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I’m always looking for new ideas to keep my kids occupied, especially since I work from home. I try to balance their screen time with toys and activities that’ll keep them busy on their own.
These top toys for toddlers have been kid tested and approved!
Many of these toys my kids have had for years and still play with them! My kids are 3 ½ and 22 months and pretty much all of these they both like playing with.
You’ll love the time tested aspect because it’s less stuff you have to have in your home over time as a lot of these will grow with your kids.
Plus these are toys that’ll encourage your kids to be physically active and mentally active as many of these are educational too!
To view the toddler approved toy in full, just click on the picture!
The Best Toys For Toddlers
Little Tykes Easy Score Basketball Set
My son LOVES any activity that has balls involved! So a basketball hoop was a no brainer for him. He naturally knew he had to put the ball into the hoop (without ever having seen anyone do it before which is kinda crazy!)
If you have a toddler that loves balls, chances are they’ll love a basketball hoop. It’ll definitely keep them occupied and active!
Gardening Tool Set for Kids
My kids recently received gardening tools and they LOVE them. I mean they ask me almost every day if they can go outside and dig stuff up!
On nice days you can take your kids outside and let them dig in the dirt or set up a play garden for them.
It’s sure to keep them busy for awhile so you can do your work outside, relax, or plant your own garden!
Melissa & Doug Car Carrier Truck and Cars Wooden Toy Set
Yet another thing my son is obsessed with is cars (or anything with wheels!). So these trucks are perfect for your toddler if they love trucks.
I’m a huge fan of Melissa and Doug toys to begin with because they’re durable so these are a great option!
The pretend play keeps them occupied when you need to get something done or you can bring these with when you go out in public to keep your little ones busy.
54 Piece Mini Jungle Animal Toys
My daughter has been obsessed with figurines since she was two. She has princesses, animals, and dinosaurs. She loves all of them and still plays with them almost every day! My son is just starting to get into figurines too.
If you have a young toddler you have to be careful to watch them so they don’t put these in their mouth (I know from experience apparently figurines can look quite tasty!).
These are great because besides playing with them at home, you can take them with in the car, airplane, or in a restaurant and it will give your kids something small in size, but big in imagination to play with.
Little Tykes Trampoline
So having a trampoline in the house is ah-may-zing! It’s a sure way for your kids to get their energy out even if you don’t have a lot of space!
(If you don’t have a lot of space to run around inside, this is a great alternative).
One of our favorite games we play is how many times can my daughter jump on the trampoline (and then I count her jumps and she tries to beat her number the next time). This can be a great game to play if you’re sick or pregnant and can’t run around after your kid but you still need them to burn off that endless toddler energy.
This is also great to have in the winter when you have restless kids who need to get energy out. It’s pretty much great for any point in time when you need your kid to get that hyper energy out!
VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk
She definitely used more of the features as she got closer to 3 and after. She still plays with it (she calls it her work since she likes to play on it while I do my work), and my son is starting to tinker with it too. His favorite part are the songs it plays.
This is a fantastic educational activity because it has songs, letters, numbers, body parts, musical instruments, the seasons, and so much more that your kid can learn!
Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set
I love these because most kids I know, (including mine) love play food, (what is it with play food??) and I like that you can practice grouping colors, fruits, and veggies too.
Another perk is these are really durable. I mentioned before how my son loves to put everything in his mouth, and these play food toys are no different. But even after being chomped on for many months they’re still in perfect shape!
Mega Bloks ABC Learning Train Building Set
My kids received these as a gift and it was a great gift! I especially love that it has train cars that can be built on and connected as obviously my kids love anything with wheels.
It’s a great solitary activity for both young and older toddlers as they can build with the blocks by themselves or if they are younger, they will still likely love to push the trains around. Plus it has letters so your toddler can practice letter recognition while playing.
Melissa & Doug Hide and Seek Farm Wooden Activity Board
This puzzle is really fun for toddlers young and old. Both of my kids enjoy opening the doors to discover which farm animal is behind them.
It’s a good way to practice identifying animals and fine motor skills! You can switch up where you put some of the animal pieces and practice memorization skills too.
Some of the pieces though can be tricky for little toddlers to get out, so if you have younger toddlers you’ll have to sit with them to help them.
KidKraft UpTown Espresso Kitchen
This kitchen was a bit of an investment for me but I knew that it would be worth it because I had read the reviews and knew it was durable so it would last for years.
Both of my kids love to play in this kitchen and they’re always either playing picnic or they are “making” food for me or each other.
They’ve already had it for a year and I can see it lasting for a long time to come!
Final thoughts
I’m always on the search for toys that’ll suit both of my kids, encourage active and educational play, and will last a long time. These toys are great at encouraging your kids creativity and imagination. Plus many of these toys your kids can play with alone so you can encourage independent play.
These toys are great for boys and girls and will last for years to come!
Did you find this list helpful? If so share it!
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