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Here’s something every parent struggles with sooner or later: finding the best toddler toys.
I got fed up with our living room looking like we had been robbed—toys and other stuff all over the place. What's worse, our kids never even played with about 90% of their toys.
I wanted to scale down and give them only the "best" toys.
But which ones are the "best?" And what does "best" even mean?
I decided to roll up my sleeves and do some research.
Here's quick look at what "we" (more on who "we" are below) came up with for the best toys for toddlers. Click on anything on the list to jump straight to the description.
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Best Toddler Toys
So, I wanted a toy that's fun, obviously, and it wouldn’t hurt if it were educational too, and then it would be nice if it were durable and not too expensive and guaranteed not only hours of endless fun and learning, but years.
Is that so much to ask for?
But instead of scouring the internet and choosing blindly, I realized that there was a better way to find the best toys for toddlers.
I went straight to the source: real moms and dads.
They have their finger on the pulse and they can recommend, with certainty, what (their) kids like to play with.
So we spoke to 29 mamas who took time out of their busy schedules to share their favorites.
And that’s how we came up with this epic list of toddler toys that rock.
Dying to know what made the grade?
First, we have to mention that there is a clear winner.
At least half a dozen moms on this list all recommended the same toy, though it goes by different names: Magna-Tiles, Picasso Tiles and Shapemags, among others.
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These are small magnetic shapes that can be joined together to make an unlimited amount of creations, and I have to admit, I took the plunge and bought them and I can confirm that THEY ARE AWESOME.
All those moms said the same thing, too: they love how this is an open-ended toy that inspires creativity and offers kids an opportunity to use their imagination.
What's more, they help kids develop spatial, science, math, and tactile skills, and they've won numerous awards, including:
- Best Creative Fun at the Tillywig Toy Awards
- Academic's Choice Brain Toy
- Toy of the Year by Parenting Magazine
- Parent's Choice Gold Award
- Recognition from Purdue University as a toy that promotes engineering thinking and design
Best of all, there are many options out there, from the deluxe 100-piece set to glow-in-the-dark tiles to tiles that come with letters and numbers. You can even buy accessories, like car bases and figurines.
They're also available at all different price points.
If you need to buy just one awesome toddler toy, this should be it.
Ready to see the other toys for toddlers recommended by parents?
Keep reading!
Priscilla is your a mom-chef-housekeeper-wife-blogger-podcaster! She's enjoying mothering her 3 little boys while giving them the best educational head start possible. She blogs at The Mother Lode.
Costumes
My first recommendation that gets a ton of use in our house is dress-up clothing. We have this police costume, a hand-me-down firefighter rain jacket and a fire hat from the fire department, this superhero set, assorted hats, glasses, and accessories. It really doesn’t take much to start a collection, and if you like DIY there are plenty of easy tutorials out there.
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My boys have so much fun exploring different characters and stories this way. I can’t imagine a preschool classroom without dress-up clothing, as it allows for role play, which is so important for their development.
Rainbow stacking cups
My cousin gave us these stacking cups at my baby shower. Nearly six years later, they’re still a favorite for stacking, using as play cups, hiding toys in, and even playing with water in the bathtub. You name it, these cups have done it. My oldest found them in the “baby toys” storage the other day and said, very adamantly, “But Mommy, these are not a baby toy!”
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Nikko is a supermom to two boys and several cats. When she’s not discussing nuclear physics and creating museum-worthy works of arts with them, she sells weighted blankets for kids on her online store, Mythical Parenting.
Toy fruits and vegetables
We love these plastic fruits. The sorting and dumping can entertain a 3-year old longer than most toys because the pieces are brightly colored and fun to toss around. The dumping out part is especially fun, and good for teaching them how to pick up toys.
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For independent kids, they can spend solo time organizing and playing; and for kids who need a little support, you can work with them and give them assignments to fill the buckets and show them to you.
In summary, this is a good toy set and kids can invent their own games of "store" or even use the buckets as baskets for tossing toys into. It's a toy that can grow with your child's knowledge and adapt to a variety of games.
STEM dinosaurs
Though my boys have always been drawn to cars, we adore these dinosaurs because they satisfy the need to deconstruct and build. Of course there will be moments of slamming the Dino-cars together or racing them, but we used them as a gateway to learning about dinosaurs and my boys got busy working on their dexterity.
