The Best Fun Toys and Educational Games for Kids (2024-2025)

Choosing the best toys for kids can be daunting, and that’s precisely why you’re here. Welcome to the Days with Grey 2024-2025 holiday gift guide for kids. These toy lists are carefully curated to help you effortlessly make a gift selection you feel great about featuring age-appropriate toys for your child. (Specifically from one-year-olds to 12.)

After visiting the New York Toy Fair to learn more about my favorite toy companies and understand their values, I updated this toy list for 2024-2025 so it reflects much more than a stock image. These are the toys my kids loved and still linger after all this time from my favorite brands.

What makes a great toy?

Finding a gift your four-year-old won’t cast aside a mere ninety seconds after ripping off the wrapping paper is like finding a needle in a haystack.  Children’s toys are the gateway to learning and social development, and I have the best suggestions for kids.

So, which toys make the best gifts for kids? First, we need to take a look at how our child plays. Do they enjoy constructing and are looking for building blocks (we have a list for that), or is pretending to play more of their style? (yep, we have a list for that too.)

Considering active play is key! (Don’t worry; I’ve got you on this.)

As caregivers, we search for the perfect balance between a learning toy and a toy so engaging that it will keep our child entertained long enough for us to drink our coffee while it’s still steaming hot. The right toys are out there!

Here, you will find toys for outdoor play, fine motor skills, STEM learning, and building, soft toys for one-year-olds, bath toys for toddlers, and toys for 8-10-year-olds. I also included preschool toys and toys for specific ages and stages from my favorite brands.

As a former teacher and now mom to three boys ages almost 11, nine, and seven, I can confidently tell you that we’ve tried a lot of toys—no complaints from the toy testers here.

Toys for boys and toys for girls – Toys do not have a gender.

So, how will you find that perfect toy? Does that winning toddler toy or creative way to play for a five-year-old exist? Here, you will discover gender-neutral toys that toss aside any notion of toys for boys and gifts for girls. Toys don’t have a gender.

I pay close attention to what my children have played with and which toys got overlooked each year. (I do have some toy cleanup tips for this.)

Besides searching for the best sellers, I am also looking for the best toys for the long term. I want to spend my money wisely and know I am investing in a toy my boys will not stuff under their bed.

With three children ages eleven and under, we have tested plenty of toys and are here to report our favorite toys for kids!

Play and toys are essential in the early years. 

Younger children need toys that encourage problem-solving and exploration and develop fine motor strength, not to mention creativity, imaginary play, and self-esteem.

Older children need toys that take these skills and continue to add to prior knowledge. We want toys that expand play into a timeless web that captures the love of discovery.

We all need toys that encourage imaginative play that our children will play with for many years – no more one-and-done toys. (Yep, talking to us adults too!)

These are the BEST toys for kids.

What toys should every kid have?

We know that play sets the foundation for future learning.

Touching and manipulating open-ended toys now will serve your child as they begin to read in a textbook about the objects they had a chance to TOUCH in the early years.

I talk about the importance of play here at Days with Grey. Simply put, children learn by doing and need toys that prompt thinking.

We know this.

Giving children a chance to play with the best toys in the early years is like a golden ticket to their future. Kids who know how to play will move mountains. 

The best toys allow kids to learn through inquiry, creativity, and problem-solving.

Now, that is a true gift!

The best toys for kids start here

This toy list has several categories for every age, stage, and desire to play. I added each toy list so you can quickly find the gift guide you seek.

Best Toys by Age

1. 30 Toys for One-Year-Olds – What do you get a baby for their first birthday or holiday? I am looking for something that a baby can grasp with their hands and experiment with their thoughts. Here are my favorite gifts for one-year-olds.
2. Toys for Toddlers – Why are toddlers the most difficult to shop for? Is it because they are slowly gaining independence with their play yet have a short attention span? Perhaps. Allow me to take the stress off of finding the perfect gift. After raising three toddlers, I can tell you which toddler toys are top-notch for inspiring play.
3. Toys for Six-Year-Olds – Kindergarten and first graders love toys that capture their imagination and interests. Our list includes indoor and outdoor games, toys, and even craft supplies that will pique the curiosity of your favorite early elementary kiddo! 
4. Toys for Nine-Year-Olds – Now that my oldest is nine, we have a lot of great outdoor, STEM, and art toys for kids added to this list.

Favorite Toys that are Timeless and Intentional

1. Top Open-Ended Forever Toys – This gift list contains handpicked, open-ended, hands-on toys that inspire play. These are toys we have in our home and have used for years.
2. Building Toys for Kids – Remember building towers in school or at your neighbor’s house? Good news! Blocks are still a foundational and creative way to play. We have listed some original sets that will take you back in time and some you only dreamed of having when you were younger. 
3. Bath Toys for Kids – If bath time needs a makeover, these are the best toddler toys to add to your next bathtime.
4. Board Games for Kids – This list includes my family’s favorites, from classic to math board games for kids. After a long day, these cooperative board games help us all come together, laugh (and learn how to lose).
5. Puzzles for Kids – Puzzles for kids are one of the BEST activities for all ages. I included some untraditional ideas to get your little ones thinking and sparking creativity.
6. Outdoor Toys for Kids – Want to know my secret to get kids over the late afternoon hump? It is going directly outside between nap/quiet time and bedtime. Rain or shine, here are our favorite ways to play in the backyard or on the go.
7. Bikes for Kids – Inside this post, you will learn the best age for balance bikes, how to encourage using a balance bike, how to find the correct size bike for your child, and the best biking accessories.

Stocking Stuffers

1. Toys under $25 – Who needs stocking stuffers that aren’t candy or another pair of gloves? After 13 years of teaching and five years of parenting three boys, I have found great resources for your preschoolers to use daily. This gift list is all under $25 and will not disappoint.
2. Travel Toys for Kids – Traveling with kids is never easy. But with a little extra planning and prep work, you can make traveling with kids smoother and less stressful for everyone! Having suitable travel toys for kids is essential for going through long road trips, traffic jams, layovers, and flight delays.

Educational Toys for Kids

1. Art and Craft Supplies for Kids – What are basic art supplies? What should be in a preschool art center? Find it all here. This gift guide includes our favorite Ikea Art Cart and what we put inside to get started.
2. STEM and Math Toys – Encouraging your child’s love for STEM learning is a smart move. Especially since understanding math, science, technology, and engineering are almost all hands-on. Allow your mathematician to soar with these STEM toys.
3. Alphabet Toys – I want my preschoolers to become familiar with the lines and curves that form a letter, along with being able to toss the letters into a sensory bin for hands-on learning. From setting up your Breakfast Invitations to Sensory play, this letter supply list is versatile! Here, you will find a detailed list of letter activities from Amazon we own, trust, and love. You don’t need to own a ton. Just a few that you can use in a couple of different ways!

Other Toy Lists We Love

1. Melissa and Doug Favorite Toy List – We want our children to spend less time on tablets and more time playing. But some struggles come along for the ride. 
2. Essential Breakfast Invitation Must-Haves – Okay, if I were stranded on an island with only 10 Breakfast Invitation supplies, which ones would I bring? You don’t want to miss this!
3. Experience Gifts for Kids – Looking to spend more time together? We are, too! I searched for nine inspiring ways to unite as a family and enjoy new experiences. Get one of these events on your calendar today! (Post LIVE on November 13th)
4. Small Business Gift Guide -Looking to support a small shop (or few) this holiday season? I am! This small business gift guide is here to help. No affiliate links. Just small shops that work hard to deliver excellent products. 

Open-ended toys unlock thoughts, ideas, and creative thinking.

This holiday season, inspire your young learners with intentional toys.