Best Toddler Development Toys You Should Buy

Usually, children aged one to three years are referred to as toddlers. These young children have learned to stand up and walk around but have not yet mastered it completely. This is a crucial development period of life, and toddler development toys play an important role. 

The best toys for a toddler let them practice their problem-solving skills. A toddler development toy does not have to be expensive or complicated. Usually, the most simple and traditional toys are the most effective. Just make sure they pose no physical risk to the child. 

The toy stores are loaded with flashy extravagant toys. All the packaging for these toys claims to be the best for your child’s development. When in reality, they hold no such value. Read on to know what makes a toy best for your toddler. 

What Toddler Development Toys Can Do for Your Child

Toddler development toys can flourish a lot of life qualities in your child from a very early age. You can develop certain abilities in your child with toys that you could not have done otherwise. 

The world is scary and confusing for a toddler. A good toy can make it more tolerable. As a result, the child will have a healthy mental development. 

Develop imagination

Imagination is a more enjoyable form of thinking. Meanwhile, It is also an early form of the main craft. The craft of thinking is something your child will learn as he progresses through age. And imagination is the first stage. 

When your child is playing with toys, they are using their mind. They are building up an imaginative world for their toys. As a result, the child acquires qualities like creativity, empathy, making an argument, etc. 

Develop a sense of ownership and sharing

Being aware of the ownership of things is a basic life skill. The first things the toddler learns to own are their toys. It teaches them how to care for their things and keep track of them. 

When your toddler plays with other children with his toys, he learns to share. There is no better way to teach your young child about sharing rather than let them play with their toys with other children. 

Hand-eye coordination 

One of the most important functions of toys is developing motor skills in your child. A child learns to grasp, throw, press buttons, pull, push, and hold postures when they play with a toy. 

Playing with the right toys can develop fine motor skills early. This will help them in later life. 

Develop scientific curiosity 

Some of the best toys will develop scientific curiosity in your child at a very early age. And curiosity is the main drive that will make your child pursue education. 

Moreover, complex toys require the application of logic to play with. This will further develop the toddler’s scientific mind. 

Learn about letters numbers and colors

Most toddler development toys use numbers, letters, and different colors. These are great for your child. Because within a year or two, they will start attending school. And these toys will make them ready for it. 

Detect any signs of disability early

If your child has any underlying mental or physical disability, toys will reveal it at the soonest. You can also see if something is wrong with your child when you watch them play with their toys. 

And as you may know, early detection and subsequently early treatment cure or improve many conditions.

Keeps your child busy 

A healthy toddler is energetic. They need activities to make good use of their powerful life force. Toddler development toys engage your child in an activity and teach them attention.

Moreover, it keeps your child safe. As toddlers can move, lack of proper activity might make them wander off when the parent is not looking and get hurt. 

Bond with your child 

As adult methods of communication do not work with toddlers, playing with them is the only way you can bond with them. Good toys give you and your young child an activity you can participate in. 

How To Choose A Toy For A Toddler? 

Choose a toy that is simple yet presents a challenge for your toddler. In other words, pick a toy that teaches. Entertainment or amusement is not the purpose of toddler development toys. Young children are already enough entertained and amused by the world around them. 

Durable toys 

There is no point in buying toddlers toys that easily break. Your child is bound to throw the toy or hit it on the floor at some point. 

For example, simple toys like blocks, plastic animals, and action figures do not break easily. Moreover, breakable toys always carry the risk of hurting your toddler. 

Toys that have educational value 

The main reason you are giving toys to your toddler is for development. It is a waste if a toy isn’t amusing or pretty but does not carry any educational value. 

Buy toys that develop your toddler’s imagination, spark creativity, and introduce them to counting, problem-solving, etc. 

Open-ended toys 

Open-ended toys can be thought of as multipurpose toys. The toddler can play more than one kind of game with it. 

For example, art supplies, cars, dolls, etc., are perfect for your child’s development as they boost creativity and imagination.

Toys suitable for practicing skills

Toys like play dough, building blocks, and shape sorters can be played with many times. Your toddler can put them together, take them apart, and keep doing it. 

