Buying the best toy for your little one is a more important task than you might think. The right toys will keep your kid entertained and provide a lot of fun while they also have an educational feature to them.
When you are shopping for the perfect toy to surprise your little one, make sure to pick one that has an interactive function as well. This will encourage your child to spend quality times with their friends or you while playing and socializing. But to save you from spending a lot of time researching your options, here are the best 9 developmental toys that you can choose from!
1. Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack and Baby’s 1st Blocks Bundle
The Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack toy is perfect for children who are just discovering colours, sizes and shapes. Your little one will have to sort and stack five different colours and learn a lot of things along the way. They will understand the different sizes of certain objects and the different colors that they come in.
When they are done, the interactive fun really starts. Your kid will be able to play with the wobbly rocker and discover its features. While they are matching the different pieces of this game, they will also develop the skill to identify solutions.
Grasping the shapes will also develop their hand dexterity and deciding which block goes in what place improves the eye-hand coordination function. This toy is perfect for children between 6 months and 3 years old so, it can be quite an investment!
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Develops dexterity and motor skills
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Helps your child improve their logic and solving problems skill
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The plastic material might not be very resistant
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2. Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table
Just like the name of this toy says, you can make your kid be a little Einstein. Baby Einstein toy will help them discover their musical talent and preferences at a young age. Even more than that, this toy gives your kid the chance to create their own music. They can use different functions such as piano, drum, guitar or French horn. All these functions are included in the activity table and very easy to use by your little one.
To add even more educational features, this toy comes in 3 languages: English, Spanish and French. And we all know how important it is for children to learn new languages as well as developing new talents. This makes the Baby Einstein toy perfect to entertain and educate your toddler. The manufacturer recommends this toy for children between 6 months and 3 years old.
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The toy comes in 3 languages
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No hazards
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This toy might not be sturdy enough for rough play
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3. VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
This is a very popular toy and there is no wonder for it! VTech is a great learning walker for your kid and it comes with a variety of features that they can enjoy. The panel that is placed in front of the walker can be removed easily so your kid will enjoy this toy in more circumstances.
Besides learning to walk, your child will be able to play with 5 piano keys, 2 colorful spinning rollers and 3 sorters for different shapes. To make this toy even more educational, it comes with 3 light-up buttons that are great for improving your kid’s motor skills.
While playing with this VTech toy, your kid will enjoy a pretend telephone handset which is perfect for role play and different scenarios. Overall, this learning walker comes with more than 70 songs and sounds that will get your baby familiar with different situations. The manufacturer recommends it for kids between 9 months and 3 years old.
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Learning walker function
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Develops creativity and motor skills
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The front panel is removable
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It might not have a long lifespan
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4. Haba Color Fun Play Gym
Do you want to get a special toy for your kid that will help them develop new skills? If that is your plan, the Haba Color Gym is a great choice. This toy is similar to a working out device and it is easy to set up in order to meet your kid’s needs.
All you have to do is screw it at the height that you want and place it in a room where your child can play with it freely. Feel free to add as many hanging elements as you want and teach your kid to enjoy this toy because they might not understand all its features by themselves.
While they are playing with this toy, your child will develop motor skills, attention, and coordination.
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Easy to set up
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Perfect for both boys & girls
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It might not be very sturdy
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5. Small World Toys IQ Baby – Knock-Knock Blocks
The blocks in this set are so much fun and entertainment that your kid will love to play with them for hours. And they will gain more than fun by spending their time with it because this toy comes with a lot of educational functions. The set contains 8 colored blocks and 8 monochromatic ones.
Each block has a different pattern so that your kid will stay interested in them for a long time! Also, these blocks make different noises and sounds which will captivate your toddler instantly.
By playing with this set of blocks, your child will learn colors, shapes and different sound. Plus, they will develop motor skills and the capacity to associate certain images with certain things or situations. This toy is meant for children younger than 3 years old.
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Washable fabric blocks
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Some blocks might contain a chemical smell
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6. LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table Activity Center
The LeapFrog will make you fall in love with it too and most likely you will spend quality time with your child playing with it. The amazing features of this toy will entertain your little one with over 70 songs and sounds that they will find interesting.
This toy is also meant to teach your kid numbers, letters, shapes and colors. They will learn different instruments such as the piano and drum. The manufacturer recommends the LeapFrog for children between 6 months and 36 months old.
The product dimensions are 14.5 x 18 x 17.4 inches and it has a weight of 5.8 pounds. Thanks to its quality material and variety of functions, this is a toy that can be considered an investment.
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Perfect for teaching kids shapes, sizes, colors and sounds
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Comes with over 70 sounds
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Certain sounds might be too loud
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It might not resist to rough play
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7. Melissa & Doug Chomp Clack Alligator & Stacking Cars Bundle
Before diving into the features of this product, you should know that the set contains two toys actually. The Alligator push toy and the Stacking cars wooden toy. Both toys are great for young toddlers and safe to play with. The wooden alligator walker comes with a variety of features that babies can enjoy while they are moving with it.
