Their first video game
Designed specifically for toddlers, this video game works on your TV without a video game console. The game explores concepts like numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. This is a relatively inexpensive toy that's sure to be a major hit.
Recommended ages: 3 to 8 years
Their first toolbox
Green Toys Tool Set, available at Amazon and Walmart , from $20.99
Toddlers can fix things up around the house with this 15-piece toolbox. The small set is just the right size for toddler hands and includes a hammer, nails, screwdriver, screws, and more.
Recommended ages: 2 years and up
A Blue's Clues & You play house
Melissa & Doug Blue's Clues & You! Blue's House Play Tent, available at Amazon , Macy's , and Target , from $50.99
If they are a Blue's Clues fan, this play tent will be a big hit. It stands 4 feet tall and will open up their imagination as they pretend to be part of Josh and Blue's world. It also packs away nicely in a storage tote, so it won't need to take up permanent residence in your family room.
Recommended ages: 3 years and up
A cash register with play money
AmazonFisher-Price Classic Toys Retro Cash Register, available at Amazon , Walmart , and Barnes and Noble , from $21.92
My daughter and I have played many hours of "grocery store" with pretend cash registers. This working cash register comes with six coins. Prompts encourage kids to count coins, and buttons on the display correspond with the play food. The register features a retro design you may remember from your childhood.
Recommended ages: 2 years and up
A working vacuum
Ryan's World Children's Toy Vacuum Cleaner, available at Walmart, $19.88
Toddlers love to imitate their favorite grown-ups. They also love their favorite characters, like Ryan from Ryan's World. If Ryan's World is a hit for your toddler, everyone will be happy with this vacuum that actually picks up dirt .
Recommended ages: 2 years and up
A themed sensory bin
Creativity for Kids Sensory Bin, available on Amazon, from $15
Sensory bins allow toddlers to create their own little worlds, and this one requires very minimal setup from grown-ups. Choose from six different themes: construction zone, dinosaur dig, garden and critters, ice cream shop, ocean and sand, and outer space. My daughter got the ocean & sand bin for her 3rd birthday, and it has been a huge hit.
Recommended ages: 3 years and up
A developmentally appropriate puzzle
Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog Puzzle Playmate, available at Fat Brain Toys, $17.95
This is a toy that can really span the toddler age ranges. Younger toddlers will delight in the challenge of matching shapes, while older toddlers can work on numbers and counting with the spikes. I've seen this toy meet my daughter at various stages of development since we started testing it over four months ago.
Recommended ages: 18 months and up
Books to build their library
"Baby Goes to Market," available at Amazon, $14.56
"The Rainbow Fish," available at Amazon, $12.02
"The Snowy Day," available at Amazon, $6.11
"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom," available at Amazon, $4.59
"I Like It When . . . /Me gusta cuando . . ." available at Amazon, $6.08
There's nothing quite like cuddling up with a good book at bedtime. From simple board books to narratives that encourage kindness, toddlers will ask to read these books again and again.
A World of Eric Carle puzzle
Mudpuppy World of Eric Carle Brown Bear 4-in-A-Box Puzzles, available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble , $14.99
Four-piece puzzles are a step up from peg puzzles , another toddler favorite. This set of four puzzles is inspired by the popular book " Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? " As a former English teacher, I can't resist a toy that encourages reading. Even if you don't have the book at home, these puzzles will still be engaging and challenging while simultaneously exposing toddlers to color matching.
Recommended ages : 2 years and up
The ultimate racetrack
Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate Corkscrew Tower, available at Walmart and Target , from $23.86
This quickly became our family's favorite Go! Go! Smart Wheels track after the company sent us a review sample a few months ago. It can be configured into one tall spiral or two smaller spirals for racing. You'll get one race car, and the track includes a switch track, hazards, and a trap door. Five different locations along the track prompt the car to play various sounds, songs, and phrases. If you already have other Go! Go! Smart Wheels tracks, you can connect them to the tower.
Recommended ages : 1 to 5 years
An interactive thinking chair
Blues Clues and You! Play and Learn Thinking Chair, available at Walmart, $51
If you have a Blues Clues fan, this real-life thinking chair will be a big hit. It comes with a mailbox, letters, and an interactive handy dandy notebook. The chair can detect when kids sit down or get up, and there is even a storage space under the seat. We've been testing it for a few months, and my daughter hasn't let it leave our living room since.
Recommended ages : 2 to 5 years
A color-changing bath book
"Color Me: Who's in the Water?" available at Amazon, $11.66
Toddlers will think this book is magic when it changes color in their bathwater. The illustrations are the central focus with just a few words on each page. This creates an ideal environment for reluctant readers to pick up a book. Use it for some water painting fun out of the bath, too.
Recommended ages : 1 to 3 years
A dump truck made of recycled plastic
Green Toys Dump Truck, available at Amazon and Walmart , $19.20
Whether you have a sandbox, a dirt pile in the backyard, or a bunch of toys that need to be moved around the house, toddlers will enjoy loading this truck and dumping things out. The brightly colored toy is made of 100% recycled plastic. An added bonus: After this truck spends a long day hauling materials for your child, you can throw it in the dishwasher.
Recommended ages : 12 months and up
Reusable mess-free coloring pads
Melissa & Doug Water Wow! 3-Pack, available at Amazon and Kohl's , from $13.29
If you have a toddler living in your house and you haven't yet discovered the magic that is Water Wow, you're missing out. Each pad comes with four reusable boards that change color when they make contact with the water pen. They make absolutely no mess and are some of our favorite travel toys for toddlers . We keep one in the car and always bring them along to places like the doctor's office and restaurants.
