Honestly I am so sick of walking into Target or looking on Amazon and seeing the same glowing plastic garbage everywhere. My nephew is turning six next week and I really want to get him something that actually makes him think but doesnt cost like eighty dollars for a box of cheap magnets. Every educational toy I see lately is just some tablet game disguised as a toy or a science kit that you can only use once and then you throw the whole thing away because it was mostly just baking soda and food coloring.

Its so frustrating because I have a strict 35 dollar budget since things are tight right now and I feel like everything in that price range is just literal trash that will end up in a landfill by next month. I want something he can actually play with and learn from maybe something about space or building stuff? I need to find something by Friday because the party is on Saturday in the suburbs and I am honestly about to just give up and get him a gift card which feels so lazy. Does anyone know a specific brand or a site that isnt just dropshipped junk where I can find actually decent learning toys that dont break the bank?