My children are at a stage in their life where they just have too much junk. As I sift through the things in their playroom, I mumble to myself, “What IS this? Why do they have all of this stuff? Do they even play with this?” It didn’t take me long to realize that when it comes to toys QUALITY is way more important than QUANTITY.
From that moment on I decided that I would be very intentional about the toys that we bring into this house. I want them to have toys that expand their minds and imaginations, not just get thrown all over the floor. Here are some of our favorite toddler toys that we have found:
FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT TOYS
Learning Resources Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog
This toy can be used to learn color recognition, sorting, and counting. The thick pieces are great for tiny fingers and help children build important fine motor skills.
Coogam Wooden Lacing Apple
This cute little apple helps children form fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they weave the worm through the 13 holes.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT TOYS
Coogam Matching Eggs
This toy is a simple and budget-friendly tool that can teach important problem-solving skills. Children will start identifying shapes and colors as they learn to match the pieces of the eggs together.
Button Art
This toy is a great combination for toddler learning. It promotes the building of fine motor skills, cognitive development and even some art skills. This one takes some teaching and supervision at first, but it will be an independent toy in no time.
GROSS MOTOR DEVELOPMENT TOYS
iPlay, iLearn Kids Bowling Play Set
This bowling set is sure to be hours of fun in your home. Made out of sturdy foam, these pins are easy for kids to set up independently. They will how to roll/throw a ball at a target, building gross motor skills.
YBIKE Pewi Elite Bike
This walk and ride-on toy can be used as a push toy as early as nine months old. It transitions to a ride-on toy where children will learn to scoot, push, and turn. This is great for indoor use on hard surfaces, but also durable enough for outdoor use.
Little Tikes Toddler Slide
My kids will play on this slide for hours on end. They run around in circles going up the ladder and down the slide one after the other. This is great for indoor and outdoor use. Bonus: You can put it on the edge of a kiddie pool for some summer fun!
ART TOYS
Paint Daubers
These daubers are the perfect medium between the mess of finger painting and the skill level of using a paintbrush. The daubers allow your toddler to make beautiful works of art with minimal mess. That’s a mom win in my book!
Crayola My First Double Doodle Board
This two-sided board lets your toddler draw with washable crayons on one side and use their finger to draw on a mess-free gel on the opposite side. This is a great option to throw in a diaper bag to use in the car or at restaurants, too.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT TOYS
LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book
Your toddler can press on 100 interactive picture to learn words in both English and Spanish. With cute sound effects and songs, this one is sure to hold your toddler’s attention.
The Learning Journey: Counting Chicken
This counting chicken is used to introduce fundamental math skills and vocabulary. It will help children learn to recognize numbers, colors, and counting to 10. Most importantly, children are encouraged to listen carefully to directions and practice problem-solving skills.
OUTDOOR PLAY
Little Tikes Fish ‘n Splash Water Table
This one is a family favorite in our backyard. Kids will love splashing and playing the water. As they pour water in different parts, children will learn about cause and effect.
Step2 Up & Down Roller Coaster Ride On
My twins’ school had this toy on their playground area and they were OBSESSED. They loved it so much that Santa just had to bring one to our house this year. This toy has had the added bonus of teaching our kids to be patient and take turns. Another mom win!
Did we miss any? What are your toddler’s favorite toys?
These are great! Thanks for sharing!