The downside is the small screws and tools can get lost, so I recommend getting a plastic box to store the whole set in. The upside is hours of entertainment for kids to assemble, use tools, take things apart, make decisions about which pieces they want where, and problem solve to use the right tools to get the dinos ready for action.
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Pirate water table
This pirate water table is our go-to toy when the weather is nice. There are lots of interesting pieces to keep kids interested, and they can squirt water from the cannon, pour water in the crow’s nest, and pump the water and make everything spin.
It’s really well made and lasts for years - at least it has in our house - and it’s gotten a lot of use (or maybe the right word is “abuse”...).
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Margaret is the mom to one toddler (so far) and a pediatric Speech and Language Pathologist. She blogs at Speak Play Love about activities and tips to encourage language development.
Memory board game
Seek-A-Boo is the perfect first “board game” for toddlers and preschoolers.
As a Speech-language pathologist, I love all the language learning opportunities in this game! Large circles with pictures (“Seek Me” cards) are spread out face-down on the floor and then the child is shown a small picture (“Find Me” card) to search for a match.
It incorporates basic vocabulary, categorization, gross motor movement, memory, attention, and turn taking skills.
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McKayla is a wife and a mother to one crazy 3-year-old girl, as well as a nanny to 3 other children! I think it’s safe to say that kids are her thing! She blogs over at Motivation For Mom.
Smart pad
This smart pad is probably my favorite toy! Someone actually got it for my daughter when she was 6 months old, and I thought it was a great baby toy. Turns out it’s even better for a toddler.
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It’s got so many different settings. It covers shapes, colors, ABCs, sounds, and it has a variety of songs and nursery rhymes. And the best thing about it is it has low and high volume settings, so it’s not just one of those super loud and obnoxious toys that you hide on a top shelf somewhere.
It’s perfect entertainment when they’re little, and it teaches them a ton when they’re in the toddler stage. My 3-year-old sings along with the nursery rhymes, it’s adorable!
Wooden building block shapes
We love this set of building blocks! They’re such a simple yet fun toy to have. Building with blocks is perfect for helping toddlers practice balance and patience, and it really lets them get creative.
I was so surprised to see what the kids could come up with on their own. Plus, the possibilities are endless! The older they get the more intricate their designs become. Blocks are a must-have toddler toy.
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Scooter
This scooter is a little pricey, but I promise it’s worth it. It is such a smooth ride and easy to balance on, so it’s perfect for toddlers! Also, you can adjust the height, so much so that we’ve had our friends’ 1-year-old take turns with his 6-year-old sister.
This thing will last forever. It’s a great indoor-outdoor toy as well, it turns so smoothly that my 3-year-old doesn’t bash into the walls! This is my daughter’s absolute favorite toy!
We actually tried a cheaper off-brand scooter before this one, but it wasn’t nearly as easy to balance, it wasn’t as smooth, and it wasn’t as adjustable. While there are certainly a lot of toddler scooters out there, you get what you pay for with this one!
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Sharon Gourlay lives in Melbourne, Australia with her three kids aged 2, 7 and 8. She blogs about living simpler and smarter at Simpler and Smarter.
Lego Duplo
You really can’t beat Lego Duplo as an educational and fun toy that will help your kids in so many ways. They learn to follow instructions and solve problems as they build the Lego to the plan. They have imaginative and creative play by building what they want or when playing with the structures they create.
It’s also great for their hand strength, which helps with writing. One of our school-aged kids struggles with writing and his "homework" is actually to play with some lego every day to help with this.
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Tablet
This tablet is perfect for older toddlers and preschoolers as an alternative to other electronics like an iPad. It’s great because they get the enjoyment of something that talks to them and makes sounds while also teaching them to write. They also get to use their hands with a pencil.
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Cousett is a mom to 2 boys. She loves all things tech and navigating being a mom. She's also a web designer, photographer and WordPress guru. She blogs over at Techie Mama.
Soft vehicles
We often see these toys at the indoor playgrounds we visit, and I love seeing my 3-year-old and 9-month-old interact with each other with these. They pull back easily and are baby safe.
I loved how my little guy was able to make them go and my 3-year-old would catch it or go run and get it and send it back to the 9-month-old.
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Railway set
This railway set has probably brought the most hours of independent play and fun. My big guy has loved trains for about 1.5 years now (maybe earlier) and he loves to set up tracks and make up stories with the trains and people.
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The imaginative play is so amazing. It is probably our number one toy set that we have and something that is always out for easy access.
