Children learn from the very first day they are born. They learn from the surrounding environment, from their parents, friends, and siblings. But there is one more very important factor that facilitates their development – games and toys. We are aware that toys are positive for the kids’ development both for their cognitive, emotional, and physical growth and it is important to remember that children learn best when they play.
No matter if you want to teach your little one how to recognize shapes and colors or provoke the little explorer in them, it is necessary to select the right educational toy. These are specific toys that aim to promote certain skills. They are developed to reflect the kid’s age and abilities and hence, there are toys suitable for different stages of the child’s development.
How to choose the right educational toy for your child
While age recommendations are important, it is also necessary to take your own child’s preferences, abilities, and needs into account prior to buying any toy. You can also select between toys that require the participation of an adult or such that stimulate individual play. Note that the toy or game that you select should be easy to use – if it takes you too long to assemble it or to realize its purpose and rules of play, then this is not the best educational toy to introduce.
It is also good to know that often educational toys are a bit expensive. In many cases this is due to the high-quality materials they are made from and to the fact that they follow a certain methodology like Montessori toys, for example. Many toys and games are suitable for children of different ages and they can “grow” with your kid meaning that you can use them for many years to come. Hence, the investment is really worth it.
As there is a great variety of educational toys on the market, we have selected a list of 11 toys for different ages that will be a helpful addition to your house in 2019.
KidBaron’s Crazy Bricks
Kids of all ages love to build. Soft blocks and cubes are one of the first toys that grab the attention of 1-year old's and toddlers and can keep fascinating them for years to come. If you want to make it even more fun and educational, you need the Crazy Bricks for Smart Kids offered by KidsBaron. The set includes 81 pieces of brightly colored bricks and electric components that will stimulate your kid’s imagination.
The bricks are super easy to assemble and the cars or other machines built with them can actually work and move. There is an endless number of possibilities in front of your little engineer. The bricks help your kid develop their logical thinking and problem-solving skills. They can learn the basics of engineering and urge them to discover new solutions every day.
This toy is suitable both for individual play and for parent-child interaction depending on the age of your kid.
Scientific Explorer’s Mind-Blowing Science Kit
One of the best ways to instill love for science in your kids is by presenting it in a funny way. Scientific Explorer has developed a series of kits dedicated to science that make it look like magic. The Mind-Blowing science kit is one of them and is mainly focused on children who find chemical experiments attractive.
The set includes all you need to perform the experiments and the good news is that you can use certain household supplies to continue the fun. The materials are kid-friendly – vegetable oil, cornstarch, red cabbage powder, baking soda and the like. There is a full set of lab tools as well – test tubes, plastic cups, measuring scoops to ensure your little scientist is prepared for the job.
The set is suitable for kids aged 6 and up and the experiments should be observed by an adult.
If your kid loves science, then you can research other similar kits offered by the manufacturer to add to the fun and stimulate their skills and knowledge building.
playPROMPTS Play Hooray Cards
These original play cards will let you enjoy your kid’s play without having to think too much how to entertain them. The ideas on the cards are fun and easy to follow and aim to develop the child’s imagination and critical thinking as well.
The pack contains 100 playPROMPTS activity ideas printed on colorful cards. The activities are suitable both for indoor and outdoor play and are fun for children between 1 and five years of age. You can either join in the challenges to share some bonding time or you can relax and watch your kid play following the instructions.
You do not need special items for the challenge on each card to be fulfilled – all you need is the stuff in your house. Fill two white socks with Lego bricks can be a prompt on the card. It will help your kid learn colors and also develop their fine motoric skills while never feeling bored again.
Buckle Toy Buddy Backpack
1-year old kids love bright colors, soft materials, and challenges. The Buddy Backpack is a buckle toy that combines all of these features. It has several child-friendly buckles in different styles that the kid can play with. This type of activity stimulates hand-eye coordination and the general development of motor skills.
The combination of different shapes and colors along with the option to teach some basic math and counting make it a perfect developmental toy for this age range. It encourages cognitive and motor development and can be quite fun for your 1-year old. They can fill it with other toys and carry it around as well, pretending to be an explorer.
Montessori Shoelace Tying Learner
While some educational toys help develop general cognitive and motor skills, others focus on particular activities. The Montessori Shoelace Tying Learner is one of the toys with a specific purpose – to teach your kid to tie their shoelaces.
