10 Cool Bug Toys Reviewed in 2023

Sensory Stimulation

The Backyard Exploration Critter Case may not be your idea of insect toys but it sure can provide a fantastic opportunity for children to safely observe insects and critters a lot closer and without the risk of being bitten, stung, or even left with very itchy substances. The Critter Case has flattened base to help secure it against accidental tipping over or being knocked over.

Physical Development

This sturdy build is best for wild adventurers. It can hold sticks and leaves along with the bugs which gives a better observation in the natural environment. With the ability to hold a lot, high energy kids can collect whatever they would like, keeping busy for hours. The mesh give a view from multiple angles for maximum observation. The simplistic design of the door makes it easy for little ones to open and close while working on their hand-eye coordination. When you’re done playing with these bugs, it’s simple to dump out and start collecting again.

Design

The tubular body is made of high grade plastic screen frame and completed with mesh fabric on both sides of the case. There’s a hatch that can be easily opened so your child can easily deposit and remove plants, twigs, branches, leaves, and even his or her insect guests. The Critter Case comes with a sturdy carry handle for optimum transportation.

Sensory Stimulation

The game is designed for between two and four players. The hands-on nature allows children to remain physically and mentally engaged as well as helping to develop social skills between them and other players. Bugs in the Kitchen is the winner of the 2015 ASTRA Best Toy for Kids Award.

Physical Development

The quickest player to trap the bug will be the winner of that round and receive a token. Once a player has received five tokens they are the winner. It is a fast-paced game that offers an average playing time of 20 minutes. This is one of the most diverse bug games that are great for developmental skill building. It offers a specialized theme while also promoting great skill building.

Design

Included with the game are the; game board, the special edition bug, bug tokens, dice, and trap doors. It is easy to play and recommended for children ages 6 and up. Family game night will never be the same after this game.

Sensory Stimulation

Build, program, and play with the Kamigami Robot series. This kit allows your child to engage in hands-on learning as they construct their very own insect robot. These fold up from a flat sheet of metal and can trek across multiple terrains. Plus kids can download the app to drive the robots themselves!

Physical Development

Children can learn about important STEM fields with this package. They’ll build dexterity by folding the metal themselves, develop better hand-eye coordination as they drive their little buggies around, and can start to learn the basics of programming and robotics. Plus, kids can use these robots for imaginative adventures and role-playing!

Design

These robots feature flashing lights, sounds, and the ability to maneuver around and over various obstacles in their paths. There are four different designs that come pre-printed on a sheet of foldable metal. Children then follow instructions to build the robot themselves. The intuitive programming interface means you can choose unique moves and actions for your robot.

Sensory Stimulation

Best of all, the clear dome can actually magnify its contents – your bugs – up to 5 times, thanks to an integrated acrylic lens in the design. Our suggestion is for kids to try operating the BugView on some toy bugs first to gain confidence in the use of the device. Once confidence has been established, then they can readily set out in the backyard and hunt for their own bugs. Just remind them to release the poor creatures after done examining them, though.

Physical Development

This bug view is perfect for a budding scientist who has already developed some coordination. The viewing window allows you to observe the finest details on all types of insects. With this, kids never have to touch the bugs and risk getting bit or hurting them. The sliding door captures them safely and you can immediately release them as soon as you’re done watching them. Even parents love being able to catch and relocate uninvited guests found in the house.

Design

The mechanism of the BugView is pretty much similar to a fishing rod, hook, and line following a catch and release protocol. Kids will be catching insects with the BugView, trapping the bugs in the device’s clear dome, and observe the bugs or critters through the clear dome. Catching bugs is made humanely possible and easier, too. It doesn’t involve squishing or even destroying the natural habitat of these critters.

Sensory Stimulation

The finger holes are made smaller than many other puppets so that they won’t slip around and fall off of tiny hands. And the bugs are all vibrant colors, painted to resemble their real-life counterparts. The set includes two copies of each insect so you can replace lost pieces, or let your child enjoy all of their matching friends.

Physical Development

Creative play lets children explore social dynamics, empathy, problem-solving, and story-telling in their own imaginative ways. These bugs are a great tool for playtime; they fit right on your child’s fingers so they can run around with their buggy buddies and still keep their hands mostly free.

Design

Plastic bug toys are great but how often do the pieces go missing? This Fun Express set aims to solve that. Making them puppets means they’re always handy for your children, and by offering two of each bug, your family is all prepped to keep playing, even if one or two pieces from the kit go missing.

Sensory Stimulation

Now, parents can feel more confident and more secure every time their kids set out in the garden in search of colorful bugs as you will be using the Sunny Patch critters as wonderful hide-and-hunt tools to train your child’s observational and exploratory skills. It can also be played as a sorting game since the sturdy plastic insect toys come as two of each kind.

