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A Learning Ladder (babies and toddlers)
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items When choosing play toys for babies and toddlers, its crucial to consider how they can support development across several key areas. The best toys are often open-ended, allowing for multiple ways to play and grow with the child. I hope this rec helps ...
Sections
9
Cognitive Development (babies 0-12 months)
Cognitive (Toddlers 1-3 years)
Fine Motor Skills (babies)
Fine Motor Skills (toddlers)
Gross Motor Skills (babies)
Gross Motor Skills (toddlers)
Cognitive Development (babies 0-12 months)
Truth be told, I did not use a lot of toys that I would have categorized for this except what is listed here. I believe there are many more that could be added, if you know any that helped or are helping you, feel free to make mention in the comment ...
These flash cards spark your baby’s earliest visual milestones with high contrast shapes and patterns, perfect for tummy time and cuddle sessions, these wipe‑clean cards boost focus, tracking, and pattern recognition from day one.
beiens High Contrast Baby Flashcards Black White
The varying distance for the mobile crib hanger stimulates their developing visual systems and encourages concentration. The distance can also begin to teach depth perception.
EVERLOVE Montessori Mobile Baby for Crib
In the early stages of the baby's life, its important to help them stimulate visual development and the large true-reflection mirror engages baby's developing vision. Perfect for those tummy times and its
two-color spinning ball engages baby's curio...
Sassy Tummy Time Floor Mirror Baby Toy
This activity mat is super cute, it encouraged my girl to start reaching, to grasp and just explore around her.
Baby Einstein 4-in-1 Kickin' Tunes Play Gym
Honestly, I primarily knew teethers were just meant to sooth the baby's gums until someone told me they do much more. They help with oral exploration and sensory input. Learnt something there.
Baby Montessori Sensory & Teething Toys
Cognitive (Toddlers 1-3 years)
As my baby was advancing in growth, so did the play sets. Her problem solving, thinking, memory, understanding cause and effect continued but with the help of these advanced play sets.
Helps foster fine motor skills, problem-solving, shape recognition for infants and toddlers ages 6 months and older
Fisher-Price Baby's First Stacking Blocks Set
These develop problem solving, hand eye coordination and matching skills. Still a favourite for my daughter.
Wooden Vehicle Puzzles Toy for 1-3 Year Olds
Nesting cups are a great way to introduce the concept of size and order for your toddlers. We love nesting cups 😀
The First Years Stack & Count Stacking Cups - 8 Count
When considering to buy books for your toddlers, its important to consider things like texture or sound as these help stimulate curiosity and understanding. This one has silicone fidget poppers for little hands to pop in and out! A must-have for deve...
Never Pop A Dinosaur!
I think she thinks of Ms Rachel when playing with this pop-up because her face lights up each time she plays with it 😄. With this pop-out toy, your toddler will learn about the concept of cause-and-effect, discover different animals, and explore col...
Battat Cause & Effect Color Sorting Toy
Toddlers can recognize fruits, words, colors, and numbers by feeding dinosaurs fruit bean bags and throwing axes or sticky balls at the turtle, it keeps kids away from screens while enhancing hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
RaboSky 3-in-1 Dinosaur Toss Game Set
Fine Motor Skills (babies)
The coordination of small muscles begins at this stage especially in the hands and fingers. From colorful rattles and soft activity cubes to I was a bit late in introducing some of these toys but when I did, I noticed how there was much improvements ...
Each rattle has different grips, shapes and tasks to assist in grasping and holding which are fine motor skills. Their variety in textures help develop touch, taste, smell and the numerous sound helps expand babies sensory experience while the colors...
iPlay iLearn 10pcs Baby Rattles Toy Set
The soft, lightweight nature of these blocks make them easy for little hands to grasp and hold, strengthening their hand and finger muscles. The rattles inside provide auditory feedback and encourage babies to interact with blocks to make sound. They...
Mini Tudou Baby Blocks Soft Building Toys 12PCS
I settled for this particular activity centre because it can be used with or without legs. When I bought it, my daughter had not even started crawling so it was a good buy because it was perfect for floor play and eventually table play when she could...
Dahuniu Baby Activity Center 6-18 Months
This wooden activity toy as an early learning toy for toddlers helps to improve and cultivate kids' hand-eye coordination, logical thinking, imagination and creativity, fine motor skills, color and objects recognition and also learning alphabet, numb...
TOWO Wooden Activity Centre Triangle Toys
I wish I discovered this earlier. It's has 4 modes of play & learning, height-adjustable, sit-in stationary walker, walk-around sensory table with 15+ toys and activities, toddler art table, 5 detachable floor play stations. The toys introduce le...
Baby Einstein Around We Grow 4-in-1 Walker
Definitely on my to-buy list for when I have another baby 🤭. This has been one of the most highly engaging activity centers I've come across. Small and efficiently arranged with 7 panels feature spinning gears, hidden doors, a colorful clock and muc...
