Gifting is hard and kids are just as difficult to shop for as adults. In attempt to make the process a wee bit easier for you, I'm sharing the toy trackers that I've been putting together over the past few years.
Things to Keep in Mind
I happpen to be an evangelist for play-based learning. Therefore, you will rarely see toys listed as "educational," especially for babies and toddlers— at this age, all toys are educational. There are also very few push button toys listed that are designed to teach the alphabet, colors, or counting. Some researchers have noted that in order to promote early language development, electronic toys should be discouraged.
These are resources that I'd been using to organize my ideas for toy related content. I've made modifications, tweaks, and updates in order for the tables to make sense to other people. Feel free to send me a message or leave a comment with suggestions or errors.
✨ Resources for Gifting Kids' Toys: Quick Links
🧸 Types of Toys for Kiddos
This is a broad list featuring over 100 types of toys!
🥁 Specific Toy Recommendations for
Babies and Tabies (Ages 1-2)
Sometimes I use Susie Allison's (Busy Toddler) term, "taby" to refer to this age range, because it just makes things easier. About half of the recommendations on the Babies & Tabies list are toys that I've used with little ones firsthand and noted the value they bought to their play. The other half are well-vetted high quality versions of developmentally appropriate toddler toys.
🌟 All-Time Favorite Toys & Recommendations: From Babies to Big Kids
✅ Fort building supplies
✅ Wooden toys
✅ Magnetic toys
✅ Melissa & Doug favorites
You're sure to find a couple gift ideas for a kiddo on your list!
🚀 Premium Toy Retailers
✅ Play couches
✅ Playsilks
✅ Imaginative play toys
✅ Pretend play toys
& more!
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