Provide your toddler with toys that are fun and educational too. These top learning toys for toddlers — and even many special-needs kids — will allow them have fun while developing cognitive and motor skills.
Toddler-age children are sponges for learning, because at this age, they absorb ideas and concepts very easily. Toddlers also love to play and get into things. By providing your kids with toys that are fun and engaging as well as educational, you can help them develop their cognition, communication and motor skills! And if you have a special-needs child — whether he or she has autism, Down syndrome or another cognitive atypicality — these toys can also be very valuable in many of the same ways. Learning toys aren’t all puzzles and books, even blocks and toy cars can provide educational benefits. Here are some of our favorite educational toys for toddlers.
Little People animal sounds farm
This Fisher-Price toy is ideal for toddlers who need something interactive to capture their attention. The Little People Animal Sounds Farm features barnyard animals, a farmer and much more. Children press on different parts to hear songs and sounds.
Brainy Baby shapes & colors DVD
This DVD is both educational and entertaining as it introduces shapes and colors, as well as sing-along songs to help toddlers remember what they have learned. Children love this Brainy Baby DVD and will want to watch it over and over again as they learn.
Switching Gears toddler gear motion toy
With this motion toy, your child will enjoy turning gears and be captivated by lights and music, while also improving visual tracking skills. This colorful toy for toddlers is priced at $22.99.
The Wonder Wheel car seat toy
This multi-sensory toy allows your child to develop skills, while getting familiar with the look and sounds of animals. The brightly colored images, flashing lights, popular tunes and animal sounds will keep your toddler’s attention.
Learn & Groove musical table
This is an extremely popular toy for kids ages 6 months to 3 years. It engages children with lights, sounds, songs and motion. The LeapFrog Learn & Groove musical table introduces your toddler to the alphabet, numbers, colors and sounds. Get it at Toys “R” Us or other toy retailers.
Leapfrog Littletouch Leappad book
The “Let’s Get Busy Baby” talking picture book introduces your baby or toddler to words through interactive play and wonderful music. This is just one of the many Leapfrog Littletouch Leappad books. You can find these books at most toy stores and several online retailers.
Melissa and Doug My First ABC Book
Your toddler can match the removable wooden magnetic pieces to their correct puzzle spots. This ABC book builds a variety of recognition, early vocabulary and matching skills. The Melissa and Doug series of books is ideal for young children.
5-way giant bead maze cube
This fabulous toy will help build cognitive skills, enhance visual tracking, improve eye-hand coordination and develop tactile and find motor skills. Plus, it’s also a whole lot of fun! The wooden play cube features a xylophone, zoo tracking maze, dry erase board and abacus on the four sides, plus a multi-shaped bead maze on top. Get it exclusively at Toys “R” Us.
Fisher-Price laugh and learn puppy
This cuddly puppy is more than just cute, it’s an interactive learning toy which can teach your toddler about body parts, colors, the alphabet and much more through songs and fun phrases. At just $24.99, it’s an economical choice that young children and their parents really love.
Small World Toys IQ Preschool “Get A Grip” sorter
The Small World Toys IQ Preschool line of products promotes learning through engaging toys. The award winning “Get a Grip” sorter allows toddlers to sort blocks and place them in the proper holes. This toy helps promote manual dexterity, spatial perception, hand-eye coordination, independent play, color and shape recognition and more. At under $20, you can’t beat the price on this fun and educational toy.
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