Why You Can Trust CNET 24 Entertaining Gifts for Curious Toddlers
From pretend play options to adventurous ride-on toys, you can't go wrong with these fun and thoughtful toddler gifts.
You're preparing to go gift shopping for the toddler in your life and you've just realized you don't know where to begin. With so many toys on the market and the quickly changing tastes of your little one, there's a clear risk that the cool toy you get today could end up collecting dust in the closet tomorrow. As a parent, you're always looking for new ways to entertain your tyke and keep them engaged for more than five minutes. That's an ongoing mission, really. When all is said and done, you just want your toddler to have an enriching experience with whatever present you get them. If you need some guidance, we've got you. Below, we've put together a list of 24 awesome toys that'll keep the curious toddler in your life entertained.
As your kid heads into the toddler years, they'll be facing a bunch of developmental milestones (teething, sleep regressions and potty training, oh my!). Through it all, they'll grow emotionally, intellectually and socially and require a fair amount of play to keep them connected with the world around them. Mental and physical activity is a must. With that in mind, shopping for toys that foster learning and pretend play are wonderful options. You can never go wrong with building sets (like Lego Duplo or Magna-Tiles) or activity cubes, because toddlers just love to put things together. Exploring a toy kitchen, hopping on a ride-on toy or playing dress-up can light up your child in a variety of ways. And these are just a small set of examples of what you'll find below. Don't take our word for it, scroll on to check out this year's top toddler toys.
Playing with Legos is an inherent part of being a kid. The Duplo Classic Brick Box Building Set introduces the endless fun to the littlest builder. Equipped with 64 colorful pieces -- which include a toy car with wheels that spin, little Lego people, numbered bricks and a storage container -- this set helps promote early learning, hand-eye coordination and spatial learning. Your kid can exercise creativity by building a road, an array of structures and even a flower archway.
When it comes to coloring, toddlers can make a mess. The Do-A-Dot markers are a great solution for those times when hosing paint off your child -- and your floors and walls -- is just not in the cards. These easy-to-grip nontoxic markers come with sponge tips, giving a thicker paintlike feel to any impromptu art project. They won't dry out if the caps get misplaced, and they're absolutely washable. What a great way to let the creativity flow!
When it comes to toddler toys, a decent bubble maker should always be in a parent's repertoire. But why go with a simple bottle and wand when you can level up your bubble game with ArtCreativity's Bubble Leaf Blower bubble machine? Not only does it looks like a leaf blower, but it can also make realistic leaf blower noises, which will add a whole new layer of interactive fun when helping clean the yard. A 4-ounce bottle of nontoxic bubble fluid is included, ensuring your kid will have loads of fun chasing and popping endless streams of bubbles.
This vintage-style Classic Roadster has a low center of gravity -- perfect for learning to pedal and steer. The trike comes with a bell, handlebar tassels and an adjustable seat so it'll fit just right. Bonus: There are seven colors to choose from.
If you haven't seen the Yoto player, it's an impressive innovation. Children can listen to stories and educational content by placing cards (like Encanto, Winnie the Pooh or even mindfulness exercises) into the audio player. The Yoto Mini is a portable new version of the original and provides up to 20 hours of play per charge. Bonus: The Yoto Mini also works as a Bluetooth speaker, OK-to-wake clock and white-noise machine. Cards are sold separately.
LovEvery is a research-backed subscription service that delivers developmentally appropriate toys to your door every few months. From the Helper Play Kit for 2-year-olds to the Storyteller Play Kit, these sets help guide both child and parent through the important milestones -- making things fun and educational along the way.
This Magna-Tiles set is another classic STEM toy that'll bring a unique sort of building play into your youngster's life. From roads to buildings to magnetic cranes, your toddler will be able to develop their fine motor skills as they construct a variety of structures and colorful shapes. These tiles are made of magnets, so not only can they connect with each other on their own, but your kid can also toss them up onto any metal surface to add further layers of creativity to their imaginative play.
Melissa & Doug's Shape Sorting Cube is a classic toddler toy that promotes early childhood development. With a beautiful simplistic design, solid wood construction and 12 brightly colored shapes, this sorting cube has a visual appeal that will keep your little one's attention as they learn problem solving and color and shape recognition.
If your kiddo loves construction vehicles, this is the perfect gift. This excavator set STEM toy includes eight plastic parts, 11 plastic screws, two wheels, a small screwdriver and even a little figure to drive the truck. Note: It's not recommended for children under 3 years old due to the small parts.
This adorable wood play kitchen is a perfect toddler gift. Twenty-two pieces of play food, accessories and utensils are included so kids can whip up delightful dishes. Display shelves show off their baked goods, and there's a chalkboard insert for writing the daily specials. A "working" ice machine and clicking knobs add to the realistic fun. Bonus: EZ Kraft Assembly means parents won't be frustrated after hours of building.
Micro Kickboard's Mini Deluxe 3-Wheeled Scooter is stronger than it looks. This sturdy scooter can hold up to 110 pounds, meaning that it's designed to grow along with your kid, thanks to its adjustable T-bar. The lean-to-steer design helps maintain balance as your child develops their own sense of coordination. This specific model is perfect for the toddler who wants to roll like the big kids and look cool while doing so.