Musical instruments
We have had different musical instruments for my big guy since he was young. I loved introducing him to music and dancing with him. He has always had an appreciation for music. I love that both my big guy and baby can participate.
It fosters sharing because they always want the same ones, and music is just good for the soul. It is the language without words. Showing them how to play happy music compared to sad or mad music is also great for getting them to recognize emotions.
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Anissa Orsino is a wife and homeschooling mom of two boys. On her blog Mama Goes Beyond, she helps moms tackle their everyday responsibilities and encourages them to pursue extraordinary lives.
Card game
UNO is a classic card game and is just as much fun to play as it was when I was a kid. It's relatively easy even for very small kids to play, and it's a terrific way to practice numbers and colors.
We're learning Spanish right now, and we enjoy practicing our Spanish vocabulary as we change the color to "azul" and make our opponents "Roba Dos" (Draw Two).
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Caitlin is a mom of four by both adoption and birth. She is also has a parenting blog at Real Mom Recs, where she writes about pregnancy, babies, and Disney World.
Science kit
One toy that gets loads of play time at my house is this science kit. My kids love it so much that I find myself giving it as a birthday gift every time they get invited to a party.
It comes with step-by-step directions for actual science experiments you can do with stuff you have at home already. My older son is obsessed with the "volcano explosion," which you can make with baking powder and vinegar! It has really sparked his interest in science.
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He started wondering, what will happen if I add food coloring to it? What will happen if I put more of this and less of that? And then he tests out his theories.
My younger two just like to take all the pieces of the set and play with them in the tub! Beakers for pouring, the test tubes, funnel, etc. are perfect for water play.
Having four kids of various ages (both boys and girls), I'm always looking for toys that are open-ended and appeal to a wide range of kids. This is a perfect example!
Christine and Jaymi are the bloggers behind The Salty Mamas, a site for mothers who are looking for the laughter in the chaos of motherhood. Between them they have 5 kids ages 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2.
Sorting bears
When it comes to getting a lot of bang for your buck, this set of sorting bears can’t be beat. Do you remember bear counters from kindergarten? Well, there's so much more these little figures can be used for than just counting. Your kids can sort them by color or by size.
Kids can put them into families, build houses for them with their Magnatiles or blocks, or use them to participate in educational challenges. They come in a small storage container, and we store them up high when they're not in use to avoid having the scattered across the floor on a regular basis.
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Cindy Hemming is a parenting blogger, kindergarten teacher, and mom of 2. Her mission is to help you thrive as a mom! Check out her blog at Living For The Sunshine.
Play scarves
We love these silky play scarves. They are the perfect imaginative toy. They can be used for so many things, it's totally up to your child and his or her imagination. In my house, these scarves have been transformed into picnic blankets, capes, tents, and even a lake. They also make great props for impromptu dance performances!
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Figurines and vehicles
My daughter doesn't play with the big (and expensive) Little People sets, but she LOVES the figurines and vehicles by Fisher-Price. There's so much opportunity for pretend play here. It's been a lasting favorite (from 18 months to 4 years).
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Big cardboard blocks
These large cardboard blocks make the perfect building toy. My daughter loves building towers as tall as she is and forts that she fits in with all her toys. I love this set from Melissa & Doug as it’s super sturdy and can hold up to 150 lbs.
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Liz is a stay at home mom of 3 kids, 5 and under. She writes about parenting, homeschooling, and ways to make mom life easier and more enjoyable. You can find her blogging over at Blue and Hazel.
While I’m not a minimalist, we have a few “staple” toys for certain ages, and then we have some “easy come easy go” toys that we buy second-hand.
The kids have gotten used to me getting rid of toys that they stop playing with so we can buy new ones at Goodwill. Because I don’t spend much money on them, I feel pretty unattached. Here are the ones that I would describe as “staples."
Art kit
We love this art kit. It’s not technically a toy but it has been my daughter’s number one item since she turned 3.5.
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Toy trains
Every toddler needs some train tracks and a few trains. Because these have gotten such good use from about age 2-3 with ALL my kids, I can’t get rid of them until we are done having babies.
When they lose interest, the trains go away for a while, but it’s the favorite toy when friends come to play and it teaches them to build and recognize patterns, and toy trains are great for pretend play.
