Plush Toysare fantastic options for snuggling, comfort and sensory input. We love examples like this Soft Lovey and this Lion that offers multiple textures.
In the 6 to 12 month range, your child is doing so much more than the first 6 months of life. We watch them go from static tummy time, to sitting, crawling, pulling to stand, and some might even be walking by the first year. Toys that help promote these developmental skills all make great gifts for the little one you’re shopping for!
Now more than ever, since your child is a lot more mobile - safe play spacesare going to be important to have. These ensure that your child has a safe space to play freely and independently without being limited by a container. A great addition to these spaces are play tents!
Speaking of cause and effect, your child is beginning to learn this concept at this age. Gifts like pop up toys, ball drop towers, and hammer toys help to promote this learning strategy and work on fine motor skills.
As always, we’re a big fan of suction toys and these help keep your child occupied, encourage movement, and help build strength by tugging on the suctioned object. Not to mention, they provide a respite while they’re in a high chair or safe play space to give parents a free moment.
We love standing toys like The Little Balance Box, magnets, squigz, and standing learning centers, push toys and pull toys are great to help encourage movement in a variety of positions and grow with your child. Reminder: push toys should not be used to teach your child to walk, rather be used when they already have an established sense of balance.
Welcome to Toddlerhood! Your 12-18 month old is likely very busy walking, standing, and continuing to learn their cause and effect relationships. They’re old enough to learn how to ride on push toys and are moving all over the place.
Standing toys continue to be great for standing play and for your cruiser who isn’t quite independently walking. We love this table and climbing toy for play and exploration. (Remember to supervise all climbing play!)
At 18-24 months, your child is moving a lot. They’re curious, actively problem solving, while testing the limits of their balance and coordination. Some are even jumping by 2!
Busy Boards are great for this age for critical thinking, fine motor skills, standing, and keeping your little one engaged. We love this crocadile activity wall and bear board.
Kids this are also learning about pretend play and continuing to hone their cause and effect relationships and fine motor skills: look for toys like a jack in the box and this farm play set
There is a lot of overlap with our 12-18 month toys, as children love those for a long time! Puzzles, sports toys, and standing toys are all great for this age too
By 2-3 years old, your toddler is learning taking turns, playing make believe, and kicking a ball. At this age, toddlers are able to follow 2 or 3 step directions, sort objects by shape and color, imitate the actions of adults and playmates. “Older” toddlers are experienced walkers, beginning to jump and are testing the limits of their balance daily. Toys that complement these milestones are perfect for the older toddler in your life.
You may have already noticed your child’s imaginative thinking and might already be well versed in pretend play, this is certainly the age for this milestone! Pretend play gifts like workbenches, kitchens, cash registers, or castles are so much fun. But don’t stop there! Dress up and costumes are fantastic for this age: maybe your child wants to go on a safari, become a doctor, or are they a superhero? Perhaps all 3!
Preschoolers are such a fun group of kids. They’re a lot more independent than younger kids and they can perform skills like naming colors, showing affection, and hopping on one foot. Preschoolers are curious and capable of riding a tricycle, using safety scissors, have a bigger creative interest, and enjoy building.
