10 Best Learning Toys For Kids & Toddlers In 2024
You’ve probably heard plenty of talk about developmental milestones–those important markers in your child’s continuing growth, that let you know they’re on track for their age, and whether or not there are any areas you need to work on together. You want to make sure that they’re practicing their fine-motor skills, cognitive skills, social development, and emotional development. But how do you do that?
The simplest and most fun answer is: play. Play with them, watch them play, set them up to be able to play in ways that are exploratory and promote important skills. There are thousands of toys out there specifically designed to help your child learn as they’re having fun. This article showcases the 10 best learning and developmental toys for 2019 that are sure to help your child develop their learning skills and prepare them for school in the years to come.
In a Hurry? The test winner after 16 hrs of research
Crafted from wood
Enhances multiple abilities
Be carried anywhere
Multiple fun activities
Nontoxic paint.
- My Busy Town Wooden Activity Cube
- WolVol Activity Play Center
- VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
- LeapFrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket
- VTech Spin & Learn Flashlight
- VTech Creative Center
- ALEX Toys Little Hands String A Farm
- Touch & Learn Activity Desk
- Kidzlane Color Matching Egg Set
- Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog
10 Best Learning Toys For Kids & Toddlers Reviewed
1. My Busy Town Wooden Activity Cube
Crafted from wood
Enhances multiple abilities
Be carried anywhere
Multiple fun activities
Nontoxic paint.
No rotating platform
Could topple over
Each side presents fun new hands-on activities for toddlers and infants to enjoy. Varied textures, objects, and colors keep little ones engaged and constantly exploring! All materials are safe for little hands and made to promote interaction and be easy to grasp.
Read moreDesign
Kids can push little shapes through a predetermined path, slide beads along the loops and corkscrews of the colorful wire jungle, flip over ABC tiles to see corresponding animals, and more! There are even little community characters with important jobs your child can learn about.
Value
The My Busy Town Activity Center depicts common everyday activities in a bustling town incorporating peek-a-boo windows that introduce your toddler to the people in your neighborhood. It also has curvy bead mazes, animal matching, racing car rollers, and alphabet tiles to help in the all-around cognitive and psychomotor development of your child.
Physical Development
With hours of activities that provide some really incredible help in the development of vital skills to support healthy growth in your baby's brain. These skills include spatial reasoning and hand-eye coordination. The cube features sides, designed to inspire the use of creativity, problem-solving skills, and cognitive abilities. You will be amazed at how rapidly your little's development will take off with the use of this activity set.
2. WolVol Activity Play Center
Encourages social play
Easy to transport
Includes a variety of activities that encourage learning and stimulate development
Equipped with fun sounds and melodies
Batteries are required and are not included
No volume control
Baby can check out their reflection in the mirror, cruise through the imaginary town with their steering wheel and ignition, click various buttons to cue music and sounds, or rock out into the microphone. With multiple activities on each side, there’s always something new to explore.
Read moreDesign
Designed with handles on every side, your little one can easily carry this toy from room to room. The plastic composition makes it durable enough to survive years of adventures with your child. Each side is composed of a variety of activities that will stimulate your child’s development.
Value
With each side containing fun activities, multiple children can enjoy playing with this toy at once. Equipped with a variety of melodies and a microphone, your child can practice their language skills as they sing along with the tunes.
Physical Development
As your child pushes the buttons and turns the knobs, they will increase their fine-motor skills. The bright colors on every side will appeal to your little one’s sensory development. No matter what side your child decides to play on, they will stimulate their cognitive development as there are learning activities at every turn.
3. VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
Comes in frustration free packaging
Can be used on carpet or hard floors
Features light up buttons
Improves balance and coordination
May be overwhelming for children who suffer from hypersensitivity.
The VTech Sit to Stand encourages stationary play as well as beginner’s mobility. This little toy gives kids support as they toddle around and learn how to work their leg muscles and find their balance. When they want to take a break, they can interact with the fun buttons, switches, and the phone on the multi-faceted activity center.
Read moreDesign
Meant for play among babies and toddlers ages six months to thirty-six months there are gears to turn, spinning rollers, and light up buttons. The detachable board allows for your little one to sit with you anywhere and still be entertained.
Value
Five colorful keys play musical notes like a piano, as well as feature animal sounds and many other fun-filled activities for your toddler. Toddlers will also get a basic introduction to shapes and numbers. All to provide a complete sensory experience.