Recommended ages : 3 years and up
A picnic play set and shape sorter all in one
Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket, available at Walmart and Buy Buy Baby , from $19.99
This picnic play set is one of our favorite toys for 1-year-olds . It teaches toddlers concepts like shapes, colors, manners, and sharing. The basket includes a shape sorter, two cups, two forks, two plates, six food items, and a picnic blanket.
Recommended ages : 6 months to 3 years
A doll to love and care for
Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella, available at Buy Buy Baby , Bed Bath and Beyond , and Amazon , from $23.50
This doll can grow with children as they move through different developmental stages. Toddlers can practice caring skills and strengthen their fine motor skills by removing and replacing the doll's binky as well as changing its clothes. At 12 inches tall, Wee Baby Stella is also a great size for toddlers.
Recommended ages: 1 year and up
A starter dollhouse
Melissa & Doug Fold and Go Wooden Dollhouse, available at Amazon, $57.36
Dollhouses can keep toddlers entertained for hours as they imagine new scenarios and practice everyday skills. The set comes with 11 pieces of wooden furniture and two dolls, which is a big plus as many dollhouses don't come with dolls.
Recommended ages : 3 to 6 years
Toddler-size crayons and coloring books
My First Toddler Coloring Book, available at Amazon, $3.99
Crayola Jumbo Crayons, available at Walmart, $3.16
Crayola Multicultural Large Crayons, available at Staples, $3.79
This is a simple yet exciting gift for young toddlers who are just learning how to color and develop their fine motor skills . The large pictures, numbers, letters, and shapes have thick lines, and the pages are durable. These are all characteristics that make coloring easier for toddlers. Thicker jumbo and large crayons are designed for toddlers to have success coloring. This book was one of the first coloring books I bought my toddler over a year ago, and it's still going strong.
Recommended ages : 1 to 3 years (coloring book); 3 years and up (crayons)
A push car with all the bells and whistles
Step2 Whisper Ride II Ride-On Push Car, available at Buy Buy Baby and Amazon , from $73.99
My neighbors can't help but smile when they see my toddler roll by in this push car. Step2 sent a review sample that we've been testing since the beginning of the summer. It's still in great shape and handles hills and bumpy roads well. Some standout features include a storage trunk, a working horn, cup holders (for you and your toddler!), and a seat belt.
Recommended ages : 18 months to 4 years
A cuddly version of everyone's favorite Star Wars character
Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child aka Baby Yoda Plush, available at Target and Kohl's , from $13.99
Toddlers can cuddle up with quite possibly the cutest Star Wars character ever. Toys based on characters like this one give kids just enough inspiration for imaginative play scenarios without doing all the work for them. Even if you haven't seen "The Mandalorian," it's hard to resist this endearing little creature.
Recommended ages : 3 years and up
A cleaning set so they can 'help' around the house
Melissa & Doug Let's Play House! Dust, Sweep & Mop Set, available at Buy Buy Baby , Kohl's , and Amazon , from $23.99
My daughter loves to "help" me clean around the house and this set is the perfect size for her. It comes with a pint-sized broom, mop, duster, brush, dustpan, and even a storage rack. My toddler has consistently used it for more than a year, and it's still in excellent shape.
Recommended ages : 3 years and up
A doctor's play set
B. Toys Toy Doctor Kit, available at Target and Amazon , from $19.99
Doctor visits can be scary, but role-playing with a play doctor kit makes them more approachable and even fun. This 10-piece kit comes with a stethoscope, otoscope, blood pressure cuff, syringe, scissors, thermometer, mirror, a pair of tweezers, a beeper, and a carry case to keep it all organized. The pager beeps and lights up, and the stethoscope makes a heartbeat sound.
Recommended ages : 18 months and up
A Lego set for learning the alphabet
Lego Duplo My First Alphabet Truck, available at Amazon, from $15.99
This Lego Duplo set encourages hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as toddlers stack blocks and move the truck around. It comes with 36 Duplo pieces, including 26 letter bricks, a truck, and 10 other bricks and figures.
Recommended ages: 18 months and up
A customized tricycle
Radio Flyer Custom Build-A-Trike, available at Radio Flyer, from $70
There's nothing quite like a classic red tricycle. Radio Flyer sent this tricycle for me to test, and I'm impressed by its quality. Depending on how you customize it, this tricycle can grow with your child from 9 months to 5 years old. Available customization options include a classic bell, a canopy, and a footrest. What I appreciate most about it is the push handle — I use it to help my daughter learn to steer and make sure she is safe while learning to ride.
Recommended ages : 9 months to 5 years
A set of musical instruments
B. Toys Drumroll Please Instrument Set, available at Target, $22.99
This musical set inspires imagination and creativity. It includes a drum, two drumsticks, castanets, a whistle, a tambourine, and a shaker egg. All of the instruments fit neatly inside the drum so toddlers can take it anywhere.
Recommended ages: 18 to 36 months
A stylish play mixer for the budding chef
KidKraft Wooden Baking Set, available at Kohl's, $13.99
This stylish mixer can be an addition to an existing play kitchen, but it's also ideal if you have limited space. The set comes with a mixer, a bowl, eggs, flour, sugar, milk, a baking sheet, cookies, and a working rolling pin. Toddlers can't help but imitate daily life, and this set let my daughter "make" cookies without making a mess.
Recommended ages : 3 years and up
Everything they need to complete rescue missions
Paw Patrol Dino Rescue Rev Up Vehicle with Mystery Dinosaur Figure, available at Amazon, $9.28
For less than $15, this toy comes with a figurine, a vehicle, and a surprise dinosaur egg. Choose from six different Paw Patrol characters: Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Skye, and Zuma. Each vehicle has a rev-up motor and a working tool.
Recommended ages : 3 years and up
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