Best Educational Toys for Children

Playskool Busy Poppin’ Pals Pop-Up Toy: This educational toy is a classic! It’s wonderful for babies because the large buttons and knobs are great for little hands and help develop early fine motor skills. Your baby will love making the little animals pop up again and again!

The First Years Stack Up Cup Toys: Another classic your baby will love! They can practice nesting the cups into one another, and they’ll love stacking them up and knocking them over! Plus, these cups have differently shaped holes in the bottom, making them a blast during bath time.

SpinAgain Stacking Toy: Stacking rings are a popular infant toy, but this one is a unique “spin” on the traditional ring stacker. The rings spin onto the post, which will thrill your little one! They’re so much fun to watch, and it’s even more fun to turn the stack upside down and watch them spin off again! Plus, the fun, bright colors will surely grab your baby’s attention.

Indestructible Books: There is a wide variety of books in this series, but my favorite part about them is that they are truly indestructible. Even the most rambunctious of babes can’t destroy these! They’re chew-proof, rip-proof, non-toxic, and washable!

Chew Cube: This toy is a modern take on a classic teether. It was created by a mom and made of 100% food-grade silicone. Its flexible, textured edges will soothe babies’ sore teething gums, and the size and shape allow your baby’s hands to grip easily.

What’s Inside the Box?: Baby will love exploring this box to find out what’s inside! The box is machine-washable and comes with eight different sensory objects for kids to explore. The opening on top of the box is large enough for little hands to easily reach in, feel around, and grab what’s inside.

Baby Paper: This is hands down one of our favorite baby toys in our house! The outer layer is a strong black and white contrast fabric which is the perfect visual for a baby’s eyes, and inside is paper that makes a crinkly sound when a baby plays with it. It is non-toxic and compact for easy travel – stuff it in your diaper bag to take it on the go! Plus, it’s machine-washable, so baby can play with it again and again!

Taf Toys Tummy Time Activity Book: Tummy time is so beneficial for babies! It is an important precursor for crawling and also helps strengthen baby’s core and postural muscles for sitting up. Tummy time can be a challenge for some parents because some babies don’t enjoy it for an extended period, so it’s important to keep the baby interested and engaged as much as possible. This activity book has high-contrast pictures and a baby-safe mirror for lots of opportunities for play!

Tummy Time Water Mat: More tummy time fun! This playmat has been loved by all three of my babies, and I’m sure it will also be a hit for your baby! The mat can be filled with water and sealed for baby’s safety, and they will be thrilled to watch the fish and other ocean animals float around and move as they play!

Kingtree Squeak Blocks: Block play is beneficial for developing baby’s motor skills. In the earliest stages, your baby will love the look of the bright colors and pictures these blocks offer. Then they will begin banging the blocks together using their hands and finally using the blocks to build structures like a tower. These blocks have a bonus feature – they squeak when they are squeezed! These blocks will be loved for years!

Merriam-Webster’s 150 First Words: This book is a fun and interactive way to teach your baby their first words. With 150 words and short phrases, this book is an excellent addition to the bookshelf and to incorporate into your daily routine with your little one. 

Britannica’s Baby Encyclopedia: This board book covers topics from Earth to animals, plants, and more! There are beautiful illustrations that your little one will love to look at, along with sound words to make it a fun reading-aloud experience. 

Alex Discover Button Art Activity Set: Toddlers learning color recognition and matching will love this toy! It features ten different pictures for children to complete using the large snap pieces that click into place. This was always one of my favorite educational toys as an occupational therapist because it helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Alex Little Hands String My ABCs: This is another favorite educational toy of mine from my occupational therapy days, and now it’s a favorite of my own kids! Stringing beads is a great fine motor activity, and this set has large wooden beads that are perfect for beginners and little hands. The bonus is that your kids will be practicing letter recognition! All these great learning opportunities are hidden in a fun play activity!

Wooden Number Puzzle Sorting Toy: It’s no secret that puzzles benefit your child’s development, but this one is great because it has multiple different puzzle features. Your child can work on numbers, counting, shapes, colors, and sorting, all in this one puzzle form! There are also two different color choices – a bright rainbow option and one with more muted neutral tones for anyone with a particularly chic playroom!

Wooden Personalized Name Puzzle: Our kids LOVE these puzzles, and they are perfect for beginners to learn the letters of their names! The puzzle teaches them the correct spelling of their name too! You can customize this one with up to 9 letters.

Battat Pretend Cutting Play Food Set: For the little chef in the family! This food set features a variety of foods that Velcro together so your little one can practice cutting the foods easily with the toy knives included in the set. This is an excellent way for them to practice fine motor skills as they become more proficient with self-feeding. If the knives are too tricky for them at first, it is also beneficial for them to match the pieces together and take them apart using their hands.

Smart Teddy: This learning toy for 3+ year olds will teach kids good habits in a fun way and help parents with potty training or bedtime struggles. It helps to learn brushing teeth, tidying up, getting ready, and exercising in the mornings and also teaches toddlers ABCs, numbers, and riddles. The soft, huggable Talking Bear knows 28 Fairy Tales, 30+ Daily Routine Activities, lullabies, fun facts, and much more.

Baby Einstein – My First Smart Pad Library: This is another personal favorite educational toy of ours! This set includes multiple different books that pairs with the interactive smart pad. Your child can read along in the books and press the buttons to learn the alphabet, colors, opposites, animals, and more!

Learn the Alphabet Mats: Dough is one of my favorite educational toys as an OT. There are countless ways to incorporate it into educational play, but this one is one of the best! This set includes 26 reusable mats with the upper and lower case alphabet. Your child can use any kind of playdough (Play-Doh is my personal favorite – is there any better smell?) to form the letters. This is a great hands-on way to work on letter recognition through fine motor play.

My First Pegboard Set: There are tons of pegboard sets out there on the market, and there several great ones. This educational toy just happens to be the one we love at home. I used this in my occupational therapy practice, and now my own kids play with it! I particularly like this one because the pegs are large and easily gripped by little hands. Your child can work on their fine motor skills and color matching with this classic educational toy!

Magnetic Letters/Numbers Set: What sets this one apart from all the other sets of magnetic letters? This one has upper and lower case letters and comes in fun colors and patterns. My kids take the magnets and put them on the fridge and their magnetic easel (see the easel on the list below). You can practice spelling words, forming the alphabet, pairing upper and lower case letters, you name it! There are so many fun ways to learn and play with these!