As a seasoned teacher and homeschooling Mom of 4, I have certainly learned a thing or two about educational toys for toddlers! Which ones are really worth the investment? Which ones really get used and played with? Which ones stand the test of time?
I am so glad you asked! As you might know, I am a huge proponent of play based learning. My preschool curriculum, Play into Kindergarten Readiness, allows you to cover all of the preschool skills with only 20 minutes a day which allows ample time for child-led learning and engaging play. This is where the true learning happens!
So I have three suggestions for you. First of all, grab the Playful Days Toddler Program so you can have one fabulous and beautiful activity to enjoy with your toddler each and every day.
Secondly, grab a free activity to help break up those long days at home with a toddler! These rainbow puzzles and activities are so much fun:
And third, choose a few of the toys below (I have provided my amazon affiliate links for your convenience) or keep your eyes out for them at thrift stores and garage sales, and make your home an educational haven where purposeful play happens naturally.
Here are my top picks for educational toys for toddlers:
Chunky Wooden Lacing Beads: These lacing beads are ideal for small, chubby hands to hold. They build hand-eye coordination, hand dexterity, and fine motor skills as children work hard to thread those beads onto the string. You can also substitute the string for a pipecleaner to make that task a little simpler at first. These same beads can be used for math play as you sort by colour, count, and stack!
Wooden Play Food: Imaginative play is very important for young children. Toddlers are constantly copying and modeling the adults in their lives. It is through imaginative play that children make sense of the world around them. By playing pretend, children strengthen and grow their vocabularies and problem solving skills, as well as build creativity and independence. A good set of play food is ideal for toddlers, as they can create their own meals, wash the dishes, and do so much more. Our set of wooden play food has lasted 19 years!
Imaginative Play Toys (Dust, sweep mop): If your child is particularly keen on imaginative play, you might even choose to purchase some imaginative play sets, such as this ‘Dust, Sweep, Mop’ set. My children have gotten hours and hours of play with this set. It is ideal for imaginative play, but can also be used for educational games and activities. For example, we cut squares of paper and write my child’s name letters on them, drop them on the ground, and have little ones sweep them up in letter order, spelling their name.
Chunky ABC puzzle: A good ABC puzzle, with very sturdy letters is an ideal educational toy for toddlers. These puzzle can of course be used as a puzzle, but more importantly the letters can be taken out and used again and again for educational games and activities. You can pull out just the letters you are using (focusing on teaching letters in that very special order that promotes letter recognition) and use them in sensory bins, for tracing, or to pop them in a sock and play ‘guess the letter’.
Wooden Building Blocks: Another educational toys for toddlers I highly recommend is a set of wooden building blocks. You can make these yourself, if you are handy, by using a 2×4, saw and some sandpaper. Playing with blocks allows children to practice all sorts of deep math and science concepts. Children begin to understand fractions, stability, spatial sense, and more as they build and knock down tours. The blocks can also be used for measurement, counting, and creating pictures.
Pipettes: These handy little water squirting tools are so, so, so wonderful for strengthening little hand muscles! These are perfect for popping in the bath with your toddler and allowing them to squirt the bath water or try to fill a cup using the pipettes. They are also fun to use in art projects, allowing children to squirt some watered down paint and create masterpieces. Pipettes are also ideal for playing in the kitchen sink as you are making dinner!
Fisher Price Little People and Animals: Toddlers tend to have a lot of big feelings to work out. When we think of our little ones typical day, they are often full of rules, places to go, people to see, activities to do, and also places we can’t go, people we can’t see, and activities we can’t do! Providing little ones with imaginative people and animals, and some quiet time time and space to play, provides them with an opportunity to think and work through some of the issues they have experienced throughout their day. You might just hear your little one chatting about two characters who need to share, or who want to head to the park but it’s raining. The power of quiet space for toddlers really can’t be overstated.
Playdough tools: Arm yourself with a batch of my easiest ever no-cook playdough and a few playdough tools and you are set to save any rainy day! Not only is playing with playdough sort of like that magical flute charming the snakes, it is also completely full of learning. Sensory play is important for toddlers as it allows them to experience new sensations, mold and manipulate materials, and build important skills. Sensory play is also a wonderful way to build vocabulary! Maybe the playdough feels cold, or smooth. Perhaps your little one will cut the playdough in half, or in thirds. It is amazing how much vocabulary can develop through play.
Wooden balance beam: This is the only item on my educational toys for toddlers list that we do not own. We have actually made a similar version ourselves, which you can check out here: DIY Building Blocks. Having big, heavy blocks or toys is a wonderful idea for toddlers. This is perfect for ‘heavy work’ and really allows children to build those gross motor skills, and more. Big heavy building blocks, or long pieces of wood for a balance beam, are ideal for children to move and manipulate, as well as stand, climb, and balance on.
Car set: The final educational toy for toddlers that I wanted to mention was a simple car set – or any sturdy toys that have wheels. There is a lot to be learned from pushing a little car around! Children can learn about speed and how inclined planes and ramps work. They can learn that the steeper a ramp is, the faster the car goes, as well as learning what happens when that car meets an obstacle. Little cars are also ideal for practicing lots of educational activities. You can pop some painters tape on the ground to make a road, drop off the letters of a name, and have your little one gather them up and place them in order to spell his or her name.
And there you have it! Some classic educational toys for toddlers that are full of learning, fun, and child-led play that are grow right along with your little one for years to come.
They couple with my Toddler Program beautifully! So do be sure to check that out right here: Playful Days!
One, 20 minute play based activity a day, and you have completed preschool!
I hope this post is helpful to you. And do remember, you don’t need to fill your home with everything on this list! Choose one or two items to be on the hunt for, and focus on the IDEA behind the toy. There are tons of items that are ideal for stacking, or sorting. You can use yogurt containers for stacking, and turkey basters for strengthening little hands.
It is not the toy or material that matters, as is our intention behind it. Being mindful about what we provide for our little ones is a very enriching way to ensure our children are nurtured and set to soar!
Thank you so much for reading,
xo
Sarah