Physical Development

Kids get a pair of centipedes, grasshoppers, June beetles, ants, and ladybugs. These also come in vibrant colors so kids can also use color as a sorting parameter. Their language abilities as well as motor skills can also be enhanced just playing with the Sunny Patch bugs. These are very friendly insects that will never bite your kid.

Design

These colorful bugs can be used for numerous games. Little ones can learn to count, sort and match with the 10 creepy crawlies. Add some outdoor time by playing in your yard to hunt for these fun critters while working on color recognition. This sturdy plastic is safe and well made so kids can be entertained for hours without fear of breaking off pieces. Recreating “bug homes” and different environments pushes children to develop their imagination and creates a love of nature and all creatures.

Sensory Stimulation

The soft texture of this pillow makes it a fan favorite. It comes in a vacuumed packaging, so it will be flat when it arrives but will fluff up over the next few days. For a quicker turnaround, throw it in the dryer on air-fluff. Kids will love the puffy shape and the vibrant colors as well.

Physical Development

All children need to learn to sleep on their own, but sometimes that process can be a tricky and sensitive one. Having a pillow pal gives children a familiar, comforting presence wherever they’re going to sleep. Whether they’re getting ready for their first nights away from home or they’re just trying to learn to stay in their own bed all night, the buddy-system can be an effective resource. This ladybug is cute and comfy, and since it unrolls to be pretty spacious, it’s actually functional in pillow form!

Design

The materials used for these pillow pals are BPA-free and up to par with all international safety standards. The pillow can be machine washed and air-dried, making cleanup and maintenance easy. The eyes are embroidered so there are no sharp edges or easily dislodged little pieces to present hazards to young ones. They’re easy to fold up into their stuffed animal mode and easy to unfold into pillows! They travel well and are lightweight enough that children can carry them on their own.

Sensory Stimulation

With so many bright primary colors and differently shaped pieces, this set draws toddlers in. The plastic is smooth and the pieces fit together easily, allowing the children to do the work themselves. Parents can help kids learn to count via the numbers on each cute little bug and can also help them learn to sort the pieces together by color.

Physical Development

This toy will work toddlers’ fine motor skills, dexterity, hand-eye coordination, ability to categorize, and beginning numerical skills. The pieces are small enough to be slightly challenging for little fingers to grasp, but not so difficult as to be frustrating. The more children work their little muscles to put together and take apart these bug buddies, the better their hand-eye coordination will get!

Design

Perfectly scaled, these bugs will improve children’s motor skills but are still big enough that they won’t be a choking hazard. They’re easy to operate and though there are many pieces when the bugs are put together, they’re also easy to store. You can get them in an owl or turtle design if that’s more your child’s current style. In recent years, some consumers have complained that the company changed the plastic they were using and the material is now less forgiving and harder for children to manipulate. Other customers didn’t seem to notice a difference and felt the bugs were easy to work with.

Sensory Stimulation

At the very least, this should help young children hold these creatures without having to worry about getting nasty bites or itchiness because these can supplant the real creatures they represent. The bugs are unique types of beetles and insects that kids can learn about. Kids can see all the details up close without fear of bug bites or stings.

Physical Development

These life-like, giant bugs are perfect for some fun education. Adults can even use these in a classroom setting for everyone to learn about all the different species of bugs. The accurate details can teach kids about anatomy and create a compassion for all creatures.

Design

These bugs are also huge and are constructed of very durable materials. These also make for superb décor in your kid’s room. However your little one intends to play with these, he or she is guaranteed to have a better understanding of these members of the animal kingdom.

Sensory Stimulation

There’s only one function of the Bug Jug: to provide a home to 4 lovable, plush, and adorable bugs that include a butterfly, a grasshopper, a ladybug, and a spider. What’s amazing is that these 4 little friends come with built-in sensory toys such as a rattle, a squeaker, a crinkle, and a jingle bell. These are important for auditory stimulation. Helping develop babies’ tactile senses are the different fabric materials used in the construction of each of these bugs, not to mention how soft they feel to the touch. And with soft yet lovable colors, too, you have just completed the troika of sensory development for infants.

Physical Development

This interesting toy is one of a kind. The concept is still simple enough for younger kids to increase their fine motor skills. Perfectly developed for little hands to practice “filling and spilling” and develop their hand-eye coordination.

Design

There are different rattles, squeaks and crinkles for babies to explore and work on sensory development. Bright and fun patterns are perfect to start introducing colors. These are the bugs that will help your baby optimize his or her brain development because of the superb sensory stimulation that these toy bugs provide.