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Toy dump truck and excavator
We like Duplos in general, but we love this dump truck and excavator. All my kids play with these from ages 2 to 5. It’s a fantastic toy for building and for using their imagination, and I would recommend that you definitely get something with wheels if you buy these! I’ve found little hands can stack these so no need to get the HUGE blocks that are one size bigger.
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Jennie, mom of 4 kids under 8 years old, is the writer behind Four To Love. She enjoys providing practical parenting ideas, tried-and-true product recommendations, and encouragement for moms.
Button art activity set
Alex's Discover Art button toy provides fun for kids ages 1.5 and up. This is a wonderful toy because it’s both educational and creative. Kids can learn about matching colors, and they practice their dexterity by placing the buttons in their slots. They can also mix-and-match the colors to make their own designs! Maybe best of all for parents, the toy comes with its own storage solution.
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Tracing pad
The Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad is the perfect toy to keep kids entertained while helping them gain confidence in their drawing and writing skills. The kids can use the provided sheets to trace and create their own scenes, but the tracing pad's use goes beyond that.
My kids trace used-up coloring sheets so that they can color them again! It's also an excellent tool for teaching kids how to write letters, their name, or words.
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Betty is the brains behind The Terrific Five, a blog about pregnancy, breastfeeding, parenting, and everything else motherhood. When she is not writing, she's chasing after her 2 crazy, energetic kids.
Candy Land
Candy Land is my son’s first board game and he has been playing it for 2 years now. It has been instrumental in helping him learn colors through matching the colored squares on the cards with the jeweled stepping-stone path. He has also learned how to be patient, take turns, and follow rules.
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More than anything, I thank the board game for teaching my kids how to handle defeat and not be a sore loser. Now that his sister is almost 3 years old, she is joining in on the game as well. Quality family bonding time!
Dot markers
My kids love to draw, and these dot markers are perfect for their little hands to hold and control. The colors are vibrant and bright, and my kids are able to create fun works of art using their imagination.
There are tons of free dot activity pages online that you can print for your kids to color, and I use them as part of our homeschooling curriculum to teach my kids letters and numbers.
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These markers and the activity sheets allow my kids to practice hand-eye coordination as they color in the circles on the sheets. Moreover, they learn to recognize different colors and begin to understand what happens when you mix different colors together by layering the dots.
Plus, these non-toxic markers don't leak everywhere like the traditional markers do, so moms can relax and let their kids go to town with these dot markers.
Thomas and Andrea have been married for 2 years and have one seven-month-old son. They blog over at Parents Plus Kids.
Two very important priorities in our household are education and peaceful atmosphere. It’s our goal to have our little 7-month-old play with toys that do not take away from either of these priorities! We focus on having 1-2 types of toys along with books around for our little guy to explore.
Textured balls
Right now our little guy is learning how to play with these Infantino textured balls. He has been playing with them for about 2 months now. It has been very interesting to see how his ability to play with them changes as his fine motor skills improve.
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We recently added a cotton basket to add another dimension to his playtime with sensory toys. Bonus… it doubles as a toy storage container that fits in with our home decor!
Felicity is mum to 2 daughters and baby number 3 is on the way. Her passion is parenting and creating a community where everyone feels welcome. It is this passion that led to the creation of The Baby Vine.
Treehouse
My oldest daughter (3.5 years old) took to this treehouse almost instantly. I just love toys that can grow with your child, as they last longer in the home and help keep the clutter at a minimum. This treehouse is perfect for imaginary play. Only one of the pieces is actually fixed in, the rest can be moved and rearranged to create your very own fantasy world.
The stories Cassie tells are incredible to listen to, it’s amazing watching her disappear into the fairy world. The toy itself is so beautiful as it’s made from recycled and sustainable timber from Vietnam, so I know it will last for years and both girls will get plenty of use out of it.
Wooden rainbow
Imaginary play doesn’t get much better than this wooden nesting rainbow. It doesn’t come with instructions; the imagination part is left up to the child, and boy have we seen some amazing creations in our household. It has turned into a tunnel, made into a bike, stacked for hours on end.
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Every day I am called into our playroom to see her latest creation, and many of them are very impressive. Of course, if you want some ideas, there are plenty of photos of different creations online for you to sit down with your child and try and copy. Great for the fine motor skills and the imagination, this toy is a favorite of ours.
Annie Smith is a wife, former teacher, stay-at-home mommy to 2 under 2, and blogger. Her coffee drinking and top knot game is strong. You can catch her over at Pancakes and Snuggles.