Battat Wooden City Activity Cube Toy
A multi-skill toy which concentrates on building sensory and early fine motor skills. A perfect tool for helping your baby practice and develop important skills such as zipping, unzipping, unlocking buckles, and flipping the flap. These activities re...
beetoy Sensory Busy Cube with Textured Balls
Fine Motor Skills (toddlers)
These engaging toys encouraged my little baby's tiny hands and fingers to grasp, pinch, stack, sort, and manipulate, strengthening her hand-eye coordination and dexterity. From building blocks, play-doh, chunky crayons, each toy provided stimulating ...
The shape sort game can improve the fine motor skills for 2-4 year old baby, and the rabbit catch worms can training hand-eye coordination, and colorful fruit pattern blocks can improve color, shape, and fruit recognition.
Montessori Wooden Shape Sorting Toy for Toddlers
These absolutely spark a sense of independence for your toddler, it encourages grasping and writing. For my girl, I think she low-key loves her crayons and paper more so she can tear the papers as part of her entertainment as imaginary petals 🤣🤣.
1pack 10" + 2pcs 8.5" TEKFUN LCD Writing Tablets
Chunky puzzles have always been a favourite around here. They are very good for small muscle coordination and the bright colors attract kids' attention, improve children's color cognitive ability and promote brain development.
BOZE SUPOD Toddler Wooden Puzzles 6 Pack
Like chunky puzzles, the knobs on these make your little one exercise their small muscles in their fingers, making picking and manipulating pieces easy. Also, it enhances toddlers' hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and memor...
7 Pack Wooden Peg Puzzles for Toddlers 2-5
Engage children with four uniquely designed scoops that encourage tactile play while they pour, sift, scoop, and funnel different materials in sensory bins, sand tables
. Builds essential hand strength and coordination as little ones manipulate these...
Learning Resources Helping Hands Sensory Scoops
These uniquely designed scoopers allow children to use their thumb, index, and middle fingers to open. Build the muscles needed for scissor cutting and writing.
Learning Resources Handy Scoopers - Sensory Toys
This set is a wonderful way to promote early learning and development by helping build important skills like hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and problem-solving.
LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box Building Set 10913
More than shaping imagination, it helps your baby strengthen hand muscles and dexterity.
Play Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack Assorted Colors, 2 oz Cans, Non-Toxic, Ages 2+
Gross Motor Skills (babies)
If you are looking to develop your babies motor skills which mainly involve the coordination of larger muscles for movements like crawling, walking, running, jumping and throwing. I believe some of these toys might be of great use.
Water play mats promote your baby's gross motor skills with a combination of sensory development. The mat encourages lifting the head, neck and shoulder muscles and as well as refining the hand-eye coordination, fine motor and social skills.
Infinno Inflatable Baby Water Play Mat
Edushape's large sensory balls enhance children's gross motor skills. These balls for babies encourage crawling & grasping while improving children's balance and coordination.
Edushape 7" Pink Sensory Ball for Baby
This lightweight and easy to grasp. The size and shape are perfect sensory toys for babies for encouraging reaching, grabbing & rolling.
HABA Baby Balls - Washable Sensory Toy 6m+
I love play tunnels because they encourage children to craw and they can chase, and hide and seek. Not only, can exercise children’s body crawling ability, but also can train children’s ability to judge direction.
Kids Pop Up Crawl Tunnel Tent for Toddlers
The toddler walker activity center helps the development of stability and movement skills as well as gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination in early walkers.
VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker Blue
Gross Motor Skills (toddlers)
At this stage (usually advanced in development but needs more coordinated balance) your toddlers need toys that encourage them to continue building on their larger muscles.
This is by far the best game to help your little ones as it offers more than fun, it helps with gross motor skill development, coordination, understanding spatial concepts, recognizing matching body parts, listening, and building vocabulary.
Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around Toddler Game
The push and pull walker encourages walking and balance as the baby transitions from the conventional push walker. The four rolling wheels and stable base allow beginner walkers to build confidence and balance with their wagon cart walkers. Ideal for...
Baby Walker Wagon with Garden Tools, Red
I only got a ride-on toy for my daughter but I think this two in one is better because it gives your toddler more to play with. Grows with your child as they say! Toddlers build balance & leg strength on the stable seated ride-on, pushing with th...
Radio Flyer Scoot 2 Toddler Scooter Red
Super safe for little hands, great for developing coordination, kicking, throwing, catching and makes an awesome birthday gift that encourages active play for both boys and girls. I highly recommend!
7 Pack Soft Playground Balls for Kids 5"
Perfect for first climbs and peekaboo fun. Helped my daughter with her fear of heights 😁. I know it doesn't seem high but sure is for little babies. Sturdy, colorful, and just the right size. Encourages active play, balance, coordination and imagina...
Little Tikes Hide & Seek Climber 1-4 yrs
Perfect for little helpers & tidy-ups! These are especially great for effortlessly pulling toys around the house or yard, showcasing favorite stuffed animals, and easily organizing small toys and odds and ends. A versatile solution for play, disp...
