If you are looking for the best toys for toddlers, this is the list for you!
Inside: Best toys for toddlers & pre-school aged kids
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning,” he said. “But for children, play is serious learning.” -Fred Rogers
Best Toys for Toddlers
You don’t need to own every toy on the market to have a child who will play well independently, but you do need to own the right toys to encourage that to happen.
Kids need open ended toys that inspire imagination
It’s important to find toys that are open ended and inspire creativity and imagination vs. those “one and done” toys that are all over the market.
We’ve all seen or have those “one and done toys.” You know the ones… they usually have batteries, may light up, make a lot of noise or try to capture your kids attention by entertaining/singing to them or asking questions, etc… These toys usually have one purpose and you can’t use the toy any other way than how it was intended.
In my experience, these types of toys end up being played with once, then start taking residence at the bottom of the toy box, barely ever seeing the light of day. I’ve learned that the best toys to have are “open ended,” meaning there are multiple ways you can play and the child directs the play how they see fit.
At three years old, Audrey has toys that keep her attention and inspire independent play. We often keep the toys on rotation (in the top of closet) and get it down when we are ready to play. Her play usually involves a cast of imaginary friends who take part in exciting adventures like going to the doctor, riding in the Barbie car to get a hair cut or running from the ferocious dinosaurs.
Here’s the type of toys you should buy…
If you want a child who plays independently, open-ended toys are the toys for you.
These toys help them learn to navigate the world, to act out social situations, problem solve, and explore. Below I have included a list of our favorite toys that are open ended and inspire imagination.
The best toys for toddlers
This is my complete list of the best toys for toddlers. These toys have longevity. These toys are open-ended and have unlimited play potential.
Shape Mags
These are magnetic tiles that you can arrange in numerous ways. These are definitely one of her favorites and it keeps her thinking outside the box. She loves to build houses for her figurines, stack or line them up, and build castles or tall cars to pull her “friends” around. These Shape Mags keep her actively engaged and often teach her to problem solve and work to get the shapes how she wants them.
Kinetic Sand
Audrey loves playing with her sand kit & making numerous shapes and building sand castles. I love how the sand doesn’t dry out and there are so many things you can make and build. This can get a bit messy, but it’s pretty easy to clean.
Play Kitchen
There are so many cute play kitchen on the market, here are a few of my favorites.
No matter the gender, play kitchens are a great open ended toy! So much play can happen when serving or making food. It allows them to use their imagination and create dialogue with themselves. Even though this list is for toddlers, this type of toy will continue to grow with them through their childhood.
Play Food/ Tea Set
This is another great toy that will grow with them for years to come. This ice-cream set is a cheaper version than the best selling wooden Melissa and Doug set (linked here). Both have amazing reviews! Audrey loves to pretend to serve us an ice-cream treat!
Sink with Real Water
Audrey loves playing with water and pretending to do things that we do. Having a play sink with real running water is a fun activity that keeps her interested and exploring. She loves to ask us if we want “tea,” filling up our cups and then dumping them in the sink.
Doll House
One of Audrey’s favorite things to do at the church nursery is play with a doll house. It sets the stage for exploration, dialogue and a whole lot of play.
Dramatic Play Kits
Whether its a playing a pretend doctor, super-hero, princess or hair dresser, these kits can create opportunity for lots of play!
Animal/People Figurines
These are a simple but great open ended toy. We got her this nativity set for Christmas and she plays with it all the time. Having a set of play people or animals can inspire play in whatever world they dream up!
Puzzles
Audrey has really enjoyed playing with these Melissa & Doug large size puzzles. It’s been really neat to see her gain interest and work through frustration when she can’t seem to find the right piece.
Wedgits
A great activity that fosters the “think outside the box” mentality. Build and create numerous towers and shapes.
Play-Doh
Such a classic and for good reason! Audrey loves making creatures and shapes and she also loved this specific hair salon set when she played at Gigi’s house.
Cars with People
My daughter loves to play pretend, make the characters talk, and “drive” to various places in our house. There’s something about acting out real life scenes with the cars that she really loves.
Hope you enjoyed my list of best toys for toddlers!
What are your favorite toys for toddlers?
Remember, we don’t need to own every toy for our kids but the right toys make all the difference. Let’s get our kiddos playing with toys that inspire learning and creativity.
2 Comments