Developmental and Educational Toys for Toddlers
TOY RECOMMENDATIONS CATEGORIZED BY AGE, Developmental Milestones, and Interests
We’ve all been there. We walk down the toy aisle or search online for the perfect gift to give our little one. Sometimes it’s fun and other times we feel stuck. With so many toys to choose from, It can be hard to discern what’s a “good one” to buy.
As parents, we usually fall into two categories: we go for the toy that our child will likely be the most interested in or we look for toys that will provide educational opportunities. (We call it a WIN if it’s both!)
In this post, we’ll cover three factors to consider — to help you choose a toy that’s developmentally appropriate and educational. After you read this post, we hope you’ll walk away knowing there’s no reason to spend money on an expensive toy box subscription or rely on the toy companies to tell you what’s 3+. You’ll be able to confidently curate your own “toy box” with developmentally appropriate toys that you know your child will actually play.
START HERE:
→ 3 FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A TOY: AGE, ABILITIES, & INTERESTS
AGE
Age is obviously important to consider when choosing a toy, but it’s not entirely what you think. Yes, it’s good to know what toys are appropriate for a 1 year old vs. a 4 year old, but knowing the age actually has more to do with safety.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates the safety standards for toys.
A toy with a 3+ label doesn’t mean the toy is appropriate for ages three and up. It means that the standards for safety have been tested and it’s considered “safe” for children who are three years of age or older. The theme or toy itself could likely be aimed for much older children.
We know that in the early years, some children may still put toys and items in their mouth. In the event that a child is left alone for any amount of independent play time, we want to make sure it’s safe. Considering the nature of toddlers in general, we know that most benefit from having toys that are larger and durable.
ABILITIES
Age and abilities often relate to one another, but this isn’t always true.
For purpose of this post, we’re talking about choosing toys based on typical milestones. Moving forward, we encourage you to look beyond the milestones and meet your child where they are in their development.
Every child develops at their own pace. Some faster or slower than others. We can think about their physical or sensory needs, their intelligence, and even social-emotional strengths.
INTERESTS
Just like every child develops at their own pace, every child also has their own unique interests that we can consider. These days you can find toys that are aesthetically pleasing or reimagined with popular characters and themes. Something we all can agree on — the more appealing a toy is to a child, the more they will play with it. The opposite is true too. If a toy is not appealing to your child then of course they’re going to be less likely to play with it.
Next:
Let’s dive into developmentally appropriate toys for each area: physical-sensory, cognitive, & social-emotional
→ Toys for physical-Sensory Development
Toy recommendations are listed by age/interests that follow typical developmental milestones.
1 Year
Physical-sensory interests:
Fill, dump, push, pull, pile, knock down
Walk, run, climb
Kick and catch a large ball
String large beads, turn a doorknob
Toy Recommendations:
Nesting Stacking cups to fill, dump, stack, and knock down
Vehicles to push across the floor
Ride-on toys that are propelled by pushing with feet
Sensory Bins- fillers, water, or sand for filling and dumping
Pikler triangle for climbing
Large Ball for kicking and catching
Pounding/hammering toys
Push/pull toy cars
2 Years
Physical-sensory interests:
Jump, roll, climb
Throw and catch
Push and steer
Active play with small objects with different qualities
Toy Recommendations:
Wagon, stroller, shopping cart
Ride-on toys with pedals
Slide, swing
Peg boards
lacing cards
Sand and water play sensory activities/toys
Spinning seat
Balls of various sizes and textures
3 - 5 Years
Physical-sensory interests:
Run, jump, climb, balance
Expert builder with small and large blocks/materials
Ball games
Explore outdoors
Toys with smaller components
Toy Recommendations:
Doll stroller, toy vacuum
Tricycle, scooter, bicycle (as appropriate)
Balance board, seesaw
Building blocks, magnet tiles, duplos
Stringing beads
Wind-up toys
Soft baseball, junior-sized soccer ball
Kites
Jump ropes
Games involving fine motor skills
How to add language to physical-sensory toys AND activities
1 - 2 years old
It’s all about the ACTION! As your child is involved in active play, comment naturally on the actions they’re performing. Pair word meanings to their movement! If they’re saying “run”, add another word to model a two word phrase like “run fast”! Model words like me, mine, my, you, yours, & help as it makes sense for the activity. For example, “your turn” “you put it in!”, “help me!”, “my ball”, etc.
3 - 5 years old
At this age, we are getting into more complex concepts, vocabulary, & language skills. Model grammar like plural words, -ing, -ed past tense, where it fits naturally. For example, “We jumped, now we are swinging.”, “Wow, that’s a lot of beads on the bracelet!”. Prompt your child to tell you what their process is while engaging and model words like “first, then, next, last”.
→ Toys for cognitive development
Toy recommendations are listed by age/interests that follow typical developmental milestones.