Radio Flyer 12.5 Inch Kids Wagon for Ages 1.5+
Sensory Development (Babies and Toddlers)
At this point, we are more focused on stimulating the five senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) and also proprioception (body awareness) and vestibular sense (balance).
Great for sensory adaptation as it has different textured fabric, high contrast colors, music and is good for babies and toddlers.
Baby Sensory Music Caterpillar Toy 0-6M
5 Stacking Rings, 6 Building Blocks, 5x4 Wooden Stacking Toy, 8-Tone Xylophone and Infant Teether Toy. Delivering an immersive sensory journey that captivates your baby's curiosity and fosters innate exploration, nurturing fine motor skills, creativi...
6 in 1 Montessori Baby Toys for 1+ Year Old
This will be very helpful to cultivate kids' sensitivity to music and sounds, improve creativity, hand and eye coordination, and develop kids' interests.
Kids Musical Instruments for Toddlers with Bag
Mirrors are always at the top of visual stimulation and self recognition. The sturdy roly-poly design makes these baby items and the baby essentials never tip over, providing engagement that grows with your child from newborn to crawler.
B. toys Baby Mirror with Rolling Wheels
Innovative toys encourage movement, problem solving and pretend play through various themes. Stimulate the imagination and enable learning through play.
Toddler Sensory Kids Table with Lid, Red
Language and Communication (Babies and Toddlers)
How can I help my little one understand using language? From babbling to forming sentences. This tinker here might have something for you.
Spark your baby’s earliest vocal and visual milestones with copying sounds and high‑contrast shapes and patterns perfect for tummy time and cuddle sessions. These cards boost focus, tracking, speech and sound.
Startcan Talking Cards for Toddlers - ABC 123
Books with photographs or very clear and bright illustrations, focusing on common nouns and verbs relevant to a baby/toddler's world. This format maximizes exposure to essential language in an engaging, interactive way.
My First Library: 10 Board Books Boxset
With bright illustrations, this set of the touch and feel books allow for point to objects and them which builds on the language pattern for the baby or toddler. The touch and feel inside these charming books are ideal for babies and toddlers, and h...
Bright Baby Touch & Feel Boxed Set
Puppets are very good for imaginative plays which in turn fuel dialogue. Foster creativity, communication, and motor skills as kids manipulate the puppets movable mouths and create captivating stories.
JOYIN 6Pcs Kids Animal Hand Puppet Set
Yes, this interactive touch-activated Ms. Rachel doll is a great option when looking to buy dolls. It is interactive, plays 16+ signature phrases & 4 songs from the hit Ms. Rachel show and kids love to practice along with Ms. Rachel.
Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll, 16” Interactive Toy
Dolls make good companions for your kids as they encourage role-playing games, these soft plush dolls provide children with a sense of comfort and security, developing their self-confidence and responsibility.
OUOZZZ Soft Baby Doll for Girls 10"
Stuffed animals are wonderful to talk to, comfort and practicing nurturing language to. Plus, they give warm hugs
GUND Philbin Classic Teddy Bear, 12", Brown
Musical toys and instruments encourage vocalization, rhythm and singing along. Best go-to
LOOIKOOS Toddler Wooden Musical Toys Set
Best for pretend conversations and help toddler develop language, cognition, and sensory stimulation.
JOYIN Baby Learning Phone & Remote Toy
It's an excellent, classic toy specifically designed to target core early language skills (nouns, sounds, simple sentences) through engaging, interactive play. As a parent or caregiver, ask simple questions like "Where's the duck?" or "What does the ...
Fisher-Price Little People See ‘n Say Farmer
If you notice speech delay, it's important to seek professional help ❤️
Special Hope Network
If you notice speech delay, it's important to seek professional help ❤️
Special Hope Network
Social Emotional Development (Babies and Toddlers)
Learn to understand emotions but also build relationships, empathy and self regulation in babies and toddlers with some of these little ideas that have been useful.
When considering the social-emotional development of your little one, think warm and cozy because your baby or toddler relates more to warmth, much like they receive from you.
Aurora Mini Flopsie Ginger Cat Stuffed 8"
Bunny's are a perfect go-to option for your little one. They make good company for nurturing play, for comforting and expressing emotions.
Melissa & Doug Burrow Bunny Rabbit 9in
As the baby grows, they begin to become more aware of themselves. They like to see themselves in the mirror for self-recognition and exploring facial expressions. This plexiglass shatterproof acrylic wall mirror is a must-have as it is unbreakable a...
Unbreakable 8x8 Inch Plexiglass Acrylic Mirror
Very good toy for social interactions, helps your toddler understand social roles. This is designed to ignite imagination and creativity in your kitchen toddler with its realistic features.
Step2 Best Chefs Kids Kitchen Playset, 25 Pc
A fun and engaging way to ease any feelings of stress associated with a visit to the doctor and to encourage imaginative, nurturing, and empathetic play.
Melissa & Doug Get Well Doctor’s Kit - 25 Pc
This is a fun and interactive toy for you toddlers. It is also good for older kids.
Water Doodle Mat Kids Painting Drawing Toy