Once a child starts toddling, a whole new range of toys are ready and waiting to be played with. Whether it’s helping with crawling, walking or speaking or showing them how to develop their imaginations and creativity, you will need the best toddler toys to provide hours of fun. Specifically developed toys for this age group can be engaging and stimulating, but some of the best toddler toys are the simple ones.
Some of the many, many options are listed here, so have fun playing with toddler toys to help a little one grow, learn and laugh.
Bubbles
Bubbles are versatile, easy to use in any outdoor space and simply brilliant fun at any age. If it’s the adult blowing the bubbles, then it can help a toddler learning to reach and grab from a standing position or trying to walk and run after moving objects. Something to chase or follow without the worry of losing it! Then handing the bubble wand to the child, making sure that they’re keeping it out of their mouth of course, can help with developing the mouth movements needed when learning to talk. Go wild with bubbles!
Chunky Crayons and Chalks
Crayons are great for indoor play, just give them a piece of paper and off they go. Chalks work well on pavements or driveways without the worry of permanent mess. Drawing with crayons or chalks can help children learning fine motor control, and chunky versions are great while they’re still learning how to grip and hold onto things. Aside from developing hand muscles, toddlers can begin to express their creativity and imaginations through pictures and images, even if it is all in odd colours… Purple faces with blue hair maybe…
Pretend Play for Toddlers
A lot of toddler toys are about learning to imitate the world around them, copying parents, siblings or friends. Pretend play can help with learning how the world works, as well as improving imagination, creativity and learning to follow a storyline. This form of play can be achieved using almost anything.
Whether it’s dressing up to be a teacher or a doctor, using toddler toy saucepans or showing off how a cardboard box can be a bus, a spaceship or a dog bed, pretend play doesn’t necessarily need fancy or expensive props. Often, they might find ways to use the things they’re given in ways that no adult would imagine, but that’s all part of fun!
Pans become drums, frisbees become crowns and string becomes spaghetti in pretend play. Imagination is the limit and toddlers haven’t found the edge yet.
Sand Toys
Playing in the sand may get a bit messy, but toddler toys in the sandpit are fun and can help with learning important skills. Shaping sand into different shapes is great for those developing fine motor skills, while buckets and spades are easy to use and give toddlers more opportunities for the endless fun of building and knocking down. Show them how to build a castle, drive a digger around or dig a hole to the bottom of the pit. Just remember to stay with the child to prevent sand going in their mouths; it may be a great toy, but it doesn’t taste nice and isn’t good for their tummies.
Push Along or Ride On Toys
For a toddler learning to walk, push along or ride on toddler toys are a useful tool to have. With a wide range to choose from, including brick trolleys, pushchairs or doll prams or colourful walkers with flashing lights and buttons, push along toys provide support in continuing to learn to walk. They can be used as part of pretend play in mimicking adult behaviours and exploring imagination too. Ride on toddler toys may be better used outside, but they are great for muscle development in a different way to walking, which could be helpful for much later skills such as riding a tricycle or a bicycle.
Our mission at BrightMinds is to foster “a brighter way to play” to inspire your child to be curious about the world around them & encourage creativity in a fun & relaxed way.
We curate a world-class range of educational toys, games, gifts & books which are good quality, safe and backed by our extraordinary customer service. A Toddler Toy from BrightMinds is a wonderful gift for your special boy or girl.