As a mother of two and former teacher of children from ages 2 and 5, primarily 3 and 4 year olds, here is a list of toys that I LOVE and highly reccomend!
Open-ended play is so good for the developing brains and also the building is good for fine muscles and problem solving!
Magna Tiles
The tweezers promote fine motor skills in the hands and this is such a fun activity for the kids
Counting Bugs
I love having sensory bins that are premade and I can take with us outside or on the go!
Travel Sensory Bins
This is not only good for gross motor skills, those large muscles, it also is good for their brains! The action of balancing is very stimulating and kids love it
Stepping Stones For Kids
I cant say enough about promoting early literacy and instilling the love of words and books into kids at a young age! This game is a good quiet activity for my own 3 year old
LIWIN LET'S GO! Learning Games for Kids 3-8
Bringing early literacy skills into play time is so beneficial.
Reading : Learning & Development Toys
Pretend play is a huge part of childhood for a lot of years! Melissa and Doug has been a staple brand for me in both my home and classroom!
Pretend Play Food and Accessories
Do you remember these from school? They are actually super helpful in pre-school aged kids play setting as well! Fine motor skill and can be used to introduce the concept of patterns!
Stacking Cubes
Sensory plays a huge role in brain development and how we understand the world! My favorite sensory play of all time is kinetic sand
Kinetic Sand
Introducing science can start younger than you'd think! Even if it's not the way you thought science would look, it's good to introduce it early!
Science Kits, Labs and Play Sets for Kids
Having charts at home and at school that they can be a part of, the way adults use calenders and such, is a great way to start teaching independence and responsibilities!
Weather Board
Pretend money can be a good starting point for understanding math and even starting to talk about money in the real world!