This toy is also made in a sturdy way so your little one will not have to face any risks while playing with it. The Alligator push toy will generate captivating noise as your kid plays with it which will only increase their interest in this product.
On the other hand, the Stacking cars set is designed in a very attractive way. This set is created especially for babies and young toddlers which is why it is simple and cute with extra safety measures. The bright colors of each car are meant to stimulate the visual development while the simple design will develop the cause and effect logic for your kid. Overall, this set is a great investment and very safe to play with at any age!
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Set of two toys
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Made to empower visual development
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Some pieces might be unstable
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Paint might come off certain toys
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8. HABA Symphony Croc Music Band Set with 4 Instruments for Ages 2 and Up
If you want to help your child discover their musical talent or even better, develop this talent, meet the HABA Symphony Croc! This funny crocodile comes with a lot of options for children that are at least 2 years old. It was nominated as the best toy of 2017 and it looks very popular in 2018 as well. Under this crocodile look, your child will find multiple musical instruments such as a drum, metallophone (or xylophone), guiro wooden block, and bell.
Your little one will enjoy creating their own music and discover different instruments as they are playing with this interactive toy! And don’t be surprised if they tell you that they want to be a musician next because this toy can be addictive. As for safety aspects, the HABA Croc is a very safe toy and it presents no potential hazards. It is also very easy to clean.
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Develops your kid’s creativity
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Easy to clean
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Paint might come off it easily
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9. Green Toys TDP1-1311 Tide Pool Bath Set, Assorted
The Green Toys set is made of 100 percent recycled plastic which adds to its overall value. It comes with 7 little toys that are all BP free and contain no toxins so your child can play with them in a safe way. This set is perfect for developing your kid’s interactive skills as well as their creativity. You can take it at the beach or let them enjoy it by the pool while they spend some quality time with their friends.
All the pieces in this set are dishwasher safe and can be used both inside and outside of your house. The product dimensions are 10 x 5 x 9 inches and the weight is around 1502 ounces which makes the set very portable and easy to use. This set of entertaining toys is made in the USA and is perfect for toddlers older than 6 months old.
The manufacturer claims that kids up to 8 years old can play happily with this set so, you might make a long-term investment by purchasing it! If your kid is into these types of toys, it might even become their favorite beach toy for many months and even years! Keep in mind that the colors may be different from one set to another so don’t have your heart set on certain shades.
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Great to be used inside and outside
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Dishwasher safe
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Some plastic pieces might break easily
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How to choose a good developmental toy for your child
With so many options on the market, there’s no wonder that parents might feel overwhelmed and confused. But if you keep your eyes on certain aspects, you might find it a lot easier to pick up the perfect toy for your little one. So, before pulling your credit card out take into consideration the following tips!
Your child’s age.
As you noticed in the list above, there are developmental toys for young toddlers and 5-year-old children. And the main reason why you should consider their age is the fact that kids have different developmental needs at different ages. When they are one or two years old, they might need to practice walking, running and speaking.
While when they are 5 or 6 years old, they can focus on their attention and fine levels of dexterity. Each age has its beauty and its challenges which should be respected by the parent. Plus, your kid will enjoy their toys a lot more if they are meant for their age because they will be able to understand them better.
Their talents and preferences.
Even if your child is a toddler, that doesn’t mean they don’t have certain talents that they were born with. Some kids are natural musicians while others love dancing or making different experiments. You need to observe your child and identify such preferences before investing in new toys. If you do that, you don’t just contribute to their playing time but also to their potential opportunities in the future.
Their gender.
If you have a boy and you buy them a pink unicorn or a doll, they might not be very happy, right? So, take into account and respect the gender of your kid before shopping for them, especially when it comes to toys. The good news is that you can definitely find high-quality unisex toys in case you don’t like to get the gender specific ones. Whatever you decide, just make sure that they can relate to that toy in order to play with it.
Think about the playing environment.
Also, the environment where your child plays the most is important too. If they spend a lot of time indoors or if you live in a cold area, it might not be a great idea to buy them a lot of outdoors toys. Make sure that your child knows where to play with the toys that you get them because otherwise, they will just get frustrated and annoyed.
Try to imagine your little one enjoying their new toy inside your house or outside and see if this is a possible scenario. If it isn’t and you just want to buy a toy because it’s cute, don’t waste your money! Try to find one that is more adaptable to your space and your possibilities!
Conclusion
These toys are the best when you want to contribute to your kid’s education just as much as you want to give them a good playing time. Make sure you take into consideration your child’s preferences before investing in a new toy. Because regardless of how much you want to help them develop, they need to always have fun with their toys while achieving new skills.
Also, take into consideration your child’s age in order to get them a toy that is safe and appropriate for them. After you made your choice, all you have to do is take some time off and spend it with your kid as they discover the new toys you got for them. Because nothing is as precious as family time!
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