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Toddler Gifts, Wooden Toys & Pretend Play Favorites Kids Love
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items Between birthdays, holidays, and a steady stream of friends having little ones, I buy a lot of toddler gifts, and I have learned which toys actually get played with long after the wrapping paper is gone. These are the building sets, pretend play kitc...
Sections
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Building Sets, Stacking Toys & Open-Ended Play
Pretend Play Kitchens, Ride-Ons & Little Adventures
Screen-Free Audio, Books & Bedtime Favorites
Building Sets, Stacking Toys & Open-Ended Play
Blocks, magnetic tiles, and busy toys that grow with toddlers and keep little hands happily building.
Magna-Tiles are the gift I give most often, and they still get pulled out at my sister's house every single day. The magnetic squares and triangles snap together so easily that even young toddlers can build towers and little houses. As kids grow, the...
Magna-Tiles Clear Colors Set
This LEGO DUPLO construction set was a huge hit with my truck obsessed nephew. The big bricks are easy for small hands to press together, and the vehicles can be rebuilt into three different machines. It keeps him busy for long stretches, and DUPLO b...
LEGO DUPLO Town Construction Vehicles Set
The Fat Brain Toys Dimpl is my favorite gift for the youngest toddlers. Little ones love pushing the silicone bubbles back and forth, and it is simple, quiet, and completely screen free. It tucks easily into a diaper bag, which makes it perfect for r...
Fat Brain Toys Dimpl
The Fat Brain Toys SpinAgain looks simple, but toddlers are fascinated by it. They stack the colorful discs on the pole, let go, and watch them spin all the way down. My niece played with it for weeks straight, and it helped her practice colors, size...
Fat Brain Toys SpinAgain
The Hape dancing butterflies push toy was a sweet gift for a friend's new walker. As it rolls along, the colorful wings flutter up and down, which keeps little ones walking and giggling across the room. It is well made from wood, and it looks so much...
Hape Wooden Push and Pull Dancing Butterflies
The Mega Bloks Big Building Bag is the perfect first building set for toddlers not quite ready for smaller bricks. The chunky blocks are easy to grab and stack, and cleanup is simple since everything goes back into the bag. It is affordable, colorful...
Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag
The Green Toys dump truck is made from recycled milk jugs, and it is tough enough for the sandbox, bathtub, and backyard. My nephew hauls rocks, sand, and his stuffed animals around in it all day. There are no metal parts or batteries, so I never wor...
Green Toys Dump Truck
PicassoTiles magnetic blocks are a great value alternative to pricier magnetic tile sets. The bright translucent pieces click together easily, so toddlers can build towers, houses, and little garages for their cars. They look beautiful when the sunli...
PicassoTiles Magnetic Building Blocks Set
Pretend Play Kitchens, Ride-Ons & Little Adventures
Play kitchens, dollhouses, and first ride-ons that spark imagination and keep toddlers moving.
The KidKraft farmhouse play kitchen became the center of my niece's playroom the day it was built. She cooks pretend pancakes, answers the toy phone, and serves us plastic coffee every visit. The accessory set gets her started right away, and the far...
KidKraft Farmhouse Play Kitchen with Accessory Set
The Micro Kickboard Mini is the first scooter I recommend for toddlers. The three wheel design is very stable, and kids steer by leaning, which they figure out quickly. It folds for easy carrying, and it is built so well that it gets passed down from...
Micro Kickboard Mini Deluxe Foldable Scooter
The Radio Flyer Stroll N Trike grows from a push stroller into a classic tricycle as toddlers get bigger. The parent handle makes neighborhood walks easy before little legs can pedal on their own. It feels sturdy and safe, and it is a gift that gets ...
Radio Flyer Stroll N Trike
The Strider balance bike taught my nephew to ride a real bike without ever using training wheels. He learned to glide and balance first, and the jump to pedals was quick and easy. It is lightweight enough for toddlers to handle, and it adjusts as the...
Strider Sport Balance Bike
The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is a classic for a reason, and the toddlers in our family adore it. They climb in, open the little door, and drive it all around the patio. Parents can push from behind, and it holds up to years of rain, sun, and very enth...
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe
The Calico Critters Red Roof Country Home is a sweet dollhouse for preschoolers. The little rooms and tiny furniture spark such detailed pretend play, and the flocked animal families are adorable. My niece spends hours arranging it, and it is a toy s...
Calico Critters Red Roof Country Home
The Melissa and Doug wooden food groups set adds so much to pretend kitchen play. The pieces are sturdy, colorful, and much nicer than flimsy plastic food. My nephew loves sorting fruits and vegetables into his shopping cart, and it quietly teaches f...
Melissa and Doug Wooden Food Groups Play Food Set
The Fisher-Price Little People farm animal friends pack is perfect for little hands learning animal names and sounds. The chunky figures are easy to hold and too big to be a worry for young toddlers. My nephew lines them up, makes them talk, and brin...
Fisher-Price Little People Farm Animal Friends Figure Pack
Screen-Free Audio, Books & Bedtime Favorites
Screen-free story players, cuddly friends, and bedtime helpers that make winding down a little easier.
The Toniebox is the screen free audio player my sister swears by for quiet time. Kids place a little character figure on top and it plays stories or songs, with no screen at all. It is tough, easy for toddlers to use on their own, and the collection ...
Toniebox Starter Set
The Hatch Rest is a sound machine, night light, and time to rise clock all in one. Parents can control it from their phone, and the soft glow helps toddlers know when it is okay to get out of bed. It has made bedtime and early mornings smoother for s...
Hatch Rest Sound Machine and Night Light
Water Wow books are my secret weapon for restaurants and long car rides with toddlers. Kids paint with a water filled pen, and the hidden pictures appear, then fade as they dry so they can color again. There is no mess at all, and this bundle keeps t...
Water Wow Six-Pack Bundle
The Jellycat Bashful Bunny is the softest stuffed animal I have ever squeezed. It is the gift I give to every new baby and toddler, and it often becomes their favorite bedtime buddy. The long floppy ears are perfect for little hands, and it holds up ...
Jellycat Bashful Bunny
Goodnight Moon is the book I always tuck into a toddler gift. The gentle rhythm and simple pictures make it a calming part of bedtime, and kids love finding the little mouse on each page. The sturdy board book pages stand up to toddler hands and teet...
Goodnight Moon Board Book
Crayola Ultra Clean washable crayons are the only crayons I buy for toddlers now. Little artists can color with wild enthusiasm, and marks wipe off walls and wash out of clothes. It is a small, practical add on to any toddler gift, and parents always...
Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Crayons
The Skip Hop Zoo backpack is perfect for toddlers heading to daycare or preschool. The cute animal designs make kids excited to carry their own snacks and a change of clothes. It is sized just right for small shoulders, and the fabric wipes clean aft...
Skip Hop Zoo Kids Backpack