Physical Development
The moving toy, great for both carpet and hard floors can help your little improve their coordination in addition to spatial awareness while learning to balance and walk. Your little will have a ball moving through the house as they strengthen their gross motor development and stimulate activity in certain parts of the brain. This activity will be reinforced through lights and sounds featured on the board while in motion.
4. LeapFrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket
Interactive-based play
Develops the imagination
Enhances object identification
Encourages social skills
Easy to carry
Possible choking hazard
Whether it’s beautiful outdoors or you’re having an imaginary picnic inside to beat the blues that come with bad weather, everything you’ll need is in this interactive, talking basket! There are fourteen total pieces, including food, place settings for two, and a blanket.
Read moreDesign
Inside, you’ll find two forks, two plates, two cups, six different food options (including watermelon, cheese, and crackers, pie, fruit, and cookies), plus a beautiful blanket to sit on and enjoy the day. Everything is made out of durable plastic that is easy to clean.
Value
It’s easy to carry and the interactive-based play makes for a play that’s absolutely fun and captivating. With the ability to partake activities such as stacking, sharing, and emptying and filling, children will gain so much from the use of this toy.
Physical Development
The LeapFrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket is a wonderful toy for your child to learn from. Featuring unique components, your child will have fun as they learn how to identify objects, learn colors and numbers, and object relationships. The toy is also great for encouraging social skills as the theme of the toy centers around two children having fun with each other while playing pretend which can also help develop the imagination.
5. VTech Spin & Learn Flashlight
Enhances multiple abilities
Interactive-based play
Easy to carry
Great for nighttime use
Sound effects could be too loud
Possible choking hazard
It’s your very own infant laser show, including a one-of-a-kind soundtrack with 50 sing-along songs, phrases, and sounds. The lights are colorful, but not too bright, and this little flashlight can teach kids about other subjects too!
Read moreDesign
It’s available in green, pink, and yellow, and intended for children in early learning stages. It requires two AAA batteries and will automatically shut off after 45 seconds of inactivity to preserve energy. The animals come in cute, cartoon designs, and the size and minimal weight of the flashlight makes it easy for kids to hold on their own.
Value
The flashlight itself comes with fun music and exciting songs activated by the ladybug button to make the learning of the projected images more interactive, fun, and exciting for your toddler.
Physical Development
The VTech Spin and Learn Color Flashlight is a wonderful toy for your child to learn from. Featuring interactive-based play, your child will have fun as they learn how to enhance multiple abilities such as object identification, identifying colors, and counting numbers. The toy is also great for language development as it features songs your child can sing along to. It’s easy to carry and great for nighttime use such as bedtime stories.
6. VTech Creative Center
Plays fun, cheerful music
Stylus and two stamps
Eight stencils help create recognizable pictures
Teaches children uppercase and lowercase letters
Helps them to write their own name
Battery compartment has no screw to keep it closed; easily opens
Kids can draw freehand or pull up various alphabet letters to copy and work on their penmanship and vocabulary! Plus, a stencil feature teaches kids to draw 26 different subjects. It’s also ecologically friendly as kids can draw, take a picture of their work, and erase it to start over new! No loose-leaf paper cluttering the house, fridge, or recycling bin.
Read moreDesign
Designed specifically for preschoolers, it features animated demonstrations that let kids follow along and learn the proper uppercase and lowercase keys. A doodling app allows toddlers to write their own names step by step. Stencils instruct children how to draw progressively more difficult images, starting with simple lines and shapes, and eventually moving to 26 different objects.
Value
The toy has a magnetic drawing board, a stylus, and is easy to travel with. Colorful buttons at the top toggle between the different play and learning modes, and two additional drawing utensils on the side make stamping animal faces and little houses a cinch. Slide the ABC button at the bottom to erase the screen and start all over with a brand new, blank canvas!
Physical Development
This learning center lets children draw, write, read, and identify various shapes, letters, and pictures. It’s a no-mess, no-hassle toy. The pen has no real ink, so toddlers won’t be doodling all over the walls. It even helps them to learn to write their own name through repetition and the practicing of letters!
7. ALEX Toys Little Hands String A Farm
Teaches children about vehicles and animals commonly found on a farm
Helps children begin to develop sequencing skills
Comes with an easy to follow instruction manual
Parents’ choice award winner
Pieces may pose as a choking hazard for infants and small toddlers. It is not recommended for use without adult supervision.