1 Year
Cognitive skill interests:
Cause & effect
Objects that move or can be moved
Combine objects with other objects during play
Hidden-object activities
Sorts objects
Identifies objects in books by pointing
Sensory water play
Scribbles
Imitation of adult tasks like caretaking/housekeeping
Toy Recommendations:
Pop-up toys
Nesting/stacking cups
Shape sorter
Blocks
Chunky puzzles
Stuffed dolls/animals with simple accessories
Large peg people
Farm, dollhouse
Lift the flap board books
Tactile books
Large crayons
Pretend vacuum/mop
Toy telephone
2 YearS
Cognitive skill interests:
Attributes of objects- texture, size, color, shape
Match a group of similar objects
Simple counting
Creative process
Pattern, sequence, and order of size
Simple problem solving
Imaginative play
Toy Recommendations:
Puzzles (2-5 pieces increasing to 6-12 pieces)
Blocks, Duplos
Simple matching game
Simple board games
Markers, large crayons, safety scissors, chalk, non-toxic paint
Simple sorting/matching for shapes & colors
Musical instruments
Pop-up books
Hidden picture books
3 - 5 YearS
Cognitive skill interests:
Familiar with common shapes & colors
Simple number activities
Matching/Sorting
Alphabet play and copying letters
Interest in construction of play scenes/worlds
Preference of realism
Nature, science, animals
How things work
Dramatic play
Toy Recommendations:
Building/construction toys; following instructions or a model to create
Puzzles (20 pieces (age 3), 20-30 pieces (age 4), up to 50 pieces (age5))
Stringing beads
Loose parts to match by color, shape (age 3)
Loose parts to match by concept, letters, numbers (age 4)
Counting toys
Realistic toys
Art supplies: crayons, markers, paint brushes, play-doh, chalk, scissors, glue, etc.
Science materials: magnets, magnifying glass, flashlight, etc.
Books with complex illustrations
Realistic story books
Non-fiction informational books
Vehicle sets- train, trucks with road/tracks
How to add language to cognitive toys AND activities
1 - 2 years old
Follow your child’s lead. Use exclamatory words and environmental sounds while playing together. For example, uh-oh, whee, ow/ouch, yay, beep beep, vroom, etc. Focus on power words, foundational vocabulary, and basic concepts. Be repetitive with the words you are modeling.
3 - 5 years old
Less questions, more commenting. Focus on expanding their vocabulary within their interests. For example, “That truck is a dump truck.” , “I see a hexagon!”, “You found a match! It’s the same color and size.” Model more advanced location and time concepts like behind, between, yesterday, and tomorrow during play.
→ Toys for social Emotional development
Toy recommendations are listed by age/interests that follow typical developmental milestones.
1 Year
Social-emotional skill interests:
Solitary play- relates to adults better than children
Tries to do adult tasks
Expresses affection for others
Likes being read and sung to
Interactive people games like tag, peek-a-boo, hide and seek
Toy Recommendations:
Role Play items: vacuum, mop, stroller, bottle, phone, etc.
Board books
Musical instruments
Stuffed dolls/animals
Puppets (parent operates)
Farm, dollhouse with figures/animals
2 YearS
Social-emotional skill interests:
Cooperative play with other children
Expresses wishes to others
Simple pretend play with others
Desire for Independence
Simple repetitive stories
Toy Recommendations:
Dress-up and costumes
Play Kitchen
Pretend food, pots/pans, plates/utensils
Tea or picnic set
Pretend housekeeping items- lawnmower, shopping cart
Toy vehicle with figures
Dollhouse, farm, other play scene sets
Stuffed animals/dolls with caretaking accessories
3 - 5 YearS
Social-emotional skill interests:
Beginning to share and take turns
Cooperative play with others
Group pretend play
Simple board games
Role play and dramatic play
Looks and listens to stories
Toy Recommendations:
Board games with a few simple rules
Realistic dolls with accessories
Stuffed toys with accessories
Puppets
Role Play: dress-up, costumes, housekeeping, cooking, doctor kit, cash register, etc.
Action figures
Dollhouse with simple accessories
Books about familiar people, places, emotions
How to add language to social-emotional toys AND activities
1 - 2 years old
Use simple phrases to describe feelings during pretend play. For example, “Baby is crying. She’s sad.”, “The doll is laughing. He’s happy.” Sing familiar songs together that have repetitive verses. Sing a verse and leave a word out for your child to “fill in”. For example, “Down came the rain and washed the spider…. OUT.”
3 - 5 years old:
Model more complex vocabulary for feelings like frustrated, excited, nervous during role play activities. Encourage your child to act out a story, event, or video seen using action figures, dollhouse people, puppets, etc. Comment using statements like “I wonder what will happen next…”, “He’s cold, I wonder what he needs.” Ask intentional questions in a low pressure manner that evokes problem solving and reasoning together For example, “How can we both play with this toy?”, “What else can we do?”.
SUMMARY
Knowing what our children are interested in and their current abilities allows us to confidently choose appropriate developmental/educational toys to incorporate into our play spaces.
Regulations will tell you the toy is safe. As the parent, you get to determine its appropriateness for your child.
Toys for each area: physical-sensory, cognitive, & social-emotional
ACTION STEPS:
Take inventory of the toys you have your home. Ideally, your child has access to at least one toy in each area (physical-sensory, cognitive, and social-emotional).
Take note of what your child actually plays with. If your child has a continued interest in a certain toy, consider leaving it out and accessible for them to play with.
Change out toys that are not played with often for other options.
Some toys do overlap in the physical-sensory, cognitive, social-emotional areas, which is great. You may also notice that some toy options are listed as appropriate for a 1 year old and can also be play with in the 3-5 year old age range. Toys that grow with our children are great investments because they can be played with for a longer period of time and in different ways.
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