Ride-on toy
This ride-on toy is perfect for a toddler who has recently started walking. It allows the child to safely scoot along on his/her own or be pushed by someone. There’s also a built-in mechanism that prevents the car from toppling over.
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It comes with several bells and whistles (literally) in the form of buttons, knobs, and dials to slide, push, turn, etc. for different songs and sounds. My favorite part is the storage compartment under the seat. We have found many a missing remote control or sippy cup hiding inside!
Toddler slide
This is my absolute favorite toy to date. It has truly been a lifesaver this winter! Thanks to the Polar Vortex and our compact house, opportunities for physical activity were very limited.
This little slide is currently in our living room and provides a much needed outlet for my oldest. Besides climbing up and down the slide, she likes to crawl through the bottom and play peek-a-boo down there! When the weather gets warmer, it will go back to being in our backyard.
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Emma is a mom of two boys. She blogs about living well in small spaces with kids without losing your mind at Little House, Lovely Home.
My family is very minimalist as we try to prioritize travel and family experiences and keep toys to a minimum. Lego is huge for us as it is easy to travel with. It’s pretty much the only toy my kids have as a constant, but the sprawl can cause widespread devastation in our little house.
Lego table
For that reason, we love our UTEX lego table. It doubles as an activity table so they can use it for drawing/coloring and Lego. It has two large drawers underneath. We use one for Lego and the other for coloring and craft supplies.
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My boys have a tiny bedroom so the table keeps everything contained and is really stylish also. Plus, it’s really helped to get them to sit down and play quietly which is a huge bonus for this mom.
Ophira has one child and blogs over at Easy Mommy Life. Her blog focuses on child-led learning, gentle parenting tips and healthy toddler recipes.
Wooden cars
Our son has two favorite toys: cars and Magna Tiles. We use a combination of these toys as a tool for pretend play. We particularly like these wooden car toys as they are super long lasting.
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Clare has two girls. She aims to help you bring love, fun, beauty and kindness into the world, starting with your family when you don’t have the time or money. She blogs at Oh These Are The Good Old Days.
Legos
We love Legos as they’re great for creative STEM play! My daughter reads the instructions and carefully builds it, then destroys it and builds it again.
She also tosses them all together and uses all of her kits to build her own unique neighborhoods and parks. It makes me so happy to see her playing with them. Future engineer or architect maybe?
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Cardboard playhouse
We also love these playhouses because you can let your kids paint them, draw on them with markers, cover them in ribbons, flowers, or string Christmas lights in them if they are special, safe ones.
When I hosted our family-friendly company Christmas party, I was put in charge of the kids' activity corner. I bought three of these and let the kids go to town. None of them knew each other but they became quick friends while working on their decorating project and hide and seek game.
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Brain Flakes
Brain Flakes are so cool. They easily snap together and your imagination is the limit as to how you use them. My daughter makes a long tall line to see how tall she can make her statue or she creates cars or people from her box o' flakes!
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Matilda writes about her travels along with her sister on their website, The Travel Sisters. She lives in Chicago with her husband, their two young children and beloved yorkie.
Mega Bloks
I purchased Mega Bloks for my son's first birthday and he still plays with them two years later. He has gone from just being delighted with whatever mom and dad build to gleefully knocking over our creations to build his own masterpieces.
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He has built everything from planes to gorillas and proudly shows us his work. I love that this is an open ended toy that promotes creativity but also fine motor skills. We even used blocks to practice his colors and counting. As an added bonus, when playtime is over everything goes back in the conveniently provided storage bag.
Christina, from Raising Biracial Babies, has two kids, (5 ½ and 3 ½) and helps moms navigate the journey of motherhood! She writes about pregnancy, birth, parenting, having mixed kids, and mixed hair care.
Espresso play kitchen
My kids love their Kidcraft play kitchen because there’s so many imaginative and creative ways to play with it. They love to play restaurant, where someone orders food and they serve it, they also cook the food, they play grocery store, and they play house with it.
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I love it because both my son and daughter use it frequently and we’ve had it for almost 3 years now. They both STILL love playing with it! This toy keeps my kids interested, engaged, and boosts their creativity and imagination. Plus it stands the test of time!
Activity desk
We also love this activity desk. This is another toy that has stood the test of time. We got this when my daughter was 2 and there were activities she could do at that age, and as she got older, there were other ways to play and interact with the desk. My son also loves this, so again, it’s great for girls and boys.