As a result, they develop the habit of practicing a craft. This also helps them to focus their attention on something for long periods. 

Toys that grow with the child 

Buy something that can grow with your child. This can be car sets, animal figurines, etc. The type of games a toddler plays with it changes as he progresses through the years. 

There are multiple benefits to it. Firstly, your child learns to care for something over a long period. Secondly, it saves your money. 

Portable, lightweight toys

Your toddler’s toys should be portable and lightweight. So that you can easily bring them over to the daycare centers or when you travel. Toddlers tend to become attached to their toys. So, it’s best to easily portable toys for them. 

Pretend-play toys 

Pretend-play toys hold a special place for toddler development. Older toddlers (three years old) are usually very imaginative. 

And nurturing their imagination at this age will develop their creative abilities in the upcoming years. The best way to do this is to pretend to play with toys, like costumes, blowup dollhouses, etc. 

Avoid gender stereotype

Common stereotypes mark some toys for boys and some for girls. This is how children are taught gender discrimination from an early age. 

Buy your child the toys they want. Just make sure it carries developmental value for the toddler. There is nothing wrong with small boys playing with dolls or girls throwing a ball around.

Not extravagant or too expensive

A toddler cannot appreciate the amount of money you spend on his toys. Moreover, they will grow out of the toys within two years. So, there’s no point in wasting money on that. 

Another thing is that toddler’s toys have no business being extravagant because the toys with developmental values are usually simple and traditional.

Best toys for a one-year-old child

At the age of one, a child is fully aware of the world around them for the first time. They are constantly interested in exploring and doing things. All their basic senses have reached the first stage of development. Therefore, your toddler wants to test those out and experiment with them. 

Open-ended toys, which give a lot of room for creativity and practicing fine motor skills, are the perfect toys for one-year-old children. Give them something that helps them connect to the newfound world around them. In other words, the toys should be a means of expressing your one-year-old’s creativity. 

These simple and traditional toys are some of the best ones for your one-year-old child. 

Shape sorters 

Shape sorters present a simple challenge to your child. Put the right shape in the right hole. This seemingly bland toy does so much for the development of your child. Firstly, the child learns about shapes and the fundamental principle of how things fit together. Secondly, they learn how to focus on a problem and solve it. 

A shape sorter also gives a lesson on patience. It shows your child that not force but the technique is how to solve things. This has a long-lasting effect on the child’s subconscious. 

Blocks

Blocks are an excellent toy. These toys grow with your child. One-year-old likes to hit and bangs things, which is important in developing motor skills, and blocks are ideal. As they keep growing, you can show your child how to stack blocks up to build stuff. 

Moreover, blocks have letters and numbers printed on them. Buy big blocks with rounded edges and made from good quality wood or plastic. 

Puzzle large pieces 

Playing with puzzles develops the toddler’s mind in a variety of ways. It helps to hone hand-eye coordination skills. Moreover, your one-year-old can develop excellent visual perception skills when playing with puzzles. 

A one-year-old is not expected to solve a complex puzzle. Plus, advanced puzzles with tiny pieces pose choking risks. Therefore, puzzles for one-year-old children come with a few large size pieces that can be easily fitted to make a quick and interesting picture.

Balls 

Kids like colorful balls. It is one of the oldest toys in the world. Toddlers learn to throw and catch while playing with balls. These are also simple yet effective toys that give you a chance to participate with your toddler.

Playing with balls will develop gross motor skills in your one-year-old child. The back-and-forth movement while playing catch helps to strengthen the language centers in your toddler’s brain.

Thick crayons and washable markers 

Art materials are always an excellent plaything for children of any age. They are one of the best toddler development toys. For one-year-old children, such art materials can be thick broad crayons that will be easy to grasp. In addition, washable and non-toxic markers can be a great gift too. 

Board Books

Like art materials, books are the perfect gift for children. Although, books for one-year-old children should be suited to their age. A young toddler cannot respond to stories or complex art. 

The best books for them are books with thick board pages. Each page shall contain a simple, easy picture of everyday objects or animals. The name of the object shall be written in one word. These are very helpful in developing the habit of reading from an early age. 

