Toys for Toddlers
Your little one has just outgrown their toys from infancy, you'll want to do two things; 1) read my article on Ten Cheap Toys that Survive From Infancy to Toddlers 2) pick up some age appropriate toys for learning and creativity. What kinds of toys work best for toddlers? Do they all have to be educational? How much should I spend? These are all important questions.
Do your toys all have to be learning toys? Absolutely not, and keep in mind that all toys help children learn. The best thing to do is have a varied bunch of toys to stimulate the different growth spurts. Many people ask me what me and my family recommend, and I have a few general recommendations. (if you haven't read my homepage, I'll just reiterate I'm a teacher, my mom is a teacher, my sister, grandmother and most of our friends are teachers)
The Big Wheel toys are unbelievably popular with kids, even years later. You can usually find used ones at yard sales or online auction houses (like EBay). These lovely toys help develop muscles in the legs. They are also great for kids around age 18 months to 6 years. Older kids will prefer a tricycle, which also helps build muscle control. Once a child is comfortable on this type of bike, it's much easier to move to a two wheeler.
Puzzles, puzzles puzzles. I can't say enough about puzzles. Not just cardboard puzzles, but big wooden block puzzles and anything that requires thought and coordination to put together. Not only are these wonderful logic builders, but children learn better dexterity. Puzzles are fun for the whole family. Puzzles are super cheap as well, which helps your pocket books.
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US $14.99
Old clothes are one of the best gifts you can give toddlers. Dress up is fun for both kids and adults, and it lasts sometimes up until they are eight and older. Don't worry about out of fashion clothing, buy anything that sparkles, shines or looks like adult clothing. For girls lovely dresses and purses with large shiny shoes. Don't forget that boys like to dress up too. For boys, sheets for hero costumes and uniforms. There are even costumes you can buy for really cheap that children love to play with. If you can get your kids out of the clothes, it'll be a miracle. They are the perfect toys for toddlers for development their creativity. Kids also develop dexterity by zipping, buttoning and opening and closing purses.
Another great toy for toddlers is books. Even when they can't read they love to hear stories. Pop up books and books with sounds are great favorites. Otherwise, you'll want to have some pretty descriptive illustrations for younger kids. Younger kids also should have books they can play with made of plastic or cardboard. For older kids, the illustrations are wonderful, but to aid in reading development, remember that less is more.
Any kind of art utensils, boards and paper. Markers (invest in washable ones!), chalk. Invest in butcher paper and spread it out on your walls. Let the kids have a ball. Make an entire wall out of butcher paper. Be sure to give crayons and not pens or pencils, as children like to press hard (especially the younger tykes).
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I will add more toys from time to time on the site, but this is a comprehensive list of what I think are some of the best toys for toddlers ages 1-6. When buying a toy for a toddler, it's important to remember that the younger children put everything in their mouths; books, crayons, markers, cloth etc. Safety is important.
- Avoid giving children under 5 anything small that they can swallow.
- Children, even above 5 put things in the mouths, be sure everything you buy is child safe (it should say so specifically).
- Doll hair should be avoided for any child younger than 4, a pretty harsh statement, however again children put things in their mouth and hair can get chewed and swallowed.
- Think sturdy, when buying toddler toys.
- Always follow the directions from the manufacturer in terms of recommendations for age appropriateness.
And lastly, kids love toys of any kind and especially wooden toy trucks.