Ideas to shop around
Directions rather than one particular thing, for when you’d rather choose. Some come with a few that fit.
Wooden Puzzles for Toddlers
Chunky wooden puzzles with knobs. Easier for small hands than cardboard puzzles and they last through siblings.
2 that fit · about $9.09 – $9.37
Melissa and Doug Farm Animals Chunky Puzzleabout $9.09 · amazon.com
Wooden Peg Puzzles for Toddlersabout $9.37 · amazon.com
Learning Toys for Toddlers
Toys that teach shapes, colors and counting through play. Fisher-Price and Melissa and Doug are trusted brands for this age.
3 that fit · about $8.99 – $20.99
VTech Drill and Learn Toolboxabout $20.99 · amazon.com
Montessori Learning Toyabout $8.99 · amazon.com
Magnetic Wooden Fishing Gameabout $9.99 · amazon.com
Art Supplies for Toddlers
Washable, chunky supplies. Safe for mouthing and easy to clean compared with regular markers.
2 that fit · about $5.11 – $13.29
Crayola Large Crayons, 8 Countabout $5.11 · amazon.com
JUPITEARTH Silky Twist Crayonsabout $13.29 · amazon.com
Play Kitchens and Ride On Toys for Toddlers
Bigger toys for pretend play and moving around. These take space, so check the room before buying.
2 that fit · about $30.99 – $35.99
Dramation Kids Kitchen Playsetabout $35.99 · amazon.com
SEREED Baby Balance Bikeabout $30.99 · amazon.com
Stacking and sorting toys
First building and sorting toys. Mega Bloks First Builders are bigger than standard bricks and safe for small hands.
3 that fit · about $14.97 – $24.99
Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bagabout $14.97 · amazon.com
Hape Wooden Wonder Shape Sorterabout $24.99 · amazon.com
M&D Match and Roll Shape Sorterabout $18.89 · amazon.com
Pretend play vehicles and animals
Cars and animals for toddlers who love to push and make noise. Wooden sets handle rough play better than plastic ones.
3 that fit · about $19.48 – $38.06
M&D Wooden Cars Vehicle Setabout $24.78 · amazon.com
M&D Wooden Town Vehiclesabout $19.48 · amazon.com
Fisher-Price Little People Caring for Animals Farmabout $38.06 · amazon.com
Drawing and play dough
Creative play that is easy to clean up. Washable and reusable supplies suit toddlers who still taste things.
2 that fit · about $7.99 – $12.99
SGILE Magnetic Drawing Boardabout $12.99 · amazon.com
Play-Doh 10 Pack of Modeling Compoundabout $7.99 · amazon.com
First puzzles and stacking
Early puzzles and stackers build hand skills. Ravensburger and Melissa and Doug make sturdy pieces that survive being chewed and thrown.
4 that fit · about $9.97 – $17.45
Ravensburger My First Puzzles: What's the Weather?about $17.45 · amazon.com
Ravensburger My First Puzzle: On the Farmabout $12.95 · amazon.com
Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stackerabout $9.97 · amazon.com
Sassy Stacks of Circles Stacking Ringabout $9.99 · amazon.com
Music, water and paint
Quiet creative play that is easy to clean. Reusable and washable options avoid the marker mess.
3 that fit · about $8.99 – $17.31
Melissa & Doug Caterpillar Wooden Xylophoneabout $11.70 · amazon.com
Melissa & Doug On the Go Water WOW! Under the Seaabout $8.99 · amazon.com
Crayola Washable Finger Paints, 6 Countabout $17.31 · amazon.com
Ride-ons and listening
Active play and quiet time. A rocking horse and kids headphones are bigger gifts for specific moments.
2 that fit · about $26.39 – $29.97
Little Tikes Rocking Horseabout $29.97 · amazon.com
Belkin SoundForm Mini Kids Headphonesabout $26.39 · amazon.com