Best Toys For A Two-Year-Old Child

Two-year-old children develop a basic concept about the world. The different people and things they had come in contact with so far had made impressions on their minds. The child would like to pretend and act out those things. 

Toys that help your child pretend and use their imagination are perfect for development at this age. Usually, the child is the controller of their imaginary worlds. They act out certain characters or role play. Therefore, these games are essential in building the personality of your child.

Here are some of the best toys for a two-year-old child – 

Rhyme books 

Two years can respond to complex pictures and rhyming words. You can start with books of children’s rhymes. 

You can read the rhymes out loud to your child. Keep them focused on the page (pictures help do this) you are reading. This will develop their literacy skills.

Pretend-toys 

Doctor sets, kitchen sets, and fairy princess costumes with wands and wings are all examples of pretend toys. Cars and dolls are pretending to be toys too. These toys help your child to act out their newfound power of imagination. 

Two-year-old toddlers like to imitate. They want to mimic their mom, dad, other adults, animals, and even cars and planes. This is a search for identity. Pretend toys help your two-year-old find their place in the world in this journey. 

Toy vehicles 

Toy cars and other vehicles are an excellent thing for your child. They help to work on the large motor skills of your toddler. Moreover, toy cars and vehicles can make for incredible, imaginative games. 

Another benefit of buying a toy car is that your child will grow out of it much later. Children play with their cars even up to eight or ten years of age. 

Musical instrument toys 

As they constantly become more aware of life, two-year-old toddlers want to do things that affect the world around them. This is why musical instrument toys work wonders. When they beat a toy drum, and it makes a sound, they learn how their actions affect the world. 

Musical instrument toys like guitars and keyboards help them learn pattern imitation. Further, this will aid in the development of speech skills.

Others 

Along with these dolls, stuffed animals, more advanced puzzles, and art materials are always good toddler development toys. 

Best Toys For A Three-Year-Old Child

A three-year-old wants to be free. They want to move around fast and be in control of larger things. Many kids will start preschool at this age. So, they are already entering the world of bigger kids. And that is why they need toys that make them strong, quick, and fast. 

To make your toddler smarter:

1. Buy them complex building sets.
2. Make them interested in sports and group activities. As preschool begins, your toddler will start making friends.
3. So, buy them such toys which let several kids participate in a game. 

Some of the best toys for a three-year-old are –

Tricycle 

Most kids start cycling at three years old. It is a great exercise. Cycling develops complex spatial awareness and a variety of motor skills. Plus, it trains the vestibular system. This is the system associated with balance.

Learning to ride a tricycle promotes the overall brain development of your toddler. This is why a tricycle is considered one of the essential toddler development toys.

If you were wondering when to buy a cycle for your child, three-year-old is the best time. Also, it gives your toddler a sense of being a bigger kid now. And that is true. Learning to ride your first vehicle is a milestone in life. 

Complex building sets 

Your toddler can start with advanced building sets at three years old. However, they are still limited to toddler versions. Small and sharp pieces will still pose a danger for kids this age.

Many toy companies market simple yet challenging building sets. These are specially designed for smaller kids. This is why the blocks and pieces are slightly larger than the regular ones. With these sets, your child can learn to make cars, bridges, planes, and other objects. 

These building sets are excellent toddler development toys. It flourishes your child’s creative problem-solving abilities. Although, parental supervision is necessary to lower the risk of choking hazards. 

Animal sets 

Toy animal sets are both fun and educational for three-year-olds. At this age, children are interested in animals. Animal sets can teach your toddler about different species. It will also develop their comparison skill. 

Your child will love Zoo animal sets toys as they have great educational values. Dinosaur playsets are excellent toddler development toys too. Meanwhile, they will continue to learn through them in the upcoming years. 

Action figures

Usually, the lowest age limit for most action figures is three years. These toys are popular with toddlers. Three-year-old children give their action figures elaborate backstories and act them out. This is a good practice of imaginative skills and creativity. 

Moreover, you can learn a lot about what is going through your child’s life or how they perceive everything when you hear them play. 

Another thing about action figures is that they portray a strong image of physical well-being. You can use the action figure to motivate your child to eat right and lead a disciplined life. 