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It’s a great educational tool as some of the learning activities include memorization, the alphabet, spelling, time, seasons, music, animals, and so much more. My kids have learned a lot using this desk!
Val Breit is a stay-at-home mom of 2 toddlers. She runs The Common Cents Club, where she shows stay-at-home moms how to make money from home and experience family and financial freedom.
Art easel
So far, this art easel has been used most for painting, and the cup holders for paint cups are incredibly convenient. However, when they get tired of painting, we liven things up with drawing shapes and letters with chalk or dry erase markers.
The storage underneath the easel actually allowed us to get rid of a bulky desk that just didn't suit us right and it holds a ton of craft supplies. Generally speaking, art easels are a great toy for toddlers.
Lifestyle kitchen
My kiddos love making food for me and my husband (or even each other or their babies) in this play kitchen. I keep most toys out of the kids' rooms, but the play kitchen and babies are in my 3-year-olds' room because she loves pretending to be a mom.
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Motorized train set
This train set is another must-have in our house and I love seeing the tracks they create together. Each one is different and they get to test a lot of theories about how to make a certain shape, or what will happen if they put something in the train's way.
We've had lots of toys collect dust, but these are the toys my toddlers actually use and play with regularly. They have provided many hours of creative and imaginative play.
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Audrey has two kids, three cats, and three dogs at home. She's a parenting blogger at Mommy Enlightened, where she seeks to help moms build confidence in motherhood.
Peppe Pig figurines
When I bought this Peppa Pig set, I didn't think it would become a favorite in my house, but it has. My three-year-old plays with these for quiet time (and has consistently for the last eight months), which lasts two hours at my house. She stays entertained the whole time, and at the end of the two hours, I usually have to tear her away from it.
Kids at this age are really big into pretend play. It's beneficial for learning social skills, problem-solving skills, and emotional regulation. The characters themselves model behavior that we want to see in our kids.
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You definitely have a myriad of pretend play toys to choose from, but we particularly love these for their practicality. They are small enough to carry around but big enough they can't be swallowed.
The figurines are easy to stabilize (which is important because we've all seen a toddler frustrated by the fact that their baby doll falls when they try to stand it up). There is also a myriad of different scenes you can purchase to mix it up.
Lauren blogs at My Favorite Job Title is Mom. She is also a veterinary pharmacist for her day job and a mom to a toddler. She's passionate about helping other parents navigate travel with young children.
Alligator push toy
This alligator push toy is great for an older baby or toddler as they are learning to walk as it provides a sturdy base for them to start figuring out their feet. It’s also great for a toddler that likes to discover how things work.
Because the alligator pieces move up and down when the toy moves, it’s also great for a toddler to start learning about cause and effect.
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Classic wooden blocks
Classic wooden blocks are a classic for a reason. This toy has so much educational value. Once baby starts to sit up, the blocks can help teach fine motor skills, from picking up a small toy to stacking and putting the blocks into a container.
Once you have a toddler, the block towers get more impressive, and they transition into the pre-school and kindergarten years by teaching letters, reading and spelling. The fact that these blocks are wood make them durable for the long haul. My son is currently the third generation to play with his block set.
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Baby University books
My third favorite isn’t technically a toy; however, I try to instill in my son that reading is a fun, entertaining activity. All books are educational – it’s the reading to a baby/toddler that is beneficial.
The Baby University book series is a collection of board books covering things like rocket science, quantum physics, and general relativity all in their most basic form so that they make sense to a toddler.
These books have lots of white space with bright colored objects to illustrate the concepts. Despite not having the fun “gimmicky” things some other baby/toddler books have, my son loves these books. I’ve also learned a lot by reading the books to him.
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Pooja Malkani, the founder of Colossal Umbrella, is the mother of a 4-year-old little monkey. She loves to travel and to stay healthy.
Magnetic sticks
My 4-year-old was introduced to toys at a very early age since our aim was to keep him away from television and gadgets as much as possible.
As a result, and after a lot of trial and error, we introduced him to construction and assembly toys. He’s had them for the past two years and loves playing with them. He particularly loves these magnetic sticks, interlocking tubes, and this interlocking building set.
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Interlocking tubes
He started by creating something simple and very basic, like a line, and eventually started innovating to complex designs like a robot. We invested in way too many toys but his love for these has been constant.