Toddlers love imaginative role-playing. When kids are this age, they tend to make sense of the world around them by mimicking what they see the adults doing. The All Seasons Kids Wooden Dollhouse by Hape is a unique toy that allows your little one to act out their own ideas of domestic situations in a space that's easy for them to control. This dollhouse isn't shabby, either. At three stories, each room (there are four room sets featuring a master bedroom, family bathroom, media room and kitchen) is easily dressed with customizable toy furniture and can be combined with other dollhouse accessories built by Hape. Unlike the plastic options on the market, this dollhouse is made with solid wood and child-safe paint, giving parents some added peace of mind.
This silly pineapple is a fun toy, and toddlers gain social-emotional learning, or SEL, skills as they play. Kids can create different facial expressions out of 26 face pieces that store conveniently inside the fruit. From frowns to heart eyes, toddlers can explore and recognize feelings with this set. Bonus: An emotions guide is included.
CoComelon is a wildly popular YouTube Kids and Netflix series featuring this cartoon baby, JJ. Make toddler dreams come true by gifting them their very own JJ doll. This guy features four interactive buttons and over 50 phrases and songs that teach letters and numbers. Best for 18 months and up.
One of the main ways toddlers learn about the world around them is through song. What better way to harbor their creativity and encourage auditory skills than with their own ukulele? The Yezi Kids Toy Classical Ukulele ticks all the boxes when it comes to an introductory musical instrument for even the littlest learners. Its realistic feel and design, combined with ease-of-use, gives kids the power to create their own songs. Before you know it, they'll be putting on a show!
Playing dress-up is an important component in a toddler's play time. There's something nostalgic and delightful about seeing your kid don a cape and mask -- just like you did back in the day -- and engage in superhero play. The Superhero Capes Set from RioRand comes with an assortment of outfits inspired by the big heroes from Marvel and DC. Cool masks and slap bracelets complete these colorful ensembles, allowing for all sorts of cosplay fun to be had.
Toddlers tend to love service vehicles. From fire trucks to ambulances, there's an enduring allure that these colorful, light-up cars have to offer. Remoking's Learning Take Apart Ambulance puts a buildable service vehicle directly into your child's hands. This set comes equipped with toy drills, screws and all the necessary accessories to help them learn how to take it apart and rebuild it. Light-up features and engine sounds add the alluring characteristics of the real thing into the mix. And while having fun is on the agenda, your little one will learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills along the way.
Toddlers love puppets, and this adorable crocodile puppet is a beauty. It has a built-in belly bag, so the croc can gobble up small objects and make them disappear. Be prepared for a lot of giggles. If you want to take the entertainment to the next level, consider purchasing one or two other puppets along with Haba's popular doorway puppet theater.
This toddler-friendly racetrack has room for three cars to compete. (Two Wheelies cars are included.) Exciting stunts abound, from a 360-degree loop to a stunt ramp with a ring of "fire." Over 50 sounds add to the entertainment. A car wash and gas station complete the scene. Best for toddlers aged 18 months and up.
When it comes to activity cubes, Hape's Country Critters Wooden Activity Play Cube has a sizable advantage over its STEM competitors. This thing is big and features a whole assortment of puzzle activities to help develop a toddler's logic skills, motor skills and patience. There's a cute, inviting animal theme happening here that draws children in to take part in activities like shape sorting, the color-coded animal queue and a colorful beaded adventure land.
Osmo is an award-winning toy brand that uses tablet technology. Four educational games are included in the Little Genius Starter Kit for the iPad (also available for the Amazon Fire tablet). You'll need your own iPad, but Wi-Fi is not necessary. Kids will learn phonics, develop predrawing skills, explore colors, improve problem-solving skills and identify social-emotional cues. Best for ages 3 and up.
There's something about playing doctor that gives little kids agency. This Fisher-Price Preschool Pretend Play Medical Doctor Kit is a great play-set if you're looking for a fun, interactive way to introduce kindness and healthy habits into pretend time. The seven pieces in this set includes a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, otoscope, syringe, bandage and doctor bag. Interactive elements like the sick-to-well button on the thermometer or the gauge-spinning blood pressure cuff will bring life to your kid's house calls. Plus, the more they interact with these medical pretend toys, the easier real doctor visits can become.
If you're looking for a sensory toy that'll keep your little one busy, but you don't want to deal with the mess of slime or Play-Doh, this Ice Cream Treats Playset from Kinetic Sand Scents is a wonderful option. Kinetic sand is a natural sand compound that sticks together, allowing for all sorts of pretend play. The kit comes with a pound of colorful kinetic sand -- the scents are strawberry, chocolate and vanilla -- a sand tray, ice cream serving tools and even a waffle/cookie press. From delectable sundaes to ice cream sandwiches, your kid will have a blast playing ice cream shop. And since the sand never dries out, the possibilities for continued creation are endless.
Your toddler will be delighted by Little Tikes' Cozy Train Scoot because they can actually ride around the tracks on the engine. Set up the eight pieces of included track, then toddlers can hop on the train and scoot or push the ride-on. Best for ages 1 and up, the train also makes a great push toy for early walkers. Bonus: There's storage under the seat for favorite toys and snacks.