and activities to keep your little ones amused – all based on the theme of cats! The products we have recommended vary in age suitability, from tots to teens. But the choice on the market is vast and I’m sure that there will be a similar product available to suit the age range you are looking for. Our household includes a 14 year old girl who’s world revolves around her beloved cats (and a 10 year old boy – who just goes along with anything and everything) therefore most items here, or very similar items, have been tried and tested at some point over the years! The most important message here is to have fun!

1. Jigsaw puzzles

Who doesn’t love a jigsaw? They are great whatever your age. They help toddlers and young children to develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills alongside logic, tactics and visual skills. It can keep older children amused for quite some time – and us adults too! And everyone gets a great sense of achievement when the final piece is slotted and the jigsaw is completed. Completing a jigsaw of a loved picture of character encourages the motivation to keep going – even when it seems impossible to find that next piece of the puzzle. A cat jigsaw has been an item that’s been included most years in the Christmas stocking of our household. A few of our favorites include:

This jigsaw by Ravensburger of ‘Sleepy kittens’ is suitable for ages 4 upwards.
We find that jigsaw puzzles with 250 to 300 pieces are perfect for older children. They provide enough of a challenge but without the frustration of the puzzle taking several hours or days! This puzzle featuring several playful kitties has 300 pieces with plenty of color and variation to make it interesting.

This 1000 piece puzzle, is much more challenging and will suit teenagers, or adults. It’s called ‘Cute Kitty‘ and is sure to fill the hours.

2. Paint by numbers

Painting by numbers can be a great way for older kids and teenagers to create some real masterpieces. Our experience of these are that they can take a long time to complete and need a great deal of patience and time. Many sets are quite fiddly but the end result can be fantastic and very satisfying. We love the bright colors on this Monica DIY oil paint by numbers kit.

An alternative, and slightly easier puzzle, is paint by stickers. There are many themes to choose from but hey, what better for a cat lover than 12 beautiful cat pictures to complete.

For younger children we like the same concept but using sticker sequins. It’s clean, quicker, easier and they will still have a great sense of satisfaction on completing their piece of art. This set by Galt, Sensational Sequins Kittens, was a huge hit in our household.

3. Top trumps

Top trumps is a popular game in our household. It’s a quick and relatively easy easy game that children of different ages can play together. Our two still play Top Trumps and have quite a collection by now. The themes covered by Top Trumps include cars, films, science based – and of course there is one purely on cats!

4. Reading and story time

Whether your child reads with you, or can read alone, or you are looking for the perfect bedtime story to read to them then check out our article ‘Top 10 recommended cat books for older boys and girls’. Of course there are hundreds of excellent cat story books to choose from. But all these listed in the article have all been read by our daughter, from the age of around 8 until 13 and each book was thoroughly enjoyable.

5. Lego

That noise of kids searching through a lego box for that one special piece is a familiar one to most parents. Lego, in our opinion, is one of the best creations ever! Why not give them a challenge to see who can make the best cat out of lego? Then make a home for the cat out of lego? And some toys, a bed, a playground even. Build up the lego cat family! Hours of fun and encouraging the imagination and creativity of children. Lego certainly brings out the best in all of us.

6. Sewing

The latest craze in our household is sewing. A sewing machine was on our daughter’s Christmas list and it’s been a great buy. The creativity and imagination of children, alongside some pieces of fabric, can keep them busy for hours. For some ideas and easy to follow instructions this book ‘Cattastic Crafts: DIY Projects for Cats and Cat people’ has some great ideas. If you haven’t a sewing machine then there are simple sewing kits available to make lovely little items by hand. Felt kits with pre cut holes are great for young children and beginners. Our favorite find has to be this ‘Sew your own Fluffy cat pillow’.

7. Activities that involve your cat

This time spent at home can be an excellent opportunity for children to develop and deepen the bond with their cat. Allow them to learn more about their cats personality, become more involved in their day to day care and take on new routines and responsibility. We have written an article especially dedicated to this unique time of self isolation ‘Self isolating with our cat – 10 things to do with your cat’. Although this article is aimed at adults, most of the activities can be enjoyed by children too. Let them learn about grooming, find new games to play with their cat, get crafty by making activity feeders and new toys for the family cats. Get them to make a scrapbook with pictures of their pet, or write a story about their beloved kitty.

8. Films

When it’s a rainy afternoon, you’re all crafted out, and everyone in the family just need some down time, putting on a DVD is perfect. And there are many films based around cats! Sit back, relax, get the popcorn, press play…and enjoy. Here are a few of our favorites:

9. Drawing

No matter what age, most people enjoy drawing or coloring. And whilst a plain pad of paper and a pencil are perfectly adequate, it can be helpful for reluctant artists to have a little help. There are books available that guide you, step by step, helping you to draw all kinds of cats. The book ‘ How to Draw: I love cats’ is great for younger children.

If drawing isn’t a hobby that your children enjoy, there are numerous cat themed coloring and activity books to choose from. Books range from simple coloring for young tots to activity books for slightly older kids to more complex coloring books for teenagers and adults. All guaranteed to entertain them for a few hours.

10.Board games

There’s nothing better than a board game on a rainy afternoon to entertain the whole family. Who knew that classic games such as Monopoly and bingo had their own special cat versions? This cat monopoly, Cat-Opoly, has just been ordered by ourselves and we can’t wait to play this.

Another classic is Bingo – easy for family members of all ages to get involved. This ‘Cat Bingo’ game looks great fun.

Plenty of activities to keep your children amused – and most importantly – have fun!