Blowup playhouse

Blowup playhouses are good when your toddler have their friends come over. These toys are great for parties. They are entertaining for the kids. Moreover, these playhouses develop social interaction skills, making friends, sharing, and leadership.

Drawing materials 

You can give your three-year-old thick colored pencils, felt pens and art paper, pastel colors, and paint. Free drawing and art are excellent skill development activities for children. 

Through this practice of free drawing, a child learns to compare their imaginations with reality. When drawing out something entirely from fantasy, they are coming to terms. Meanwhile, they are also learning the language of color. 

Your toddler’s art is a window to their world. If you ever worry about your child’s mental health, look at what they are drawing. Or show a child psychologist. This can reveal a lot about what’s bothering them, and you can take appropriate measures. 

Others 

Three-year-old toddlers can benefit from solving puzzles. These can be group activities. Like, multiple children can participate in a complex game. And puzzles have always been a popular activity in preschools. 

Bats and balls are awesome development toys for three-year-old children. Keep in mind that these should be “toys.” Meaning they will be made of light materials. Many three years old can swing a bat and throw a ball. So, these toys will find good use in the playground. 

There are board games designed for three-year-old children in the market. These games permit multiple children to participate. The toddlers will work together to solve a challenge—games like this exercise their problem-solving abilities. Meanwhile, the children also learn how to work on a problem together. 

Precautions When Picking A Toddler Development Toy

When you walk into a toy store, there are so many options and claims of being the best that it quickly overwhelms a parent. However, most of what is said on the packages are just for advertisements. Many of these toys look extravagant, with little to no developmental value. 

Toys with loud lights and sounds

Many toys with flashing lights and loud sounds are marketed as toddler development toys. However, these toys frankly do nothing for your child’s development. 

You just press a switch, and the toy starts performing on its own. The toddler has no chance to participate in any kind of activity. The loud noise and lights distract your children from creative and pleasing thoughts. Toys like these have no function rather than amusing and distracting the child for a while. 

Moreover, toys like these are harmful to the toddler’s vision and hearing. It’s best not to buy these toys. It’s a waste of money, and your child will also lose interest soon. 

Coloring books

Free art is one of the best skill-developing activities for toddlers. Meanwhile, coloring books can have the opposite effects. Coloring books limit your toddler’s creative expression. In that sense, these materials are detrimental to your child’s development. 

A child flourishes when they get enough space to practice their creative skills. They are forced to color within boundaries and predetermined outlines in a coloring book. This stifles their creative expression and hampers overall development. 

Toys that easily break into sharp and small pieces 

As mentioned earlier, durable, simple toys are best for toddlers. Overly complicated toys tend to be flimsier. They can easily break into small and sharp pieces when your child hits or bangs them. This poses serious injury risks for your child. 

Marbles Coins Buttons 

Toddlers love objects like marbles, coins, and buttons, so many parents will give their children objects like these to calm them down. But even under your supervision, these objects can cause choking hazards. So, it’s always best to keep things like these away from your child. 

Flame resistant fabric

Whether costumes or stuffed animals, always make sure the fabric is flame resistant. Toddlers are unlikely to notice small flames or realize the danger. And when it comes to your attention, things might already be out of hand. So, take precautions from the beginning. 

Non-toxic art material 

When you buy art materials, make sure they are toddler-friendly and non-toxic. Children are bound to put the colors in their mouths. Even if you supervise strictly, particles of paint will surely make it to the inside of the child’s body from the fingers or other means. So, it’s best to ensure non-toxic paints in the beginning. 

Battery hazards 

If your toddler’s toys contain batteries, ensure they are in a secured and leak-proof battery case. Damaged batteries can give out toxins and acids. It is extremely harmful to your child if they come contact with these chemicals. 

Properly sanitized toys 

Toys that were picked from a vending machine or won at a carnival should be sanitized appropriately before your child can play with them. These toys might contain germs or allergens harmful to the child and the rest of the family.

Conclusion

Toddler development toys are simple and moderate. The toy is just a tool for your child to develop their abilities and practice their skills. The most important developmental value is your toddler’s time with you more than a toy or anything. So, play with your toddler whenever you can.