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Interlocking building set
I kept adding similar toys to make sure he builds more creative things. These construction toys have enhanced his creativity, imagination, perseverance and have definitely played a huge part in development of language and social skills.
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Alexis is a writer and mother to three beautiful children. She’s a stay at home mom who survives off of coffee and sleep deprivation. She runs and operate the blog My Little Wildlife.
Wooden puzzles
My family and I have always enjoyed puzzles. To get them interested early I suggest wooden puzzles, and either picture puzzles or learning puzzles. That way they can learn shapes, colors, and letters all while figuring out how to match it up!
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Magic sand
For ages 3 and up, magic sand is a fun sensory pastime my kids enjoy. They can build and cut out shapes and it's also surprisingly easy to clean up. I supervise my 2-year-old when he plays with it and he loves the feeling of it! They learn about texture and dexterity, and this toy allows them to get creative.
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Amy is a mom of six. Through her blog, Starting Parenting Over, she encourages parents of toddlers as they guide their little ones through their days—the days of wanting to throw in the towel as well as the days of never wanting this time to end.
Personalized memory game
We love this memory game is a unique twist on the beloved childhood matching games. We just gave it to our little ones last Christmas, and they love it! You can customize the cards any way you want.
I did one for each person in our family, with their picture and their name, and added some others such as brothers, sisters, family, etc. It’s a great way for little ones to learn family words and reading names, or really whatever you want. So fun!
Trampoline
This trampoline is a great way to help little ones burn off energy when they can’t get outside and run! When our four boys were younger, we had so many inside toys to help them stay active. When they don’t have an outlet for their energy, things can quickly get out of control.
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This was a lifesaver for us with our little girls this winter, in the midst of multiple inside days! We had contests to see who could jump the most times in two minutes, or who could jump for the longest time without stopping, or if they wanted an extra TV show, we’d tell them they could watch as long as they were jumping.
You can't go wrong with a toddler trampoline!
Amber is a full-time teacher of middle school robotics and blogger at Low Carb Quick for low-carb and health-conscious recipes. She’s a mommy to an active 2-year old active son who keeps her on her toes.
Basketball set
My toddler loves this basketball set because he’s very active and it's really easy for him to score.
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Talking doggy
My son, Hendrix, is learning to talk and this talking Fisher-Price dog provides comfort and a reinforcement of language skills needed at his age.
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Latches board
We first found this latches toy at our local library and he just had to have it. It allows him to practice his fine motor skills without taking it out on our own doors and latches at home.
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Samara is the mama behind this blog, Tiny Fry. She has two adorable kids that keep her very busy, and when she’s not hanging out with her fam, she works as a VA specializing in SEO and writing.
Mini roller coaster
We have this mini roller coaster at our house and it is hands-down the most popular toy in our arsenal. My 2 and 4 year olds cannot get enough of this, and the cool thing is that they can do it themselves.
They can push the little car back to the beginning by themselves and then ride it on their own. It’s easy to put together and endlessly entertaining.
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Water table
Both my kids absolutely love playing with water: they love the pool and the beach, they love being in the bathtub, and they can stand at the sink for hours playing with toys.
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This water table is so awesome because we can set it up outside, with water or with sand, and they can play for hours, giving their toys a bath, making up stories, and just experimenting in general.
STEM engineering blocks
We have tried all kinds of blocks at our house, but my toddlers’ favorite are these STEM engineering blocks. The best part is when they work together to build something. They can make trucks, transformers, helicopters—all kinds of cool stuff.
They come in their own storage box and there are 101 different pieces they can use. It also comes with a book to give them some ideas on new designs.
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Play-Doh
My 2- and 4-year-old cannot get enough of this stuff. I often buy a huge box (great investment!) and then ration it out over time. They get so excited and they sit on the floor and play for long periods of time independently.
I brought some on a transatlantic flight this year and it kept them quiet and in their seats for a very long time. I always carry a container or two in my bag for emergency situations.
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Finding the best toddler toys
Parenting is a series of struggles.
Should you sleep train? How do you deal with temper tantrums? How do you get your kid to eat vegetables?
These are all stressful situations, and toy selection should not be one of them.
Hopefully this list—which also makes for great gift ideas—either provided you with some new ideas or at least some inspiration before you go toy shopping.
Nothing pleases me more than giving my kids a toy, or receiving one as a gift, that looks fun, educational, and built to last.
