The 5 Best Dollar Tree Products to Buy for Your Kids

Any parent knows that having kids can quickly lead to an empty bank account as you spend money on clothes, food, activities, and entertainment. The good news is that there are ways to entertain your kids while giving your credit cards a rest. One of the best options is to buy items from Dollar Tree that are both cheap and that offer endless amounts of fun.

If you're looking for inexpensive ways to make your children happy, consider picking up these five great Dollar Tree products.

1. Squirt guns

Squirt guns can provide a lot of summertime entertainment.

Beyond the obvious -- water fights -- you can also do a lot more with squirt guns than you might think. My kids love to "hunt dinosaurs'' with them by shooting at (and knocking over) plastic dinosaurs. They also like to wash the car tires with squirt guns, and fill them with watered-down paint and spray them on Dollar Tree posterboard sheets to make art.

Dollar Tree has tons of squirt guns, or water blasters, and they're a lot cheaper than the competitor models, which can cost $6 or more for similar options.

2. Coloring and activity books

We try to take coloring books with us in the car and also to restaurants, so we can get a few minutes of peace. Unfortunately, toddlers can finish coloring books quickly. The good news is that Dollar Tree has tons of coloring books and activities available and they're only priced at $1.25 apiece.

Not only does Dollar Tree offer regular coloring books, but some of its offerings include educational activity books with lessons designed to teach numbers and the alphabet. And you can buy color or paint-with-water books as well, which is great if you don't want a mess on your hands.

3. Craft kits

Doing arts and crafts can help your kids develop fine motor skills as well as keeping them entertained. Dollar Tree has a wide selection of craft kits and materials, to get their creative juices flowing.

You can find a ton of paints and craft materials like pompoms and popsicle sticks for sale at Dollar Tree. There are also ready-to-use kits, if you aren't up to trolling Pinterest to find creative crafts to make from scratch.

My kids have enjoyed painting wooden animals from Dollar Tree, as well as making custom-designed picture frames, creating wall art, and making animals out of yarn. This keeps them busy and gives them a beautiful finished product to show off and put on the fridge.

4. Building block sets

Let's face it -- Lego sets can be expensive. But, Dollar Tree has their own version of building blocks, including sets you can use to make your own creative designs as well as kits to make dinosaurs, cars, or a host of other cool creations.

While I'll admit these don't hold together as well as Lego blocks and are smaller than some of the elaborate kits, they are great for younger kids who may just be getting into the hobby or who can't be counted on not to take apart their finished product and lose the pieces.

5. Glow sticks

Finally, glow sticks can provide endless entertainment and you can get multi-packs of them for $1.25.

My kids love building forts and taking the glow sticks in with them, creating a bathtub rave by putting the glow sticks in the tub, and just running around the backyard with their special glow lights. Dollar tree also offers other glowing products, like frisbees and balls. My kids' much-older cousins think these are cool, too.

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to keep your kids entertained, these Dollar Tree items are well-worth their minimal cost.