Based on the approach developed by Maria Montessori, this cute wooden shoe is the perfect trainer for your little one. It is made to fit in the small hands of a toddler or preschooler. The toy is suitable for kids aged between 2 and 8 and is perfect for their overall motoric development as well.
My Fairy Garden Kitchen Garden
Educational toys aim to teach us how to cope with real-life situations and sometimes even present such situations. The Kitchen Garden is a set developed by My Fair Garden aiming to teach kids how to grow their own food.
The set contains pea seeds to grow pea shoots, a fairy figure, a small house, and a picket fence. All you need to do is add some soil and follow the instructions of planting the pea seeds. The aim of the toy s to present to your kid the basic ideas of gardening but also to teach them to be patient and the importance of sticking to their duties.
The kitchen garden is suitable for kids aged 4 and above and once the pea grows you can simply buy some other seeds and continue the funny experiment of growing your own food.
Little Tikes STEM Jr. Wonder Lab
Your 5-year old kid will fall in love with the STEM Jr. Wonder Lab the moment you get it home. Suitable both for boys and girls, this interactive toy allows them to put on a white lab coat and discover the magic of science.
The set offers 20 unique experiments, a ball maze, a circuit center, and more than 50 accessories. On top of that, the lab plays several sounds and phrases while the little scientists do their job around it. It is possible to make potions and pretend to be wizards or anything they like.
The lab stimulates creativity and fine motor skills and helps your child realize how funny science can be.
This toy is great for quality time to spend together as it requires your presence around. You can also look for other Little Tikes toys that can be successfully combined with this item for a more interesting play.
Play & Learn Musical Caterpillar by Brio
Music plays a special role in the formation of our personality and kids love musical instruments and sound-producing toys. Brio offers an interesting way to keep your 1-year old happy and occupied by allowing them to create their own melodies.
The Musical Caterpillar offers an interesting design and features. When the wooden knob is placed in the hole, it produces a tone. If you connect the head and the tail of the caterpillar, you get an entire melody. There are 10 different ways to connect them and 10 different melodies.
While it keeps little ones busy, it also teaches them the element of cause and effect and helps them develop their creativity. With toddlers, you can even practice basic math and counting using the parts of the caterpillar.
Solar Energy Powered Education Toys by KidsBaron
DIY projects are fun both for adults and kids alike. It is good to teach your children to rely on their own hands and imagination if they want to be successful in life. The set of solar energy-powered education toys offered by KidsBaron is such a DIY toy that can stimulate your kids’ creativity.
The set teaches basic engineering skills and shows in practice how solar panels work. The pieces can be used to assemble one of the six different solar robots – Solar Revolving Plane, Solar Windmill, Solar Plane, Solar Airboat, Solar Puppy, and Solar Car. There are instructions that facilitate the assembly process. The solar battery allows endless time of play and has a life span of 3 to 5 years.
The toy is suitable for kids aged 3 and above and it is better for children below 10 to be supervised by an adult while creating their robots.
Wonder Workshop Dash Robot
As technology is an inevitable part of our and our kids’ life, it is a good way to use it in the right manner. The Wonder Workshop Dash Robot is an excellent way to teach your kids how to use apps and code while developing their problem-solving skills.
The robot is controlled via a variety of apps that can make it dance, move, light up or react to your child’s voice. It comes fully assembled and with the Go App built-in so that the play can start from the very beginning.
The variety of apps that can be used will provide your child with basic coding skills. The robot is suitable for kids that are 6 years or above and can be adjusted to the needs of various age groups due to the different learning levels and playing styles it accommodates.
Rory's Story Cubes
Telling stories is a brilliant way to develop your imagination, cognitive and language skills and to develop social confidence. Rory’s story cubes are aimed at teenagers and are also loved by adults for the creative ideas they bring in.
There are 9 story cubes with 6 images that can be used as prompts in creating the best story ever. The game is dynamic and interactive and there are no limitations to your imagination. The cubes can be used in an educational setting as well. They are recognized as promoting literacy and language and can be used for foreign language teaching or as a creative writing aid.
Educational toys are the best way to promote love for life-long learning as they combine fun with intuitive learning and help develop our kids’ imagination. Always select such toys, that are fun for you and your kids and are not too difficult or too easy for the user.
If you are looking for the best present, you can check our toys section where you will find a great variety of educational toys and fun games.