There are twelve durable wooden pieces in this set, all modeled after animals and objects you would find on a farm. With a wooden needle, kids can string them all together to work on hand-eye coordination and counting all at once!
Read moreDesign
Each farm animal or object comes with a hole in the side so kids can sew them all together. Then untie them, and start all over! Kids will love the hands-on nature of this toy and parents will appreciate how safe it is for playtime.
Value
The animal pieces and tractors can help children imagine a playful scene for a day on the farm. Included with this set comes an, easy to read, instruction manual that gives your child ideas and step by step instructions for tapping into their imagination and exploring the various games and activities that incorporate this set.
Physical Development
Through the act of lacing and looping children work muscles in their fingers that improve dexterity and fine motor skills. This stringing set is not only fun and adorable but will do wonders to provide your child with an effective method for attaining several skills, such as hand-eye coordination and sequencing skills. All these vitals blocks help to stimulate and strengthen the brain, in turn, helping to improve memory and cognition.
8. Touch & Learn Activity Desk
Comes with five activity pages
Over 100 beginner vocab words
Features LED display
Comes with a progress report button to help you track your child’s progress
Each expansion set is sold separately so this toy can become costly
With five pages of activity options, there is so much to encourage your little one to be excited about while learning how to read. For a creative touch, the top board can be lifted revealing a chalkboard.
Read moreDesign
Children spend much of their time unaware of where their toys and supplies have gone. A great thing about this desk is its ability to store and organize. There is a space within the desk that allows children to keep their art and school supplies neatly packed into compartments. This ensures your little one will always be able to jump right in whenever a creative streak hits.
Value
There are over 100 beginner words children will learn to spell, read, and sound out. Designed for ages 2 and up, there are several expansion packs that are sold separately, allowing for use by children up to age 5.
Physical Development
Music, shapes, and numbers with an LED Display for the letters provide an aesthetically pleasing and educational experience your child will love.
9. Kidzlane Color Matching Egg Set
Improves the development of fine-motor skills
Aids in the development of color recognition
Gives a basic introduction to the idea of puzzles
Helps with problem-solving and matching skills
Some reviews have stated a manufacturing error in their product, they have received duplicate numbers in their sets
It includes a dozen eggs, each with different colors inside and a variety of numbered holes and pegs. It’s a hands-on activity that encourages fine motor skills, dexterity, hand-eye coordination and counting all at once!
Read moreDesign
On the outside, all eggs look the same but break them apart and you can see how different the insides are. When you’ve fit them all back together, load them back up in the carton for easy, tidy storage! It’s a simple, efficient way for kids to start working through sorting, counting, and colors.
Value
Each egg can be safely kept in a durable storage case, also made of nontoxic materials meant to mirror a real egg carton. This base provides easy-to-organize clean up. All while fostering imaginative play as these eggs mimic real eggs often found in our kitchens.
Physical Development
From helping with color recognition to the development of fine-motor skills, this simple toy set is an excellent choice for inspiring education and fun for toddlers. They will work their little fingers mixing and matching each egg to help improve memory and matching.
10. Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog
edgehog includes 12 quills
Comes with an activity
Includes easy storage- simply put the quills in the back of the hedgehog
Doesn’t take up a lot of space
Older kids will get bored easily
The Learning Resources Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog is an excellent toy for toddlers just starting to develop and hone in on their abilities. From recognizing colors to developing their motor skills, kids will have a blast using this hedgehog. And the best part? It is a snap to clean up after your child is done using it. Easy for parents, educational for kids.
Read moreDesign
This toy is perfect for children over 18 months old. It has bright colors and 12 quills that can be put in the body of the hedgehog. The colorful quills help kids recognize colors, sorting and counting skills through the various games in included in the activity book. Plus the quills are easy to grab, so little ones will be able to use this easily.
Value
Color recognition? Check. Developing fine motor skills? Check. Quality materials? Check. This toy is not only an excellent product, but it is also an excellent price. As one of the lesser expensive toys on this list, it actually offers several benefits in development for your toddler. Kids can arrange quills by warm or cool colors, work on sequences and patterns by alternating colors, or count the quills with numbers printed on this fine motor toy for toddlers.
