Shabbat was given to us so that we can rest from the toil of the week and turn our attention from mundane pursuits to sacred and spiritual matters. It is therefore fitting for adults to devote Shabbat to prayer and Torah study to the extent possible. By contrast, it is difficult to expect children to spend Shabbat focused entirely on spiritual matters, and therefore they are allowed to play games. Obviously, this does not include games which involve the desecration of Shabbat, such as those that involve the use of electricity. Such games and toys are prohibited on Shabbat, and parents must prevent their children from playing with them.

The following is a list of various types of games and toys, and the halakha regarding each of them.

Chutes and Ladders, and other games played with dice, spinners, or the like: Permitted.

Lego: Permitted.

Jacks: Permitted.

Tag, jumping games, hide and seek, games with a rope: Permitted.

Binoculars: Permitted. One may look through binoculars and even focus them.

Sandbox: It is permitted to play in a designated sandbox, but one may not mix water with the sand. It is prohibited to play with sand on the seashore, or any sand that was not set aside for playing with, such as sand that is designated as construction material. Children should also be prevented from writing words or drawing pictures in the sand.

Games with sticks, stones, or fruit pits: These can be played with on condition that the materials were designated as toys before the start of Shabbat. It is prohibited to collect stones and sticks on Shabbat and play with them. It is also prohibited to play with apricot pits that were extracted from the fruit on Shabbat.

Toys with springs: Permitted, provided that they do not produce sounds or sparks.

Necklaces: Stringing beads on a string is prohibited, if the product is meant to last. But if the stringing is done as part of a game and the necklace produced is meant to be temporary, it is permitted.

Chess, dominoes, cards: Permitted.

Puzzles: Permitted, provided that one does not intend to leave the puzzle assembled for an extended period of time.

Games involving cutting and pasting: Prohibited.

Rattles, bells, whistles, horns: It is prohibited to use these on Shabbat. Furthermore, they are classified as muktze and should not be moved on Shabbat.

Modeling clay, modeling compound such as Play-Doh, wax, clay, plaster: Prohibited, and they are muktze.

Electric toys, including battery-powered toys: Prohibited and they are muktze.

Paper folding (origami): Prohibited.

Swimming in the sea or a pool: Prohibited.

Rungs connected to a tree trunk or a treehouse: One may not climb a tree, whether it is alive or dead, whole or partially cut, if its trunk is connected to the ground.

Marbles: In the house or on a paved area, it is permitted to play with marbles. On an unpaved surface, it is prohibited.

Riding on bicycles: There is a difference between a tricycle, which has hard, plastic wheels and is designed for small children, and ordinary, two-wheeled bicycles. Tricycles are permitted, whereas riding a bicycle is prohibited on Shabbat.

Ball games: The halakha depends on the specific type of game: Ping-pong (table tennis) is permitted; soccer and basketball are permitted inside the house but should be avoided outside the house.

Further reading: For more on educating young children on mitzvot, see A Concise Guide to the Sages, p. 404; A Concise Guide to Mahshava, p. 186.