As a mom to five wild, imaginative, busy body kiddos, I have seen my share of GREAT toys and my share of absolute BUSTS (you know, the ones that break in five minutes or cause full-blown sibling wars). Here are the tried and true toys in our home that actually get played with every day. This list? It’s the holy grail of toys that are: ✅ Durable enough to survive a toddler tantrum ✅ Entertaining across multiple age groups ) ✅ Easy to clean up—or at least worth the mess ✅ Not a complete waste of money These toys are officially mom-tested, kid-approved, and, at times, sanity-saving because when kiddos are happy, mama is happy! Cheers to happy playtimes!
Sections
3
Baby (approx 12-18 months)
Toddler Toys (approx 18 -36 months)
Preschool Toys (approx 3 + 4 years old)
Baby (approx 12-18 months)
this toy was a favorite of all 5 kiddos
Toy Activity Table Leapfrog
diverse soft baby dolls for baby's first baby
Toddler Stella Doll
my kids played with this from around 10 months through 3 years old
Radio Flyer Busy Buggy Ride-On
Toddler Toys (approx 18 -36 months)
my daughter loved that these had a real flushing sound
Ingenuity : Potty Chairs
we always used Skip Hop backpacks and rolling backpacks for our toddlers
Kids ZOO® Luggage and Harnesses
you can never go wrong with a water table
Sand & Water Tables for Outdoor Play at Target
you'll be so glad you have a cover if you leave it outside
Water Table Cover
all 5 of my kids loved eating snacks at their picnic table
Kids Picnic Table
all 5 of my kids used their Cozy Coup for YEARS
Cozy Coupe Ride-On | Classic Fun for Kids
my kids loved going to the “gas station” with their Cozy Coup
Cozy Pumper Toy – Interactive Gas Pump for Cozy Coupe Vehicles
all four of my daughters loved their Little People Princess Castle
Little People Princess Castle
can't go wrong with Little People anything
Little People Noahs Ark
cute Little People house
Fisher-Price : Barbie
can never go wrong with basic building blocks!
Melissa & Doug : Toy Building Blocks
my girls loved Stella
Toddler Stella Doll
Who doesn't love Legos
LEGO DUPLO
baby dolls and stroller- always a big hit with our toddler girls
Baby Doll Stroller
This is probably one of my top 5 all time favorite toys- even my teens will sit down and assemble these when my preschooler is playing with them
Magna-Tiles products at Target
a great ride on toy
Radio Flyer Busy Buggy Ride-On
when baby is ready to join at the table
Ingenuity Simplicity Toddler Booster Seat - Gray
what toddler doesn't want their own phone :)
VTech Bluey Ring Ring Phone
mess free- great for restaurants and travel
Melissa & Doug PAW Patrol Water Wow! 3-Pack - Skye, Chase, Marshall Water Reveal Travel Activity Pads
my 3 year old loves her quiet busy board
Qizfun Montessori Busy Board for Toddlers
makes books easily accessible for little hands
Humble Crew 4-Tier Kids Bookshelf, Natural
you can never go wrong with bubbles
Gazillion Bubbles Hurricane Bubble Machine
Preschool Toys (approx 3 + 4 years old)
all 5 of my kids loved playing dress up
Melissa And Doug Police
dress up!!
Melissa And Doug Firefighter
my daughter loves playing doctor
Melissa & Doug Get Well Doctor's Kit Pretend Play Set – 25 Toy Pieces ...
nurse dress up
Melissa Doug Doctor
the beloved crazy coup car!
Crazy Coup
even my big kids like to play with kinetic sand
Kinetic Sand - Target
we love do a dot markers in our home!
Do-A-Dot Art : Markers
let's be honest- Bluey ANYTHING!
Bluey products at Target
this ride on toy is a blast
Wiggle Car Toys
all 5 of my kids loved playing restaurant
Melissa & Doug Top & Bake Wooden Pizza Counter Play Set With Play Food ...
restaurant and bakery
Melissa & Doug Wooden La Patisserie Bakery (39pc)
blocks spark so much imagination
Melissa & Doug : Toy Building Blocks
I LOVE Learning Resource toys
Learning Resources Ice Cream
such a fun toy for imaginative play
Learning Resources Cash Register
Learning Resources is HANDS DOWN the best quality pretend food you can find for imagination play
PLAY FOOD - Learning Resources
you can't go wrong with a pretend kitchen for a preschooler!!
Kids Play Kitchens
Magna Tiles will grow with your child!
Magna Tiles
Duplos and Legos are a timeless investment
LEGO DUPLO
love these pots and pans for pretend play
Melissa Doug Pots Pans
all of our kids played with their water table for years.
Step 2 Water Table
get those wiggles out!
Mini Trampoline
All four of my girls got so many years of play out of their dollhouse
KidKraft : Dollhouses
all of my kids had an “obsessed with the alphabet” phase somewhere around 3/early 4
LeapFrog Mr. Pencil's Scribble & Write Sound It Out
