Good toys for toddlers can be tricky to find.
From pretend play to push toys, two and three-year-olds have great fun with the toys on this list! Toys for toddlers are everywhere, and I am here to help you narrow down your search.
After raising three toddlers of my own, I have seen the toys we continue to play with versus the toys tossed to the side.
Here are my favorite toddler toys to add to your holiday gift list.
What kind of toys should toddlers play with?
Toys that welcome creativity.
Items that spark conversations.
Open-ended items. (aka no buttons or lights flashing directing the play)
Props (toys) to extend their imagination.
Toys that create an interesting experience to play out prior experiences.
Manipulatives that extend their initial interest and lead to mathematical problem-solving.
Toys that keep their brains and bodies moving.
Are toys good for toddlers?
The truth is that some toys are good for toddlers, yet they are certainly not all created equal.
There is a saturated toy market for toddlers that have a lot of bells and whistles. Beware! These toys will keep your toddler’s attention for three minutes. After that, it will be tossed aside, just waiting to be sent to Goodwill. We want toys that engage in learning through play.
Allow me to be your guide to finding high-quality toddler toys!
As a former educator and a mom to three young boys, I have studied how children play and what they need to enhance storytelling and imaginary play.
We are looking for an open-ended toy that has flexibility around how the play will unfold.
RELATED: Quick and Easy Games for Two-Year-Olds
What are good toys for a two-year-old?
Here’s where I come in!
I hand-selected each one of these toddler toys to help your child thrive. You can see how these all fit together in one playroom, or you can pick a few to strategically place throughout your home. Find what works best for your home environment for play.
My two-year-old plays with these just as much as my five-year-old!
A REALLY GOOD toy will do that!
Value the toys you purchase your child, and you will see how they get played with years later.
RELATED: Want to see these toys come together for learning activities? 50+ Ways to Play will give you plenty of play prompts!
The Best Toys for Toddlers
This is my list of the all-time top toys for toddlers. These toddler toys welcome creativity, ignite the imagination, and allow toddlers to expand on ideas they’ve experienced.
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Toddler toys they will use for years
Wooden Toys
Imagination and pretend play
Not shown in the image above rainbow wooden people
Toddler toys for gross motor
Transportation toys
Toddler art supplies
Sorting and stacking toys
Toddler kitchen play
Toddler Toys for Sensory Play
Toddlers benefit from sensory play. Here is a list of our favorite items to put inside a sensory table.
The best toddler toys are at your fingertips! Which will you add to your holiday gifting this year?
Always looking for toys the grandkids would enjoy, they love to build with blocks.
I need all of these toys!! OMG! I am so saving this list and am slowly going to purchase these items! My sons birthday is coming up soon so this is the perfect gift list!
My youngest is just getting into toys (she just turned 1) and this Momma is all too happy to oblige with simple, well-constructed toys like the ones you have listed. Thanks for curating this list. I’ve added the Brio Train Set to my Amazon wishlist. 🙂
We love trains and play doh. Those eye droppers would be perfect for all sorts of science and art projects!
So many great ideas here! We need to invest in a good set of magnet tiles–maybe for my daughter’s birthday present.
As a mom AND a teacher I just love these! Open ended…my favorite. Kids learn so much from play and these are some great learning toys!