Physical Development
This item is perfect for developing fine motor skills and physical needs. The peg-shaped quills fit into the back of this friendly hedgehog, giving toddlers the chance to learn about which shapes fit in where. It also comes with easy-to-hold pieces that are the perfect size for toddler hands. The hedgehog even comes with an activity guide so your child will be able to use this item for a few years before entirely growing out of it.
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Design
How a toy is designed is key to its effectiveness on your child’s learning and education. The items on this list were specifically chosen for their interactiveness and engagement. Toys that engage children are more likely to keep their interest for longer. Bright colors, sounds, even intensive problem-solving are all things we looked for when choosing these toys. All of these toys are sure to help your child learn and grow as they go from baby to toddler to young child.
Value
Toys can cost a lot of money. While you probably received baby toys during your baby shower, toys that engage your child’s mind as a toddler is a financial cost for you and your family. When researching this list, we chose toys that were of good quality but didn’t break the bank. We wanted to make sure that these toys were valuable for you and your learning child, so we looked for products that were durable, made of quality materials and helped your child learn.
Physical Development
The development of fine motor skills is one of the most important part of development in toddlers and young children. Fine motor skills help kids with sports, writing, walking, even reading. Almost every activity requires some fine motor skills. The toys on this list were all chosen for their ability to help your child grow and develop their physical abilities and fine motor skills. Whether it is helping your child understand colors and patterns, or even trying to fit certain pieces into something, these toys are sure to educate your child in more ways than one. The skills learned through these toys will benefit your child as they grow older.
When purchasing toys for your child it is highly important that you pay attention to the age range.
Keep a set of disposable batteries on hand as a wide variety of children's toys require batteries.
Other Factors to Consider
Social Development
Educational and learning toys should encourage social skills because social skills can teach your child how to communicate, create friendships, how to share and care, and learn the proper response to social situations. It can also help your child to develop an appropriate emotional outlet to express themselves, be comfortable in unique roles when socializing with others and also teach your child how to respect and obey others.
Frequently Asked Questions
q: How can an educational and learning toy help my child?
An educational and learning toy can help your child by developing multiple abilities and skills that will enhance their life in multiple ways from school to socialization. Such toys can help your child learn how to think, speak, calculate, problem-solve, reason, and be creative.
q: Why should I choose an educational and learning toy?
You should choose an educational and learning toy because you desire to enhance your child’s abilities and skills. Educational and learning toys are also great to prepare your child for school and supplement any school curriculum. If you want your child to have playtime with a purpose, then an educational and learning toy is the best way to go.
q: Is toy safety and age-appropriateness important?
Yes, a safe toy means a safe play time. Your child will not be exposed to harmful toxins and your child will not be injured by toys that could have weak structural integrity or possibly sharp edges. Toys for the correct age are important as well because a toy that is too young for your child can result in boredom and a toy that is too mature for your child can result in frustration. It’s best to choose a toy made for their age and developmental level.
q: How should an educational and learning toy appeal to a child?
An educational and learning toy should appeal to your child’s senses. Your child should be captivated by the colors, textures, lights and sounds. Also, educational and learning toys that encourage your child to interact by sorting shapes, pushing buttons, and moving parts will help appeal as well.
q: What other benefits should an educational and learning toy provide?
An educational and learning toy should be able to be used in more than one place from the playroom to the park and used in more than one position from sitting to standing.
Other benefits include:
Usage of both hands
Durability and sturdiness
Ease of use, carrying, and storage
Encouragement of communication and interaction
Encouragement of problem-solving and creative thinking
q: How else can I discover educational and learning toys?
You should start with the Born Cute “Best Educational & Learning Toys for Toddlers in 2019” list: Click the link of the educational and learning toy that interests you and when you arrive at the Amazon page for the educational and learning toy you selected, scroll down to the “Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed” or “Customers Who Bought This Brand Also Shopped For” lists. Those two lists can give you great starting points in discovering other educational and learning toys.
Another option is to speak with educators, preschool teachers, and even child psychologists who can help with choosing educational and learning toys for your child.
Sources
- Understanding the Role and Importance of Interactive Learning Toys in Kids’ Development, Informative Guide ,
- Toys that Teach: Making Age-Appropriate Choices, Informative Article ,
- 8 Questions to Ask When Buying Developmental Toys for Your Child, Informative Guide ,
- Educational Benefits of Providing Toys To Children, Informative Guide ,
- How Toys Impact Children's Development, Informative Article ,